Pet House Rabbits deserve loving homes.
See the difference here.
Report any suspected stray house rabbits today!
IDENTIFYING A STRAY
Have you seen a stray rabbit? The Rocky Mountain House Rabbit Rescue is often contacted by Good Samaritans about rabbits found outdoors. However, cottontails are wild -- while house rabbits are domestic.
RMHRR only rescues and rehabilitates domestic house rabbits. We do not respond to reports of cottontails.
Here are a few tips on identifying whether it is a pet house rabbit or a wild cottontail.
Cottontails are always small (around 2-3 pounds) with a brown coat (agouti pattern).
The underside of the tail is white, they have upright ears, and their legs are long and thin.
They are always in lean body condition
Indoor house rabbits come in many shapes and sizes, from small dwarfs to larger breeds rabbits like Flemish Giants, which can be around 12-16 pounds. While cottontails always have short brown hair, domestic rabbits can have varying hair coat colors, patterns, and lengths. Ears can be upright or flop over and they have a much more full or round body shape.
EXAMPLES OF WILD COTTONTAIL RABBITS
EXAMPLES OF DOMESTIC HOUSE RABBITS
If you’re still unsure if the rabbit you've seen is a cottontail or a domestic house rabbit, check out this helpful article on Wild Bunnies vs. Pet Bunnies from Small Pet Select.
REPORTING A STRAY
If you're relatively sure the bunny you've seen is an abandoned or stray house rabbit, we urge you to fill out the form below. If you're not 100% sure it's domestic, please take a picture and submit it with your form.
Members of our Bunny Brigade are experts in catching strays, and we will do what we can to plan a rescue!
Living in the wild is extremely dangerous for house rabbits. Your report may be the difference between this rabbit's life and death. Please don't hesitate to fill out the form below and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
FOUND A RABBIT NEST?
Leave the nest alone!
If you’ve already removed the babies, put them back immediately, if possible. (It’s a myth that the mom will abandon her babies if people have touched them.)
Then be sure that anyone who has touched them washes their hands thoroughly.
Mama bunnies do not stay with their babies, because the doe has an odor that would attract predators. She sneaks in, usually at night, to feed and clean them and leaves again, but stays where she can keep an eye on them. However, you probably won’t be able to see her.
Chances are good that the bunnies are cottontails. If you need more information—for example, if the nest has been destroyed and the babies scattered—call one of the following licensed cottontail rehabilitators:
Gabrielle in Lafayette—303-249-0760
Kathy in Larkspur—303-726-7897
Information they will need from you:
Are the kits covered with fur?
About how big is each kit
(would it cover the palm of your hand? All of your hand?)
Estimate this, but don’t pick them up! Cottontails can pass a serious illness called Tularemia to humans.)
Are the eyes open?
If you fear the mother has been killed, put two small twigs in a cross over the nest. If the mother is still caring for them, the sticks will have been moved overnight. If they are still in place, the babies will need to go to a rehabilitator.
If – and only if — the nest has been destroyed, gather the babies in a small box lined with washcloths or a small towel, hay or dry grass, any of the mother’s fur you find, and keep them in a warm, dry, quiet place until one of the rehabilitators can get back to you.