Cat Growling

[Katiean]

I was sitting here at the computer. One of the barn cats was behind me growling by the food dish. She wasn't eating and growling over the food is not allowed. I turned around and saw fur. First thought is "why would she bring a mouse in the house?" Nope, too big to be a mouse. I pushed Heather away and it was a bunny. It is still alive. I got some rags to make a nest for it and I put it into a cage we happen to have set up in the house. I have then covered the cage so it can de-stress. I hope it is OK. Heather was going to eat her. I do not see any wounds. If it dies, it would most likely be from stress.

 

[Sonya]

It's a cute little thing.....you are probably not going to like what I say but I would set her free back out in the woods..even if she is injured she is better off set free...chances of her surviving even without injuries in the cage are very slim...she is wild and will stress herself to death (literally) if kept in captivity. I know you have a big heart and are trying to save her but mother nature is what it is.

I know you have experience with rabbits my words come from me myself trying to save bunnies like her in the past...in reality I probably did more harm than good.

 

[Katiean]

I figured I would just let it de stress a bit. I don't want the cat just going out and getting her again. I just don't know which direction she came from. It is leaving as soon as I know it can hop. I may just let it go under the shed. The cats don't go under there.

 

[HGFarm]

It would have to come out from under the shed sometime, and the cats will get it again. Cute little thing... I love rabbits. Years ago I had a mama cat that loved to hunt and I had to take NINE babies from her one year. (These were the ones I was lucky enough to catch her with) I would just take them way out away from the house and let them go. It probably is not going to destress much in the cage- wrong smells, confined, nothing of 'it's world' there and it's going to be scared. Good thing you were handy there and grabbed it before things got worse! Ha, the cat was letting everyone know in advance that this was HERS and dont even think about it.

 

[Miniv]

Any update on the little wild bunny?

 

[Katiean]

I haven't turned her out yet. She was skin and bones when I took her away from the cat. We have a lot of people around here that turn their domestics loose. Her ears are too long for a cottontail. My brother rescued one of those and by the time it was around 8 weeks old it needed to be returned to the wild. Also does not look like a jack rabbit. She could be a domestic cross. I gave her pellets and calf-manna. But, she likes the Alfelfa hay the best. She is gaining weight. I also gave her a blanket to hide in. If it turns out that she needs to be returned to the wild, there is a super park that has water, food and other rabbits and squrils and lots of other things. If she needs to be returned to the wild she will have no problem fending for herself there. I do not want to turn her out just to die because she can not fend for herself. I would say she is only 2 1/2-3 weeks old. She seems ok with the cage thing as she is next to another rabbit that lives in the house because he messed his teeth up on the cage wire and I have to clip his teeth regularly. He is inside so I don't forget.If this little girl starts to show wild traits I will take her to the park.

 

[HGFarm]

Yikes, hope it is not sick or carrying some disease if it is skinny!! Wonder if the mom died? It is eating ok? If so, it might make it but hard to tell. Hope it does ok- keep us posted. Cute little thing

 

[Katiean]

She is eating well. She prefers Alfalfa hay to the rabbit pellets though. That could be due to age. If someone ran out of food they may have just put them all down on the ground.We had one rabbit adopt us for about 8 years before she died. She was quite thin when she died and she had every thing she could want to eat. We did catch her up for regular worming.

 

[HGFarm]

I am sure rabbits in the wild prefer roughage, not pelleted processed food. Also, wild rabbits can't tolerate some things that we feed domestic rabbits. I know the wild ones here have figured out to clean up the hay I drop and sometimes come in and help the horses clean up theirs, but mostly prefer the natural vegetation here.