Rabbits

If there are two or more bunnies in a slight depression in the ground, it is a nest. Leave it alone. If the nest has been disturbed, please see  https://wildlifewelfare.org/injured-wildlife/rabbits .

If you find a single bunny with its eyes closed on flat ground unprotected, – it may have been dragged from the nest by a cat, dog or bird. Carefully check the area for other bunnies. Put baby(s) in a box with towels or blankets, keep warm, and bring it to a licensed rehabilitator. Baby bunnies can jump surprisingly high. Keep a lid on the box at all times. Many times they jump out and are then injured.

If you find a bunny whose eyes are open and it hops around, then leave it alone. This bunny is probably ready to leave its nest. It should be about the size of a tennis ball or larger. If it doesn’t hop away from you, that does not necessarily indicate there is a problem. Bunnies have a “freeze” instinct. When danger approaches, the bunny freezes in place to keep from being detected. A rabbit that freezes like this is extremely frightened. Leave it alone.

Most of the bunnies brought to wildlife rehabbers should have been left in the nest. If you find a rabbit nest, you should leave the area alone. The young will not take long to leave the nest (about four weeks if they are found as newborns). If a family pet finds the nest, protect the area by restraining the pet or placing a wheelbarrow or other object over the nest site (remember to leave space where the mom can easily get in and out). It is important to keep children, cats, and dogs away for a couple of weeks.

Reasons for a baby rabbit to come to a rehabber:

  • Obviously broken skin from bird, cat, or dog bites 
  • Contact with a cat’s mouth 
  • Swollen lump on the head 
  • Tilted head, walking in circles 
  • Bruises on the body especially on the abdomen (can only be seen if the baby does not yet have fur) 
  • Bloody nose 
  • Difficulty breathing. 
  • Broken limb, dragging back legs 
  • They are very thin and dehydrated. Newborn bunnies, or “pinkies”, naturally are quite wrinkled, so it is difficult to determine if they are dehydrated. Infant or even juvenile bunnies can be tested for dehydration  If you pinch the skin on the back of the neck, pull it up, and let it go again. This is called “tenting the skin”. If the skin readily snaps back to the body, the baby probably is not severely dehydrated. But if the skin stays up in the “pinched” position, even after the skin is let go, it most likely is already orphaned and has not been nursing for some time. 
  • They have maggots, off-white fly eggs in the fur (often very hard to see), and lots of fleas or ants on their body. Look for white rice-shaped forms in the nose, mouth, ears, groin, or any place on the body that may have a sore, bite, or other open wound. Maggots will hatch from eggs that an adult fly deposited. Maggots must be dealt with immediately by a rehabilitator.  They can enter the body very quickly and damage the lungs, heart, and brain

When assistance for birds is required

  1. Been in a cat’s mouth or brought in by a dog 
  2. No nest can be found (for nestlings) 
  3. Has an injury or sick 
  4. The baby is cold 
  5. If you are unwilling to relocate or reunite 
  6. If you have had the bird for more than 5 hours