How to take care of a baby wild bunny? Unlike other household pets such as dogs, rabbits are wild animals by nature. Rabbits are not raised to be domesticated house pets. As such many pet rabbits were either first in the wild or are descendants of wild rabbits. Bringing home a wild rabbit will take a certain level of consideration on your part as you will soon discover the intricacies involved in raising one. Domesticating a wild rabbit is not the easiest job in the world, still, it is possible and certainly worth the try.
For all pet lovers all over, this article will be an expose on the ways to raise and take of a wild bunny. In this article, we will be covering the following topics:
- Can you raise a wild rabbit?
- Can you take care of a wild bunny?
- When can wild bunnies survive on their own?
Read along now to learn all you need to about domesticating a wild rabbit.
Can You Raise a Wild Rabbit?
No kidding, raising a wild rabbit is no small feat. Newborns are however easier to domesticate than older rabbits. Once a rabbit gets as old as some weeks or a few months, they gradually become harder to handle. Rabbits are typically prey animals, hence they are quite sensitive. They are very suspicious of even the slightest activity around them even when it involves humans. Matter of fact, rabbits tend to view humans as predators too, so they are wary when humans try to hold them.
This will explain why catching a rabbit in the wild can be such a daunting task, to begin with. They are slimy, dodgy, and quite smart. As a person who intends to raise a wild rabbit, bear in mind these rigors involved and be mentally prepared for all that it entails raising one.
So back to the question: Can you raise a wild rabbit?
The answer is YES. You can raise a wild rabbit. But like we have discussed, it is not a very easy task. Right from the process of catching one right to the point of bringing it into your home, you will soon find out that it is not a very easy task.
But that is not to say it can’t be done. You just have to learn to go about it with the right approach. First, we need to make a few distinctions when it comes to wild rabbits. Raising wild young and adult rabbits may not require much in the area of their feeding since the diet remains the same for both wild and domesticated rabbits. However, the same cannot be said for newborns and baby rabbits.
Baby rabbits require breast milk from their mother until they are at least eight weeks old. So it is practically harmful to take a baby rabbit away from its mother in the wild. Stripping them off breast milk is close to killing them since they require the necessary nutrients to survive and grow strong and healthy.
Fear of Disease
Another thing you should consider before bringing home a wild rabbit is exposure to diseases. Rabbits in the wild are exposed to all manner of dangerous diseases and viruses. They become carriers of these viruses which they can bring into a domesticated environment. One example of such a disease is myxomatosis.
A rabbit infected with myxomatosis can be very dangerous to other rabbits if put together in the same cage. Myxomatosis is a viral disease and is highly contagious. Before bringing home a wild rabbit, it is advisable to first check for myxomatosis infection or any other infections for that matter and treat properly before bringing the rabbit home.
Also, note that wild rabbits will require special love and attention even more than already domesticated ones. The reason is that they have been removed from their natural habitat and may have a hard time adjusting to their new environment.
You must make them feel as comfortable as possible by providing them with adequate food and shelter, as well as a great dose of fun activities to keep them strong and active.
Sometimes, these rabbits may have been abandoned in the wild for too long and may have become malnourished. You may need to supplement with kitten milk replacer to make up for any lost nutrients (especially with younger rabbits).
Other things you may consider are:
- Domesticated and wild rabbits don’t get along very well
- Wild rabbits are generally more nervous than their domesticated peers.
- Wild rabbits are also more aggressive than domesticated rabbits.
- Moreover, wild rabbits are more protective of their food and may get aggressive when they need to share.
Now, having noted all of these, you can see that raising wild rabbits takes a lot of time, effort, resources, and most of all, patience.
Can You Take Care of a Wild Bunny?
The straight answer to this is YES. You can take care of a wild bunny. Nonetheless, you must understand that this is not an easy exercise. Wild rabbits require a lot in terms of time, effort, and resources. You will find out soon that the experience can sometimes be very daunting and if you don’t have the patience, you may be tempted to give up altogether.
Wild rabbits are a lot more delicate than domesticated rabbits. This is because they are prey animals and are at least of the food chain. Hence, they tend to get suspicious of any activity in their environment. Wild rabbits will run and hide at the slightest provocation which makes it hard for humans to reach them.
Remember, They Are Wild Animals
For you to get along with a wild rabbit, you must first earn its trust. But this is the most challenging task of all, and you will need to exercise a great deal of patience to achieve this. After you must have been able to earn its trust, this is where the main job begins. Wild rabbits are just what they are—WILD. You will find out just how difficult the whole process of domesticating a wild bunny is.
First, you must make adequate provision for its accommodation. A rabbit needs a clean, comfortable environment to thrive. The mere fact that it was taken from the wild does not mean rabbits can thrive in a dirty environment. Rabbits are the masters at grooming and above all else, they have very sensitive systems that are susceptible to external harm.
As for their food, you will need to maintain a steady flow of fresh grass and hay just like they had in the wild. As a supplement, you can add pellets to their diet to make for variety. Make sure they remain hydrated all day by providing them with lots of water.
Lastly, ensure they have an adequate amount of playtime and exercise especially out in the open so they can still be in touch with nature. These and many more are just ways you can care for a wild bunny.
When Can Wild Bunnies Survive on Their Own?
There is the off chance that baby rabbits may get abandoned by their mothers while in the wild. But these are very rare cases. Rabbits hardly abandon their young for any reason. If a baby rabbit is found without a mother, it is usually the case that the mother is around the corner probably looking for food.
Although it is also true that mother rabbits do not spend much time with their young. Baby rabbits are fed not more than two times daily and are left in their nest by their mother while she goes about her business.
You may happen to come across a baby rabbit or a litter of baby rabbits and be forced to think they have been abandoned. Your first instinct would be to want to save them and take them to a rescue shelter for rehabilitation.
Like we pointed out, you may be wrong in your assumptions. The wise thing to do is to look around to see if their mother is around the corner.
Be Aware and Check
Alternatively, you may conduct a few investigations like checking the bellies of the baby rabbit to see if they have just been fed. If the belly appears full and is pinkish, then their mom isn’t far away.
Consequently, if their bellies appear flat and their skin looks pale and malnourished, then that could be a sign that they have been abandoned. There is the likelihood that the mother rabbit has been killed by a predator.
Your first action will be to take them away to a rescue center for immediate rehabilitation. Baby rabbits are too young to care for themselves at that age. Young adolescents on the other hand can struggle it out on their own. Rabbits learn to be independent at an early age so they can handle themselves well without the help of a mom or any human for that matter.
In summary, baby rabbits are too fragile to survive in the absence of their mother while in the wild. Young adolescents and older rabbits can survive and thrive in the wild without the help of their moms or any human rescue team.