Re: OT- What do I feed a Baby Rabbit

[David J Bockman]

Call 703.440.0800, that's the Wildlife Rescue League Hotline

speaking, don't try to feed an orphaned animal.. they will likely drown or choke if you do.

Dave

What do I feed a baby rabbit ?? > > > Due to all the mowing in the neighborhood, and a few hawks and crows > I've somehow adopted a baby rabbit. > > Seems to me about 5 - 6 weeks old... has a full coat, but still > can't figure out how to use the hind legs. I'm assuming he/she/it > was either being weaned by mother, or mother is no longer available. > > Nope, it wasn't a nest, no siblings either. > > So, I've tried banana, dandelion's, grass, softened rabbit > pellets..... (I live with another rabbit... mature male, no hope > there). Baby rabbits usually feed only at night, so I'm not sure > if it's eaten anything since yesterday evening... > > Would any rabbit owners / breeders out there have a suggestion ?? > > I think it's almost ready for solid food, but don't want to take a > chance on losing it due to starvation... > > How about bread moistened with cow's milk?? Would baby > formula kill it ??? > > Cage is a pen with grass, plants, available water from a shallow > pan, no bottle at this time. (although a bottle is available). > > Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions !!!

[Dwight Sipler]

Sounds like a good reason to overseed your lawn with clover.

[Peter]

Thanks for all the suggestions !!!

Unfortunately the rabbit got progressively weaker and then died.... in less than 14 hours since being found.

Thanks again for the help !!!

[Salty Thumb]

Peter wrote in news: [e-mail]:

A little late for this, or maybe early for next time. Are you quite sure the mother was pushing up daisies (and not eating them)? I know that the parents of some herbivous animals often leave their children unattended for extended periods of time to feed themselves.

An example is in the great panda expeditions of the 60s "scientists" would find panda cubs alone in hollowed out trees and assume they were abandoned. They would then hussle the cub off to civilization, where it would summarily expire. It is now known that it is quite normal for pandas to behave this way and the only significant danger the cub faced under the circumstances was from well meaning humans. [yes I know pandas are really omnivorous]

If you do a web search I'm sure you'll find pages that say that rabbits only need to nurse their children for a short period of time each day, so it shouldn't be odd for the mother to be MIA for an extended period.

Obviously, you are more familar with your situation and the mother may have been in fact moved to the Great Warren in the Sky, but for others reading who may not know better, don't assume the worst.

- Salty

[paghat]

You're definitely onto something here. Mother rabbits leave their young alone for most of each day, for a higher percentage of time than most small mammals, though some larger (carniverous) mammals will leave their young alone for two or three days at a stretch. Probably in the majority of cases when someone finds a nest or den they believe contains orphaned young, the mother is either nearby, or will return before a full day passes. If the mother cannot be spotted dead on the highway, or definitely known to have been killed by a hunter, it should always be assumed she'll be back. But in the present case, the malfunctioning hind legs indicates something bad happened to the bunny -- it was either already dehydrated & its internal organs were shutting down (the hind legs go first), or it was physically injured by a fall or by a dog or cat or merlin (an injury wouldn't necessary show). Neither scenario suggests mommy was going to come back.

-paghat the ratgirl