Should I return domesticated injured rabbit to its mother?

[sodarabella]

Two weeks after giving birth, it seemed the mother was attacking her babies. 2 died and one was injured within 24 hours, so we separated the babies from the mother. After one more died a gruesome death we discovered it was a rat (HORROR) getting into the cage and eating their brains. We have one injured baby left, that I am caring for. Should I return the baby to its mother? Or is the two days of separation and the injury (on its head) a liability?

 

[Cef81]

I’m sorry to hear about this horrific incident I’m a new rabbit mom so I can’t give advice on anything but I’m sure there is some great people on hear that can . Was these kept outside?

 

[sodarabella]

I’m sorry to hear about this horrific incident I’m a new rabbit mom so I can’t give advice on anything but I’m sure there is some great people on hear that can . Was these kept outside?

Yes, they were outside in a cage--that we thought was secure! Its so weird that they didn't get attacked until they were awake and active. I guess they were just discovered, or maybe the daddy rabbit scared them off (we separated him shortly after birth to avoid more babies)

 

[JBun]

It would depend on if the mother is still producing milk and will accept the baby back without acting aggressively towards it. If she hasn't dried up and still has milk coming out, and acts fine towards the baby, then I would return it to her to continue nursing. Though I would not return them outdoors, I would either keep them both indoors where it's safe, or only take the baby to the mom twice a day for the few minutes it takes to nurse, then return it indoors to safety. Because it's a singleton now, it's important to ensure it has a warm nest of fur, and that it is able to stay warm in this nest.

If you do try to reintroduce it back with the mom, do so with extreme caution, making sure the baby is safe from harm if the mom were to act aggressively towards it.

 

[sodarabella]

It would depend on if the mother is still producing milk and will accept the baby back without acting aggressively towards it. If she hasn't dried up and still has milk coming out, and acts fine towards the baby, then I would return it to her to continue nursing. Though I would not return them outdoors, I would either keep them both indoors where it's safe, or only take the baby to the mom twice a day for the few minutes it takes to nurse, then return it indoors to safety. Because it's a singleton now, it's important to ensure it has a warm nest of fur, and that it is able to stay warm in this nest.

If you do try to reintroduce it back with the mom, do so with extreme caution, making sure the baby is safe from harm if the mom were to act aggressively towards it.

Thanks for your thoughts! I have reunited them. I don't know if she is nursing, but she is grooming him, and is definitely not aggressive at least!

 

[JBun]

That's good to hear. If she does still have milk, then she'll likely nurse sometime soon and the kit will have a nice full belly. If you don't think she is still nursing, then I would suggest to just continue with the feedings you're already giving the kit. If the mom isn't nursing anymore, you'll need to keep an eye on her behavior towards the kit, just to make sure she is still acting ok with having it with her.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Baby_rabbits_(domestic)
You'll also need to keep an eye on that head wound to make sure no infection sets in. If it does then the kit will need to be seen by a rabbit vet and be put on the proper rabbit safe antibiotic.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/