Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > 4 week old domestic rabbit orphans

4 week old domestic rabbit orphans

22 10:38:18

Question
A bear broke into our large outdor rabbit kennel. Some of the rabbits escaped and manged to survive the attack. Two of the survivors will be four weeks old tomorrow. They are unharmed (at least physically) but no sign of their mother yet. I am not sure if she made it or not. I know baby rabbits have to eat cecotropes and I found some bene-bac at PetSmart which should serve the same purpose. I also got KMR and a special rabbit bottle with rabbit nipple. I read online that domestics usually wean at about 6 weeks so I hoped to provide the KMR over the next two weeks but neither rabbit seems interested. Both tasted it but that was it. They ARE eating the regular rabbit food that the adults eat and they are drinking from the water bottle. Does this mean I don't need to try to nurse them with the bottle? Or should I keep offering it to them and try to get them to drink the formula? Do I have to hold their mouths open and try to force them to take the nipple? It is not a syringe that I can push the milk out into their mouths, they will have to actually suck or lick to get the formula out. I have a three year old boy who is very disappointed that he los his other rabbits and I don't want to do this wrong and cause more sadness. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer
Dear Laura,

I'm sorry about this tragedy.  You can find instructions for caring for orphaned baby rabbits here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html

But to tell you the truth, if they are eating solid food now I am not sure I'd force them to take formula.  As long as they seem to be growing well, and are active and healthy, then it's possible they can get along without mama's milk.  I hope she shows up.  

As a precaution, you might want to give the babies a bit of colostrum (you can get this powdered in capsules at most major health food outlets, such as Whole Foods or Wild Oats, or get it online).  Suspend it in a bit of KMR or goat milk, and give the contents of a capsule to each baby once or twice a day to help them fight off intestinal infections, since they now don't have their mother's antibodies.

I hope this helps.

Dana