bun bun

Question
I have a year old wild cotton tail rabbit named Bun Bun who I found as a baby after his nest was run over by a lawnmower as a tiny baby ... everyone said he would not live but I bottle fed him the milk supplement I got at the pet store and he is alive a year later he has always been caged due to the fact i also have a puppy and 3 cats he is very content in his cage stretches out makes himself a bed ect ... I noticed a small dark patch/hole like scabby mark near his nose last week i now see several other of these spots around his nose and cheeks, there is no fur on them and they are about the size of a pencil eraser, he also has a spot of fur sticking up in the middle of his forehead I did try and feel the first patch and it seemed hard/bony crusty .... no ooze or anything I'm worried as to what this is he seems fine in every other way ... I also tried to let him out to run be free a bit the other day in a blocked bunny proof room he did not want to leave his cage and when I forced him to he just wanted me to hold him which since he was a baby a year ago I seldom do as he does not seem to like it he does let me pet him and likes having his ears and head rubbed. He also has never as i said be out of his cage except to move and recently my mom's cat who is staying with me opened his cage and chased him out into the kitchen I grabbed him up as she tried to grab him and for 4 hours all he would do is stay in my arms and let me pet him till his shaking stopped. I'm so worried please help me .....thank you so much Dr.

Answer
Dear Ia,

Although your cottontail may love to be held and cuddled, making him live his whole life in a small cage with almost no exercise is extremely cruel.  PLEASE provide him with a room of his own so that he can exercise and move around, even if you have to keep the door closed at all times to keep the puppy and cat away from him, and leave his open cage in the room so he'll eventually be brave enough to venture out.

If you were kept in a tiny cage all your life, you might also become withdrawn and even mentally ill--and this is what is happening to your cottontail. He needs exercise and sunlight to be healthy.  

The crusty spots you describe could be mange, caused by parasitic mites.  And the fact that they are showing up all over his face and head is clear evidence that he is stressed, even if he doesn't act like it.  The condition can be treated with Revolution (selamectin) from your vet, and you can read more here:

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

There are other things this could be, but without seeing him it's impossible for me to know.

The bottom line is this:  this is a wild animal who should not be kept in captivity.  Though you may think he is enjoying life because he's so quiet, trust me:  he is not.  He is in a tiny prison, practically in solitary confinement.  You must *at least* provide him with running space that's no smaller than 8' x 4' so he can exercise and get some mental stimulation.  But the best thing would be to contact a local wildlife rehabilitator so that this poor bunny can be gently and carefully and safely returned to the wild--or at least kept in a place where he has room to run and play with other cottontails.

I know you love him.  But if you *really* love him, you will want what's best for him.  And a life in a tiny cage, being persecuted by a dog and a cat and rarely getting out to run is NOT a good life.  It is cruelty.  I know you know he deserves better than that!  It is illegal to keep wildlife without special permits, as well.  So PLEASE do the right thing and get this cottontail into a situation where he can life a normal life.  He is not a toy.  He is not a possession.  He is an intellgent, sensitive creature who has been kept in incorrect housing with not nearly the type of enrichment and stimulation he needs to be normal.

Please do the right thing.  Either get him into a bigger space, or get the help of a professional so that he can be released and live a happy life.

Dana