How to Care for an Infant Wild Rabbit

Both adorable and vulnerable, wild, infant rabbits can face extreme danger if their mother is killed or fails to return to the nest. Caring for an orphaned infant rabbit should be left to wildlife rehabilitators and other experts, but you can help to an extent if you run across an orphaned baby rabbit or rabbits.

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine whether the baby rabbit is actually an orphan. The mom will often be away from the nest during the day, returning at night to feed and be with her babies.

    • 2

      Look for signs that the baby rabbit is actually in need of help if you are certain the infant rabbit’s mom has died. If the infant rabbit’s skin is blue rather than pink, or if she is moving slowly, chances are she needs help.

    • 3

      Pick up the infant rabbit to make sure he is getting enough food. If his stomach is sunken, he is not getting the food he needs and needs help.

    • 4

      Get her to an experienced wildlife person as soon as possible if you’re sure you’ve found an orphaned infant rabbit that appears to be ill or injured. If you cannot find a wildlife rehabilitator in your local phone book, call your local police department, and an officer should be able to point you in the right direction.

    • 5

      Provide shelter: Until you can get the baby bunny to an expert, you must make sure he is safe: Provide a soft, warm space by putting soft towels into a small box then cover the box with a towel to provide darkness for the baby.

    • 6

      Make sure the room the infant rabbit is in is between 65 and 70 degrees until you get her to the wildlife rehabilitator.

    • 7

      Feed the rabbit: Use milk replacement for kittens twice a day. Contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or your local humane society to determine how much to feed the rabbit during each feeding.

    • 8

      Decide to help the infant rabbit until he is stronger. You should begin to feed him solid foods when he opens his eyes. The best foods to feed include hay, Italian parsley, dandelion greens, Romaine lettuce and collard greens.

    • 9

      Let her go free: When the infant rabbit has grown to five inches long and is eating hay and other greens, you must let her back out into the wild. No matter how cute or how tiny she is, if she is going to survive, she must be released when it’s time.