Wild Baby Bunny

[x0PiggyPerson0x]

Okay, well earlier this night during dinner, something started making a strange chirp/squeak sound outside. We waited to see if it would subside, and when it didn't my mom went out to check stuff out. Turns out, two of our cats were sniffing at a little orphaned baby rabbit. I don't know if this guy was abandoned or wild, but he looks wild to me. He has an brown agouti-type coat (at least, it's called agouti in guinea pigs), and he doesn't seem to have any other colors on him, but I'm not sure. Funny Bunny (as I've nicknamed him) is about the size of my Teddy Bear hamster. I don't know what you'd call that in inches, but he fits in the palm of my hand. It was dark, but it didn't seem like there were any parents around he belonged to.

Right now, Funny's housed in an old hamster cage, with some Carefresh bedding, some guinea pig food, and water. Since the weather's getting real cold (well, for Floridians), we put him up in my bathroom, which tends to be pretty warm. I've heard you should keep them in the dark, so the door's closed and the lights turned off. Oh, I also gave him three tiny, tiny pieces of carrot in case he was interested.

This probably isn't the best tactic, but it's the only thing we knew when we rescued him from being a cat-toy. Can anyone tell me if he needs anything? Right now, I'm just focused on getting him to survive tonight, until he can be taken to the Wildlife Center tomorrow morning.

Also, when I went in to check on him a second ago, it seems like one leg sticks out a little funny, and I'm thinking it's possible he broke it.

Any advice at all would be hugely appreciated.

[x0PiggyPerson0x]

Very sorry to double post, but I can't edit my post anymore. I just wanted to let people know I'm going to bed, so hopefully Bunny will be okay overnight.

[fashion victim]

Rabbit References - Care, Feeding, Tips I got this from a thread in here under the rabbits section in the forum. VJ posted a list. This link has a lot of links inside.

Here's some on orphaned baby rabbits:
FAQ: Orphaned Baby Bunnies

Care of Orphaned Rabbits - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

Kind Planet Caring For Mother Rabbits, their Babies and Orphans

Wildlife Rescue League: Cottontails in Northern Virginia

I honestly reccommend you check the very first link in this post, so that you can look at all the articles you think are appropiate to your case.

[x0PiggyPerson0x]

Thank you very much for the links. I'm glad to say the bunny's made it through the night, so hopefully he's doing okay. It looks like the little bits of carrots are gone, but I'm going to pick some grass fro mthe yard and see what he thinks of that.

[Jennicat]

Search for a wildlife rehabilitator. They should be able to take this baby from you and raise him to be released.

[smartorl]

Area vets should be able to direct you to a reputable wildlife rehabilitator. If the baby is not turned over to a rehabilitator, his chances of survival are slim. While he may look like any other rabbit, he is wild and will be that way for the rest of his life. I once had an baby brought to me that someone found and it was weak and dehydrated so I figured his best bet was a foster mom. I put him in with a gentle holland lop doe that had a litter (I was a breeder before I started rescuing instead, feel free to ask) and even though he was handled daily, his "mother" was super sweet as were his siblings, the baby would charge the wire every time someone approached and fight being handled. It was a classic case of nature vs. nurture, where nature won out. At the time, I volunteered at a wildlife rehab center called Genesis and we were able to work with the baby and get him prepared for release but it his behavior is something that I will never forget. Good luck with your baby, if he is able to nibble food on his own, he has a much better chance for survival!