Bunnies and Squirrels
Have You Found a Wild Cottontail, Jackrabbit or Squirrel?
Call East Valley Wildlife 480-814-9339.
There
are two types of wild rabbits in the Phoenix area: Jackrabbits (which are
actually hares) and Cottontails. Jackrabbits are born with their 
eyes open,
fullyfurred, and able to run. Cottontails are born naked, blind, and
helpless.
Contrary to popular belief, touching a baby bunny will not make the parents
reject it. Stress usually drives the mother off when curious people poke
around the nest sitetoo often. If you find a nest of baby cottontails,
don't kidnap them because you don't see the mother around. The mother only
comes to the nest twice a day to feed the babies (early morning* and dusk)
Put two crossed strings over the nest to see if it is disturbed. If the
strings remain intact, then the babies should be rescued.
Tips to follow:
Keep
all injured and orphaned bunnies and squirrels warm on a heating pad in a
secure, covered box with a towel lining the bottom. Set the container on a
heating pad.Do NOT handle the animal any more than necessary and don't let children handle it. Don't keep peeking in the box as stress alone can cause the animal to overstress and die. Put the box in a dark, quiet place away from pets, noise, and family traffic.
Don't force food or water down a bunny or squirrel's throat especially if he is cold or dehydrated. It's easy to aspirate an animal if fluid gets into his lungs. The wrong food which can cause bloating, illness, and death. Never use sugar or Karo syrup which can cause bacterial growth. A rehabber will provide the animal with specialized foods and fluids based on the animal species and needs.
Never feed a baby animal cow's milk. If you absolutely must feed go to a pet store and get KMR (Kitten Replacement Milk) and a nursing kit. Use bottled water to mix unless you have an R/O system. Put a drop at a time on his lips until he begins to suck on the bottle.
Call a bunny rehabber and bring the animal over to them. Bunnies (and squirrels) are cute and hard to give up...but the animal's life depends on the correct diet and housing. All wildlife deserves the right to return to the wild as a healthy, productive animal.
 Young Cottontail |
 Adult Cottontail |
 Rock Squirrel |
 |
Jack Rabbits are true hares because, unlike the cottontail rabbits, they do not build nests. The mother simply chooses a place to her liking and the young are born fully furred, with their eyes wide open. |  |
You can make a disposable heating pad by putting a cup or two of dry, uncooked rice in a plastic bag or old sock with a knot in the end and microwave it for 45 seconds. |