Bunny trauma (and a rescue, but TMI for some)

lhcooper

Two nights ago my cat who goes out on a leash which we tie to the garden hose so he can't roam got all excited about something next to the house by the back door, and yesterday morning I realized it was a nest of baby bunnies. So I left them alone (and kept the cat away) and checked on them yesterday evening. At that point, one had died, though not from any obvious trauma (my car had looked at them but amazingly didn't hurt them).  The others were making little hops in the nest, but we're so young their eyes were still closed. I covered them back up with grass and very sadly buried the one. Then this morning, another two had died and only one was left--and I took it right to the wildlife rehab center where I learned it was very dehydrated--i.e., the mother had abandoned the nest. Had I known this yesterday, I would have taken them all in, but there was no way to tell and I wanted to disturb them as little as possible so that she'd come back. I'm so sad....I know I rescued the one but I still feel like a bunny-killer, and being the pregnant lady burying bunnies in the backyard (DH is out of town) is the saddest thing. I bought some plants at the nursery to put over them. :-(  :-( :-(

jehannarc

Bless you for trying! I had a similar sadly botched rescue situation with a mouse once. Rescued it from a cat only to find it later had somehow gotten in the pool and drowned. Poor bunnies! What a useless momma bunny to run off and leave them. I would be in tears, especially dealing with it alone! Your good heart was in the right place, and how were you to know? Your attention at least saved one of the little guys!

lhcooper

Thanks. I did read something online about how to check them for dehydration, but since they seemed active yesterday I was reluctant to touch them and a) frighten them and b) spread my scent too much. Plus that would have meant touching them with bare hands instead of gloves which I didn't think was wise given that I'm pregnant. And all instructions from the rehab center online tell you to leave the bunnies alone unless they are obviously distressed. It sucks that I did what I thought was right, and they died when I could have saved them. I know it's not my fault but I can't help obsessing over it. Even though we have more than our share of bunnies in this town. WHY would the mother put her nest near where she had to have seen my cat like, every day??? There are plenty of nice safe shady bushes and hostas around all over. Next to my house in the flowerbed? Really?

Mrs.McIrish

The bunny mama was probably some delinquent who shouldn't be having babies and there is some other bunny out there that can't have any...  (yes, I probably need some counseling but I thought you'd appreciate this..)  You saved one bunny. Focus on that!

irishgirl0525

Mrs.McIrish:

The bunny mama was probably some delinquent who shouldn't be having babies and there is some other bunny out there that can't have any...  (yes, I probably need some counseling but I thought you'd appreciate this..)  You saved one bunny. Focus on that!

This cracked me up, you are too funny!

Coop, at least you tried to do something, which is more than I can say for myself... 

I have a kitty/bunny story from this week as well which may be too much for some so read cautiously... My youngest cat found a nest of babies in the large flower pot next to our front porch. I discovered this when I heard some high pitched squealing and went outside to see him terrorizing one of them by playing with it.

There were 3 or 4 others on the flowerpot and there was all this straw and I guess rabbit fur that had been pulled away from their nest. The poor things were trying to burrow further into the dirt. I managed to pick up my cat and get him in the house but I have no idea what happened to the rabbits. I was practically in tears about it. 

I know it's nature for cats but I hate it when they do things like this, because it isn't for food, they are just playing with a toy and scaring some poor helpless creature to death. 

owlprof

Mrs.McIrish:

The bunny mama was probably some delinquent who shouldn't be having babies and there is some other bunny out there that can't have any...  (yes, I probably need some counseling but I thought you'd appreciate this..)  You saved one bunny. Focus on that!

Right on, McIrish!

 And good job saving the one, Coop! 

benoitfan

I'm betting mama bunny was killed by a neighbourhood tomcat or hit by a car or something and didn't make it back to her babies. 

I found two kittens stuck in our back fence a few weeks ago.   A neighbour kept one and I took the other one to the Humane Society (I'd have kept him, he was beautiful, but I already have 2 dogs and a cat) we passed a cat on the side of the road that looked very similar to the kittens.  It had been hit by a car about a block from where I found the kittens.

You should just be proud of the fact that you were paying attention and noticed something was wrong.  Sure you would have loved to save them all, but you saved one, which is more than a lot of people would do.

lhcooper

Thanks, all. (McIrish, you are too funny and somehow I thought you might have something to say about this....).