Reply #28: Is it a hare or a rabbit? Hares dig burrows; rabbits tend to have [View All]

[Ladyhawk]

aboveground nests. Cottontail rabbits are difficult to raise because they are so nervous. Most die.

When I was younger, I tried to raise two that dogs had found. One died. The other lived.

I don't want to hijack your thread, but the second rabbit/dog story involved a huge rattlesnake and a strange twist. That's for another time, I guess. :)

If you can't find the nest, the best thing to do is keep the rabbit warm and in the dark. Don't handle it or upset it. In the morning, contact a vet's office to find the local wildlife rehabilitator. It's illegal to do it yourself--although I ignored that law when I was a kid and raised rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, etc. :D

On edit: cottontails are born naked and sightless; hares are born with fur and with eyes open, so you have a wabbit.