• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

rescued wild rabbit

tony

New Kit
We have rescued a young (about 6/7" long) Wild rabbit from our cat. It is in pretty good shape, with no apparent injuries. It is docile while being held, but moves pretty quick when released into the hutch. We are housing it in a 48" hutch with wood chippings for bedding and hay in main run. A water bottle and feed dish with commercial food in it, also dandelion leaves. Do we need to do more to help survival success ???
Tony
 
Hi, well done for saving it! I'm not the best person to answer this but I caught my rabbit Zoe in our garden 4 months ago and I had to take alot of advice from this forum and she's thriving so here goes...

Because it's been attacked by a cat you should probably get a vet to look it over just to make sure there are no hidden injuries.

Introduce some fresh veg gradually as well as the pellet food, they love fresh veg! (dark green leafy veg, spinach, carrot tops etc)

Make sure the temperature is ok - I cover the hutch and run with polythene to keep the rain out, and I make sure it's shaded when it's sunny so it's not too hot or cold.

Good luck, I'm sure it'll be fine. You could also do some searches for more information.
 
Hi

How old is it? Is it injured? Am I the only one thinking it should be released back into the wild? - Obviously not if it's too young to survive, or injured or weak in some way, but a wild rabbit is a wild rabbit. :?
 
rescued Rabbit

Thank you for replies. I am getting it checked by a vet in the morning. It is pretty lively when released back into the hutch it runs like crazy. I am feeding leaves and pelleted. Also figured that the bottle would be hard to use, so have replaced with a glass dish. As far as releasing it goes I feel that would serve no purpose other than to kill it, as it is pretty young and I have no idea from whence it came. As for it being wild I guess we should bear in mind that all rabbits were wild once.

Royston
 
Re: rescued Rabbit

tony said:
As for it being wild I guess we should bear in mind that all rabbits were wild once.

Royston

Yes, but not remembered by a particular rabbit.

Not - here's the whole world RUN FREE!!! - then ooo, cramped 4 ft dog crate, enjoy :shock: Seems INCREDIBLY cruel to me. (Though obviously would feel differently if bun was sick or injured). But that's just my opinion. Off to catch a butterfly & keep it in a plastic beaker. Bye!
 
There are wild life sanctuaries who may be able to take this rabbit. This would be far more appropriate than keeping it in a small hutch and would safeguard it from predators if it was released into the wild.
 
Re: rescued Rabbit

Angie66 said:
tony said:
As for it being wild I guess we should bear in mind that all rabbits were wild once.

Royston

Yes, but not remembered by a particular rabbit.

Not - here's the whole world RUN FREE!!! - then ooo, cramped 4 ft dog crate, enjoy :shock: Seems INCREDIBLY cruel to me. (Though obviously would feel differently if bun was sick or injured). But that's just my opinion. Off to catch a butterfly & keep it in a plastic beaker. Bye!

Well done for saving it from the cat Tony but I have to say I agree with Angie. The rabbits we keep as pets have never experienced life in the wild and are from a long line of domesticated rabbits.

Unless this rabbit is injured or too young, you should let it go in a safe area away from any main roads, it needs and deserves to be free.
Otherwise take it to a wildlife hospital who will give it the appropriate care until it is ready to be set free- I volunteer at one and they often have wild rabbits brought in.
 
Glad to hear that you have taken it to the vets to be checked out. I was watching Bill Odie on Springwatch just the other day, when he payed a visit to Tiggywinkles animal rescue. They had quite a few baby wild rabbits, that had all been caught by cats and taken home to their owners.

The problem is, that they may well survive the attack, but a cats mouth is infested with particularly nasty bacteria. If you are ever been bitten by a cat, it can develope into a very nasty infection. So, it is imperative that the bunnies are treated with anti-biotics, to stops the bacteria eventually killing them.

If you want further advice, why not contact Tiggywinkles? There Email address is as follows:

www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk

Hope all goes well!

Dawn

TopsyTurvy02-04-2006.jpg

Topsy & Turvey - Foster bunnies in need of permanent loving home![/img]
 
The trouble is, other wild rabbits won't necessarily accept it and as you don't know where it came from, just releasing it will lead to certain death as it may not be able to find it's home.

Can you be sure it is wild? I assumed you meant a stray. If it's used to being handled it could be someones pet - anyone nearby lost a rabbit?
 
Just another thought about releasing back into the wild.

With Grey Squirrels, I know that it is illegal to release them back into the wild, because they are not considered an indigenous species and are all classed as vermin.

I know that rabbits are also classed as vermin, and also, are not indigenous. Does anyone therefore know if the same law applies? I suppose Tiggywinkles would know.
 
you i was just thinking the same thing when i read this post...i dont think its actually legal to set them free..becuz of the whole eating crops and stuff like tryin to keep the numbers under control...but if people stopped hunting foxes ilegally then maybe the numbers wud go down!!!
im worried that whilst my bunny escaped into next doors orchad she got impregated by a wild rabbit...shes looking firmer and chunkier? wud a wild rabbit mate or attack her? becuz shes not part of their warren?
 
It is perfect;ly legal to set a wild animal free no matter what it is except the grey squirrel. Keeping hold of this wild bun is the best thing you can do but it will nee a large enclosure, as we have no idea of the buns age it would be very unfair to release it not knowing wether it could care for itself, cats are very good at catching animals but not rabbits over 10 weeks, i know my cat catches them. The best thing for you to do would be to contact tiggywinkles and get some advice from them, they may well also know of a safe environment for it to be released into in a few days when it has recovered from the shock X
 
sxfe_121 said:
you i was just thinking the same thing when i read this post...i dont think its actually legal to set them free..becuz of the whole eating crops and stuff like tryin to keep the numbers under control...but if people stopped hunting foxes ilegally then maybe the numbers wud go down!!!
im worried that whilst my bunny escaped into next doors orchad she got impregated by a wild rabbit...shes looking firmer and chunkier? wud a wild rabbit mate or attack her? becuz shes not part of their warren?

Could be pregnant.

How long ago was it? You could ask your vet to do an emergency spay - if you agree with it.
 
well..last week...? around then..wud she have got firmer that fast? i noticed that she was moving loadsa hay around in the bedroom the other day too..but its a not a nest...its bin really hot the past few days tho..so all they have been doing is lyng in the shade on the cool tiles..so im guessin she wont be in the mood for nest making even if she was?
 
sxfe_121 said:
well..last week...? around then..wud she have got firmer that fast? i noticed that she was moving loadsa hay around in the bedroom the other day too..but its a not a nest...its bin really hot the past few days tho..so all they have been doing is lyng in the shade on the cool tiles..so im guessin she wont be in the mood for nest making even if she was?

Have answered on your other thead
 
Phill said:
Keeping hold of this wild bun is the best thing you can do but it will nee a large enclosure, as we have no idea of the buns age it would be very unfair to release it not knowing wether it could care for itself, ......... The best thing for you to do would be to contact tiggywinkles and get some advice from them, they may well also know of a safe environment for it to be released into in a few days when it has recovered from the shock X

I quite agree, and would do exactly the same. :)
 
If its a baby, then it should be fine moving into a warran of rabbits, as baby buns arn't a threat to them, so very doubt it that they'll chase it out and it might be more weary of cats in the future.
I would be curious if it is wild or tame, but in retrospec, if its wild, then it would be cruel keeping it locked up, like catching a wild bird and keeping it caged up.

Also the risk that it has diseases to spread to your other rabbits (and fleas and ticks to your other animals) is high.
 
Wild rabbits can be extremely difficult to keep. Most don't get tame, they are very flighty and nervous. I have a wild rabbit cross and even she is much more flighty than the others.

The wild bunny should go to a wildlife sanctuary and not be kept as a pet - possibly on its own... :?
 
Back
Top