Found A Small Bunny

[Lalka]

I know it has nothing to do with cats. But yesterday i found a miniature bunny outside and could not leave him there. So i went to Walmart and bought bunny stuff. I don't plan on keeping him/her but i would like to find the owner. Yesterday the bunny was feeling right at home and was trying to sniff the cats but one of them freaked out and chased the bunny back to the safe nest i made. Today the bunny is hiding and not eating much. I dont know a thing about miniature bunnies but i know they need to eat several time/day. He/she is trained to use a litter because he is using the one i made. I need to get the cats to relax so he can do his things. Any advices?

 

[Willowy]

Is it a wild bunny or a domestic bunny? There's a big difference. Don't let the kitties near him, and put the food bowl close to his hiding place so he doesn't have to come out to eat. Rabbits know they're prey animls so they're very skittish.

 

[susanm9006]

I would bring the bunny to the vet, get it checked out and get some idea of age in case your miniature bunny is a baby bunny. That will help you figure out appropriate diet and care.

As far as intros I would do the same thing as you would with a kitten. Keep them totally separate and introduce very slowly. And you would need to always supervise until you are comfortable your cat doesn’t want to eat your bunny.

 

[marmoset]

There might be a bunny rescue in your area. You could get advice from them or they might be able to take it in. Here in my part of the US bunnies get dumped too often a few months after Easter and bunny rescues are just overwhelmed. But even if they can't take it they could offer advice on finding the owner and how you should be caring for the little one.

 

[ArtNJ]

Almost certainly a baby bunny -- its the time of the year of that. They stray from their parents sometimes, and its a risk to just pick them up without knowing how old they are and whether they have weaned. No parent in site does not equal abandonment.

Baby bunnies can get killed by or super freaked out by cats. I thought my cats killed a baby bunny. They have in the past. This time, the bunny didn't move for 15 minutes. I touched him. He didn't move. I decided to dispose of him, but noticed him twitching. Wasn't sure I could do anything for him, but I got a cardboard box, lettuce, etc. Soon he popped back up and wanted out. Bunny was uninjured. I am not sure what the heck he was doing exactly - playing dead, recovering from stress, or whatnot, but I sure wouldn't try and make him a playmate my two cats, and was very glad to release a healthy baby bunny.

 

[maggiedemi]

My cats would eat a bunny...

 

[vyger]

My cats would eat a bunny...

And the reason you would know is that you would find the feet. Maybe that is why they call them "lucky", because it's the only part the doesn't get eaten.

 

[Willowy]

Wild rabbits don't survive well in captivity. So if it's a wild bunny, and it's eating solid food, you should release it in a safe area. If it's a domestic bunny and you don't want to keep it, yeah, contact a rabbit rescue. Take some pictures and post them here, or, if you can't do that, do a search for the differences between wild rabbits and domestic rabbits.

 

[LTS3]

Call a local wildlife rescue / rehab for advice. You can find a wildlife rescue here: How to Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator : The Humane Society of the United States The rescue can determine if you have a wild bunny, possibly a young one that strayed away from mom, or an escaped pet rabbit. Wild bunnies are brown / agouti in color for the most part.

 

[Norachan]

I think Kieka knows a lot about rabbits. She could probably give you some advice.

 

[Kieka]

I've been down the found rabbit road a few times.

If you can post some photos it would help. For now, I'd move the bunny to a quiet spot away from cats so it can calm down some. You are right about the eating constantly, what food do you have with it?

 

[Lalka]

Thanks a lot for your advices. The bunny is eating more today (giving him bunny pellets, lettuce, dandelion leaves, carrots and cucumbers). He is not wild and i can tell he is litter trained. I dont want to keep him and i ll try to find his family or a bunny rescue like you suggested before going to the SPCA (the spa in my town do euthanasia and i'd like to avoid that).
Thank you again

 

[Kieka]

Part of your problem maybe the food you're feeding. Rabbit should have fresh hay as part of their diet and pellet should only make up about a quarter cup a day. Iceberg lettuce should never be given to a rabbit its water content is too high and can cause diarrhea. Carrot should only be fed in moderation maybe once every other day, too much sugar. Cucumber should also be fed in small quantities every couple of days because they can cause digestive issues.

My normal mix for my rabbit is red leaf lettuce, Endive lettuce, cilantro, and parsley. You can also do kale our guy like that for a long time but decide to protest it recently. Carrots are a once or twice a week treating our house and usually just peels from our cooking. We also get a bag of freeze-dried strawberries from Trader Joe's with no sulfur added and give him one slice of strawberry a night as a treat when he goes into his cage. Most rabbits will naturally potty train themselves our boy was in a dirty cage that was never cleaned and he has designated one potty spot in his area all alone.

Most rabbit rescues will require you to get the rabbit spayed or neutered before they will take it in so you might want to look around for a vet that will do the surgery. Spaying and neutering rabbits really does help prevent a lot of health problems and behavioral problems that are common causes for people rehoming them.

 

[Lalka]

Thank you kieka for your advice...i did stop feeding her carrots and apples...but tomorrow is gonna be the big day. I ll bring her to the SPA. Makes me very sad...but after a week with her (i bought a big dog cage last Monday, went to a shelter to give her away and changed my mind, came back home with her..silly me)...i just cant do it in a 3 1/2 apartment with my 2 cats and being on call at the hospital. Its not fair for her... i'm exhausted and i'll be sad and feel bad for weeks because of an idiot who abandoned a bunny. She is a good jumper and she managed to jump on my bed tonight (my cats are not happy about that) . Im gonna miss her ;/

 

[Lalka]

If one of you want an amazing bunny, let me know. She is tiny and kinda look like a Siamese cat (all tips are black). gonna try to upload a pic. She does need a lot of time outside of a cage or she ll bug you till you give up ;p

EDIT: anyone know what kind of bunny she is?

 

[Willowy]

Are there any rabbit rescues in your area? They're actually fairly common. Google around and see what you can find. That would be a better option than the SPCA.

 

[Lalka]

No rabbit rescue close by in Quebec...but there is one in Vermont in the USA. Trust me, i love all animals...so much that im actually making my cats miserable atm for trying to keep this rabbit...but they have been stressed, Bee doesnt groom herself anymore, and i cant sleep.

 

[Lalka]

maybe i should go to my vet and euthanize her? so she doesnt spend months at the SPA waiting for a family? What kind of family is she gonna get...a six years old pulling her ears...

 

[Lalka]

another pic of bun

 

[maggiedemi]

She sounds amazing! I bet someone would want her if you post on Facebook or make an ad. I didn't know that rabbits were that friendly and would get in bed with you. We had rabbits when I was a kid, but my dad made them live outside, so I didn't get to spend much time with them.