[Matt]

I love my rabbit, she's an awesome pet and has more of an individual personality then most dogs. Go to a pet store and get her some hay (Timothy).

[rogue74]

Here you go OP:

I’ve Found a Baby Cottontail, What Do I Do?

From the link above: WILD RABBITS DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS. They are wild things and have wild instincts. They do not trust humans and do not accept other domestic animals as companions. Please do not consider keeping these incredible and fragile creatures as a pet – to keep a cottontail in a cage for the rest of its life is to doom it to a life of sadness and broken spirit.

[yankeehater]

You dont have to, and should not keep a rabbit in a cage. Neither of my rabiits are caged and they are both litter trained and have very happy lives. The only thing you have to do is a bit of bunny proofing. Rabbits will chew cords so make sure he doesnt have access to any cords, or atleast cover the cords with plastic tubing. Do not give rabbits milk or tomatoes what ever you do. Make sure your bunny has constant access to timothy hay and it will have a very happy life. Wild rabbits can become lap bunnies and also very friendly and social. I also have 3 kittens and the rabbits and cats have a great time together. Be careful when handling the rabbit, they dont like being picked up and they will struggle to get free and they can hurt their backs.

[msdstc]

Here you go OP: I’ve Found a Baby Cottontail, What Do I Do? From the link above: WILD RABBITS DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS. They are wild things and have wild instincts. They do not trust humans and do not accept other domestic animals as companions. Please do not consider keeping these incredible and fragile creatures as a pet – to keep a cottontail in a cage for the rest of its life is to doom it to a life of sadness and broken spirit.

Yeah I've read this a few times, but really it was never my intention to keep it, but instead to raise it until it could fend for itself and release it around here away from the feral cats.

You dont have to, and should not keep a rabbit in a cage. Neither of my rabiits are caged and they are both litter trained and have very happy lives. The only thing you have to do is a bit of bunny proofing. Rabbits will chew cords so make sure he doesnt have access to any cords, or atleast cover the cords with plastic tubing. Do not give rabbits milk or tomatoes what ever you do. Make sure your bunny has constant access to timothy hay and it will have a very happy life. Wild rabbits can become lap bunnies and also very friendly and social.

Do you know this from experience?

[MIMIC]

*read the OP*

It didn't run away when you went to pick it up?

[Corky]

Have you killed it yet?

[Copernicus]

You already have the right idea with the spoon.

Follow through.

[FStop7]

Find the cat, bring it before the rabbit, and execute it. This will please bunny and let it know whose side you're on in The Great War.

[RandomDancing]

Did you try using an eye dropper to give it water? That might be the least traumatizing way to get it to drink a little water.

[Orin GA]

Shoulda let nature take its course.

[CCF23]

were these originally wild?

Yes.

To whoever said rabbits are a high maintenance pet, I couldn't disagree more. They do poop a lot but it's INCREDIBLY easy to clean up (the poops are pretty much just compressed hay waste).

[msdstc]

Yes. To whoever said rabbits are a high maintenance pet, I couldn't disagree more. They do poop a lot but it's INCREDIBLY easy to clean up (the poops are pretty much just compressed hay waste).

How long will it take for him to warm up? I want him to eat/drink, and if he warms up I'll start giving him the formula. If they really do warm up I'll definitely keep him.

Did you try using an eye dropper to give it water? That might be the least traumatizing way to get it to drink a little water.

I tried this... he took a sip once, and another time he got some on his nose and rubbed his face and drank that I guess. Other than that he just sits there.

[5amshift]

Find the cat, bring it before the rabbit, and execute it. This will please bunny and let it know whose side you're on in The Great War.

Inevitably this.

It looked like a chipmunk at first since I know a lot of those are around. But as rogue74 did state, wild rabbits don't make great pets I suppose. See how it is for a week before making a decision.

e: Also hopefully it doesn't carry any diseases.

[CCF23]

How long will it take for him to warm up? I want him to eat/drink, and if he warms up I'll start giving him the formula. If they really do warm up I'll definitely keep him.

Hard to say. If he's improved from last night (in the sense that he's not as bad as he was) then that's obviously a good thing. I'm assuming he has somewhere to hide and feel safe inside his cage? Just leave him a small dish of water and some things he's able to eat (get him some hay). He's a baby so he'll likely need alfalfa hay as opposed to timothy but don't take my word for it, ask someone who knows.

It is important that rabbits eat. It's dangerous if they go too long without eating. They have really intricate and sensitive digestive systems and they need to eat a lot. I would say, though, that if he's made it through the night it would probably be more dangerous to put it back out where you found it if there's immediate danger there than it would be to keep it at this point, but that's just opinion. I'm definitely not an expert.

[Riggs]

Op you rock! Keep it bro its mean't to be.

[yankeehater]

Yeah I've read this a few times, but really it was never my intention to keep it, but instead to raise it until it could fend for itself and release it around here away from the feral cats. Do you know this from experience?

Yes I do, one of my rabbits is adopted from the local shelter and he was brought in as a wild rabbit. He is still skittish at times, but he has become very friendly, especially compared to when we first got him. He will come over and rub his nose on my foot and sit for pets. A rabbit that is raised indoors cannot ever be re-introduced into the wild. He will not develop the foraging skills that he needs to survive. He will not know how to build tunnels and he will not have a family to help him. If you find a local vet/shelter that deals with rabbits they will tell you that. Once you take him in and raise him you cant release him with out killing him. If you have to get rid of him you should try and find a local bunny rescue, they will take him and find someone to adopt him.


Also, he won't eat until he feels safe. Get a box and cut out the bottom and cut out a door that he can fit through. Put a bowl of water inside and some lettuce (not iceburg) and maybe a carrot or a piece of broccoli. If you have hay, put that in there, too. Then let him stay inside where he feels safer. Don't touch him and bother him a lot because he's scared right now and he will freeze up. Rabbits are prey animals, so they are always on guard and waiting to be attacked. If you have some kitten formula they can have a little bit of that but to much will kill them.

[CCF23]

Yes I do, one of my rabbits is adopted from the local shelter and he was brought in as a wild rabbit. He is still skittish at times, but he has become very friendly, especially compared to when we first got him. He will come over and rub his nose on my foot and sit for pets. A rabbit that is raised indoors cannot ever be re-introduced into the wild. He will not develop the foraging skills that he needs to survive. He will not know how to build tunnels and he will not have a family to help him. If you find a local vet/shelter that deals with rabbits they will tell you that. Once you take him in and raise him you cant release him with out killing him. If you have to get rid of him you should try and find a local bunny rescue, they will take him and find someone to adopt him. Also, he won't eat until he feels safe. Get a box and cut out the bottom and cut out a door that he can fit through. Put a bowl of water inside and some lettuce (not iceburg) and maybe a carrot or a piece of broccoli. If you have hay, put that in there, too. Then let him stay inside where he feels safer. Don't touch him and bother him a lot because he's scared right now and he will freeze up. Rabbits are prey animals, so they are always on guard and waiting to be attacked. If you have some kitten formula they can have a little bit of that but to much will kill them.

Both of my rabbits are nothing like this. One of them will jump all over me if I have a treat for him.

Weird.

[lunarworks]

Both of my rabbits are nothing like this. One of them will jump all over me if I have a treat for him. Weird.

Your rabbits are used to you. This thing is a wild creature that was just rescued from the teeth of a vicious predator and is now caged-up in a very strange environment.


But yes, my girlfriend and I have two rabbits, and they are voracious. One of them gets excited and starts humping a toy rabbit when it's feeding time. (They're both female.)

[yankeehater]

Both of my rabbits are nothing like this. One of them will jump all over me if I have a treat for him. Weird.

If I take the lettuce out they thump and jump on my leg now, but when we first got them they would only eat in their box.

[CCF23]

If I take the lettuce out they thump and jump on my leg now, but when we first got them they would only eat in their box.

Ahhhh yeah. That makes sense, then. Obviously there has to be trust built.

[FStop7]

OP, have you seen I Am Legend? You realize by keeping a hostage you may be subject to a massive assault at any moment. I hope you sleep with one eye open.

[Bombadil]

I wonder if OP has listened to the advice of many members who said he should give him a little box to hide under with a hole cut on the side to use as a door. It's important that OP does this because the rabbit wants to have a place to feel safe and hidden.

[msdstc]

He ate! He also drank the entire thing of water I left for him... he's a lot more comfy now, but I seemed to scare him when I opened his new home. What else should I toss in there? I made a rice ball that holds heat and is wrapped, so he can stay warm.

[DonMigs85]

Again, this is a baby hare, and there are some differences in how they're fed and cared for.

[Ghost_Protocol]

How in the hell did you see something that small in the middle of the night?

[3N16MA]

You just stole that Cats meal. It could starve tonight.

[UFRA]

Sure you saved the bunny, but what about that poor cat's meal? :(

[Bombadil]

He ate! He also drank the entire thing of water I left for him... he's a lot more comfy now, but I seemed to scare him when I opened his new home. What else should I toss in there? I made a rice ball that holds heat and is wrapped, so he can stay warm.

he should give him a little box to hide under with a hole cut on the side to use as a door.

.

[Sanjuro]

Hopefully he gets really big, then you can eat him.

[3N16MA]

Sure you saved the bunny, but what about that poor cat's meal? :(

It's small and cute but I would not interfere with nature. The bunny is saved but that cat may go hungry or have to spend more energy looking for food. For all we know one animal gets saved while another dies.

[riceckr]

we had a bunny once, taught it to use the litter box. It's cute when they jump up and kick their legs out, that is until they start chewing through all your computer cords. They have very sharp teeth.

[Stormtrooper30]

No reason to keep it in a cage. Since it is so young, begin litter box training it. I've got three rabbits at home right now and all use a litter box like a cat and roam the house freely. You should never keep a rabbit in a cage.

Feed it alfalfa hay, green leafy (not iceberg) lettuce, and parsley. You could do pellets, but the pellets I feed mine are just alfalfa pellets to supplement the hay.

Rabbits make great pets and since yours is so young you shouldn't have any trouble training it to be a normal house pet. My first pair of rabbits were babies from the wild, and they turned out fantastic pets. Let me know if yoy ever need any advice.

Also, rabbits love cardboard boxes.

[Bombadil]

You just stole that Cats meal. It could starve tonight.

Sure you saved the bunny, but what about that poor cat's meal? :(

It's small and cute but I would not interfere with nature. The bunny is saved but that cat may go hungry or have to spend more energy looking for food. For all we know one animal gets saved while another dies.

Cats are not equal to cute baby rabbits.

The life of a cute baby rabbit has been saved. The life of an evil, Sith Nazi cat has been jeopardized.

[crazy monkey]

I had 6 of them. They are the best pet I had. Loved each of the them to death. They will need lot of food. Grass, carrot,, fruit, biscuit and such. Put them in a cage when you are not around. Make sure they are not near wires they will chew it.

[Ryaaan14]

Put me in the hungry cat camp. OP is fuckin up the ecosystem.

[Neverender]

I found a rabbit that looked exactly like this a couple of months ago. It didn't live very long...

[Xeke]

Put me in the hungry cat camp. OP is fuckin up the ecosystem.

Feral cats are fucking up the ecosystem. They aren't native here. I have a cat and I love her, rescued her from the wild when she was like a month old.

[lunarworks]

It's small and cute but I would not interfere with nature. The bunny is saved but that cat may go hungry or have to spend more energy looking for food. For all we know one animal gets saved while another dies.

Ya, cats aren't really "nature". They're more of an extension of human influence. Anyway, cats will capture bunnies regardless of how well fed they may be. My cats have caught a few of them. :/

[Ryaaan14]

Feral cats are fucking up the ecosystem. They aren't native here. I have a cat and I love her, rescued her from the wild when she was like a month old.

So you're saying it's better for underpopulated feral cats to die off than overpopulated rabbits be eaten.

[msdstc]

I had 6 of them. They are the best pet I had. Loved each of the them to death. They will need lot of food. Grass, carrot,, fruit, biscuit and such. Put them in a cage when you are not around. Make sure they are not near wires they will chew it.

Wild ones?

.

Already did... half of a 12 pack of soda.

[Cloudy]

It looks really small. Hopefully it can survive without it's mother...

[Jroderton]

Race it with my tortoise.

[lunarworks]

So you're saying it's better for underpopulated feral cats to die off than overpopulated rabbits be eaten.

Who says the rabbits are overpopulated? There's the rabbit/fox cycle.

[Xeke]

So you're saying it's better for underpopulated feral cats to die off than overpopulated rabbits be eaten.

We don't need feral cats. They are detrimental to birds especially. They aren't underpopulated. There should be no population.

[tinabina]

He ate! He also drank the entire thing of water I left for him... he's a lot more comfy now, but I seemed to scare him when I opened his new home. What else should I toss in there? I made a rice ball that holds heat and is wrapped, so he can stay warm.

what exactly do you have him in? some wood or dog treats are good for them to chew on, some pet bedding and hay are musts. hes a baby so he should warm up to you, let him sniff your hand before you touch him or anything so he gets used to you and your sent. <3 he's real cute

[Ryaaan14]

Who says the rabbits are overpopulated? There's the rabbit/fox cycle.

Rabbits are a notoriously overpopulated species. Hence why people use the phrase "Fucking like rabbits". Because they mate nonstop and pop out bunnies like no one's business.

[suzu]

Shoulda saved the cat! :o

[GrayFoxPL]

Mmmm...

[lunarworks]

Rabbits are a notoriously overpopulated species. Hence why people use the phrase "Fucking like rabbits". Because they mate nonstop and pop out bunnies like no one's business.

By chance, are you an Aussie?

Anyway, rabbits have existed for millions of years. They reproduce in a sustainable manner.

[Ryaaan14]

By chance, are you an Aussie? Anyway, rabbits have existed for millions of years. They reproduce in a sustainable manner.

Nope.

Also, just because a species has existed for a long time does not automatically mean they have a balanced population.

Let me just say, I was raised in a smaller town in central Illinois, and rabbits were a serious problem on farmland and people's yard/gardens. You'd see one, then 3, then next thing you know your whole fucking garden is eaten.