Mammal · Squirrels, rabbits, hares & mice
Squirrels, rabbits, hares and small mammals
The first 60 seconds
- Leave it if
- A furred, bright baby squirrel may still have its mother nearby. Watch from indoors for an hour.
- Help now if
- Un-furred babies fallen from a nest or drey.
Do this
- Warm it up
- Dark, quiet, away from pets
- Check a rabbit nest
Never: it is an offence in the UK to release a captured grey squirrel back into the wild (Invasive Alien Species Order 2019). Many vets and rescues therefore cannot rehabilitate one and may have to put it to sleep. That is the law, not a choice they are making — better to know before you hand it over.
Baby squirrels from fallen dreys, rabbit nests uncovered by a mower, leverets alone in a field — small mammals make up a big share of every rescue’s spring. Warmth first; then a few things worth knowing.
Rescues across the UK take squirrels, rabbits & small mammals
- Handle?
- Yes, with a towel
- Busiest months
- Mar – Sep
- Biggest killer
- Cold
- Cat caught?
- Always needs a vet
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The one thing to remember
Warmth first. And with grey squirrels, know what the law requires a rescue to do.
Step one
Does it need help?
Look before you touch. Intervening when an animal is fine is one of the most common mistakes — and it can cost the animal its life.
Leave it be if…
- A furred, bright baby squirrel may still have its mother nearby. Watch from indoors for an hour.
- Leverets (baby hares) alone in a field. The mother visits just once or twice a day, at dusk — that is normal.
- A rabbit nest (a shallow scrape lined with fur). The doe only visits at dawn and dusk. If disturbed, cover it back up.
Step in if…
- Un-furred babies fallen from a nest or drey.
- Any animal caught by a cat or dog.
- Obvious fractures, head injury, or a wild rabbit with swollen eyes (myxomatosis).
- A baby squirrel that approaches people and follows them — it is hungry and alone.
Step two
First aid, step by step
What to do in the first ten minutes, in order. If anything here feels unsafe, stop, step back and phone a rescue for advice instead.
- 01
Warm it up
A small ventilated box, fleece or towel, and a covered warm-water bottle. Cold kills these animals faster than their injuries.
- 02
Dark, quiet, away from pets
The smell of a cat or dog alone can stress small mammals badly.
- 03
Check a rabbit nest
If a nest was disturbed, cover it back up and place two twigs in an X on top. If the X is moved by the next morning, the mother is visiting.
- 04
Ring a rescue
Baby mammals need specialist milk formula and feeding — never cow’s milk.
Important
What never to do
- It is an offence in the UK to release a captured grey squirrel back into the wild (Invasive Alien Species Order 2019). Many vets and rescues therefore cannot rehabilitate one and may have to put it to sleep. That is the law, not a choice they are making — better to know before you hand it over.
- Red squirrels are fully protected and quite different: red-brown coat, ear tufts. They need a specialist wildlife hospital, urgently.
- No cow’s milk for any baby mammal.
Food and water
Should I give it food or water?
Nothing for babies — they need species-specific formula. Warmth matters far more than food in the first hours.
Seasonal guide
Through the year
When rescues see the most squirrels, rabbits & small mammals — and what is driving it.
Busiest in March, April and May.
- January: Some
- February: Busy
- March: Peak
- April: Peak
- May: Peak
- June: Busy
- July: Busy
- August: Busy
- September: Busy
- October: Some
- November: Some
- December: Some
- Feb – AprFirst squirrel litters; storms bring dreys down.
- SpringRabbit nests exposed by mowing and dogs.
- Aug – SepSecond squirrel litters.
Background
Small facts
Hares are not rabbits
Leverets are born furred with eyes open, and lie alone in the open. Rabbit kits are born blind in burrows.
Squirrels have two litters
Usually in spring and late summer, so you will see babies twice a year.
Shrews need food fast
A shrew must eat every few hours. If a cat brings one in alive, get advice quickly.
Prevention
Help them where you live
- Check before mowing in spring — rabbit nests are easy to miss.
- Keep cats indoors at night, when small mammals are most active.
- Leave log piles and long grass for voles, mice and shrews.
The law. Red squirrels and dormice are protected species. Grey squirrels are listed as an invasive species and cannot legally be released. All wild mammals are protected from cruelty by the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.
FAQ
Questions people ask
I found a baby squirrel. Can I just give it back to its mum?
Should I take in a wild rabbit with myxomatosis?
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General first-aid guidance compiled from UK rescue organisations, not veterinary advice. Where this and a vet disagree, the vet is right.
