# HELP please - baby rabbit



## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

I have rescued a baby (approx. 6? weeks old) rabbit an hour or so ago, I don't know how long he has been without food or water, he seems perky and is hopping around - I have looked on various website to see what i should feed him, but they all say pellets, I cannot get proper rabbit food (I am in the middle east), i just wanted to know if he can eat weetabix? its the only thing I have that is similar to pellets? my husband has just gone off to buy some fresh vegetables and we have put down a saucer of water - please help, I have never looked after a rabbit before - I will get him to a vet tomorrow but need to ensure he is ok for tonight - thanks


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Do you know anyone with hay at all?

What area are you in?

With such a young bun, you need to be careful giving fruit and veg.


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

I am in Doha Qatar, no hay, in fact nothing for animals at all - what else do you suggest that I could get from a supermarket??


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

grass is best if you can find any where you are -a little weetabix will be Ok -hay would be ideal too -don't know if you can get alfalfa from a horse feed merchant ??


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

thanks so much for advise - she is currenty munching on some lettuce, will this be ok? i've put some grass (its not up to much because of the heat) and some weetabix on a plate and she's gone for the lettuce - do they prefer water?


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

is this a wild rabbit or pet??

grass can kill young rabbits if they are not used to it the same goes for veg, please dont give any lettuce at all it will cause diarrhea.

find as much dried grass as you can, if this is a pet rabbit then u need to get is specialist food ASAP, contact any animal rescue centers, horse stabled u can think of. a rabbits diet should be 90% hay, grass that has been well dried for a year. 

Wheatabix will be much better to feed than grass and veg at such a young age, have u got any bran flakes at all or even a few soaked oats? 

rabbits stomachs are extremely sensitive, please be very careful, diarrhea or constipation in rabbits can be fatal. has the rabbit pooed since youve had it? if not u must get straight to a vet.


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

it was a rabbit that some men bought presumably as a joke from the souq (local market type place) - there aren't any specialist pet shops, its 9:20pm here so can't get anywhere tonight that may help (as in a vet) - she's eaten some lettuce already, so not much i can do about that, she has pooed and it seems to be normal?


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

you need to be very careful what you give this rabbit. lettuce can cause bloat so i would take this away and give her weetabix and some curly kale if you can get some.

where do you live that there are no pet stores around? not a single one? does your supermarket not sell rabbit food or bags of hay? tescos does, do you not have a tesco near you? 

whatever you feed her tonight, she needs hay TOMORROW. rabbits can not live without hay.

(sorry, didn't realise quite where you lived).


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

try pouring some warm water or a little pure apple/pineapple juice on the wheatabix to make a sticky paste, this will be more appealing then.


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

We are in qatar in the middle east, they do not cater for animals, they are nasty people and treat their animals appaulingly - we have 1 supermarket near, they have only cat and dog food (we have checked) - i have taken the lettuce away and will give only weetabix and water from now on - im trying to help the rabbit with what limited resources we have - if i hadn't confronted the men and persuaded them to give her to me I fear they would have killed her, or left her in the streets, so whatever we do has to be better, we've prepared a box with a clean towel and will leave her in a cool room over night with water and weetabix


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

beckavery said:


> We are in qatar in the middle east, they do not cater for animals, they are nasty people and treat their animals appaulingly - we have 1 supermarket near, they have only cat and dog food (we have checked) - i have taken the lettuce away and will give only weetabix and water from now on - im trying to help the rabbit with what limited resources we have - if i hadn't confronted the men and persuaded them to give her to me I fear they would have killed her, or left her in the streets, so whatever we do has to be better, we've prepared a box with a clean towel and will leave her in a cool room over night with water and weetabix


i'm sorry to hear about the appalling animal welfare over there. unfortantely, without grass or hay, this rabbit will end up very unhealthy (long teeth, gut problems etc) or even dying. does anyone in your country have pet rabbits? or are they just to eat?


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

I will take her to a vet in the morning, they are British/American and operate correctly and will take care of her, there is an animal rescue centre which we can take her to if the vet cannot rehome her - I don't think that we will have her beyond tomorrow (we live in an apartment) and have no garden - can you advise on what is best for her to sleep in tonight, is it best to let her roam the apartment or to put her in a box? I'm bothered that she may get too hot in a box on a towel?


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

very well done to you for taking her in, what a kind loving person you sound, trying so hard to do your best for her, fingers crossed she will be ok until you can get her to the vet, good luck,xxxxxx


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

space is always good for rabbits, it really helps the guts keep moving, some where like a bathroom would be good cool, and easy to clean


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

oh thank you thats a nice thing to say, I love animals and could not have left her in that situation, luckily they spoken English so I could communicate - she seems very well, hopping around and pooing lots so hopefully she will be ok - my daughter has christened her Lucky  if we were in the UK she would be in my garden by now and a new hutch would be purchased tomorrow


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

beckavery said:


> oh thank you thats a nice thing to say, I love animals and could not have left her in that situation, luckily they spoken English so I could communicate - she seems very well, hopping around and pooing lots so hopefully she will be ok - my daughter has christened her Lucky  if we were in the UK she would be in my garden by now and a new hutch would be purchased tomorrow


well you are doing your best for now, with what little you have, and i am sure you have saved her life by the sound of it.


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## Lumpy (Jun 5, 2008)

Well done for giving this little bun a chance.

Buns can be happy as house (or apartment) rabbits if you wanted to keep Lucky. You do need to rabbit proof the bunny area though as they love to chew - my two indoor buns have totally wrecked my lounge and are being evicted to the kitchen as soon as I get a couple of stairgates.

I hope Lucky gets on OK at the vet.


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## Clare7435 (Dec 17, 2009)

Oh thank god you took her in, how on earth did they get hold of a rabbit when no one keeps them and there's no food available locally for them, do they sel food on the market they got her from? some people have no sense do they, luckily you now have her and she will get proper treatment at the vets 
It is fairly easy to have an indoor rabbit providing you have..like lump says...a bunny proof area for her to run about in, either an indoor hutch and an area where she can stretch her legs or a bunny proof room,obvioulsy if you cant get hold of food/hay ect you wont be able to but good luck in whatever you do
Keep us posted on how you get along wont you
Clare xx


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

Hi everyone, thank you so much for all the advise given, it certainly helped to make Lucky's short stay with us so much more comfortable for her/him

Well she made it through the night on Friday, slept in our room in a drawer with a towel in the bottom, she poked her head out a few times to see what was going on then settled down for the night, she woke up Saturday morning with lots of energy and confidence, hopped around the whole apartment leaving lots of little bunny poo's along the way, she ate weetabix both dry and wet as advised, she drank lots of water too - took her to QAWS the animal rescue centre in Doha, they happily took her, the vet was there as we left and was going to check her over. The lovely people at the rescue centre said they would have no problem rehoming her but would hold on to her for a few weeks till she was bigger, she was promptly popped into a nice large cage with the right food and was then placed into the cat section (she was the only bunny there), I left a few hundred riyals to help with her on going food and vet bills. We discussed all possibilities of keeping her, etc., but my daughter and I fly back to the UK for good on Thursday of this week and my husband didn't feel that he could look after her alone properly. So I feel much happier knowing that she is now getting proper care from people that genuinely care. I've got my fingers crossed that a nice expat family will come and take her and she'll happily live in their garden for the rest of her days.

Thanks again x


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## beckavery (Mar 26, 2010)

In answer to Claire7435's question - the local souq here which is the equivalent loosely to one of our markets has a pet section, I have never been myself because I would be too upset and I'm sure would be far too vocal. I've been told that they sell rabbits for pets as well as food, they dye them different colours and dress them in dolls clothes so that the arab women will buy them for their children - sick people, hence why I've had enough and can't wait to get back to civilisation.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

they have similar views on rabbit pet care in china with regards to the dressing up  thank you for doing the right thing, have a safe journey back to the uk


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## Gertrude (Feb 7, 2010)

Just seen this thread, 

Well done to you and all that you have done for this tiny bunny xxx

Safe journey home :thumbup:
.


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## vet-2-b (Sep 25, 2008)

well done you for saving this little bunnie and have a safe journey back


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