What would you do?

[horseplay]

My sweet cat just left me a baby rabbit at the door. It is alive but doesn't move. It's pretty beat up, torn ear, missing hair, it's terrible. I wish he would have just killed the poor thing. I am sick thinking of how it must be suffering, what do I do? Hope this doesn't sound silly

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[Marnie]

It won't live, we have tried to save the little bunnies and they never make it. Unless you want to put it out of it's misery, just leave it and it'll be dead by morning. Poor little bunny, kinda heart breaking, isn't it?

 

[horseplay]

Thanks Marnie, I guess I knew that unless I could kill it I would just have to let it die on it's own. I feel so bad and wish there was a way but I just can't do it. I just needed someone else to tell me, heart breaking indeed

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[Marnie]

This actually brings back a memory from about 36 years ago, my daughter was 3, we found a cat with a little bunny and we took it away and it didn't even look beat up but was weak, we fed it with an eye dropper, we put it in a box on a towel so it'd be comfortable and the next morning, my little daughter said to me, "oh, look momma, it's letting me pet it", and I looked and it was dead. I think they just can't live once a cat gets them, we've tried it a few times, never any luck. I wouldn't have it in me to kill it, I'd have to let it die on it's own and hope it's not in to much pain.

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

My stupid cat does the same thing!!!!! Brings all his trophies in the house, but doesn't hunt the tiny mice we have IN the house!!!!

He just brought us a bunny, too. I think we were able to get to it in time, and just let it loose outside.

 

[Jill]

I'm sorry

When I was little, our cats used to get baby bunnies. They always died.

Once, we were able to miraculously nurse one along for several days and we thought he would live. Our family named him and then he died suddenly. I think they are just so fragile and the stress / shock will always do them in.

It is heart breaking. Nothing looks sweeter than a baby bunny.

So sorry

 

[horseplay]

Well I was hoping that it would have passed in the night but it is still alive this morning. So here I sit looking at it wondering what to do now. I can handle all of the frogs and mice but jeesh this baby bunny is killin' me.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

I'll get yelled at maybe, but here goes..wrap it in a cloth gently, and place it in the freezer. The body temp it has now is already cold and yes it suffers. I am surprised kitty didn't dispatch it but if you really cannot stand the suffering, the cold will put it to sleep quickly with no pain.

 

[horseplay]

I knew about the freezer thing but just couldn't make myself do it.

When the cat is done "playing" with his catches he tends to leave them on the deck by the door, most of the time they are dead but I think this bunny was big and he got bored before the poor thing was dead. I maybe should have left it out last night in the cold and it may have died that way but I brought it in put it in a towel and put it on a heating pad. I am probably the reason it is still suffering

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[Bunnylady]

Well, if this little guy were in my hands, I'd go to the pet shop and get a can of kitten milk replacer. You feed that with an eyedropper, a couple of ml at a time, being careful not to get it in the nosey (easier said than done!) Failing that, canned milk (NOT sweetened, condensed) will do in a pinch, with a little corn syrup and a pinch of salt added. Plain ol' raw Quaker oats make a good baby food if the bunny is old enough for solid food. I'd brace myself, because this little kid will probably die, but at least you know you gave him a chance!

I have done this a couple of times with cottontail litters that my dogs found (one in my backyard!) I knew once the dogs found them, they'd never leave them alone, so I had to intervene. I handled the bunnies as little as possible, and released them once they were eating grass well. Good luck!

 

[Sonya]

I do not think it will live if you try to save it. As Marnie said, we tried once too and the bunny didn't even look hurt at all (probably internal that we couldn't see), it died within a couple days. I am a hunter, but I too would have a hard time killing a baby bunny. I'm glad I have my husband around to take care of things like that. I often don't ask how, just tell him to take care of it so it doesn't suffer anymore, he doesn't like to see any animal suffer so he does what he has to.

 

[Brandi*]

How is the little bunny today? Did he make it through the night?

 

[Minimor]

baby bunnies do not even have to be hurt internally--from what I understand, bunnies are so stressed by being captured/held that they die of a heart attack--if you come across a baby bunny outside you are not supposed to touch it, because touching it & picking it up will cause it to die. That is what I have been told by wildlife rehab people.

As for putting a live bunny in the freezer--I don't know how this applies to bunnies and their tendency to die of a heart attack, but for other critters my vet has told me that if the animal is unconscious then it is a humane death to put the animal in the freezer. However, if the animal is awake and aware then it is not humane to freeze it to death.

 

[horseplay]

The bunny has passed. Thank you for the replies.