Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

On July 18, 2017, Cummington Wildlife Inc., of Cummington, Massachusetts, received a juvenile Eastern cottontail rabbit. The rabbit had been caught by a cat, but luckily did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. However, the frightened rabbit did not want to eat in captivity. This is not uncommon for the “jumpy juvie” Eastern cottontail.

A trick that has been successful in the past is to tube feed the rabbit with hydration fluid and the EmerAid Intensive Care Herbivore. The feeling of fullness in the rabbit’s stomach appears to help it overcome fear and begin self-feeding. This occurred very quickly in the cottontail, who began self-feeding the following day. After completing an antibiotic treatment for wounds suffered from the cat, this rabbit was able to be released back into the wild.

Posted on May 10, 2018