Bunnies!

In the spirit of spring and re-birth, here is my bunny story.  One Saturday morning a close friend called me.  Their mother’s dog had gotten into a rabbit nest and unfortunately the mother bunny didn’t make it.  Knowing that I am a self-admitted sucker for any animal, would I take the babies?  Without a pause, yes.  Quick to the computer to see what I would need to raise these little ones, that still had their eyes closed, approximately 7 days old.  Calls to the vet and wildlife rehabilitators (which really weren’t keen on me doing this myself), gave me all the information I would need – key item needed – kitten milk dry formula.  Quicker, to the pet store to procure items needed.  Needless to say, this was no small task, I quickly found out that the babies needed additional heat and needed to be fed (much like a human infant) around the clock.  My children happily volunteered to take various shifts through the night – remarkable, I know, but they did.  After a few days the bunnies opened their eyes and were becoming more bunny-like and plumping up nicely.  They were moved to a box when their fur became longer and were introduced to dandelion greens and clover – readily available in our field!  As they grew it was fun to see them go from the dropper to drinking out of a dish and see them form their own personalities.  And then, yes, I couldn’t resist, as the pictures below show, I had to have them pose for some adorable pictures.  They were growing up and my dining room (where I kept them because I have two cats that knew something was up and I could lock them out) was starting to smell barn-like. So sadly, the time came to let my baby bunnies return to the wild, and one day we brought them outside and as quickly as you can say ‘jack-rabbit’, they hopped very quickly away into the woods and into a large rock pile that borders the open field.  So their instinct kicked in, they found shelter and it was close to a food source and protection from predators.  Yes, we missed the bunnies terribly and I looked for them often, but I knew they would be fine.  I still think of them and like a worried mother hope they are all right.

*As cute as this story is, it is highly discouraged to raise any type of wild animal if you aren’t properly licensed or capable.  The majority of wild animals that come into contact with humans, despite their best intentions inevitably do not make it.  It is always best to contact a wildlife rehabilitator, names of which you can almost always obtain from a veterinarian.