Caring for a 2 week old orphan rabbit (kit).
Two-week-old orphan rabbit rescued from the middle of a busy street.
Michi was found alone and in danger before a kind Good Samaritan stepped in to save him. Now he’s safe in foster care with us on behalf of SaveABunny, a 501(c)(3) rabbit rescue in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His name, Michi — which means “street” in Japanese — honors where his journey began and celebrates the new path ahead of him.
Tiny, fragile, and incredibly brave… welcome to your second chance, sweet Michi.
Michi was estimated to be about two weeks old based on a few key signs:
• His eyes were open — baby rabbits typically open their eyes at 12–14 days.
• He was small enough to fit in the palm of our hand.
• He was even smaller than a dollar bill.
We completed Michi’s baby rabbit health check:
Weight: 170 grams.
We’ll log his weight daily — you never want to see a baby rabbit lose weight over time.
Checked carefully for any bite marks or wounds.
Made sure he felt warm (baby bunnies can’t regulate their temperature well).
Looked for any visible signs of distress.
Nesting Box Setup
We settled Michi into his cozy nesting box, placed on top of an electric heating pad to help keep him warm and regulate his tiny body temperature.
Inside, we added a small plush rabbit we call “Bunny Friend” to keep him company — and we use it as a size reference.
We also placed a small amount of alfalfa hay inside the box, just in case he wanted to nibble. At 2–3 weeks old, baby rabbits are just beginning to learn how to eat solid food. They may only take a tiny bite or two while they’re still primarily dependent on milk.
Michi the first night in his nesting box with Bunny Friend (plush rabbit).
Hand Feeding
Baby rabbits younger than 3 weeks cannot survive on solid food alone. They need to nurse from their mom or a surrogate nursing rabbit — and Michi had neither. So we stepped in to carefully hand-feed him.
We’re using Wombaroo Rabbit Milk Replacer for Baby Bunnies instead of KMR for a few important reasons:
• KMR can cause gas in rabbits.
• Any excess left on their fur dries hard and is difficult to clean.
• Dried milk around the chin can irritate delicate skin over time.
Hand feeding a 2-week-old rabbit is delicate work. We use an FR3 feeding tube cut to size (since their mouths are so tiny) or a small curved syringe to gently deliver the milk.
Our feeding guidelines:
Always hold the bunny upright.
Offer very small amounts at a time.
Clean any milk off the fur immediately.
Feed a total of about 10% of body weight per day, split into two feedings (about 5% each).
Mix the Wombaroo with warm water, then measure the amount in mL based on his weight before drawing it into the syringe.
Video showing Michi being hand hand feed. You can see the tube and syringe. You can also see how small is mouth.
Michi from 2 to 3 weeks young.
Baby Hops for Michi.
Michi’s Baby Hops. Baby’s rabbits tend to craw before they can hop.
Michi eating some hay and taking a nap.
Michi goes for this First Train ride at 3 weeks young.
Daily Weigh-Ins Matter
It’s critical to weigh a baby rabbit every single day — in grams, and around the same time each day for consistency. Write each weight down. What you’re watching for is a trend:
• You do not want to see weight steadily dropping over several days.
• Ideally, you want to see either steady weight or gradual weight gain.
Michi was active, but despite our careful hand feeding, his weight continued to drop day after day. We increased his formula amounts and offered more hay, but he was still losing weight.
He was simply too small and fragile for a long car ride to the vet, so we consulted with our Exotic Rabbit Vet by phone. We shared Michi’s daily weight log and his vitals. Based on that information, the vet prescribed medication — and after a few days, it worked.
Finally, our tiny street survivor began to gain weight
Eating Hay and Baby Rabbit Pellets.
Michi eating hay
Drinking milk from a dish.
We were able to have Michi drink is milk from a dish. It was fun to watch him drink.
Michi Loved his Head pets.
Michi was known for jumping out of his play area.
Bunny Friend adopted Michi
Michi Today is fixed and looking for his Forever Home at www.SaveABunny.org
Head pets for Michi at www.saveabunny.org