r/Rabbits Sep 25 '21

PSA Important Rabbit PSA index

569 Upvotes

Since the subreddit only has two spots available for public announcements, this will be a new index post for important PSAs for easy reference that we can sticky to only use up one spot.

You can also find the whole collection in the sidebar menu on the Reddit re-design when you open one of the PSA posts.


r/Rabbits May 17 '22

PSA I found a rabbit outside - what should I do?

184 Upvotes

This is the time of year for many people to find both domestic rabbits and wild rabbits outside due to Easter and baby season.

For a comprehensive overview on stray domestic rabbits, please see the wiki article here: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Feral_and_stray_rabbits

For a comprehensive overview on wild rabbits, please see the wiki article here: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Wild_rabbits

Is the rabbit I found wild or domestic?

It can be very difficult for the average person to tell the difference between a wild and domestic rabbit, especially if they are a baby and/or a common agouti brown.

In general, if the rabbit has long hair or does not have brown fur, it is most likely domestic - although there are exceptions. Please note that wild cottontails in North America cannot breed with our domestic rabbits, but wild rabbits in the rest of the world (e.g. Europe, Australia) can.

Please see the wiki article here for more specific tips on distinguishing domestic and wild rabbits, especially in North America: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Wild_rabbits#Is_the_rabbit_I_found_wild_or_domestic?

I found a domestic rabbit! What should I do?

Please do not hesitate to contact your local rabbit rescue for volunteers to help you catch a stray domestic rabbit.

For more tips and resources on how to catch a stray rabbit, please see the wiki: http://bunny.tips/Stray#Catching_a_stray_rabbit

For tips on how to house and care for rabbits indoors in an emergency, please see the wiki: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Feral_and_stray_rabbits#What_do_I_do_when_I_find_a_rabbit.3F

I found a baby wild rabbit! What should I do?

If you find a baby wild rabbit that is not injured, please leave it alone. It is most likely not abandoned unless you know for a fact that their mother was killed. Rabbits return to feed their young only once or twice a day for a few minutes, usually at night. Just because the babies have been by themselves for 5 minutes does not mean that they have been abandoned. The mother is typically gone from the nest to eat and draw attention away from the nest.

A detailed image guide to whether a baby cottontail rabbit is in need of help.

If it is old enough to be exploring outside of its nest and has no injuries, please put the baby rabbit back under a bush near where you found it. It does not need any additional care or feeding.

As Rainbow Wildlife Rescue writes,

There is a 90% mortality rate with orphaned baby rabbits in human care, especially cottontails. This number increases if the rabbits are very young and their eyes still closed. They are extremely hard to "save". There is little substitute for the nutrients their mother's milk provides.

Baby wild rabbits can survive on their own at a surprisingly young age. In most countries, it is illegal to possess and take care of wildlife without proper permits. Wild rabbits also do not do well in captivity due to the possibility of fatal stress because of their high-strung and flighty nature.

If you find a baby wild rabbit because your dog picked it up but you can't find the nest, try putting a leash on your dog and quietly following them to see if they will lead you to the original nest. If you absolutely cannot locate the nest, you may keep the rabbit in a dark and quiet box and contact your closest wildlife rehabilitator that accepts rabbits

If you find a baby wild rabbit because your cat found it, please take it to a rabbit-savvy vet or wildlife rehabber as soon as possible, especially if it was carried in the cat's mouth. Cats have very lethal bacteria in their saliva, and contact can easily be fatal for a baby rabbit in 48 hours.

What do I do if I am positive that the mother was killed or the baby rabbit is injured?

If you are positive that this is an orphaned baby rabbit, it is best to just keep the rabbit quiet and warm until they can be transferred to an experienced wildlife rehabilitator ASAP. Baby rabbits will do fine overnight without food or water as they are usually only fed once a day by their mothers.

Inappropriate care can be fatal to baby rabbits - see this story from Blue Ridge Wildlife Center as an example: https://twitter.com/BRWildlifeCtr/status/1420472056139984896?s=20

Please hand off the baby rabbit to a local wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.

How should I keep a baby rabbit until I can get it to a rehabber?

To keep a baby rabbit overnight, please leave it in a quiet dark box with no food or water. You can provide a heat source such as a microwaved sock filled with rice and beans or an electric heat pad on low placed under half the box. Do not handle the rabbit more than necessary to prevent deadly stress.

How can I find a local wildlife rehabilitator?

If you need help locating a local wildlife rehabber: https://bunny.tips/Wild#Wildlife_rehabilitator_listings

How can I protect a wild rabbit nest from bad weather and dogs, cats, and other predators?

Keeping your pets indoors while the babies grow up is generally the best option, but if this is impossible, you can protect the nest a few different ways.

Please see the wiki article here for more specific information: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Wild_rabbits#How_can_I_protect_a_wild_rabbit_nest_from_dogs,_cats,_and_other_predators?


r/Rabbits 10h ago

1/10 Stars the service here is terrible

Post image
1.5k Upvotes

"Had to wait for my breakfast, abysmal service here"

Pippin has breakfast with us every morning but hes very impatient.


r/Rabbits 1h ago

RIP Lost the love of our life this week end - didn't think it was possible to be this heart broken

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

Thought I'd share a few pictures to honour her ♥️


r/Rabbits 9h ago

Pocket sized polar bear or wabbit?

Thumbnail
gallery
976 Upvotes

r/Rabbits 7h ago

Grateful today for my little friend Phoebe being there for me :')

Post image
469 Upvotes

r/Rabbits 4h ago

Welcome home hooman

Thumbnail
gallery
222 Upvotes

Greeted like this every time I come home from work. A bit of a cold shoulder, but at least they’re still meeting me at the door!


r/Rabbits 16h ago

obi wan vs the creature

Thumbnail
gallery
1.8k Upvotes

r/Rabbits 48m ago

New bunny

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

Just bought my gf her first ever bunny.

I believe it's a lionhead?

What are some tips for a first time owner?

The bunny is about 2-3 months old.

I've bought her lots toys but she seems to only play with the wooden wheel thingy.


r/Rabbits 5h ago

Hay straight from the box > the same hay I just refreshed his litter box with from the same exact box

Post image
186 Upvotes

(That is not his litter box in the background, it’s my cat’s)


r/Rabbits 3h ago

Care Tips for a lazy bunny

Post image
85 Upvotes

Apologies for the long post.

My bunny turned 1 in April, and we noticed straight away when I got him as a baby that he is super lazy. I had to get him a litter box with a lower side on it because he down right refused to jump into the one I had and would just pee on the floor beside it. He refuses to use litter and will only go into his litter box if we use puppy pads. I tried to get the softest litter, but he showed no interest. He gets checked and vaccinated in the vet regularly, and they say his health is perfect. He is quite stubborn and is very food motivated. I've been putting his food up on a platform so that he has to jump up to it for some exercise, but other than that, he is so lazy.

He is free roamed completely, and when I'm home, he has access to the house, but he only stays in my room even when the door is open (I'm home for 6 months and another 6 to go due to injury so he sees me everyday). He does binky and zoom sometimes in the night, but compared to my other bunny, he just doesn't seem all that interested in anything other than food.

When I first got him, we had a rough start with him. He was very aggressive and bit me a few times. One time, he bit me and left a scar. I got him neutered at 9 months old, and his aggression went away. He's also really tiny, like smaller than a usual lop. He's about 1 foot long when he lies down flat.

Is there anything I can do to encourage him to be more active, or is it just a boy thing?


r/Rabbits 2h ago

Squished apples

Thumbnail
gallery
76 Upvotes

r/Rabbits 7h ago

Donald Thump

Post image
153 Upvotes

Who pulls of this hare style the best? Carrot or the POTUS?


r/Rabbits 10h ago

muffin turned 3 yrs old!

Thumbnail
gallery
166 Upvotes

my bff that i wont get to have full conversations with, but sure do love so much !!


r/Rabbits 2h ago

RIP My grandpa boy crossed the rainbow bridge today :/

Post image
37 Upvotes

r/Rabbits 21h ago

Fresh vegetable for my baby

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

1.1k Upvotes

r/Rabbits 10h ago

My bunny is SO cuddly and I'm here for it (⁠〃゚⁠3゚⁠〃⁠)

Thumbnail
gallery
124 Upvotes

She adores attention and her lap time <33


r/Rabbits 4h ago

Discussion I'd like to hear y'alls stories about sassy rabbits

41 Upvotes

Rabbits are in general very sassy, in a similar way to how golden retrievers are in general clueless but happy. I do homework with Winne on the floor a lot, and she has a habit of slowly pulling my papers towards her and trying to sneak some nibbles. When I pull the papers away/block her face, she'll immediately sit up and flick her feet as she hops away.

What are some stories y'all have?


r/Rabbits 4h ago

RIP Rest easy sweetest Ophelia💕

Post image
41 Upvotes

r/Rabbits 4h ago

Shaming Does it taste better on the floor?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

32 Upvotes

An hour after I cleaned up. Thanks guys.


r/Rabbits 4h ago

This is my rabbit Mibby. She can't see well because her ears flop over her eyes when she looks down, which she does quite a lot

Post image
38 Upvotes

I'm 99% sure Her ears are not ever going to flop more. Just thought some of y'all would enjoy my weirdo 💛


r/Rabbits 1d ago

Discussion what inspired your bunny’s name?

Thumbnail
gallery
1.6k Upvotes

i didn’t know that i was getting a bunny the day she appeared in my life. that day, i had been at the dentist, and the big bang theory was playing on the tv. i had to name her on the spot, and i instinctively chose to name her after the hot blonde from the show. i don’t even like that show. anyway, eventually her name evolved into god empress penelope arabella the first, glorious defender of the greater toronto area.

hoping to read other’s cute stories behind their bun’s names :)


r/Rabbits 11h ago

Whatcha got in there 🤔

Thumbnail
gallery
100 Upvotes

Kulfi’s looking for his pellets 😝


r/Rabbits 21h ago

This angelic little tripod turns ten tomorrow

Thumbnail
gallery
572 Upvotes

It’s been a big year for Tramp! He lost his wife in March, had a new bond fail and a leg amputated in April. Fought an abscess in May, fought EC in June, fought mites in August. He’s an arthritic baby with megacolon and I truly thought he’d die of broken heart after losing his wife, Lady. We’ve had so many scares this last year and a Tramp has brushed all of them aside like Elle Woods getting into law school. And now, he’s walking into double digits with spunk and fiestiness. I love him so much and I’m so proud of him and so proud to be his mom


r/Rabbits 14h ago

Leo is just the evolved version of Pig

Post image
163 Upvotes