What do wild baby rabbits eat?

Lettuce? Apple? That's all I've come up with.

My dog brought me a dead rabbit last night except it wasn't dead. So now there's this baby fluffball in the laundry basket with a pile of grass and some salad.

What can I do? If I let it go it'll die, it's too small to survive on its lonesome. If I keep it it'll probably die, because I don't know it eats. I know feral rabbits are a plague, but it's cute.

 

Grass........... IDK.




Sccrman95

 

thanks.

 

Ever try PetSmart? Or is it Pet(')sMart? I dunno.. but yeah.

And a vaccination shot or four would'nt hurt either.

 

They eat human souls.

 

The internet is a remarkable invention.

Two seconds of my life wasted. I hope you're happy.

 

WildBabyRabbit Food

 

milk probably, but I wouldn't feed it just normal milk.. I don't know.

-The Scummy-

 

It's survival will also depend on how old it is - before a certain age, it cannot survive on its own.

Avoid foods with high-water contents (e.g., carrots) - they give rabbits diarrhea, which can dehydrate them. High crude fiber diets are very important - visit Wal-mart for good bunny food. You should also contact a pet store to see if there are any particular dietary concerns (since I don't know how old your bunny is). Lastly, and this is nasty, but rabbits are coprophages - they will occasionally eat their own poop because they didn't extract all the nutrition the first time around. Be very careful about infections, as rabbits are very sensitive to them and can die easily. Lastly, I'd suggest visiting a vet - check to see if there are any small animal/exotic animal vets in your area (rabbits tend not to be classified as standard pets, so some vets may not be trained in their care).

 

Thanks for the info Quixotic_Sith. I think I'll give it some muesli.

I don't want to keep it, though. I was going to let it go this morning but it just sat on the lawn looking helpless. It really doesn't look old enough to be without its mumsie, about 2-4 weeks old after a quick wikipedia search. :\

 

Awww...how about giving it to a zoo or one of those kiddie petting zoos?

 

make a stew and call it a night


FF

 

DO you have a Humane Society nearby or animal shelter that might take in a baby rabbit? As stated eariler, depending on how old it is , it may need special care and milk.

 

King Arthur's knights

Warrior_of_Mandalore Strikes Again!

 

Contact the local vet and see what they can do. Good luck.

Please don't let him go-most likely, he won't be able to survive.

 

Not a baby rabbit. This rabbit would only be likened to say, bottle rockets. tis not nearly dynamite.


Yet.

 

Salad? NOOOO!


Lettuce is bad for rabbits--it tears up their digestive tract, causing them to have extreme diarrhea and severe dehydration!

 

No problem.

I think I'll give it some muesli.

Careful - IIRC, there is a difference between "fiber" as we need it and "crude fiber" as the bunny needs it. I'd suggest getting bunny food with over 17% crude fiber (it's usually listed on the side of the box/bag).

 

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html
Rabbit mothers nurse their babies for approximately 5 minutes a day.

Good luck with that.


Here's more:
Use Meyenberg Regular Goat milk (found at Safeway in the milk section or Whole Foods) or KMR KITTEN powder formula + follow directions on the can. (KMR better for domestics). It may be easiest to start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Some use pet nurser nipples on the end of a luer lock syringe, or a teat cannula on the end of a syringe. Feed only with the bunny sitting UPRIGHT, and point syringe down towards bottom or side of mouth, so if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate! For those who are slow to learn nursing, SC fluids may be necessary to prevent electrolyte imbalance or dehydration (check with a vet on this only!!). Domestic buns with closed eyes should be fed 2 x a day, and the number of feedings gradually decreased until they are weaned. If their eyes are still closed, you need to stimulate their bottoms with a warm moist towel after feedings to help them to pee. (Domestics are weaned about 6 weeks; wild bunnies are weaned about 3-4 weeks for cottontails and 9 weeks for jacks). Bloat is commonly associated with too frequent feedings and too much at one time.
For WILD rabbits, do not feed at home, but get them to a professional rehabber. This is CRITICAL for their survival as they are not like domestics. See contacts under wild orphans.

 

You can get from a pet store pellets (fibre) and hay for pretty cheap. Pellets basically will make the rabbit gain weight but the hay is essential for rabbits.

Veggies and salads for young rabbits are bad. Certain lettuce is ok once they are older but it is best to just stay away from it as it isn't good for baby ones anyway.