Baby Wild Bunny

I have got a baby wild bunny that the cats brought in but then didn't know what to do with (luckily!). He is smaller than Wobbles was when I found him but uninjured so that is good. Basically I got home yesterday from work and was talking to the decorator and he suddenley said how he wished he had a camera phone the day before coz one of the cats was sitting on the lawn with a really tiny baby bunny - both just sitting there next to each other. He then said oh i thought about putting it in your hutch or something but wasn't sure so I just put it in the bushes over there. I was like WHAT?? but didn't show it! I got him to show me where he had put it (in a big clump of nettles) and then when my boyfirend came home we got jumpers on and gardening gloves and did a search coz I figured if it was gone it was ok and might find another warren or something and might survive and if it was still there was not good as was more than 24 hours later and would need help. Searched for 45 mins and then was just about to give up thinking it had gone and suddenley saw it - literally 10 seconds before we walked off. Had been sitting close to a fence post all along! So had not gone anywhere for 24 hours. So it spent last night in the cat basket in the spare room eating dandelions. Anyway, after all that rambling - my question is is there a website or some guide somewhere where you can work out how old bunnies are by looking at them?:bunny:

wow sounds like fate, I can't think of any websites at the moment, I'll have a think or I'm sure someone else will have better advice

Nicola

If it is eating for itself and was out and about enough for your cat to catch it, then there is a good chance it could be weaned from Mum already and independant.
Can you weigh it on some kitchen scales, and better still, post a pic please?

yes, will weigh it when i get home. Am going to have a proper look at it too as didn't want to prod it too much as thought it should have food.water and a quiet night. it has eaten some cabbage and dandelions though. Is weird that in over 24 hours it didn't move more than a foot from where it was put in the nettles - and there is no food or water there - just nettles and hard ground. All the rabbits I have ever released are either off straight away or after an hour or 2 after they have recomposed themselves and disappeared. Is smaller than Wobbles when I found him so maybe it literally was on first or 2nd day out of warren - never seen one so small that is alive. Will also take a pic.

Is there a wildlife sanctuary/rescue near to you that you can ask for advice from?
I hope he perks up and you can figure out what to do with it.. im afraid ive no idea what the best thing to do is :?


Just found this.. http://www.dorsetwildliferescue.co.uk/index.htm Maybe they will be able to help you

Diddeen said:

Is there a wildlife sanctuary/rescue near to you that you can ask for advice from?
I hope he perks up and you can figure out what to do with it.. im afraid ive no idea what the best thing to do is :?


Just found this.. http://www.dorsetwildliferescue.co.uk/index.htm Maybe they will be able to help you

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Hi yes I have spoken to them before about wild bunnies. Thanks loads.

Here are a few pics of the bunny. He is 149 grams (have checked my records and Wobbles was about that size too so was smaller than I remember!).:bunny:

Aww, what a cutie! I would guess at 3 1/2wks old from the pictures and weight, probably too young to find his way home. Guessing thats why he was sitting in the nettles for so long! What will you do with him, will the wildlife centre take him until he is old enough for release?

aaawwww how sweet! What a shame it wont go home Is that how you got Wobbles too?

Diddeen said:

aaawwww how sweet! What a shame it wont go home Is that how you got Wobbles too?

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Yes, kind of. I found Wobbles at the side of the road and he couldn't stand - i think he had been clipped by a car. He was about this size too. I think one of my cats prob brought this little one from miles away so it has no idea where it is - but also doesn't seem to want to go and find somewhere new to live!

Can't get hold of my local wildlife people at the mo (no answer). If they can't take him/her it can stay here and then be released or something - so he won't be deserted. To be honest I think they are going to tell me to release him now if there is nothing visibly wrong with him - but that is what happened day before yesterday and he just sat in nettles all night and day! Am going to see how he is tonight/tomorrow to see if he is showing signs of anything - might just be the village idiot and a bit doopid - or love cats and nettles.

To be honest i prob wouldnt release it (please tell me if i am wrong) but if you keep him/her until he/she is old enough to be released then it will proberly die as wont be able to defend itself, i would proberly just keep it, get it to vet for health check make sure its ok, make sure no myxi etc. And see how it gets on.

So cute by the way...i mean soooo cute xx

I know - am torn. There is a rabbit warren in the field behind me so am thinking of releasing him there - although the last time we tried that the bunny ran the wrong way, then was attacked by crows and my boyfriend was running round the giant field trying to recatch it to put it somewhere safe again (and this was a bigger more savvy baby bunny) as buzzards were circling. Like I feel like he belongs in the wild and find somewhere with nice wild rabbit buddies but on the other hand I don't want to release him and for him to be doomed (lots of foxes, myxi, buzzards around and what if he runs off sits in another bush for eternity again) and I do have room for him. I think I am going to try and speak to the wildlife rescue people and see. When I spoke to them about Wobbles they wouldn't take him but that was coz he was brain damamged (ie must be fit enough to re-release or be put down) and they said that wild rabbits do adapt to being domesticated well.

Yea they do. Me personally would rather keep him so i know he is safe ....

he is so young he wont know the difference, hes not been in the wild long enoughxx

I have to say I'd keep him too :roll:

OMG I cant believe fate has landed another baby wildie on you! I'd take some expert advice but personally I'd be very reluctant to release him. Your have the experience from Wobbles, was he happy with you?? Its a bit like Russian Roulette out there for rabbits, and although he was born to be wild, I think man has been a bit unfair (with cars, myxi, urban foxes etc) and he sounds young enough to adapt. If he didnt move for 24 hours, I dont think you had much choice other than to take him in, and care for him, and its good he's eating, but ring round tomorrow and ask the experts.

Aww bless him, what a beauty!

I know it is difficult because they are cute, but he is a healthy wild animal and IMO the best thing would be to return him. I have been hand rearing and releasing wild orphan buns for a few years now, and wouldn't do it if I thought they were at any more risk from predation than a rabbit brought up in the wild. If rehabilitated properly, their wild instincts will kick in. Unforunately nature is nature, and rabbits do have it tough, but surely he should be given that right to live his life how it was intended.
If you speak to the wildlife centre tomorrow, please say that he is not quite old enough to go it alone yet, and I would say he needs a week at least in care.
If you decide to keep him until he is released, to give him a better chance of survival, have as little contact with him as possible - he should be scared of you and be hard to catch. Best to release him in some undergrowth in the field where the other rabbits are, at dawn or just before dusk when the other rabbits are out and about.
Hope that helps and I'm sure you will know what to do for the best.

I really disagree, i feel this little bun is scared of freedom and thats why it was sitting in some nettles for hours, i feel he needs help and a nice loving home where he can be spoilt, in the wild he will only be attacked by a fox, shot, attacked by other buns or sit in a spot until he dies ....

He was brought to you for a reason...

Hiya :wave:
Any update on this little bun?

I don't want to upset you with this but be careful with fleas, have you checked him/her for fleas mites etc, even more so if you have him/her in your house and you have indoor Rabbits already, the reason i say this is because i found a injured Rabbit once so i called the RSPCA, unfortunately he was in a bad way and had to be put to sleep, the inspector then showed me deep into the fur and it was full of fleas and mites, so just be careful with all this myxi going around.