Q&A for How to Feed a Wild Rabbit

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What do wild cottontail rabbits like to eat?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Wild rabbits thrive on a diet of different types of herbage such as shoots and leaves from a variety of wild plants and grasses. In the winter months, they eat evergreen needles, bark, and any remaining green plants. Contrary to popular belief, they rarely dig up carrots and other root vegetables but are more likely to eat the leafy tops.

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Question

What do you feed a wild baby rabbit?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

First, be certain the rabbit needs rescuing. Remember the mother only feeds her babies for a short time twice a day. If the mother is dead, then offer Kitten Replacement milk feed from a dropper.

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Question

What's the best bedding for a baby jackrabbit?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Good quality hay is the best choice, since hay is not only a good insulator to keep the rabbit warm, but is a food source. Thus, if the rabbit is too scared to come out to get food, it has a source of nutrition in its bedding.

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Question

I found an orphaned bunny by the roadside. What should I do with it?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Leave the rabbit where you found it! The vast majority of 'orphaned' rabbits are actually perfectly fine and being cared for at a distance by the mother. Rabbits leave their young unattended for long periods of time and only feed them twice a day. If a baby has wandered from the nest, then its best chance of survival is for the mother to track it down and lead it back to safety.

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