OkcPets Magazine May 2023

May / June 2023 • OKC Pets 23 S pring baby season has arrived. You might have noticed bird nests in your yard, raccoons under your shed, or nocturnal adult animals active during day- light hours. These are all signs that wildlife around us are having their babies. Often, when people find baby animals alone, they assume those animals are orphaned and need help. In some cases, they do. But the kind of help they need is often circumstantial. Here is some general guidance on what to do when encountering baby animals this spring. Mammals Follow this advice if you find baby mam- mals. Eastern cottontails — wild rabbits. Eastern cottontails are among the most common babies brought to WildCare, with more than 300 admitted thus far in 2023. Mother rabbits build nests in shallow depressions under bushes, brush piles, or even in the middle of yard, so they are easily discovered and commonly disturbed by pet dogs and cats and regular yard work. Mother cottontails feed their babies at dawn and dusk and are not in the nests with their babies during the day but are eating grass and other foliage close by, watching their nests. People often assume that the babies have been abandoned or orphaned when they find them alone. If you find a cottontail nest during the day, the best advice is to LEAVE IT ALONE. If you have dogs, cats, or chil- dren, you give those baby bunnies the best chance by keeping them out of the area for about three to four weeks. At that time, the babies will be ready to leave the nest. To keep dogs out of nests in inconvenient loca- tions, you can place a push lawn mower (in the off position) over the nest — provide a large enough gap for the mother and babies to go in and out but small enough that cats and dogs cannot get in. An upside-down laundry basket with a hole cut near the rim and cinder blocks on top also works to keep pets out of cottontail nests. If, however, your dog or cat brings you a cottontail, it needs medical attention, so it must be RESCUED. Even if you cannot see the injuries, they might be there. Any ani- mal caught by a dog or cat needs antibiotics and requires an examination by a qualified rehabilitator or veterinary professional. Eastern cottontails are amongWildCare’s most common early spring patients. Dogs and cats easily discover nests, and the baby rabbits must then be brought toWildCare for help. Photo by Jesse Pline, WildCare Oklahoma. An injured mother opossumwith babies recovers from injuries. The babies were pinkies in her pouch when she arrived at WildCare. Photo by Paul Russinko, WildCare Oklahoma.