Baby rabbit on the road

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Driving to the forest to walk the mutts and i saw a baby rabbit crawling across the road, so had to stop and pick it up. Poor thing has a big gash on the shoulder and a mark on the bum, and was clearly lifted by a buzzard. I got out and walked to it and it turned and ran towards me   brought it home and have put it in a cat carrier in a santa hat with some food and water, if its even old enough to have that. Called the wildlife centre but its closed now!

Don't think it will survive but keep fingers crossed for the little mite.

Fingers crossed!

No problem, hun! Very glad to help. Besides, I think you've done a great job!

I don't watch Springwatch any more, since Simon King left. It just isn't the same for me.

Bunny may be a lot younger. His left eye is still closed and I thought it was just him squinting but it's definitely shut. Have read up and you should add cream to milk to get calories in. Off to the shop tomorrow for double cream and goats milk!

Oh and when I was cleaning his bum he was licking my finger and nuzzling. I'm definitely in love

Bless him! Sounds like he's attached to you!

Good job. Hope all is well this morning.

How is the little guy this morning?

Bunny doing well! Had a good rest and was nice and wriggly this morning and as soon as I put him in the holding tray (I use it to hold him while I get milk warm so he can wake up lol) he started eating the grass in it! Left him at it and then tried some milk and he took about 1/2 ml so under the headlamp now with some fresh grass complete with morning dew. His eyes opened now so he is doing well his injuries look great too, no infection but they are forming white scar tissue which is good.

That's great!

If he gets very attached to you, are you going to keep him? Tbh, I'm not sure that there is much you can do to prevent attachment with something like this. Other than leaving him in the road when he was injured ( ), which is a horrible thought.

I'm not going to think about it until he's in the clear tbh. I hate the thought of leaving him back if he has no rabbit sense because he is so young he won't have learned it as he's already not very scared of things. I don't know much about rabbit socialisation but if he goes back and is killed by the others it's such a waste even if it's nature. I've intervened so nature doesn't apply! (I'm calling it he but I don't know)

You don't need to think about that just yet, but it looks like you might have a bunny around the place for a while!

You'll have to keep him/her or at the least find a rehab center.
So glad bunny is doing well.

What ever happens, you have plenty of time!

Bunny drank about 7ml of milk at 4 and was lad of it. Seems to prefer it cold lol

Munched on grass but didn't chew it. Not sure he knows what to do with it lol

Bless him! He may only be about three weeks old, from your description of him and the photos. That would explain why he's not quite sure about grass yet!

So glad he's drinking the milk!

Yeah I was thinking 2-3 weeks. Mum n dad leve tomorrow so he will come in the house then lol not sure what I would do about his injury. It's scabbing over but there is a skin flap I've been hoping would drop itself. I'm wondering if I should go to the vet or would they take him off me and arrest me lol

If the injury heals and the skin flap is still there, it should dry up and come off. If not, try phoning your vets and saying that your 'friend' has found a rabbit, blah, blah, and see what they say.

Surely a vet wouldn't confiscate Bunny from you, especially when you have been doing such a wonderful job?

So long as the wound doesn't show any sign of infection I'd carry on as you are doing Hayley.

I'm quite sure it's legal to take in a wild rabbit, as it isn't endangered or protected, but it isn't legal to release it if it's been tamed. A vet may make a big fuss about it, though, so it's best to be prepared!

It's probably worth taking the little guy down to a vet at some point though, if you do decide to keep him, to make sure he's free for diseases such as myxomatosis or parasites.

Yeah it will come eventually. I need to find out what i should be feeding, haven't got formula yet but will tomorrow but is it high enough calories? I think he has lost a bit of weight but i havent weighed so i don't know. He had a good 8mls of milk tonight and can climb out of the holding pen (the yellow tray lol) so he needs to be watched! Hes always a bit slow to wake up and come alive so i worry until he does. Sleepy bunny.

Just also hoping im not feeding too much, three times a day is more than normal but hes not having huge amounts.

I don't think you'll be in trouble helping a bunny. Go to your usual vet that knows you. They should give you good advice on feeding. Bunny should probably be dewormed as well.

Hayley wrote:Yeah it will come eventually. I need to find out what i should be feeding, haven't got formula yet but will tomorrow but is it high enough calories? I think he has lost a bit of weight but i havent weighed so i don't know. He had a good 8mls of milk tonight and can climb out of the holding pen (the yellow tray lol) so he needs to be watched! Hes always a bit slow to wake up and come alive so i worry until he does. Sleepy bunny.

Just also hoping im not feeding too much, three times a day is more than normal but hes not having huge amounts.

Puppy formula should be okay on its own, as rabbits don't have a large amount of body fat. He wasn't eating much at first, so I should imagine that's why he's lost weight. As for the amount of feeding, I'd play it by ear! :)As long as his stools are normal and he's consuming them the first time round, he should be fine.

Also, at his rough age, it would be a good idea to start giving him access to grass for a few hours per day. An old rabbit hutch would probably allow this!

Consuming the poos? Hes not done that at all but they are coming out all normal like, always has some when i feed.

Ate like a trooper this morning and got 7cc in within a few mins then he was pooped lol can properly hop out of the holding tray now, so can't use it anymore! Was nice and warm this morning, always a good sign still squints his eyes a lot and id like to see him a bit brighter that way. Have been teaching him to lap milk too, so he got the hang of that which will be good for the future!

He might not need to ingest the poo just yet, if he's getting a large amount of nutrients from the milk. That'll come when he's weaned onto grass.

That's really good progress! Sounds like he's developing at a good rate!

lol bunny is feeling lively today! wont stay in the larger box either now, can hop right out. he ate real pellets for the first time too he wont stay anywhere but my knee