I need help--days old rabbit

[buckeyepete]

One of my animals brought home a baby rabbit last night and left it in front of my beedroom door. This baby doesn't even have it's eyes open yet. Any suggestions on what I should feed it? I have regular milk, as well as 2% milk my wife uses. Should I thin either one of them? Anything I could add to the milk?

I've saved other animals using Pipettes (used to feed baby birds) and human baby food, but I've never had one this young.

Any rabbit breeders out there?

[BEST45CAL]

Maybe the local animal shelter could be of assistance?

[PrezLeefun]

You want to keep it dont you?

You can call an animal shelter, or ASPCA and I bet they can tell you what to do.

[Grrly]

You should probably call an animal rescue organization. When my dogs unearthed three baby bunnies (eyes closed) from a hidden backyard nest a couple autumns ago, I looked up how to save them. Everything I read said that the best help was not to interfere, and that I should "rebuild" the nest using grasses and fur from the original nest, placing it up to 20 feet from the original nest, but no farther, so the mother would find them and take care of them.

I did that, put the bunnies in the now-sheltered nest, and waited for their mother to come feed them, but she never did (perhaps she had been killed by a car or something) and the poor babies died within two days. I did everything wildlife advocates said to do, and could not save them.

If I had called someone to rescue them, they might have made it. If I had to do this over again, I'd be on the phone in a heartbeat.

In your case, you don't have any way of knowing where the nest was in the first place.

It's also possible, given that one of your animals brought you the rabbit, that the bunny could have unseen internal injuries. For all of these reasons, I would recommend calling a professional.

It's also illegal to keep and raise wild animals, at least in my state.

[buckeyepete]

Thanks, folks, for the info. As for keeping the animal, no, I won't. I just want to raise it and return it to the wild. I've done this to many animals and just hope they will make it. I never know, but at least I give them a chance, one they never had at birth. I have minimal contact with the animal, and keep it outside once it's on solid food. When it eats what's appropriate, I take them back into the woods and turn them loose.

Foot note: Just saw my first Cooper Head of the season. Will be looking out for the "babies", catch them, and return them to the wild. I live in the middle of a 'forest', and can re-locate as I see fit.

[buckeyepete]

45 Cal, PresLee, Grrly: Went that route with more than a few, and though they were concerned, they are more concerned with domesticated pets than wild. I take my chances with instinct and those that raise animals for profit. Thats why my question.

I'll start taking pictures, and if this is successful, I'll post them.

[PrezLeefun]

I just hope the bunny is ok.