Oh crap... how do I take care of baby rabbits?

[wasson]

My dog found a rabbit's nest in my yard and dug it up. She killed at least 1 of the little bunnies, but there's another 6 or 7 that are alive. They're very small, but they do have fur. They can move by themselves, but not too well.

It's Sunday, so the animal shelters/humane socities aren't doing pick ups unless it's a violent animal. That means I get the honor of taking care of these little bunnies until I can give them to someone a little more capable.

But... um... what the hell should I do with them? Put them in a box? Leave them in the yard? What kind of food should I give them? Should I just leave them alone?

[tomndebb]

Prepare to bury them (or eat them if they're large enough).

Rabbits are among the hardest wild animal to rescue. (I do not know anyone who has successfully done it.)

Check out the rather recent What do I do with these baby bunnies in my yard? thread.

[tomndebb]

On re-reading that thread, I see that one might have some success just leaving the nest alone and hoping the mother returns. I am still fairly sure that human intervention is tantamount to a death sentence.

[Khan]

I can back that up with experience. Once my dad disturbed a nest with the lawnmower. There were 4 or 5 of them in there, but I don't remember exactly (don't worry, none were minced). One died that day, the others managed to survive for several weeks, dying one by one because the formula we were giving them turned out to lack nutrients that they needed from an actual rabbit.

[wasson]

Thanks for the link to the thread... must have missed that one somehow.

I scooted 2 of the bunnies who had been pulled out of the nest back into it and re-covered it. I'll leave them alone for a few days and hope for the best. I don't have another place to let me dog do her business though, so hopefully they'll be able to go out on their own relatively quickly.

Thanks again for the link. Its good to see someone had some luck with the little guys.

[Long Time First Time]

Don't worry too much if you don't see mom rabbit around. They only nurse their young a few times a day. The rest of the time they're out and about.

Leave 'em alone and hope for the best.

[wasson]

Sorry about the dead-thread resurrection, but I thought I'd give an update on my pet bunnies.

I checked in on them every day, and the little rascals grew SO FAST. I ran into mommy bunny once or twice as well. She wasn't scared of me, but looked a bit pissed off when I interrupted her mommy duties. I probably bothered them all more than I should have, but those little guys were just so cute!

I checked on them this morning, and they were all cuddled up together sleeping. A few hours later I let my dog out and stood near the nest as she did her business, to make sure she didn't disturb my little sweethearts. I noticed the nest looked a tad empty so I did some digging and saw all my little angels were gone. I was happy they'd moved on, but sad I won't get to check on them anymore. The next time I let my dog out, I saw 2 of the little guys following mommy around the yard. It made me feel better.

So there ya go. Most of the little guys lived.

[PapSett]

Originally Posted by tomndebb

Prepare to bury them (or eat them if they're large enough).

Rabbits are among the hardest wild animal to rescue. (I do not know anyone who has successfully done it.)

Check out the rather recent What do I do with these baby bunnies in my yard? thread.

Well , you have 'met' someone that did it now . It was many , many , MANY years ago , I was in about the 2nd or 3rd grade , so my parents did most of the work , obviously . Dad ran over a bunny nest with the mower , and a couple were killed , but we were left with 5 bunnies that could fit in the palm of your hand . They got a formula from the vet , I think it was a kitten formula , with something added in , and they were fed with doll bottles . I got to help feed them and thought it was so cool ! All 5 survived and we turned them loose on a wooded farm owned by a family friend .