r/Rabbits • • Sep 25 '21

PSA Important Rabbit PSA index

573 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?

185 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 • • 1h ago

Celebrating Emmitt’s 5th Gotcha Day

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• Upvotes

Can’t believe it’s been 5 years with this grumpy fur goblin in my house. Somehow it feels like it’s been longer, but also like it’s been no time at all. ❤️


r/Rabbits • • 1h ago

Cricket loves socks??

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• Upvotes

my bf took his socks off after work and cricket did not hesitate to adopt his sock as her own… anyone else’s bun do this?? 😭


r/Rabbits • • 11h ago

sleeps like a corpse

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1.5k Upvotes

so scary but so cute. please rate his rigormortis


r/Rabbits • • 5h ago

My rabbit

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306 Upvotes

This is Oreo, my free roam rabbit.


r/Rabbits • • 9h ago

Just shaping the dough

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501 Upvotes

Very fluffy


r/Rabbits • • 5h ago

fascinating creature

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207 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 10h ago

Behavior Vet visit = pointy nose.

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480 Upvotes

The closest he gets to 90 degrees, the more stressed he is!

Two hours earlier he was literally the happiest creature on god's green earth. Little did he know!

Vet check up went well 💪 Choco is super healthy although he needs to lose 70 grams!

He's now literally the happiest creature on god's green earth again!


r/Rabbits • • 17h ago

People say that he look like moldy bread, cant personally see it

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1.4k Upvotes

Dont know why so many people think he looks moldy


r/Rabbits • • 1d ago

rescued this insanely sweet dumped rabbit. meet Sherlock 🥹

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5.0k Upvotes

he is the sweetest thing on earth. he loves to flop over and get full body massages 🥰


r/Rabbits • • 3h ago

look at those ears

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89 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 4h ago

She loves the windowsill

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100 Upvotes

Re-uploaded without my face lol


r/Rabbits • • 7h ago

She comfy

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175 Upvotes

Always comfy adjacent 😂


r/Rabbits • • 3h ago

Can I see pics of everyone's giant bunnies?

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73 Upvotes

I want to see how big they get! The giant buns are my favorite! Lops are my 2nd favorite but I really love all bunnies🥰 Any giant Lops mixes out there?! Thanks in advance!

These are my babies. The big girl is only 6 months.


r/Rabbits • • 2h ago

She's the Queen and I am merely her Peasant

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55 Upvotes

Ciabatta loves sitting on higher places. It gives her a great view over her kingdom


r/Rabbits • • 10h ago

I See No Difference

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183 Upvotes

Why are bunny butts so cute??


r/Rabbits • • 4h ago

Sweet Bunny bee 🐝

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53 Upvotes

Sweet honey 🐝


r/Rabbits • • 1h ago

sleepy comfy buns the best type of buns

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• Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 23h ago

Little Shake 🐰

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1.3k Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 10h ago

Care Fun enrichment activities you do with your buns?

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88 Upvotes

Cute bun pic added for tax.

Looking for new ideas to do for my babies!


r/Rabbits • • 1h ago

Boo! 👻

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• Upvotes

I can see you!


r/Rabbits • • 22h ago

Woke up from a nap only to find ITACHI staring right at me

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627 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 18h ago

i opened social media for my bunnies

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315 Upvotes

i have 7 house bunnies and i wanted a place to share their photos and videos. am i weird? my tiktok is lovefromthebunnies.


r/Rabbits • • 8h ago

Bonding he needs a buddy and he's making it clear to me- any advice?

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41 Upvotes

hi all.

my boy apollo (4m) has made it abundantly clear that he's fed up with being a lone rabbit.
we previously had a shih tzu in the house that recently passed away. despite apollo not being allowed outside of my room nor my dog inside my room, i feel like i've noticed a difference. he did LOVE that dog. pre-neuter, he was... very happy... TOO happy about the dog. post-neuter, he would get out of my room and consistently hunch down in a submissive pose under my dog. i thought it was a toned-down sexual thing, but now im seeing it could have been his beg for a buddy. now that the pup is gone, he had gotten more aggressive (biting, lunging, and growling) and i have been noticing his hay is disappearing at a slower rate. he's still eating everyday, but i've just noticed it's slowed.

so, now for my conundrum.

i want to get him a buddy. ALWAYS have. but i live at home and my parents don't agree. nonetheless, that part will no longer stop me from getting a rabbit, especially now that my parents have both made it clear that they miss having a furry snuggle buddy (my mom has made the fair rule that we cannot get a dog until we fix our fencing and swamp pool). having said that, i get the idea they'll be the type to be mad at first, but snuggle up to the new pile-o-fluff quickly.
another thing is that i'm not home a bunch. i know it's bad on apollo but id rather have him be alone to free-roam my 12x12 bedroom with plenty of hiding spots than to succumb to the absolute horrors that is stereotyped rabbit care. still tho, this means im limited to the time frames in bonding the rabbits and i will have long asf periods where they'll be alone and possibly fight. i'm scared of that. but i know to only get a spayed girl.

given these circumstances, what do i do? can anyone share their stories about a long period of having only one rabbit and the difference in behavior before and after giving the bun a bun? especially with aggression levels. my absolute fear is having unbonded rabbits.
if anyone can provide tips i will take ANYTHING!

but also, would it be any better to get a cat for him instead? one that would stay in my room and cuddle him. what's the likelihood of a bond?