Can you domesticate a wild bunny?
In most US states, it’s actually illegal to keep a wild baby rabbit as a pet. In most places, you cannot legally tame a wild rabbit unless you have a license with your state’s Department of Environmental Protection. Unless you see a wild baby rabbit that’s severely injured or sick, the animal must be left alone.
How long do cottontail rabbits live in captivity?
Life Span and Reproduction The average life span of an eastern cottontail in the wild is usually less than three years. In captivity, though, a cottontail rabbit can live up to eight years.
Can I raise a wild baby bunny?
Surprisingly, raising wild rabbits is about the same as raising domestic ones. Keep them in the house until they are about 4 weeks old so they will be warm enough. Put them in a 2 sq ft cardboard box that has very high sides. They will start eating on their own – hay, carrots, and rabbit pellets around 14 days old.
Do wild rabbits carry disease?
Rabbits that are housed outdoors, captured from wild populations or that are purchased from a pet store may carry zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases associated with rabbits include pasteurellosis, ringworm, mycobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis and external parasites.
Can you raise a wild cottontail rabbit?
Baby cottontail rabbits are the most difficult of all furry wildlife orphans to successfully raise or rehabilitate. Wild bunnies have the same basic needs and medical problems that domestic rabbits do. However, the conditions in which they survive and thrive is much narrower than that of domestic rabbits.
How many litters do cottontail rabbits have?
The Eastern cottontail rabbit. They have babies mid-February into September, having four to five litters each breeding season. Rabbits can give birth to up to 12 babies per litter.
Can you raise a baby cottontail rabbit?
How long do cottontail rabbits nurse?
She nurses the babies for two to four weeks depending on the species. At the time of weaning, the babies leave the nest and become independent of their mothers.