My cat caught a baby rabbit...how do I take care of it?

Question

My cat caught a baby rabbit and it doesn't look like it has any major wounds. Just a little blood spots in 3 parts of his hind leg from the bite. (my cat was only carrying it and finally put him down) It's eyes are shut (so far at least) and how are we supposed to take care of it? The mother hasn't been found yet, idk where he came from. He looks like hes breathing kinda fast, is that normal for a baby? hes sleeping now and his breaths look small.

We'd rather take care of him instead of let him go, if thats possible.

Answer 1

I would call your local SPCA or humane shelter.  You may be able to find out the number of a local wildlife rehabilitator and give the bunny over to him or her.  If you can't find the name of a rehabilitator through your humane society, try your local animal rights group.  

In the meantime, I would try to find the mother and read up on what you can do on the web.  

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orpha...

Answer 2

You don't take care of it you take it to a vet and ask them to find a wildlife rehabilitator.  Baby rabbits are very hard to care for and even the people who do it professionally only have about a 30% success rate in raising and releasing them.  When someone like you tries to do it that falls to about 3% and usually the animal becomes imprinted on you and doesn't know how to be a rabbit.  A wildlife rehabilitator knows how to keep that from happening so that the rabbit is releasable.

Answer 3

Feed him regular milk from a eye dropper, not formula. Formula is too rich for his diet. He only needs to eat once a day. What ever you do, always keep him bundled up. They can catch hypothermia very quickly. Use cotton gauze or towels in a small box so he can cuddle up. You should clean off his wounds, don't get him too wet. Use a little antibiotic ointment to prevent any infection. His breathing should be fast, but I would still take him to a veterinarian just to be sure he's ok.

Answer 4

I would take it to a Vet for a checkup,but i think you should take care of the wound,putting some alcohol to prevent infections,etc

Answer 5

my cat caught two baby rabbits before, neither were hurt, and they were both old enough to make it in the wild, so we just got them away from my cat, let them go in the woods, and kept my cat inside for a few days.  as for the rabbit you have, i would say keep him very warm and find someone you can take care of him so he has a better chance of surviving. hope he's okay!

Answer 6

Kitty is a good hunter if she brought you a rabbit. Try searching the internet for rabbit care. That's a start at least.

Answer 7

I rescued a baby bunny too..he died three days after:( he wa about 6 or 7 days old.

Don't think he will survive....but... KRT Kitten replaacement milk with some bread init and a bowl of water. Milk warm. Keep him in a bathroom or a rabbit cage.

Answer 8

I'd give him up to the RSPCA; you'd have to be with him 24/7 to provide him with rabbit-milk and warmth, which you probably can't supply. Unless you're a lactating leporidae which I doubt. =)

Babies do breathe fast, but unless you get him some food soon he'll die. Until then, wrap him up and keep him warm in a towel and hot water bottle, try feeding him warm milk from a syringe or baby bottle. He won't be able to drink it out of a dish or anything, so you really need to find a syringe or a baby bottle fast . However, don't over feed him. Mother rabbits only feed their young once a day for a few minutes.

RSPCA will be able to provide him with the types of things he needs.

How old do you think he is? Does he have fur yet? Baby rabbits are born with their eyes closed and without fur. If he is over a month old you can just let him go out by himself. However, if he has his eyes closed like you say, he is still too young.

You could also call up your local vet and ask for advice. Good luck.

Answer 9

you should take the rabbit to the vet and the vet will tell you how to take care of it. the vet might also have milk to feed it

Answer 10

b4 u do anything go to the vet and get hime checked out

Answer 11

i would first put him in a box with lots of blankets then i i would get baby bottles and fill it up with some type of milk(ask someone who knows first) then feed him while hes snug warm. probaly do this every hour if its possible or ask other members of your family to help you out. the bunny should be warm al the time.