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How to Feed Newborn Wild Rabbits

Rabbits build nests by creating hollows in the ground and covering them with dried grass. If you discover a nest of wild newborn rabbits, do not immediately jump to the conclusion that their mother has abandoned them. Mother rabbits leave their young for long hours, only to come back to feed them. Only step in to feed newborn baby rabbits if it is severely dehydrated. Very gently pinch the skin at the back of the baby rabbit's neck. If the skin stays tented instead of bouncing back, the rabbit is dehydrated and needs immediate care.

Things You'll Need

Kitten milk replacer
Cream
Plastic food-storage container
Eyedropper
Clean towel

Instructions

- 1
  Mix one can of kitten milk replacer with 1 tbsp. cream in a food-storage container. Because rabbit milk is high in calories, the cream makes the kitten milk more nutritious for the baby rabbits.
- 2
  Fill an eyedropper with the milk mixture. Check to see how many cubic centimeters are in your eyedropper.
- 3
  Pick up the baby rabbit in a clean towel and lay it on its back on your lap.
- 4
  Insert only the very tip of the eyedropper into the rabbit's mouth.
- 5
  Feed the rabbit very slowly. If possible, allow it to lick the eyedropper.
- 6
  Feed the newborn baby rabbit only twice a day, ensuring that it gets roughly 5 cc of food per day. When it is 1 week old, double or triple this amount, depending on what the rabbit can tolerate.

Animals & Science