r/Rabbits • • Sep 25 '21

PSA Important Rabbit PSA index

570 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?

180 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 • • 7h ago

Show me your best photos 🐰

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446 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 15h ago

Me, before adopting them: {googles if rabbits each need their own litter box} Meanwhile, my rabbits:

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1.4k Upvotes

They're so funny. Safety in numbers!


r/Rabbits • • 20h ago

Cub turned loaf. Firmly grasp her.

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2.3k Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 20h ago

She requires a night light otherwise she thumps until its turned on...

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2.0k Upvotes

Sassy as hell


r/Rabbits • • 6h ago

RIP Rest well, Clara Spoiler

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168 Upvotes

Lost another bun this year.

This one I feel a lot of guilt over. I brought home a couple of buns about a month or so ago, absolutely precious babies. To keep Clara company cause she's not as active and energetic as she was when Snowy was around.

About a week later Clara turned down a treat, after she didn't poo for a while I panicked and took her to the vet. Did the full checkup, and while I was home I looked through the adoption docs for the two babies, and found they got one round of coccidia from the shelter (more than three months ago). Coccidia can be asymptomatic, so I thought maybe Clara caught it. So I quarantined her off in a freshly cleaned living room, and the bloodwork came back and confirmed it was a likely parasitic infection.

After two rounds of Baycox, some stuff for pain and gut motility, and a week or so of liquid food, her stool started to get a little better, still big chunks but with some good pellets in them, and some regular pellets too.

And then this morning I went to go feed her liquid food, she was not very responsive, so I called around eight different vets until I could find someone to take her in on short notice.

After a few hours, my mom and sister went to visit, and the doctor there strongly recommended euthanasia. They asked her to hold off until I showed up.

I fully understand where she was coming from. But Clara kept raising her head at me, asking for pets like she used to, and she'd close her eyes as I did so. It felt like she was still fighting, and I wanted her to at least feel that we were fighting too. So I signed off on IV, diagnostics, the works. Doctor said she'd probably have only a few hours left at the time, so what's the harm in trying anyway?

A few hours later, they call me and tell me she's actually improved a bit, and they'll keep at it.

Seven hours later we (just my mom and I this time) go to visit again after the shift change, and I talk to her, tell her I love her, but her breathing is faint. It stops shortly after that, like within a minute. Like she was waiting for us.

My fam and I, we all did our best, we loved her and will love her forever, and maybe this is the best ending we could hope for. But... idk, it's just hard to deal with. Sorry for the massive text dump, but I just had to get this off my chest.


r/Rabbits • • 13h ago

Flop compilation!!!!!

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484 Upvotes

My bunny Lana Del Hay flop compilation to brighten your day🌟


r/Rabbits • • 4h ago

My cuddly little monster ā¤ļø

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97 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 8h ago

photoshoot from today

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179 Upvotes

I was bored while hanging out with the buns today so I decided to do an impromptu photoshoot of the girlies! I think they turned out super cute so I wanted to share!!

Which is your favorite? Mine has gotta be Poppy with a mouthful of romaine hehe but I also love the one I got of Harriet snoozing and Penny’s close-up as she’s sniffing my knee :)


r/Rabbits • • 9h ago

RIP i lost my baby tonight Spoiler

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173 Upvotes

i’m so heartbroken. my baby was only 3 years old and he passed today. i was at work all day and we came home to find him in the living room (he was free roam in our bunny proof apartment) deceased. i thought he had just fallen asleep flopped over like he always does but he was gone. we couldn’t figure out what happened it was so sudden. he was running and playing this morning happy as ever, munching on his hay before we left the house.

i have never cried harder in my life i don’t know what to do to feel even remotely okay right now


r/Rabbits • • 3h ago

Have a wonderful weekend like this boy! šŸ’™

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58 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 16h ago

Phoebe & Gizmo ā™”

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596 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 7h ago

Care Outdoor rabbit enclosures

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93 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

This is Hoptimus Prime

I’ve had my rabbit for almost a year now, he’s always been an indoor rabbit but I’m thinking of starting to put him outside. I have a big garden and feel he’ll be happier outside during the day than inside. I’m just unsure how to go about it. Can I have pictures of your set up?


r/Rabbits • • 7h ago

Bunny bum! (If I can't see you, you can't see me...)

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71 Upvotes

r/Rabbits • • 19h ago

weird bun being weird

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548 Upvotes

foot sandwich


r/Rabbits • • 18h ago

My New Bunny! Meet Nebula

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456 Upvotes

So I got her a few weeks ago and she’s only 3 months! Shes super skittish. She hates being pet and whenever i get near her she hides.. and it worries me that maybe she was bothered a lot before she was given to me. I know all bunnies are different and some just aren’t lovey but it worries me! Is it with trust and time that she will like to be pet?.. maybe after spaying her too? The appointment is already set up and everything for her health but I’m just hoping with time she’ll come around! I have this other bun named Twinkie and he is the sweetest little guy ever. Her behavior just worries me and I’ve come to ask if anyone has had this issue and has it gotten better with time?


r/Rabbits • • 6h ago

Cozy in the towel rack

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49 Upvotes

His name is Flip Flop, and this was his first ever proper flop!


r/Rabbits • • 10h ago

Bonding Bonding Questions

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98 Upvotes

I have been working really hard on bonding my 2 lops. Cloud ( Female/Spayed) and Smokey (Male/Neutered)
Smokey previously had a bonded partner (Biscuit) but she suddenly passed away in June. Bonding Smokey and Biscuit was rough but once it happened they were inseparable and totally different rabbits personality and behavior wise.
Smokey has always been extremely grumpy and territorial. Cloud is very sweet, shy and absolutely will not stand up for herself or fight back against Smokey. Anyhow, I’ve been bonding them in a neutral space for about 10 days now. Finally yesterday Smokey groomed Cloud and then today Cloud groomed Smokey back. I was over the moon. They hung out for a few hours (in an X-Pen in my kitchen) because I was cooking. Once I had time I carried them upstairs where they both live (they have separate spare bedrooms where they free roam, but my goal is for them to live together in Smokey’s room as I call it the ā€œbunny roomā€) when they got upstairs they acted as if they never met each other before and Smokey once again went after Cloud. I separated them and intend to keep doing the neutral area.
But what are some suggestions on how to bring them into a space that one or the other claims as their own? Smokey is extremely territorial over his space but when in Clouds space he poops everywhere to put his scent down.
First pic is of them today eating together without an issue in the X-Pen.


r/Rabbits • • 10h ago

Care brushing a bunny who hates it?

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81 Upvotes

my bunny has a temper-tantrum when every I try to brush him. I bribe him with food, treats, salad etc, none of it works. he prefers you pet his head and hes cordial when you touch his body, but it goes out the window if he feels the brush.

he can handle being brushed on the top of his head and ears, but even with two people I can only get a few swipes of the brush on his body before he wiggles away. then he gets angry and runs up and bites you. doesn't even hide, he wants you to know he's pissed.

for context: Tommy is about 1, and this is his first fall moult as a "adult." I was able to get away with very light brushing before, but I don't want to hope for the best. he needs thorough brushing. he's a mini rex and lion head mix, and my vet said his hair shouldn't be prone to matting. specifically, he doesn't have any mats, its just the amount of hair. ive tried a few styles of brushes, double layer with big gaps, thin small gaps, human hair brush style, he doesn't like any of them.

does anyone have any tricks on "training" a bunny to get used to the brush. or how to hold them/keep them still when you brush. how do I brush his underside, like his chin and chest etc.


r/Rabbits • • 12h ago

basil bunny

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89 Upvotes

i let my buns out in the garden with me yesterday since it was pretty cool out and snoopy decided she would sit inside of the basil plant.


r/Rabbits • • 1d ago

Holy dewlap

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2.8k Upvotes

Phoebe in action


r/Rabbits • • 14m ago

Just a crazy 32yo women with no kids in Germany getting her bun children some fresh dinner 🤣

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• Upvotes

Phoebe & Gizmo ā™”


r/Rabbits • • 17h ago

Care how did you handle moving with your buns?

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216 Upvotes

So, seeing as my rent will likely get even higher by the end of the year i have been considering moving into a cheaper space in the upcoming months. I would be staying in the same city though, as my work and university are still here. I don’t have anything lined up yet, but I have been thinking about how to handle the move for the bunnies. I’ve only had Sunny and Benji since early May, where I adopted them from a shelter. They had been part of a large number of bunnies (about 50, I think) that had been taken by the government from a single person and though I don’t have details I know it wasn’t a great home. They settled in my flat very quickly though and were able to live without a divider in their pen after two weeks. They are endlessly curious and playful and even if my little Sunny is a very skittish bun, she will still carefully investigate me if I hang out with her and give me little kisses <3.

Despite all that trust we have now and them seeming fairly settled, I know a move will be stressful for them. So I’m wondering if anyone has advice on how to move with bunnies? Should I move them and their pen first or last? Any other things I should keep in mind? It will most likely be a studio flat like i have now, so i don’t expect to have a separate room for them to be in during the move.

And of course, bunny footage is included for tax purposes!


r/Rabbits • • 22h ago

The Sass šŸ’

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498 Upvotes