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.
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] X Research source
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Keep them in a wire cage for protection. You may want to monitor them to keep them safe from predators and other danger.
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] X Research source
Fresh picked grass Dry hay looking grass Small pieces of bread Clover hay Timothy hay Pieces of apple Oats
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.
If they are not self-sufficient, keep them a little longer, but do not let them grow to maturity in captivity.
