spiritedrose
Member
We found a cottontail bunny in the yard today. It is about 4.5 inches long and very sweet. Lets me pet it and is very gentle. Can I keep it? Will it live in captivity?
Can I keep a cottontail?
- Thread starter spiritedrose
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Doesn't sound like a typical cottontail to us. Can you send pictures. As far as keeping it, if your going to give it a good,loving, forever home, why not.
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
If it is a cotton tail please do not keep it. Wild rabbits do not make it very often in captivity. It quite possibly is also illegal without a wildlife rehabilitation lisence.
Can you post pictures? It may be an agouti domesticated rabbit if it was caught that easily.
Can you post pictures? It may be an agouti domesticated rabbit if it was caught that easily.
spiritedrose
Member
How do I post a picture?
LindyS
Well-Known Member
That's crazy! Everytime I see a wild bun it takes off as soon as you blink.
Marrie
Well-Known Member
Upload a picture to photobucket or image shack and link it here.
A lot of states have laws against keeping wild (native) animals, so if it is indeed a cottontail, I would contact a wildlife rehabilitation center.
A lot of states have laws against keeping wild (native) animals, so if it is indeed a cottontail, I would contact a wildlife rehabilitation center.
LindyS
Well-Known Member
Yeah because chances of any wild animal walking around acting out of character is sometimes connected to rabies. Not saying the bun has rabies but possible.
spiritedrose
Member
spiritedrose
Member
She looks 100% healthy. Not dehydrated. Good flesh. Quiet and not sickly looking in any way.
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
Personally I think it looks like an agouti colored domestic. Granted I havn't seen every wild rabbit out there, but I have never seen one that had white on its head.
You may want to check with a local wildlife rehab place and see if they can tell you for sure. If it is a domestic rabbit that perhaps fell through a hutch bottom or got loose somehow then it would be wonderful to take it in. Does anyone in your neighborhood have rabbits outside?
You may want to check with a local wildlife rehab place and see if they can tell you for sure. If it is a domestic rabbit that perhaps fell through a hutch bottom or got loose somehow then it would be wonderful to take it in. Does anyone in your neighborhood have rabbits outside?
spiritedrose
Member
We are in the country, so it's a definite possibility. Someone "dumped" a black kitten last fall that ended up at our place.
DIpitydane
Well-Known Member
Baby cottontails rarely survive in captivity and their better bet at that size is to be released in as safe an area you can find. Her odds are better alone in the wood without mom than in captive care. Cottontails are self reliant much sooner than domestic rabbits and are weaned as early as four weeks. Even those who seem unstressed and eating well nearly always die from stasis. It is even difficult for an experienced rehabber to get them to make it. Not saying that it cannot be done, but the odds are very unlikely in most cases.
DIpitydane
Well-Known Member
Looks very much like a baby cottontail right down to the little trademark white spot on his forehead that a lot of them carry. Here is a baby Eastern.
And another
And another
nochoramet
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That looks exactly like the baby cottontails our dogs would bring up to us. I would try to take her to a wildlife rehabilitation place because we never could keep ours to survive...
nochoramet
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Here are some baby cottontails - and yes the babies can have the white spots on their foreheads
hln917
Well-Known Member
That is a baby cottontail. Did you check around for the nest? The mother may come back to look for it. I do not suggest taking it in unless you know for a fact the mother is dead or abandoned the baby.
JadeIcing
Well-Known Member
If it is not injured it should be left alone. If you were to keep it and it ever needed medical assitance you could not take it to a vet.
SablePoint
Well-Known Member
That's a cottontail alright! The babies are out now. She looks just like my baby Brinca, a cottontail I used to own.
Be careful though. Brinca was healthy but she was covered in ticks and they got on Mr. Bun Bun(he babysat her cause she only got along with the rabbits).
When I caught Brinca, I wanted to "rescue" her cause all of the other baby cottontails barely if not never make it throughout the year in our area. She was amazing. She instantly learned to eat from a bowl and drink from a water bottle. But she would NEVER let me pick her up. The closet I got was by petting her on the head.
Unfortuantly, I only had her for about 4 months. I found her dead, laying stiff in her cage one day. I'm still not sure what the cause of death was.
Wild rabbits are a popular "wild pet", along with squirrels, foxes, chipmunks, raccoons, birds, herps, and other common wild animals. Though I do own wild pets( 2 turtles) myself, I DO NOT support the keeping of wild animals as pets.
Be careful though. Brinca was healthy but she was covered in ticks and they got on Mr. Bun Bun(he babysat her cause she only got along with the rabbits).
When I caught Brinca, I wanted to "rescue" her cause all of the other baby cottontails barely if not never make it throughout the year in our area. She was amazing. She instantly learned to eat from a bowl and drink from a water bottle. But she would NEVER let me pick her up. The closet I got was by petting her on the head.
Unfortuantly, I only had her for about 4 months. I found her dead, laying stiff in her cage one day. I'm still not sure what the cause of death was.
Wild rabbits are a popular "wild pet", along with squirrels, foxes, chipmunks, raccoons, birds, herps, and other common wild animals. Though I do own wild pets( 2 turtles) myself, I DO NOT support the keeping of wild animals as pets.
SablePoint
Well-Known Member
JadeIcing wrote:
What couldn't he/she take it to a vet? I took my box turtle to the vet to be de-wormed and get antibiotics.
DIpitydane
Well-Known Member
I know that here it is illegal for a veterinarian to treat wildlife without the knowlege of the game and fish commission IF it is not on the list of wildlife permitted to be owned. But, here in Arkansas you are allowed to take from the wild and keep a certain number of certain wildlife with a permit. Basically any of those that can be hunted. Cottontails are on that list. SO here it would be completely legal for a vet to treat provided you had the proper licensure. Anywhere else would just depend on your state laws.
