Rabbits - Saving wild baby rabbits

A baby wild rabbit may not necessarily be orphaned. When a bunny’s eyes open at about 7 to 10 days, the kit will begin to explore its world. The doe is not far away and will be keeping an eye on her young even though you do not see her.

Many times, dogs and cats bring home baby rabbits. If the baby’s eyes are open and the little one is not injured, bring it back outside and put it in a quiet, protected place. A mother rabbit (doe) will look for and gather up all her babies at the end of the day for feeding and may become frantic if she cannot find them all, so please do not keep them. If the bunny is dehydrated or injured, contact the closest humane society or rabbit veterinarian to help.

A baby bunny whose eyes are not yet open will rarely survive without its mother’s milk. Once again, if the bunny is injured or is dehydrated, or you can confirm that the mother is no longer alive, contact a local humane society or rabbit veterinarian. If the bunny is not injured, survey the areas around your house and try to find the trails that wild rabbits use. Put the baby in a sheltered area (within tall grass or under a bush) along these trails and the doe will find it when it is time to feed.

A bunny’s digestive system is very complex and delicate and they need the proper formula and “after feeding” care to survive. Over the counter pet formulas are developed mostly for cats, dogs and other animals that do not need the enzymes and bacteria in their digestive system that a bunny requires. In addition, baby bunnies do not eat as often as other baby animals and their digestive system needs the stimulus provided by the mother rabbit after each feeding. These delicate needs must be provided by a trained rehabilitation expert or rabbit veterinarian if the baby is to survive.

Before concluding that the baby rabbit needs saving, remember that a mother rabbit does not stay with her young throughout the day as a dog or cat will. She will not be far from her nest, but she will not approach the nest if you are watching or visible. She will also try to account for all her young at feeding time and will look for any missing kits, so leave the baby where you found it, and if your dog or cat brought the baby to you, try to find a popular “rabbit trail” where you can put the little one. In rural areas, many rabbits will have their litters under a barn or other sheltered place. This would be a good place to put a baby brought in by another pet.