Baby cotton tail

[Lyssbaby2010]

We were given a baby bunny when it was only a couple days old. I nursed it back to health and now that I look at him I’m a hundred percent I was lied too and given a cottontail… problem is he grooms me and is super attached. We live in an area with dogs, cats, and coyotes. He grew up in my house so he doesn’t fear my cat or dogs. He’s not releasable at this point. I guess my question is who else has a cottontail and I’m aware they are illegal to have as pets without permits. He acts as any house bunny. I’m just looking for other people’s stories and experience if any? TIA

[jerseygirl]

Welcome!

How old do you think he is now? Any piccies??
Im going to PM a member who had an American cottontail as a house rabbit. She may have some advice for you. It might be worthwhile contacting wildlife rehabbers in your area to see what they advise. They sometimes do releases at safe sites, but that depends on how long a kit has been in care. They can probably advise you about gaining a permit also. : )

[Lyssbaby2010]

I have many pictures. We think he’s about a month old now. I’m not sure how to put pictures since I am a new member haha.

[Lyssbaby2010]

I have many pictures! we think he’s about a month now. I’ve had him almost 4 weeks. I’m not sure how to post pictures? I would love to share some pictures with everyone.

[jerseygirl]

This pictorial will hopefully help with posting pictures.  We do have a rule about not posting photos of rabbits that are under 8 weeks of age though. I think in this case, if you are wanting opinions on if he is or isn’t a cottontail, some pictures would be allowed. : )

[Lyssbaby2010]

This is the best picture I have of him right now and it was about a week ago. I’m really not sure what kind of rabbit I was given at this point and would appreciate the help

[jerseygirl]

I added the photo in for you. Once you upload the file, just click on “Insert Image icon next to the file name in the Attachment section.

FWIW, I don’t think it is a cottontail. It looks more like a domestic breed rabbit with the agouti pattern/colouring. Very sweet!

Did he have a small white blaze on top of his head when you first got him?

[Lyssbaby2010]

No he didn’t and that’s why I thought he was a domestic beed. Do they all have the white little patch on top of their head?

[Lyssbaby2010]

Here is a better picture of his coloring.

[Lyssbaby2010]

I do wanna add that I’m all about letting wild animals be wild animals. I took him in because I was told his mother died and the people were just going to throw him away. So I took him. I lost my old rabbit about a year ago so raised him like my other. Never thought there was a chance he could be wild. 

[Luna]

Squeeeeee! That’s awesome that you rescued him. Despite the fact that I know absolutely nothing about breeds, I’m pretty sure we need a bunch more pictures . Do all cotton tails have cotton-looking tails? Do you have a pic of his tail? I bet it looks like a cute little q-tip!

[Cottontail]

Hi Lyss!
I apologize if I’m not completely coherant but I’m currently fighting sleep deprivation and a sinus infection:

We had an eastern cottontail named Pete that lived with us after he lost his mama to a dog and nest to a mower. We nursed him best we could and when we finally got hold of a rehabber they agreed he wouldn’t make it on his own. This is not the case for many, but that’s why a rehabber is crucial to making the decision.

Baby cottontails are little balls of energy, and looking at your pictures I can’t for 100% say whether he’s a cotton or not. When they are tiny and in their fluffy stage it can be hard to tell unless their eyes are open and they are up and moving. North American cottontails, of any breed, tend to have slightly buggy-er eyes than domestics, if that makes sense. Not all babies have a blaze depending on what region they are from and what breed they are. They have very high metabolisms compared to domestics and if a rehabber agrees that they are better in a home then they must be kept free-roam.

My picture is of my little Pete when he was about 3.5-4 weeks old.

Could you possibly get some pictures of the baby alert? If I had to make a judgement based on your current pictures I’d say you either have a dwarf breed mix domestic or possibly a little marsh rabbit. Wild babies have long skinny legs, big bulging eyes (when the white is not showing) and perky little ears. Northern breeds have shorter ears than desert or eastern breeds.. but marsh rabbits have short ears, too.

Are you in the US? What region are you in?

Luna: Cottontails all have white and black flag type tails. Adorable and the same coloring as your standard agouti.

[Lyssbaby2010]

I do have some pictures of his back legs he’s a lot younger though. Let me log onto my computer so I can resize it. We live in Southern California so I know we natively have desert cottontails which he seems to resemble to me since I see them a lot but I’m no expert haha.

[Lyssbaby2010]

[Lyssbaby2010]

Was Pete’s behavior any different from a house rabbit? Or not really?

[Cottontail]

He does look a lot like a desert cottontail youngling. Front legs will be long and skinny compared to a domestic, but young ones like that can be pretty dang fluffy.

As for Pete, he was hyper and was a lot more active and awake than my domestic bunnies. He spent a lot of time running 500s, doing binkies, trying to find high ground, and sorting his toys. He would build nests in his hay piles and was picky about having multiple types of hay offered at once—one was not enough and his appetite would suffer for it. He ate more than my domestics, too. The salads, pellets and hay I went through for him alone are easily comparable to feeding our current foursome. He ate big salads twice a day, snacked, chewed sticks and blocks, chased and killed bugs, and played tag with out cat. He was a goofball, but he was drawn to predators and disliked the outdoors. He had stunted growth and some initial injuries from when he was little.. He was usually between 2 and 2.2lbs, but ate like he was 12lbs. He watched TV, tried to defend our home from the cable guy, and spent lazy days sunning himself on the floor. In a lot of ways he was like having a rehabilitated feral bunny. I don’t think he ever understood that he was wild, or that he wasn’t a cat. He litter trained quickly. He originally took dust baths in the box until one day he saw the cat use her box, then that was it. In some ways he was more domestic than domestic breeds, but he was very strong willed, independent, and spirited. He was also stand-off-ish at times, like a cat. You have to be willing to repspect their privacy and their space. Also, standard bunny proofing is not enough… he jumped and cleared light switches with a splint on his leg, and ran faster than my current buns. He was also clever. Never underestimate their problem solving or comprehensive skills.

Also, vets were hesitant to see him. On top of being exotic, he was not typical in breed. Wild animals, no matter how self-domesticated, should be respected as such. Having a wild baby is not for the feint of heart. Make sure you talk to your vet and local rehabbers. If he’s too domesticated they may advise you keep him and who will see him, but if he has enough instinct and strong enough willl and physique they may suggest a controlled release or preserve life.

[jerseygirl]

Well, here’s my thoughts about this rabbit:… omg omg omg! Lol

@Cottontail, thank you so much for your input on this!! I wasn’t really aware of the differences you have in wild breeds there, from region to region. Good to know!

In some ways he was more domestic than domestic breeds, but he was very strong willed, independent, and spirited. He was also stand-off-ish at times, like a cat. You have to be willing to repspect their privacy and their space. Also, standard bunny proofing is not enough… he jumped and cleared light switches with a splint on his leg, and ran faster than my current buns. He was also clever. Never underestimate their problem solving or comprehensive skills.

Very much this! They can be quite the paradox, can’t they? Our “wild” rabbits here are actually classed as a feral pest and it’s illegal to release them! A friend of mine has a trio of wild rabbits she’s had since they were babies. They are super with their litter habits and pretty strong in routines. But are hardcore chewers, would burrow to China if given a chance, and yes, as you say, spirited and strong-willed. Ive had the pleasure of bun sitting them on occasion and could watch them for hours. : )

[Lyssbaby2010]

I have found myself a vet already thankfully just in case because when I started speculating I reached out to a local rehabber and she is unsure of he’s a domestic either so we are kind of playing a waiting game to see as he gets older. But she refered me to a vet. He acts a mix of feral and domestic. He loves his cuddles and is super active like you described. He loves running around and binkying, it’s adorable. He’s got a lot of personality and gets along great with my cat. What kind of toys did Pete like? Did he have any funny little quirks? I know my old house bunny did who I miss a lot. 

[Lyssbaby2010]

The rehabbers thoughts are that the people might have bred a domestic with a desert cottontail and he’s the aftermath.

[Lyssbaby2010]

But I also red that this is impossible due to chromosomes?

[Bam]

Cottontail rabbits have 42 chromosomes and European rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculi) have 44 chromosomes, but that doesn’t in itself exclude the possibility of hybrids. Horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 66, they can still produce mules and hinneys, but they hybrids are as a rule sterile due to chromosomes. So I don’t know about cottontails and domestic buns, I can’t find any record of such hybrids. Some researchers managed to fertilize rabbit eggs with sperm from hares in 1967, but it’s a very long way from fertilization of an egg to a viable kit and they didn’t take their experimenting further than to fertilization.

http://www.macroevolution.net/rabbit-hybrids.html

He’s a beautiful rabbit.

[Lyssbaby2010]

Thank you. I just wish we knew what he was exactly. Either way he’s loved and happy

[LittlePuffyTail]

Okay, whatever he is “SQUEE!!!!! Adorable!!!!!”.

I’m totally just guessing but he does have a wild bun look to him. So cute though. I hope you are able to keep him. Seems like you guys have bonded.

You are correct (at least from my research) about wild and domestic buns being unable to breed.

[Cottontail]

There has been no recorded instances of a successful crossbreed between any american cottontail and a domestic rabbit. So most likely he’s completely one or the other.

Sorry for disappearing but still battling illness in our household.

Pete loved apple sticks, timothy twists, cat jingly balls, and a great big red and green ball that was almost as big as he was–it had fabric stretched tight over it that he figured out how to pinch with his teeth to pick the ball up.. I think it made him feel macho, even if it did jingle. He was very particular about his sticks being in the proper order where he wanted them, and he would only eat his hay if he had an assortment. He LOVED dandelion heads and fresh grasses mixed with his salads and as hay toppers. He was also very expressive. Another thing was that he was also always under foot! He was my constant shadow, especially in the kitchen.

Cottontails are high energy and need constant mental stimulation. He would watch out the windows, play with things on the floor or couch, watch TV, watch people play video games, sneak into “out of bounds” areas when he thought no one was looking, and try to sneak catfood whenever he got the chance. He was also a bit of a klutz.. be prepared for unexpected vet bills for silly things like broken toes. Pete had to have a splint (5 actually because he was smart and stubborn) because he broke his toe trying to make a u-turn off an enclosure and deliberately bounced off it at full speed, but only landed one toe instead of his whole foot. It didn’t stop him from trying to run around, because they try to hide pain like any other bunny, but watch for changes in stance, eating, etc..

His nails were easy to deal with since he would let me do his front feet without picking him up, but his back feet I was lucky because he would trim them himself… I cannot guarantee that this is going to be the same for you, but you need to keep an eye on nails and hocks just like any bunny… and their nails seem to be sharper and thinner than my experience with domestics

[Lyssbaby2010]

Thank you so much for the input. He loves following me around my husband jokes that he’s worse then our cat (also a bottle baby). So now I have two shadows but he’s a funny little guy. He’s got a lot of spunk. He loves binkying on the carpet then doing 500s. He also enjoys, more like demands, his daily cuddles. We are gonna meet with a rehabber in a week and see his chances for release though breaks my heart to think about it. I want what’s best for him. 

[Lyssbaby2010]

If anyone else has any information on having a cottontail as a house pet I’d appreciate hearing from you! There isn’t many stories I have been able to find online and I’m interested in learning more about his behavior, likes and dislikes. 

[Cottontail]

Lyss– I hate that I’m not as active on this forum as I used to be, but I would like to share my experiences with my beloved Pete with you. If you want to see a glimpse of what it was like living with an eastern cottontail, I can direct you to some old threads:

The Non-Adventures of Peter Rabbit: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/134329/Default.aspx
(Lounge Thread)

If you read through the whole thread it will direct you to two other threads, including this one:
Peter Cottontail: My April Fool, My Angel with Tattered Ears… (Rainbow Bridge Post)
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/138813/Default.aspx

I regret that Pete’s story was not longer… but I have a feeling your little one will be providing you with plenty of ‘non-adventures’ as well. I hope that you have many years of them if he stays with you. Whether he needs to be released or if he stays with you, I hope you enjoy every precious moment with him.

[Lyssbaby2010]

Oh the rainbow bridge one made me cry He seemed like a very special bunny. I’ve had Cadbury since he was only 3 days old. His eyes weren’t even open. I haven’t given him any cecals really either. I’ve been feeding him KMR mixed with crushed pellets when he got older. He also gets vitamins. He’s now about a month old. He was my first bunny I hand raised and he’s a funny little guy. I love him to death. He’s curious over everything and doesn’t fear a lot. Any advice? I know he’s still young and can pass away but for now he’s a rambunctious sucker so I figure I’m doing something right. 

I’m pretty sure that the people I got him from, cruel hearted people, shot and killed mom and then found she had babies. By the time I went to get the bunnies he had “given” all the others away to people… So he’s lucky as I see it.

[Lyssbaby2010]

I love reading your other posts. They are so cute!

[Luna's Mom]

Awe!! He’s so cute! I think he is a lucky bunny too, you have went above and beyond doing what he needs to be a strong healthy little guy! I do hope you don’t end up having to set him free. You will be heart broken, I know. I don’t know why the right thing to do is so darn hard sometimes! The way he looks like he is so cuddly and loving in those pictures, it would be hard to believe that turning him lose would be good for him. Anyway I hope everything works out for you in the best way possible!

[Lyssbaby2010]

Oh he’s super cuddly and affectionate. Loves to spend time on the couch with me watching tv and binkying lol

[LittlePuffyTail]

What a little doll!!! Wouldn’t take much time to fall in love with that little guy!!!

[Lyssbaby2010]

I have a video of him doing some binkys after he got his favorite treat if you guys want to see. I’ll be posting more video updates on him on YouTube if anyone wants to follow his journey.

https://youtu.be/rf9hhiCBkns

[Lyssbaby2010]

Cottontail can you give me advice on litter box training him. I want him to have full roam of the house but we need to tackle potty routines first. 

[Luna's Mom]

Truthfully it’s very easy, or at least it was for us. If you have noticed where he tends to go potty, clean that spot really good with vinegar and water and then sit his litter box there. Put any droppings or towel that chunks that you soaked up urine with in the box. It seems they usually like going in a corner. Thankfully Luna has been pretty good. She is my first indoor bunny and the first bunny I have had since I was a young kid. She was said to be 6 months old when she came here and has had free roam of my daughter room since she is away at school since she came, except for at night or if we leave the house she goes into a 4’x4′ x-pen. Not that I don’t trust her because she has been so good about not chewing base boards or the dressers or the bed, but I have 2 dogs and a cat too. They are really good with her, but I wouldn’t take the chance of something happening to her if I was not here. I was totally surprised at what a good little girl she really is!! Because he is a lot younger you may have to limit his space and open it up little by little. Buns seem to take to potty breaking pretty easy. Hope that helps you out a little bit!

[Lyssbaby2010]

We had him in a smaller area but he can now jump his gate. He’s a springy one and he hates, and I mean HATES being confined. He thumps at me and gives me the stink eye whenever I put him away before he’s truly ready.  

[jerseygirl]

Oh gosh, he reminds me of TimTim when he was a baby in that video. Looks and moves like him.
He also was a spider-bun and kept getting over his enclosure. I think he flung himself up as high as he could at the side, then climbed the last part.

Litter training should be easy (hopefully) with a single bun. From your video, I would put one tray in his hutch and another in the pen around it. Is he favouring an area to toilet in? Placing the box there should help and putting hay in it. They’ll poop where they eat their hay.

Is he tending to toilet on the blanket you have on the floor for him? 

[Lyssbaby2010]

He does potty on the blanket. I did what you suggested and put on in his hutch and one on his favorite corner. We’ll see how it goes. lol he likes things his way and his way only. He’s mad I put the litter box in his hutch?

[Lyssbaby2010]

So now he’s going poo all around the litterbox, but used the litterbox to pee. He seems to be rebelling against the changes I made haha

[Cottontail]

Sorry for the delay; just got back to the site.

We got very lucky with Pete. He was only using the litter box as a dust bath until he saw our lady cat use it.. then that was it; 90%+ in the box. Until then we made sure that his home base was where he felt most comfortable with it, his box was in a corner of homebase with some soft grasses and alfalfa, and we picked up poops and and put them back his litter box. We also never did a 100% clean on his box. we’d change it out about 2/3-3/4 but always leave some used litter. We didn’t do a vinegar clean on his litter box until he was using it regularly. We’d clean carpet accidents with vinegar and try to encourage him to spend time in his box with the best treats/foods being available there. His pellet and water bowl were also accessable by him from his litter box. He didn’t really click with it until 2-3 months, so you’ve probably still got a lot of spot cleaning in your future, but don’t lose hope. Cottons are smart; and when it clicks it clicks.

As for containing him, Your best bet is to give him a bedroom of his own. They can jump much higher than domestics (at least from my experience.) We were having to bunny-proof the tops of desks at about 6-8 weeks, and stash your wires as soon as you can. He figured out getting up on the bed around 1-1.5 months old and he loved it. He was also constantly getting into windows, so tie up your shade strings or you might lose them. Make sure to block the bottoms of the door to the room as well, as they can squeeze through the smallest of spaces when they are young.

You’ll have to teach him boundaries and rules by sitting with him for long periods of time and interacting with him on his own terms. He will likely be very stubborn, so try to give him alternatives to the activity you don’t want him participating in.

[Lyssbaby2010]

We’ve tackled potty training at least for the most part. Thank you for the advice you guys

[Lyssbaby2010]

Hey everyone! Can anyone here direct me in the right direction in obtaining a permit for him? I was working with a rescue to get it but it just isn’t working out and I’m frustrated. Also he’s very small for his age.. or I feel like he is. Looking for advice. I’m located in California.

[joea64]

Has he been neutered yet? I’m pretty sure he’s about the right age to be, and you don’t want to have to deal for too long with the hormonally-induced behavior that bunny teens can get up to!

[Lyssbaby2010]

That’s why I want to get his permit but the rescuer that initially said she’d help me hasn’t been returning my phone calls. He’s developing an attitude which I’m assuming is hormones but he’s still sweet. I really wanna get this tackled asap lol

[joea64]

Posted By Lyssbaby2010 on 8/07/2017 4:47 PM

That’s why I want to get his permit but the rescuer that initially said she’d help me hasn’t been returning my phone calls. He’s developing an attitude which I’m assuming is hormones but he’s still sweet. I really wanna get this tackled asap lol

See if you can contact someone else at the rabbit rescue, or if you can’t get to anyone at that organization, another rabbit rescue in your region/state, if available, perhaps, if you still can’t get to your original contact (you might try the House Rabbit Society itself as well). I wasn’t aware it required a permit to get a rabbit (or other pet) neutered…

[jerseygirl]

Mmm… not sure who you’d ask about this. Would wildlife rehabbers have more of an idea? Facebook pages for different organisations might be another way to aks qu to wider audience. Maybe local council also??
You can always try PM Cottontail (BB member) also. Just click on envelope symbol under their screen name.

How old it he now? If left intact, hormonal behaviours may lessen once he gets a bit older. As to attitude, it could be just an aspect of his teenage/adult bunny self. Lol They don’t always stay as forgiving as they are when babies.

[Q8bunny]

I’m super late to this party but just about hyperventilated at the pictures and video. Too. Cute. I keep imagining him as Calvin (& Hobbes). lol

[Orrin]

I’m late to this party, too. Our cat caught and tormented (as only cats will do) a little cottontail last August. I shooed him away and left the bunny alone. The next night I found it in the lawn, nearly dead. It was totally unresponsive. Long story short, my wife nursed it with KMR and it recovered.

What with the emotional investment that we had in this helpless little creature, we were not about to release it, only to let cats and coyotes have their way with it. We’ve kept it in our house; and, little Angelo (Bun-Bun) has recovered and grown like a weed. We love him to death. He is very wild; but, he will eat from my hand. If we release him it will be in the spring when the grazing is good and he is big enough to fight for himself.

In the meantime, Bun-Bun seems to be very happy. He trained himself to go potty in a little tray and he is very clean and tidy. He sometimes rearranges his “furniture” to suit his tastes; but, I wish I could come up with some ideas for toys to keep him occupied. He’s now at the age when he could become a papa; but, lady cottontails are scarce in our yard.

I’m well aware of the legalities and illegalities of keeping wild animals; however, I look at it this way: had we not intervened our little baby would have been dead months ago. I think Bun-Bun would agree that he prefers his pen to a cat’s belly

I’m new to the forum and have not yet learned how to post pictures. When I do, I’ll show you some shots of Bun-Bun at two weeks of age and now.

[Lyssbaby2010]

Hello  your little cottontail reminds me of Cads! Three months ago Cads went to a sanctuary to live with some other buns because like you I could not release him into the unknown. But was indeed very wild like you said. He brought many laughs and so much joy into my house while he was with us. I still get updated pics of him and go to visit from time to time. He still very much remembers me. I miss his little binkys

[Author]

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