FOUND BABY RABBIT!!!!

TheSheepGirl

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What you need to remember is that this is a Wild Animal and Not a Pet. If you know where the nest is then PUT HIM BACK.

For one thing he may not yet be weaned. Their eyes open at a fairly young age and thy can hop fairly young as well. If he is not weaned he will die. Even if you try to nurse him.

Wild rabbits and any wild animal foir that matter require special care. They are not made for life in captivity and are often very unhappy and unhealthy when kept in captivity. It is ILLEGAL to detain any wild animal in the U.S. without a special license and permit.

His digestive system and nutritional needs are much different from a domestic rabbit. Many people make the mistake of comparing Cotton Tails to domestic rabbits and for this reason they think they can raise them as a pet and not kill them. There have been many people on here who have tried and failed to raise a wild baby rabbit. They always die of stress, dehydration, or starvation.

Again I say, for his safety and well being, PUT HIM BACK he is a WILD ANIMAL.

If you want a pet rabbit so badly go out and buy a nice little 8 week old rabbit from the feed store. It shouldn't be too hard since it's almost easter. It should only set you back about 5 bucks if this is what you really want.
 

dewey

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FarmerBoy24 said:
I think he'll die without my help It gets freezing over here! at night. Im going to keep him as a pet. How will this kill him??
I would suggest you call a rehab for info. My survival rate for wild buns has been 0%. I'm sure you mean well and please know this is not said in a harsh spirit at all, yet, sadly, he will mostly likely die with your help, and especially so after a cat encounter. Even experienced wildlife rehabs have near a 100% death rate under the best conditions. Cottontails cannot survive a pet environment. His best hope for survival is to return him near the known burrow area. He could be weaned already if he's 3 weeks old and the doe probably has a new litter now.
 

hoodat

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If you have domestic rabbits for sure don't try to bring in a wild one. They often harbor diseases and parasites that their systems can tolerate but can be very serious to your domestics. Commercial breeders go to great lengths to keep wild rabbits away from their stock for just this reason.
 

FarmerBoy24

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So far she is doing good. I;m still going to try to raise her
 

TheSheepGirl

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Could you perhaps post a picture of this supposed wild rabbit. It may be just a simple domestic rabbit, then.
 

terri9630

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TheSheepGirl said:
Could you perhaps post a picture of this supposed wild rabbit. It may be just a simple domestic rabbit, then.
Thats possible. There are some of those around here. People set them loose after Easter when they aren't cute babies anymore and they are tired of taking care of them. Not many last long though because they don't know how to find water and shelter from predators.
 

FarmerBoy24

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I know it's wild. Its a cotton tailed rabbit. There so cute!:D
 

greenfamilyfarms

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dewey said:
FarmerBoy24 said:
I think he'll die without my help It gets freezing over here! at night. Im going to keep him as a pet. How will this kill him??
I would suggest you call a rehab for info. My survival rate for wild buns has been 0%. I'm sure you mean well and please know this is not said in a harsh spirit at all, yet, sadly, he will mostly likely die with your help, and especially so after a cat encounter. Even experienced wildlife rehabs have near a 100% death rate under the best conditions. Cottontails cannot survive a pet environment. His best hope for survival is to return him near the known burrow area. He could be weaned already if he's 3 weeks old and the doe probably has a new litter now.
Mine, too.

Yes, it is cute, but won't be cute dead. Give him a chance to live by calling somebody who is trained to handle wildlife.
 
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