azdak

I took the children out for a ride today and daughter #1 found a leveret in the snow. Normally I would always leave a baby wild animal alone, but this one was right in the middle of a path that's regularly used by tractors and horses (in fact Hauschge nearly stepped on it with one of his clunking great hooves while Bex was examining it). So we took it home, put it in a hamster cage and I rang round the local animal rescue agencies, all of which were useless. Eventually I got hold of the number of the people who actually take care of the rescued rabbits, only to find myself talking to answering machine. And they haven't rung back. So I went on the internet, and learned that (a) it's very, very difficult to hand-rear baby hares (less than 10% survival rate), and (ii)they need fluid every four hours. This is going to be the killer, because I can't persuade the little fellow to drink from the hamster's water bottle, and we haven't got a syringe, which is the approved method of giving them fluid. I can get one tomorrow morning, when I can also get the cat milk substitute and camomile tea that they apparently drink, but in the meantime I have to get her (the kids have decided she's girl and have named her Star) through the night, and I'm not at all sure I can do it. On the plus side, she weighs 200g, which ought to mean she's at least 9 days old, which in turn means she can eat a bit of fresh grass, so Bex has been out grubbing in the snow for some. I hate rescuing animals, they always die on me, I couldn't even save a budgie I once found on my way to work, so I fear Star stands very little chance. And she's so sweet, really lively and cuddly, and happy to curl up in people's jumpers. I just can't bear it.