Cottontail babies!!

[chinmom]

So today I was at my parents' house, and I was cleaning the windows outside. I let the dogs out (my dog, my parents' dog, and my sister's dog were all there) and started to hear this awful squeal. I look back and there are baby bunnies hopping in all directions. I screamed at the dogs, but saw my sister's dog with a baby in his mouth. That was the one squealing...it was awful. I kept yelling at the dogs and scooped up 3 babies and saved them, but the one that Benji had was already gone...poor baby...

I got the dogs inside, got a bucket, and put a towel in it, then put the babies in there, and put a towel over the top for protection. Then I started researching what to do. I couldn't find out where the nest was definatively, so I was hesitant to put them back anywhere. I got a box with one of the sides partially cut out and turned it upside-down near where I thought the nest was. I put grass underneath to be a little softer, and put the three babies in there. Took a few pics first, of course!

I waited several hours, and checked the box, and the babies were gone. I had seen a larger cottontail in the area the night before, and was hoping that it was the mom, so I was happy to see that they were gone, but still a little concerned. I let the dogs out 4 hours after I put the babies out, and watched to make sure they weren't going to go after anything. I turned around to do some work, and heard a low growl from behind me, so I whipped back around to see my mom's dog with her nose under this small pot that my mom had set up to be a toad's home. I saw a small brown bunny butt sticking out, so I yelled at the dogs and got them back in the house, and went to get the baby.

Then I got on the phone trying to get advice from a wildlife rehabber, and had to call 7 places before I got someone. She said that she wasn't sure if the mom was going to come back again, and said that I could see if the baby would be able to make it on his own by putting some apple slices and a bit of hay in with him. If he didn't munch on that, she said she would meet me tomorrow and she would take him. About 2 hours later, I checked and he had nibbled on apple. Then my sister came in and said that she saw a larger bunny in the yard. I decided to put the baby back out, in hopes that it was his mommy; since he was willing to eat on his own, I thought he would make it himself. Here are some pics of him:

And at first I thought this picture was a waste, but after I looked at it for a minute, I started to actually like it.

And this definately needs to go in the disapproving bunny thread!!

So that's it! Just wanted to share...

 

[jcottonl02]

God that's awful!!
Well done for saving the babies you could- and good thinking about leaving them outside so the mum could come and collect them.
That poor other baby though......

 

[kathy5]

ooh there sooo sweet

poor little things

good luck with them

 

[ra7751]

Aren't cottontails so cute? They are so fun to watch grow up. Dogs and cats are a major problem since they are "introduced" predators. These guys look like they are about 14 days old and can probably make it on their own if they are placed in a safe area. Sounds like you did a great job and did everything just the way it should be done...thankson behalf of those cottontails you saved. Here are some comments I have on cottontails from my years of rehabbing them.

*They are born helpless.

*Mom feeds only once a day (some twice)

*Baby cottontails are among the most difficult species to hand raise

*Goat's Milk and/or KMR are not appropriate nutrition. Cow's milk will kill them.

*They are very difficult to feed as pinkys and most have no sucking ability.

*Many pinkys need to be fed by inserting a catheter into their stomach.

*They prefer their special formula warm.

*They are easily aspirated...formula goes into their lungs...which results in an infection and most likely death.

*Baby cottontails are very prone to dehydration.

*They require supplemental heat if they have no fur..even at room temperature they will become hypothermic.

*Their eyes open 7-10 days old.

*They can live on their own by 14 days.

*Many cottontails in captivity are lost as the gut converts about 21 days old.

*Cottontails do not make good pets and will "wild out" usually by 28 days.

*Their first solid food in the wild is usually small blades of grass or clover. In rehab, I feed clover from our yard (no pesticides) and prepackaged Spring Mix along with the leaves of crushed up alfalfa hay.

*They are very prone to stress related death by being kept too long in captivity.

*In most states, it is illegal to hold wildlife without proper permits (birds fall under federal protection regardless of the state laws).

*Dog encounters usually result in interna crushing trauma.

*ANY encounter with a cat is a life threatening emergency. Just a small nick from a cat will result in the death of the rabbit due to the bacteria from the cat. It is vitally important that appropriate antibiotics be started as soon as possible to have any chance of recovery from a cat encounter. There does not need to be visible signs of a bite. ANY cat encounter should be on antibiotics.

*Here is a link to find licensed wildlife rehabilitators in the US.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

Randy

 

[Raspberry82]

Awww! What great pictures you took!

 

[TK Bunnies]

Awwww there soooooo cute!!!

-TK

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Aww, so cute! They remind me of Hazel when we found her . Here's a picture of her as a baby

 

[chinmom]

Hazel is adorable!!

I checked the area where I released the last bun yesterday, and it looks like he's gone. The apple slices that I left there are gone as well, so either he and/or his mom ate them, or a deer. I'm hoping it was him!!

 

[kathy5]

good luck to the little bun bun family

 

[Phinnsmommy]

Aww, all the babies are so cute!

Good job on doing the right thing too!

 

[chinmom]

I saw the baby bunny tonight...my sister almost stepped on him. I was desperately hoping that he made it away on his own. If I see him again, I'm going to try and catch him then release him somewhere else. I don't think I could stand it if one of the dogs caught him.

Do you think I should do that? Or just let him be?