In this article Noreen Atwell, volunteer animal rehabilitator (rehaber) describes her method of caring for the orphaned young rabbits which arrive at the Nature Center in abundance each spring. Noreen was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and moved to North Carolina in 1985. She has always loved animals, especially cats, and has tried her hand at raising and showing Ocicats. Noreen works as a registered nurse at a local psychiatric hospital and volunteers a few hours per month at the Nature Center.

"When I first receive the rabbits I check them from head to toe. I check for cuts and parasites. Once checked, they are weighed and placed in a twenty-gallon fish tank. If very young, they are placed on a heating pad with material scraps to tunnel in. The older rabbits have lots of material scraps to tunnel in and they are fun to watch.

I provide a quiet environment. I keep my cats away and my children away from the rabbits so they don't get used to them.

Dietary requirements are very important. Rabbits need a high protein diet due to having such a rapid metabolism. Protein is a longer lasting energy source. That is why I use KMR (Kitten Milk Replacement). In an emergency I will use goat's milk.

The vitamin substitute I use is Diamino 4X, which can easily be obtained from a vet. For rabbits that don't have their eyes open, I mix up the powdered KMR and Diamino 4X. I feed them with a dropper. They are fed every 2-3 hours from early morning to dark. Once the rabbit's eyes are open, I start mixing plain yogurt in with the formula to help prevent intestinal bacterial infections which can cause diarrhea.

For older rabbits I mix Gerber's instant rice cereal which makes the formula thicker and closer to solid food. I use this thickened mixture as a weaning formula. I start placing grass and clover in with the rabbits so they get used to it. Once weaned, the rabbit's diet consists of clover, grass, plantain, apples, berries, cabbage and lettuce leaves, and store bought rabbit pellets. Lots of water is made available to them. I even place cheerios and rice puffs in the cage.

The second key to successfully working with rabbits is to watch their behavior. They will let you know if they are sick by not eating or by listless behavior. They also know when it is time to be released. They become impatient and pace the cage. I choose an area that has plenty of food and water and not many people. People and their pets are major dangers to rabbits. If the rabbits are not used to the outside temperature, I weather them for a day or so before releasing. I release them on a dry day and with a gift of some food.

Animals know what they need and communicate it through their body language. It is up to the rehaber to respect the animal and try to help it in the best way.