Please help. I found a baby rabbit that can fit in my hand. What should I do for it to keep it alive?

We have some stray cats that come around and they caught and killed the parents a couple days ago and today this cat brought home the baby and dropped it at my feet. It is uninjured.


But what should I do for it? Right now it is in a cardboard shoebox with air holes. What can it eat? Or does it still neead milk? It is the size of my hand nd can fit perfectly in my palm.


Please be detailed and don't just say take it to a vet because I can't afford to right now and won't get my next paycheck for two weeks.


If I do take it to the vet will they charge me for asking how to care for it?


Anyways, until I can what should I feed it, does it need a water bottle and anything to keep it warm? If you can help at all I'd really appreciate it. Also it's wild so is there anything I could do to make sure it isn't too scared to eat? Thanks.

Please help. I found a baby rabbit that can fit in my hand. What should I do for it to keep it alive?
hi


thank you for saving the bunny..


I am a wildlife rehabilitator.. the best thing to do.. is put a heat pad under 1/2 the box... line the inside of the box w/ a soft blanket... sounds like he is old enough to lap from a shallow dish... you will have to go to the vet to buy Esbilac ( a puppy formula) or pet shop .... try the dish first... give him a few hours.. if he wont eat.. use an eyedropper or a syringe. try not to handle the bunny... hold the dropper up to his mouth..


a bunny does not have a very strong will to live... they are at the bottom of the food chain... so dont be upset if the little fella does not make it... if he does.. congrats to you!!!


their success rate depends alot on their surroundings.. make sure its very quiet.. do not slam doors... no screaming kids.. ect.


when the bunny is as big as the average fist.. or the white stripe is gone from the forehead.. he is ready for release.. do not keep him any longer than necessary... or he will die.
Reply:Try to see if there is a Wildlife Center in your area. I volunteer at one and the first thing we tell people is not to feed wild animals!


I can tell you this, DO NOT give it any kind of milk. Bunnies are lactose intolerant, and when I was younger I found a baby, fed it milk, and let's just say it didn't make it. They of course can drink their mother's milk, just not cow's!





I will give you the number to the one I volunteer at (yes it's probably long distance for you), and perhaps they can tell you where one is in your area.


(262) 968-5075





The best thing to do is to get it to a place where they can take care of it properly. And local humane societies won't take it in, but they too could give you a number for a wildlife shelter in your area.





Good luck!
Reply:I would suggest that you look in the phonebook for a wildlife rehab center. They will be able to tell you how to care for it or they may even take it for you. Good luck!
Reply:I had one when I was a kid. Wild, baby rabbit. My mother fed it warm pasturized cow milk from a doll bottle. Held it upside down in her hand. Towel around it. It slept in a big towel on the floor. After a while it ate things like carrots and lettuce. Now they have rabbit food at pet stores. It had a bowl of water, which we changed twice a day. Good luck. Hope this helps.
Reply:Do not take the bunny to a vet - vets are for pets and few have the expertise to care for wild animals. Also most vets do not have the proper licenses to keep a wild animal while it recouperates.





Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact....





These people have the specialized training to care for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. They also have the state and federal licenses that allow them to keep the wild animals until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild.





Best info on orphaned wild bunnies comes from this website: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orpha...





It states: "The Bunny is Wild and Really Orphaned - How do I care for it?


Again, make sure you KNOW for sure the mom was killed and the bunnies are abandoned (not warm, etc). You will not see the mom. The mom will only come back in the middle of the night to feed her babies. If the mom was killed, the best thing you can do for a wild orphaned baby bunny is to get in touch with a skilled rehabilitator. In the meantime, call your local humane society or animal control and one of these vets for a wildlife referral: http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html


http://www.morfz.com/PB_vets.html "





Nice thing about wildlife rehabilitators - most do it for no fee.
Reply:Maybe you could just call a local vet and he will give you some info for free over the phone. I be you can find several who would do that.
Reply:you will need a few things, if a professional is out of the question. realize that baby rabbits have a low survival rate. At the pet store you will need Esbilac milk replacer. No cow milk, no cat milk, but the dog replacement milk. it comes in cans and powder form. you will need the little nurser bottle also.





Put the baby in a quiet dark box as you have, with a heating pad on half of it covered by a towel, so it the baby gets too warm, it can crawl off. Not sure on the age at this point, and if its a jack rabbit or a regular bunny. Jack rabbits are not the same as the domesticated bunnies you need to know which kind on that also...





You will want to measure how much the baby is getting from the bottle, it needs something to eat every few hours for the first few days, and then can go longer as they get bigger. The amount of food is determined by how much it weighs now, and its age..... again, maybe a call to a local vet can give you an idea. phone calls are free! : )





If your bunny is fully fluffy, and eyes open, then you can offer it more bunny food type things. again, i'd get the formulated rabbit food when possible, it'll save you time on that end.





good luck
Reply:Find your nearest RSPCA centre either on the net or in your phone book. If the rabbit is very young it should be still having milk from its mother, i would act quick as its not fair on the little thing. If you phone an on call vet by you they can also give you advise over the phone without charge. Good luck hunny

skates