Mother bunnies only feed their babies 2-3 times a day - around dusk
and around dawn. They stay away all day as not to attract predators.
They actually give very little maternal care (since they're probably
out getting pregnant again).
So lastnight, at the instruction of the Internet, I placed a
crisscross of twigs over the bunny nest. If they were disturbed by
today then mom had been there to feed. But apparently she only squats
over the nest to nurse so the crisscross test isn't terribly acurate.
Aside from being sensitive to motherless baby critters, I am
especially sensitive to motherless baby critters that could be left
for dead in the middle of my lawn. So I called RI's wildlife rehab
center to ask some questions and the woman on the phone directed me to
go out to the nest and pick up one of the bunnies (yay!) as she asked
me some questions about it's appearance. I couldn't identify a "milk
line" on it's tummy to indicate it had been fed recently so they asked
me to bring them in. I put a tshirt and a hot water bottle in a box
and went back out to collect the little guys. There were five in total
and they squeaked so loudly when I disturbed them! The last little guy
in the bottom of the nest didn't look so good. His body looked crooked
and he was pretty limp. I didn't like holding him.
At the rehab center in Saunderstown, the vet determined that they were
not quite a week old since their eyes were still shut and that they
were pretty healthy. The limp guy had a spinal problem (inbreeding?)
and he had to stay but I was instructed to bring the other four home
and keep them warm in the house the rest of the day since the mom
wouldn't miss them. Tonight around dinner time I'll put them back in
the nest. I'll put a thick ring of baking flour around the nest and in
the morning I'll see if there are any mommy paw prints. If not, the
vet gave me a phone number for a couple nearby that rehabilitates wild
animals in their home. In the meantime they are sleeping away in their
little bunny box in the kitchen. Beverly is obviously thrilled and out
of her mind with excitement. She pet one this morning but we're trying
to just let them sleep and traumatize them as little as possible.
