You Found a Cotton Tail
If you come across a baby bunny that has their eyes open, ears upright, and are tennis ball size or larger with fluffy fur, they are weaned and on their own. Please leave them alone.
Signs of Illness:
If you notice any of these, call PWRR immediately
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Cold and lethargic
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Covered in fleas, ants, ticks, or flies/flystrike (looks like small clusters of rice anywhere on the animal)
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Dehydrated
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Has been in a cat's or dog's mouth
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Broken limbs, cuts, or bruises
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Has been fed any kind of formula or food
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Head tilt
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Bleeding
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Unable to stand or move without falling over
Found Nest
Leave any uninjured babies in the nest, touch all of the babies so they smell the same (mom will not abandon the babies). Rebuild the nest, cover babies with the fur, dried grass, and any displaced leaves. Do NOT Move The Nest, mom will not be able to find them, even if you only move them a few inches. Remove and injured babies and call PWRR.
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Rain in Nest
​Pull the bunnies out of the nest, dry them off, and get them warm. Pull the nesting material out of the nest, place in a bag and use a blow dryer to dry it out. Sop up any water that is down in the hole so it is dry, place the nesting materials back in. If the burrow is on a slope, make a dam and weigh it down to divert any more water. For burrows in a flat place, you can place a chair or dog kennel over the nest to make a roof. Place all of the bunnies back in the nest, make sure to touch all of them. Do not put dead bunnies back in the nest.
Lawn Mower
Stop the mower and check for any babies that may have been pulled from the nest. Do NOT Remove the Other Bunnies, if they are not injured leave them in the nest, flag its location, and mow around it for a few weeks. Touch all of them so they smell the same, if any are bleeding or injured call PWRR immediately. ​
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Injured Adults
Any adult rabbit that can be caught by a person is in serious trouble. To secure an injured adult, place a towel over the rabbit, carefully scoop it up, place in a cardboard box, and secure the lid or opening with masking or duct tape. Talking, radios, dog barking, and other loud noises should be avoided.
What You Can Do
If you need to get an animal to PWRR, the most important thing is to keep them warm and quiet.
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Container:
Put in a shoebox or other small container with several air holes in the lid and a towel, fleece cloth, or tee shirt in the bottom. Tape the lid to secure. Adult animals need to be contained in a dog or cat carrier.
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Heating:
If you have a heating pad, set to low and place the box half on/off the pad so the animal can move away from the heat if needed.
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Rice Bag- Fill a sock or knee-high pantyhose with uncooked dry rice. Microwave the rice-filled sock for 30 to 60 seconds. This heat source will last around 20 to 30 minutes. Place the rice sock in the container under the towel, and place the animal on or near it, but not in direct contact with the rice sock.
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Ziploc Bag- Fill a bag with warm (not hot) water, put it inside another bag, and place under the towel next to the animal. The double bag guards against leaks and prevents the animal from getting wet and chilled.
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Food/Water:
DO NOT attempt to feed or give anything to drink. The wrong foods can quickly cause enteritis (diarrhea) and death. Keeping the animal warm is more important than feeding.
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