How to Save a Baby Bunny From Dying

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With the wild rabbit population increasing in urban areas, the probability of discovering a nest of baby rabbits is higher than ever these days. Unfortunately, nests that appear abandoned are often not, and wild baby rabbits removed from their nests by humans are unlikely to survive without the care of a vet or skilled wildlife rehabilitator. In many states, it is illegal to care for wild rabbits unless you are a licensed rehabilitator. If you need to care for truly orphaned baby rabbits while you get them to a vet or wildlife rehabilitator, read this article for help.

1. 1

   Make sure that the rabbits actually need to be taken care of. A mother rabbit can be very secretive; she leaves the nest during the day to keep predators away. She has not abandoned her babies. If you find a nest of bunnies leave them alone. If it is obvious that they need help (the mother is dead on the road, for instance), you will need to take them to a vet or wildlife rehabilitator.

   • A wild cottontail (US) rabbit that is not old enough to be weaned yet, may have a white spot on its forehead. Some babies are born without any spot. Some rabbits will retain the "blaze" throughout life and others will lose it as they age. The presence or absence of a blaze does not indicate the bunny's age or need for care.
   • In the case of a baby rabbit which is being removed from a dangerous situation (such as a predator), consider this a temporary measure. Keep the baby in a safe, quiet place until the danger has passed, then simply return it to the area where it was found. A mother rabbit will not reject a baby if it has human scent on it. This is the rabbit's best chance for survival. However, if the baby has been attacked by a cat, any wound contaminated by a claw or tooth will KILL the baby within a few days. It needs to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator or a veterinarian and given a rabbit-safe antibiotic.

2. 2

   Prepare a place for the rabbits to stay until you can get them help. A wooden or plastic box with high sides is quite ideal. Line the box with pesticide-free soil, and follow with a layer of dried hay (not wet grass clippings).

   • Scoop out a circular "nest" in the hay for the babies to stay in. If you can, line it with fur from the the actual nest or fur from a pet rabbit. Do not use hair from another species, particularly not from a predator.
   • If you do not have access to rabbit fur, line the nest with a thick layer of tissues or soft cloths.
   • Place one end of the box on top of a hot pad, heated bed, or an incubator to keep it warm. Place only one side of the box on the heat so that the babies can move if they feel too warm.^[1]

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3. 3

   Place the rabbits gently inside of the nest. You may use gloves to handle the rabbits. They can carry diseases and can draw blood from a bite. Most adult wild rabbits are infested with fleas, but most babies are free of them, but may have a tick or two that needs to be removed. If you are squeamish about removing a tick, ask someone with experience. You do need to be very careful with ticks as they MAY carry diseases transmissible to humans. It is best to keep the rabbit in an area away from human (and other animal) living areas. Also, it is okay to allow a baby cottontail to get used to human scent. They will revert back to their wild instincts as they mature.

   • Handle the babies as little as possible. They can become distressed from excessive handling and die.
   • Gently place a little of the fur, tissue, low pile plush fabric or a terry cloth washcloth on top of the rabbits for warmth and security.
   • Be aware that wild rabbits can pass diseases to domestic rabbits. Use careful sanitation procedures after handling the wild rabbit, or its waste, especially if you have other rabbits.

4. 4

   Put a screen on top of the bunny box. If the rabbits can walk, they will need to be covered to prevent them from jumping out. Even at a few weeks old, they can be very adept at jumping! You may need to be sure the top is kept shaded from light.

5. 5

   Let the rabbits sleep in the box for the 3 days. After that, you can move them to a small hutch.

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1. 1

   Feed formula to Cottontail rabbits with closed eyes. If a rabbit is hopping about, it may need only constant access to fresh greens, hay and water. You can offer formula in a shallow dish even to older bunnies. Once it is eating the greens (no pesticides or herbicides) well and hopping and running about, it is ready to be released in an area preferably with lots of cover for this little prey animal.

   • Any wild rabbit should have constant access to hay, water, and fresh greens of the type it would be able to eat in the wild. Even very young rabbits will nibble on greens and hay.

2. 2

   Feed the baby rabbits a mixture of goats milk formula. Mother rabbits feed at dusk and dawn for only about five minutes, so baby rabbits (depending on size and age) may only need to be fed twice a day, however formula is not as nutrient rich as mother's milk, so more frequent feedings are often necessary. Nursing baby rabbits should have a small, round belly (not bloated) after feeding. When the belly no longer looks round, it is time for another feeding. ^[2]

   • Most rehabilitators feed a combination of KMR (Kitten Milk Replacer) and Multi-Milk, available from rehabilitator supply stores. Probiotics should be added to the mixture, if available. The mixture should be thick as mother rabbit's milk is thicker than most other small mammals. This usually means approximately 3 parts solids (by volume) to 4 parts distilled water.
   • Do not warm the formula directly, but warm water in a container and float the formula container in that. Use an eye dropper or better yet a syringe with a mini Miracle nipple attached. Use a 2.5 cc syringe with tiny babies and graduate to 5 cc syringes as the bunny's capacity increases. Keep the baby in a sitting position so it does not aspirate! Be ready with tissue in hand to QUICKLY blot any milk that appear in the nostrils!
   • NEVER feed a baby rabbit cow's milk, as that is intended for calves, not baby rabbits.

3. 3

   Never overfeed a bunny. Bloat as well as diarrhea due to overeating is a common cause of death in wild rabbits. The maximum quantity for each feeding depends on the age of the bunny. Be aware that cottontail bunnies are smaller and should be given less than the recommended amounts. General guidelines for feeding amounts:

   • Newborn to one week old: 2-2.5 cc/ml each feeding, twice per day
   • 1-2 weeks old: 5-7 cc/ml each feeding, twice per day (less if the rabbit is very small)
   • 2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding, twice per day (less if the rabbit is very small)
   • At 2-3 weeks, also start introducing them to 'timothy hay', oat hay, pellets and water (add fresh greens for wild rabbits)
   • 3-6 weeks: 13-15cc/ml each feeding twice per day (less if the rabbit is very small).

4. 4

   Stop feeding formula at the appropriate time. Cottontails usually wean around 3-4 weeks, so you should not give formula past 6 weeks. Wild Jackrabbits wean after 9 weeks, so after 9 weeks slowly replace formula with a dish of cut up tiny bananas and apple pieces.

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1. 1

   Be very gentle and slow. Allow the bunnies to feed at their own pace, and be very gentle while handling them. If you try to get the baby to drink too fast, it could choke and die.^[3]

2. 2

   Protect newborns who have not fully opened their eyes yet. If the baby rabbits are so young as to have their eyes only partially opened, it can help to wrap them in a small warm piece of cloth covering their eyes and ears, so as not to scare them.

3. 3

   Place the teat of the bottle in the bunny's mouth. Very carefully prepare to feed the newborn bunny by putting the teat of the bottle in its mouth.

   • Tilt the bunny slightly backwards and proceed to get the teat between its side teeth. Note that it is impossible to insert the teat straight between their front teeth.
   • Once the teat is in between the side teeth, proceed to slide it around to the front.
   • Gently squeeze the bottle to allow a small amount of formula to come out.
   • Within a couple of minutes, the baby rabbits should start sucking.
   • Continue to feed the with this formula for around 3 to 4 days, twice per day, with the last feed being around dusk as the mother would do.

4. 4

   Stimulate newborn rabbits' bowels. Newborn cottontails need to be stimulated to urinate and poop following the feeding. This is done by gently stroking the bunny's genital and anal area with a moist q-tip or cotton ball to mimic the licking of a mother rabbit.^[4]

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1. 1

   Let bunnies spend time outside eating grass. As soon as baby rabbits can walk, they should spend a few hours outside on a grass lawn.

   • Keep them in a wire cage for protection. You may want to monitor them to keep them safe from predators and other danger.

2. 2

   Start letting the bunnies eat and drink unassisted. When the bunnies are four days old or older, put a small flat container lid of water and a small flat container lid of the formula in their hutch.

   • Keep a vigilant eye on the rabbit babies to see how they are doing. They should begin to eat the formula and drink the water without help.
   • Check the hutch for wetness. Try to replace spilled formula so that they are eating the appropriate amount.
   • Refill formula and water in the evening and the morning. Be sure you do not overfeed the bunnies formula.
   • Do not put a dish with deep water in the bunny area, as the bunnies could drown in it.^[5]

3. 3

   Introduce new foods after 4 days. After the bunnies have mastered eating the formula and drinking the water on their own, you can start leaving other treats in their hutch. Some items to try are:

   • Fresh picked grass
   • Dry hay looking grass
   • Small pieces of bread
   • Clover hay
   • Timothy hay
   • Pieces of apple
   • Oats

4. 4

   Provide fresh water at all times. Bunnies will need to have constant access to clean, fresh water. This aids in digestion and keeps them hydrated and healthy.

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1. 1

   Wean the rabbits off of formula. When the rabbits are somewhat self-sufficient, wean them off of formula and allow them to feed themselves grass and other vegetation. Be sure the bunnies are an appropriate weaning age (3-5 weeks for cottontails and 9+ weeks for wild Jackrabbits).

2. 2

   Stop handling the bunnies. The bunnies need to prepare for being released into the wild, so you should stop touching them if at all possible. They will become less dependent on you and more self-sufficient.

3. 3

   Move the bunnies outdoors full time. Place them in a wire cage with a roof outside of your home.^[6] Be sure that the bottom of the cage is wire, so they can graze, and check that all the holes are small enough that they cannot slip through.

   • Move the cage to different spots in your yard so that the bunnies have a regular supply of new vegetation.
   • Continue to supply extra vegetation in addition to the grass.

4. 4

   Move the bunnies to a larger hutch as they grow. Upgrade them into a larger hutch outside on the grass and continue to feed them all the extra veggies twice a day. The hutch should have an open or a wire bottom and should be secure to keep the bunnies safe from predators.

5. 5

   Release the bunnies into the wild. When the bunnies are about eight or nine inches long in a sitting position, they are big enough to be released into the wild in a safe place.^[7]

   • If they are not self-sufficient, keep them a little longer, but do not let them grow to maturity in captivity.

6. 6

   Call your local wildlife conservation office for help. If a rabbit that is big enough to release still cannot provide for itself, call an expert. They will know what to do for your particular situation.

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Add New Question

• Question

  How can I tell if the baby is dehydrated?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  The rabbit will be quiet, withdrawn, and hunched. Assess its hydration status by gently lifting the skin over the rabbit's shoulders and then letting it go. In a well-hydrated rabbit the skin springs immediately back into position. In a dehydrated animal it takes a second or two. Anything other than it springing back straight away could be a sign of dehydration.

• Question

  Who do you call if you find a baby rabbit?

  

  Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

  

  Veterinarian

  Expert Answer

  

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  Call your local wildlife rehabilitator or veterinary clinic. However, most apparently 'abandoned' wild rabbits are not abandoned at all and it's best to leave them be and wait for the mother to return. Female rabbits only feed their young twice a day (at dawn and dusk) and will leave the babies unattended at other times. Take care that she isn't put off returning to the nest because you are present!

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• Feed the babies in the same place every time. They begin to associate that place with a much needed feeding, which makes each session a little easier than the last.

• If it is hard to tell which rabbits you have bottle fed, paint a tiny dot of colored nail polish on each rabbit's ear tip. Then, always feed them in a certain order (such as the order of the colors in a rainbow).

• Use a window screen to cover the top of the cage. Its weight and ease of removal make it easy to put on and take off, but rabbits cannot knock it off.

• Make sure bunnies can breathe. If you put them in a box with a closed lid, make sure to poke holes in it.

• Keep the bunnies' environment quiet and as free from human interaction as possible.

• Recognize that a danger of naming the bunnies is that it will cause you to become attached to them, and may make you want to keep them.

• Orphaned baby bunnies in human care have a 90% chance of death. Don't get too attached and care for them very gently.

• Be quiet when near the bunny. They can be frightened quite easily with loud noises.

• Keep your bunny safe by not allowing other animals near it.

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• Be extremely careful, as when handling any wild animal. They can carry many diseases.

• Never keep any wild animal in captivity any longer than absolutely necessary.

• Do not feed rabbits spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or similar foods. These foods can give the rabbits diarrhea or painful gas. Remember that rabbits cannot pass gas, so these foods will cause their stomachs to expand!

• Be sure the heat source you use for an incubator is not too hot and cannot catch the bin on fire.

• Never give rabbits carrots. They don't eat them in the wild, so it's not safe to feed them any in captivity.

• Do not overheat the formula when you feed it to the rabbits. They will not drink hot or soured milk.

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Things You'll Need

• Wooden or plastic box with sides
• Clean, soft soil
• Clean timothy hay
• Disinfected animal fur (or tissues)
• Incubator, hot pad or heated bed
• Leather gloves
• Glass jars
• Formula bottle
• Small plastic nipple
• Homogenized milk
• Baby cereal
• Towel
• Screen
• Wire cage (with a roof and wire bottom)
• Clover hay (or timothy hay)
• Oats
• Bread
• Water bowl

About This Article

Article Summary X

To care for a wild baby rabbit, line a wooden or plastic box with pesticide-free soil and dried hay, then scoop out a circular nest in the hay and nestle the bunny into it. Remember to handle the baby as little as possible, since excessive handling can cause distress and even death. If the rabbit's eyes are still closed, feed it a mixture of kitten milk replacer and goat milk. Otherwise, feed it fresh greens, hay, and water! For tips on preparing the formula mixture, read on!

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How to Save a Baby Bunny From Dying

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