Help Bunnies
I’ve found a baby bunny. What should I do?
Every spring and summer, lawnmowers, weed whackers and curious dogs discover nests of baby bunnies in the ground. If this happens in your yard, here are some helpful things to know:
If you find a healthy baby bunny out of their nest, and you can locate the nest, gently tuck them back in and cover the nest with nearby grass or leaves.
Bunny moms visit nests to nurse only twice a day — at dawn and dusk.
If Fido finds a nest, put a laundry basket upside down over it with a brick on top. Remove the basket at dawn and dusk, and keep Rover away.
Before you mow or rototill, check for nests in the ground.
Baby bunnies grow up fast. They’ll leave the nest in 2 to 3 weeks, when their eyes are open, ears are up, and they’re about the size of a tennis ball.
(If you are certain the mother has been killed, contact us.)
4-6 day old eastern cottontail rabbit
7-9 day old bunnies, still nursing and too young to be out of the nest
16-22 day old rabbits, nearly ready to be out of the nest and on their own
Bunny renesting questions?
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No. Do NOT move baby bunnies from their nest and place them elsewhere. Their mother will not find them. If you think you’ve found the nest but there are no other baby bunnies inside, the one you found will need help. Call us right away at 608-237-7060.
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Domestic outdoor cats are a major threat to Wisconsin’s wildlife, particularly in spring, when they hunt and kill defenseless infant and juvenile mammals, as well as songbird fledglings, even if they are well fed. If a baby animal has been in a cat’s mouth, the baby must be brought in for antibiotics to reduce the chance of infection from bacteria in the cat’s saliva. Even if the skin is not visibly torn, antibiotics are given as a preventative measure. Call us right away and keep cats on leashes, in catios or indoors.
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If you have a nest of baby bunnies in your yard and you’re concerned about your dog finding them, place an upside-down laundry basket over the nest during the day, but be sure to remove it before dusk to allow mom to nurse them. Use a brick on top to prevent your pups from knocking over the basket. From the time they are born, baby bunnies will leave the nest in about two weeks. You can also consider keeping your dog on a leash until they leave the nest and disperse.
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If you know that the mother has been killed, her babies will need help. Call us right away.
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Wisconsin WildCare will not take healthy baby bunnies from nests to care for them just because someone doesn’t want them in their yard. A healthy baby bunny’s best chance of survival is always with mom. We care for truly orphaned, sick, and injured wildlife, not animals removed from their nests or taken from their mother because someone doesn’t want them in their garden.
Bunny renesting tips
Eastern cottontails are independent when they are the size of a tennis ball, their ears are erect (not laid against their head), their eyes are open and they are fully furred. If you find a healthy bunny who fits this description, let them be. Hopefully they have found a safe place to explore the world away from cats and dogs.
Healthy and uninjured baby bunnies whose eyes and ears are closed and who are not fully furred should still be in their nest in the ground.
Mother bunnies visit their nests to feed their babies twice a day — at sunrise and just before sunset. Outside of these times, mom leaves the area to avoid attracting predators to the nest.
If you find a healthy baby bunny who should still be in the nest, try to locate it. Nests can be pretty well camouflaged, but look for a spot on the ground covered with leaves, grass, or other nesting material. You may have to feel around for it. If you find the nest, gently tuck the baby bunny back in and recover it with nesting material.
If you’re concerned that mom may not return, try this: Make a tic-tac-toe pattern with yarn or sticks, or sprinkle a ring of flour around the nest (see below for examples). Make sure to keep people and pets away so she feels safe enough to visit her nest. If the pattern or flour has not been disturbed after both the sunrise and sunset feedings, contact us.
See the images below for details on bunny nests, how to keep dogs away, and how to check if mom has returned.
