Rescued baby Eastern cottontails should be returned to the wild as soon as they are old enough.
Eastern cottontails, or Sylvilagus floridanus, are a wild species of rabbit that grow up to 16 inches long and can weigh up to three pounds. They are mostly brown in color, with white bellies and white, cotton-like tails. They live in territories of open country that can span from 15 to 100 acres, and feed on grass, weeds, dandelion, and legumes. Cottontails are not domesticated rabbits and do not fare as well in captivity as other species. In some cases they may need to be rescued and raised until they are able to care for themselves and be set free again in the wild.
Instructions
1. Create a nest. Use a box with tall sides or a plastic tub and line the bottom with an old towel, shirt or cloth. Baby cottontails need to be kept at about 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If the nest does not stay that warm on its own, place a heating pad inside it wrapped up in a sheet or directly underneath one. Do not let the rabbit come in actual contact with the heating pad as some can be too hot and burn the rabbit's delicate skin.
2. Feed the rabbit. If the cottontail is very young it will need to be bottle-fed every four hours. Create formula using one part Esbilac powder, one part water, and one-fourth part heavy whipping cream. Do not overfeed the rabbit, as this can lead to digestive health problems. Once it stops trying to feed, take the formula away until the next feeding time. If the rabbit is old enough to eat solid foods, provide it with pellets, hay and fresh vegetables such as carrots at least twice a day.
3. Handle the rabbits only as needed. Eastern cottontails are not domesticated and are more prone to skittishness and fear than other species of rabbit. They may sit still in your hands when you pick them up but this doesn't necessarily mean they are OK with you touching them. They may just be too scared to jump away. If they are very young and you handle them often, they may become used to being touched and it won't stress them out. But if they are older when you obtain them, keep handling to the minimum necessary.
4. Watch for signs of ill health. Baby rabbits can become sick easily and quickly, and once they are sick it may become serious before you have even noticed. Stress, temperatures that are too hot or too cold, overfeeding, underfeeding or parasites can all affect baby Eastern cottontails. If you think they are showing signs of bad health, take them to a veterinarian immediately.
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