Can i keep a baby rabbit alive?

Question

today i discovered 3 baby rabbits in a hole with twigs and fur and assumed they were on their own and after doing some reading i realized i probably made a mistake and the mother will probably come back for them tonight and find them gone and i probably wont be going to the area again for awhile or ever and now i feel just bad.....im afraid even with the formula they will be dead in a couple days.....can i pull this off and keep them alive with the special milk, a heating pad, and helping them digest or will they indefinately die under human care....the babys are not extremely newborn but pretty new they have a full coat of fur but their ears are still straight back and eyes not yet open....im sure it is hungry now but i dont have any special milk right now or anywhere in town to get it....i named it Bugs and i want it to make it a few weeks so i can release it...the other two i dont know about i gave them to a friend...im really sorry about this i wish id had enough sense to leave em alone...actually i have some goats milk will this work? im assuming the babys are within the 1.5 to 2 weeks old range..........

Answer 1

You should go to your local vet clinic and ask them for advice- they should be able to sell you some formula (divertalac in oz- no idea what it is anywhere else) and a bottle to feed him, plus advice on how often you should be feeding the little bun.

Rabbits are usually more active during dawn and dusk so it is strange that you wound find the kits alone during the day- you may have saved them by taking them with you. I havent heard of mother rabbits going very far from their babies, and you would think that if she saw you she would run into her warren for protection and to protect her babies.

If you can keep the little one heated, and follow the vets advice on feeding instructions (would need a certain amount every few hours) there is no reason why he wouldnt make it. I dont know if you can use goats milk but its worth a try until you can make it to the vets- heat it up and test the temperature before trying to feed, then use something like a syringe to try and get bunny to eat.

Rabbits should be weaned by 4 weeks of age so if he is already a couple of weeks old you are halfway there.

Please dont try to release him back into the wild though- being handraised by a human he would have no idea how to survive in the wild- its tough enough for wild born rabbits to live in the wild let alone one that has been raised with people

Answer 2

BABY COTTONTAIL RABBITS

Cottontail rabbits make their "nests" in small depressions in the grass. The nests are lined with fur from the mother and loosely covered with grass. They are frequently disturbed by people when they are mowing their grass or raking. In addition, dogs and cats find these nests and often kill or injure the babies.

If a nest is found or distured, please do the following:

Replace the baby rabbits back in their nest and leave them there unless they are injured or if you KNOW that the mother has been killed. Many people just assume the mother is dead because they "have been watching the nest all day and have not seen the mom come back at all". This is normal. Female cottontails only come to feed their young early in the morning and at dusk. This decreases the chance of alerting predators to the nest's location. If you are not sure if the mother is coming back to feed them, try placing a string over the nest. If the string has not moved by the following morning, she has not been back. If the babies are cool and appear very hungry, bring them to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. In the meantime, keep them in a warm, dark box in some towelling in a quiet location.

It is crucial with cottontail babies to bring them in only as a last resort. Baby rabbits have a high death rate when hand raised, due in great part to the stress of handling by humans. People are NOT doing the babies any favors by attempting to raise them themselves. It usually only ends in sadness and frustration. Again, they need special diets, care, and antibiotics if they are to have any chance at survival.

Also, when baby rabbits are about 5 inches long, they are totally on their own and away from their mother. These rabbits do not need to be brought in unless they are injured. (If you have to chase the rabbit to catch it, IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE RESCUED!!)

Answer 3

Well, there is always hope. With the eyes not being open yet, I assume that the baby is less than 2 weeks old, but about 1 week old, since it has fur. Yes, try everything you can including giving it warm milk. It needs to stay as warm as possible. I wish you the best of luck. Don't give up on it though!

Answer 4

Best thing right now to do is to take it to an animal hospital!

Answer 5

This is what I did for the wild baby bunny I found.

First you have to hydrate with Pedialyte:

Pedialyte®

Give enough to lightly fill stomach every:

1 part  3 parts  1/2 hr (for 3 feedings)  

1 part feedings 1 part  1 hr (for 3 feedings)  

3 part feedings 1 part 2 hr feedings (for 3-4 feedings)

Once they are hydrated mix KMR kitten formula  mixed with water, start out with a watery solution and slowly make it more thick over a few days.

observe and palpate the stomach as you feed. It should be slightly rounded out and slightly firm, but never hard or taut. Babies that do not have their eyes open are fed every three hours and with much smaller amounts than what you will see in published feeding charts

Always be on the alert for the first sign of mushy f***s, and make corrections, such as by reducing the amount or frequency of formula feeding, changing or reducing the amount of weaning foods given, reducing the stress level, etc

After feeding the babies, you must massage their lower abdomen with a warm, moist washcloth to stimulate urination and defecation.

The baby rabbits should be kept in a cardboard box. Place a blanket or old sweatshirt inside for them to snuggle into. You will need a heat source to keep them warm. Place a heating pad beneath the box set on low (or medium, but beware of high heat - you don't want them to cook). A hot water bottle will also work for a heat source, or in a pinch, a 60 watt lightbulb placed over the box (you must make sure they don't get too hot). Ideal temperature is around body temperature; anywhere from 85 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit will suffice. If the babies are restless and are trying to get away from the heat, it is too hot for them.

The babies must be kept warm at all times. Feed them only when they are nice and warm. Cold babies do poorly - their digestion falters, and they will usually die. Handle them as little as possible; wild rabbits are very sensitive and can die from the shock of being handled by a human!

Try and contact a wildlife rehabilitator in your area.  Although I kept my wild bunny and she lived to be 7 years old.  Be be aware that wild bunnies are skittish and you cannot treat them as you would a domestic rabbit.  With mine she interacted with my other domestic bunnies but I never aproached her or tried to handle her, she did great.  Good luck!

Answer 6

Call your local vet for advice. If you really want to do this, you can.

I wish you and the bunnies good luck.

Answer 7

should have left them alone...