Emergency Baby Rabbit Attack

[hipdeep]

One of my killer siamese cats got a hold of a baby rabbit, but it's still alive. The rabbit is old enough to look like a mini rabbit, furred, about the size of a rat. We found it panting lying on its side. It has some marks that might not be puncture wounds, just cat spit but right by its eye there is a puncture, the area around the eye is red and swollen and the eyeball is bloody red.

I put it in the brooder to keep it warm on a piece of newspaper (no chicks yet, it's a universal box brooder). My husband has gone to CVS to get some saline, some pedialite, and an eyedropper.

Any suggestions where to go from here? I have betadine and blu-kote but I don't think this should go near the eye? I was going to rinse the wound area by the eye with saline and the other damp spots with betadine. If the bunny lives it will probably be blind on that side but it looks otherwise OK so should we try to save it?

What temp should the brooder be? And if we shouldn't try to save it how should I euthanize it?

Thanks a lot. We're pretty ignorant about wound care, but I feel responsible for the little guy.

 

[lizardz]

Yikes! Bad Kitty!
Your best bet might be to try to contact a Wildlife Rescue Organization in your area. They know all the ins and outs of caring for these little critters and have people specially trained to care for them.

Cleaning the wound and keeping it warm is a good start, but any kind of puncture wound, and especially one from a cat, needs antibiotics. You could take it to the vet for a look over, but I'm not sure how much you want to spend, and you could quickly run up quite a bill. Everyone thinks bunnies are hardy little critters, but they really aren't. I don't have a lot of experience with them, but there are others on this board who do, and hopefully they'll be able to give you more guidance. Still, I would try to find a Wildlife Rescue group to help give the little one it's best chance.

Good luck,
Liz

 

[s6bee]

Everything Lizardz sounds good, but the bunny may want a little towel to hide and cuddle in. This may help reduce the stress. But cat bites have a good amount of bacteria in them so some antibiotics are probably what it needs now.

Keep us posted.

 

[petlove]

Definately antibiotics.

 

[hipdeep]

He just died, but at least the little guy died warm. Score another one for the cats.

 

[Beekissed]

My cat caught 3 bunnies of that size last week. Its kind of sad but he eats everything but the intestines, so he is getting good nutrition, and these rabbits won't be eating my garden. As long as he kills and eats, I don't mind if he nabs as many as he can. Good for him and good for us.

 

[lizardz]

Oh, hipdeep, I'm so sorry. Bunnies can die so easily from shock or even just fear. Know you showed kindness to him until the end.

Liz

 

[PoultryPedia]

It is really hard to nurse wild bunnies, from what I've heard. Even perfectly healthy babies can have a hard time surviving in captivity.
How very kind (and responsible!) of you to do your best for this little one.

 

[maplesky7]

One of my dogs got a whole nest of them right before my first daughter's VERY first birthday.

I was running around frantically with the pooper scooper trying to make sure I got all dead bunnies and their parts strewn all over the yard picked up and hidden in the burn pile just MINUTES before all the other guests and little kids arrived. What a shock that would have been. Poor little kids would have been traumatized.

Naughty dog.

My outside cats leave us presents all the time. yuck.

It's sad to see the cute little bunnies die...I would have tried to nurse it or make it comfortable in it's last moments.

I kind of thought this thread would go that way. The farmer across the road used to bring me all these bunnies that he didn't have the heart to plow over when he was in his feilds...they never made it long. My mom and dad always teased him for getting our hopes up and then dashing them when the bunnies didn't survive. They were so young...they needed mama.

Hugs to you,
Gretchen

 

[hipdeep]

Thanks everyone!!! I don't feel quite so blue. Love, Brooke