# Cat brought young rabbit in the house - HELP



## ImogenWright (Apr 23, 2012)

Last night my cat brought a young rabbit (old enough to be fending for itself and eating solid food) into the house last night at about 9pm.
We checked it over, made sure it wasn't injured and released it at the other side of our gardens stream - where we often see rabbits hopping around. 

Today when I got home from college the cat had the same rabbit (or one incredibly similarly but think it is probs the same) b the scruff of its neck. I encouraged the cat into the house where I took the rabbit off him.
It is really frightened, understandably. I have put it in our old indoor rat cage along with an upside down shoe box with the front cut out, lots of sawdust and grass, a dish of water and some carrots and guinea pig food. I have also out the cage in a quiet room and covered most of it with a blanket so it isn't too bright for it.

What should I do? I am scared that if we re release it, the cat will continuously bring it back or eventually kill it, or that it is lost and can't get home and is therefore vulnerable.
Any advice is welcome, I am interested in animals and am starting a degree in September on their management and welfare, but am not completely sure what is the best thing to do with this little rabbit!


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2012)

Is the rabbit a wildie or domestic?


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## ImogenWright (Apr 23, 2012)

Wild, the sort of tawny grey colour.


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

i think the wild rabbit color is called agouti 'i think'


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## ImogenWright (Apr 23, 2012)

Yes just looked online it is the agouti colour. The vet said I should release the rabbit into the garden again and keep our two cats inside for two days, but they are out for the majority of each day so is this the best option?


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

just because a rabbit is agouti does NOT mean it is wild, can you get a picture of it?


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2012)

Can you grab a picture, we have lots of agouti domestics but a wildie has a certain look about them.
If there is ANY chance it could be a domestic I wouldn't release.


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## ImogenWright (Apr 23, 2012)

Sorry I'm new to this site! I think I've added a facebook link to the photo, and uploaded it 
It is very skittish, but is breathing very slowly. Think it's quite shocked.


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2012)

100% sure that is a wildie, have you got any wildlife rescues around you? The rabbit has been through a lot of shock so releasing it won't guarantee it's safety


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## ImogenWright (Apr 23, 2012)

Not really  will phone the RSPCA and see what they can do.
We have a man that looks after abandoned owls, but not the same thing really!
It hasn't moved from the same position in the last hour, just cowering in the corner of the cage under a blanket


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2012)

Where abouts are you? (I might be able to give you a number to call)
I wouldn't hold out much hope that the RSPCA will be much use 

He/she is probably very, very scared. Is there somewhere dark and quite you could put him (I'll call him a him because I hate saying it ) with some grass and water?


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## EllesBelles (May 14, 2010)

I wonder if you live near me....a woman on my street has just been given her fourth warning for releasing the litters of her rabbits immediately after birth. She has a pet-shop bought male and a wild female that she trapped...the babies always look so helpless 

Hopefully we'll be able to find a rescue or sanctuary near you who can take him in and look after him, his chances aren't good outside after being caught so many times.


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## Guest (Apr 23, 2012)

EllesBelles said:


> I wonder if you live near me....a woman on my street has just been given her fourth warning for releasing the litters of her rabbits immediately after birth. She has a pet-shop bought male and *a wild female that she trapped*...the babies always look so helpless
> 
> Hopefully we'll be able to find a rescue or sanctuary near you who can take him in and look after him, his chances aren't good outside after being caught so many times.


 WTF Surely that is breaking some law somewhere?? Let alone the welfare issues


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## Hel_79 (Jun 14, 2011)

Is there a rescue anywhere near you that could take him? The way I see it, your only other option is to release him back into the wild and let things take their course 

It's always difficult intervening in something like this. Something similar happened to me about ten years ago, when my cat was a kitten and we lived near a large, open expanse of coastal headland teaming with wildlife. He dragged a small rabbit through his catflap to present to us; the poor thing was relatively unharmed (my cat had it by the scruff) but terrified. We had no nearby rescues so I put the bunny in a cardboard box and drove to the emergency 24 vet for lack of any other option. The vet gave it a jab (painkiller/anibiotics) but could only recommend we release it again, which we did so. Thankfully that was the first and last time my cat came home with a rabbit (although we did have lizards, birds, rodents... :-(. The amount of times I walked down the path alongside my house in the middle of the night to release rodents brought home by my cat back into the relative safety of the nearby field - my neighbours must have thought me quite mad!!)


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## Tink82 (Mar 22, 2009)

EllesBelles said:


> I wonder if you live near me....a woman on my street has just been given her fourth warning for releasing the litters of her rabbits immediately after birth. She has a pet-shop bought male *and a wild female that she trapped*...the babies always look so helpless
> 
> Hopefully we'll be able to find a rescue or sanctuary near you who can take him in and look after him, his chances aren't good outside after being caught so many times.


99% sure that is illegal... and 4th warning? obviously working isn't it!


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## ErnestoMM (Apr 3, 2012)

Sorry, what you mean?


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## ErnestoMM (Apr 3, 2012)

this is bump!


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