Rabbit advice please

[bobcat]

This morning our cat brought in a baby rabbit, Alive and not damaged thank goodness!! but, yesterday the farmer next door finished ploughing his fields. Certain that little Bright Eyes had lost his habitat and affraid to release the poor baby to the food chain again I now have him in a makeshift cage, along with some leaves and water.
The question is, would it be possible to keep a wild rabbit as a pet?
I'd be gteatful for your advice. Thank you.

[justine]

There have been stories where they have made fantstic pets. If you feed it fresh and dried foods it should be ok.How big is it, so i can get a rough sort of age, I assume it will be over four weeks of age so should be weaned from mum...There is no reason why it should not become friendly although you do have to watch with deseases that it may carry
Personaly i would take it back to the field ad return it to the wild. If it is from there it will find its ways back, but the decision is yours, but it will be a good pet if it cant be returned..
Good luck and well done for being so caring...

[hell raizer]

we had 2 wild rabbits for years, a dog killed the mother so we hand reared them - if the rabbit's young enough there's no reason he/she cant make a good pet

[unicorn]

As it is wild my first advice would be keep it calm and quiet as it could take shock very fast as it is in a whole new environment, If you can get goats milk if it is still quite young put a bottle of that along with a bottle of water on the hutch. It may not drink from a bottle as it has never learned how from mum obviously so if it doesnt seem to be managing then add a bowl for it to drink from. Stick to gradual change in the food as mix is going to be totally foreign to it's digestive stystem so just add a little at a time with mainly vegetation until it adjusts. You may want to get some probiotics to add to the milk or water to keep it's gut healthy as it is going through a rapid change in diet. Pm me for my tel number if necessary I will be glad to help.

[bobcat]

Thanks for your advice guys. The rabbit is as big as my hand, which is about 7 inches, when sitting (the rabbit, not the hand). I have PMd unicorn.
Thanks again for your help.

[unicorn]

Well little Bright eyes is a girl who is a maximum of 3 weeks old, she has just taken 3/4 of a bottle of kitten milk and is sleeping it off in the dark. I hope she will be ok and get through it but it is no small task. Well done bobcat for rescueing her, I will do my best for her.

[carasmam]

Aww hope she makes it. Good on you both for caring :D

[unicorn]

Rabbits are notoriously difficult to handrear but I have successfully handreared from 2 weeks so I am hoping we will manage, just got to keep her calm and secure.:D

[Liz]

Yes well done bobcat for rescuing the baby rabbit and to Unicorn for your help.

It is so nice to see people caring for a vulnerable wee animal.

Good luck!

[hell raizer]

unicorn how is bright eyes doing ?

[unicorn]

she is more like a wild rabbit today, trying to get away so thats good the worst of the shock seems to have passed and she has just had a bottle of milk and gone back to her created burrow :D

[hell raizer]

thats good to hear, at least she is taking her milk :Razz

[Liz]

Good for you Unicorn. You are doing a great job!:lol:

[Frey]

Hey Unicorn, really nice "tail", good for you.

If the rabbit is still trying to escape, then it is not too late to let it lose to the wild again if it is becoming to big a handful for you or you dont want to keep it cooped up. Very unlikely thatthe field the farmer has ploughed would have contained the burrow as rabbits tend to go for covered, hilly area although it is not unheard of for some rabbits to house themselves anywhere! If there is woodland nearby or a hilly area..let it loose there. But if it has become accustomed to you being there and you feel it may becoming tame..then keep him as a lovely little pet..my mother in law has a rabbit thats bigger than my dog!! Good luck.

[unicorn]

She is not even eating solids yet, so there is no way she could be let loose. She would be dead within 48 hours.

[Frey]

Hi Unicorn

whatever you think, im sure i sthe best way. didnt realise rabbit was quite young. From our experience, and with limited actual human contact, the little rabbits who have stumbled into our garden, usually get back with the families on their own accord. You hear the mothers squeeking and then on they go! But yeha i agree with you, I hope you enjoy you new pet..nice name btw.