Disabled Cottontail enrichment

[dungeonbunnies]

A friend of mine volunteers for this museum program handling and caring for their educational animals. One of them is 1-2 yr old cottontail doe, she was run over by a lawnmower as a baby and is missing her hind legs.

My friend messaged me and asked if there was anything that they could do for her as enrichment?

I've already suggested TP tubes of hay, those cat bell balls, and maybe a stuffie would make her feel comfortable.

If anyone knows enough about cottontails to make some suggestions, they will be appreciated and passed on.

Thank you,

 

[ladysown]

hay mats, a bale of straw, cardboard boxes

 

[dungeonbunnies]

I passed those along, thank you

 

[whitelop]

Probably any sort of tube that she could get into. Or maybe something to dig in. I understand she doesn't have hind legs, so that might be difficult, but it might help her feel more like a wild bun.
OH or those pop up cat cube things http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...ferralID=2514866f-7659-11e2-97b3-001b2166becc
like that, if they thought she would be able to get in and out of it.
Or what about a large flat of wheatgrass with some treats put in it. You can buy wheat berries and plant large flats of it and it grows pretty well indoors. That way she could forage for her own goodies.
Maybe some apple branches to nom on, she might like that.

Just think like a wild bunny!

 

[dungeonbunnies]

I guess she has the twigs already, but I'm liking the tunnel idea! I've just passed them along as well. Thanks so much ^_^

 

[whitelop]

What a sweet little bunny too! Is she friendly? Or aloof because she was wild?

 

[dungeonbunnies]

My friend says she's pretty skittish.

 

[lagomorph]

Probably an Eastern cottontail? If so, I wouldn't focus so much on providing a tunnel-like experience or digging opportunity. They do not dig much and do not live in borrows. They scrape shallow forms in the protected areas (like under a shrub or in a thicket) for sleeping. Thus, they like shrubby, protected areas. I would think she would feel most comfortable in a large enclosure with a diversity of plants (shrubs, herbaceous plants etc.), a big stone or two, maybe a log, etc. Because they don't dig much, they won't wreck the vegetation in the enclosure the way domesticated rabbits do (derived from burrowing European rabbits). Sounds like you have enough toy ideas, so I would focus on space and complexity of habitat to mimic where she would choose to live in the wild.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

She's totally adorable!

I've found my buns love those wicker balls from the pet store. Also, tunnels to sleep in (like oatmeal tube/canisters) and also the bunny ones they sell; I think it provides a good hiding spot which is something they always want. The cottontails I rehabbed like things to hide in, ever like towels (they were younger though) that they could run and hide under.

 

[Moochyesh]

I buy mine a huge hard cardboard tube from home depot that I a 8 inch circle and around 2 feet long, Best thing its only 5 dollars. The get to hide and chew it up and its not a big rip off like the petsmart play tubes...

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Ours love card boxes filled with shredded newspaper.

 

[dungeonbunnies]

Thanks, everyone, I've passed along all of the suggestions! ^_^