Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Small Mammals in Distress

Squirrels

Occasionally young squirrels fall from their nest onto the ground. Before bringing these animals to a rehabilitator, try reuniting them with the adults by placing them in a basket and hanging it securely in the original nesting tree. Wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the young squirrels. If they are not retrieved within 24 hours, contact a rehabilitator.

Rabbits

Rabbits tend to hide their young and visit them just a few times in a 24-hour period to prevent predators from finding the nest. If a nest of rabbits is disturbed, place the young rabbits back in the nest, cover them with leaf litter and place an X of string over the nest. Check it 12 to 24 hours later to see if the string has been moved. If the female rabbit has returned to feed her young, she will move the leaf litter and then push it back over the young so the string will no longer be in the shape of an X. If she does not return contact a rehabilitator.

Remember:

  • Young rabbits leave the nest and are able to eat on their own within 3 to 4 weeks, even though they are extremely small.
  • If their eyes are open and the young rabbits are eating solid foods, they are not orphans! If this is the case, they should not be moved or brought to a rehabilitator.

Cat wounds

Cat wounds can become easily infected. Any animal with a noticeable puncture wound from a cat should be treated by a rehabilitator.

What else can I do?

Listed below are volunteers who are authorized to care for sick, injured, or orphaned small mammals with the intent of returning them back to the wild. There are also listings of volunteers who handle other mammals, such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats, and deer. If you need assistance with one of these mammals, read the Dealing with Distressed Wildlife page.

Persons authorized to handle and care for most small mammals

Andover

Berlin

Bolton

Brooklyn

Canton

Canton

  • Roaring Brook Nature Center
  • 860-693-0263
  • NO rabies vector species, mice, rats, neonates

Colchester

Coventry

Coventry

East Haddam

East Haven

Fairfield

  • Dabney Bowen
  • 203-461-4351
  • Only rehabbing small mammals
  • NO rabbits or mice

Granby

Griswold

  • Oona Cutrone
  • 860-917-2741; please contact by text message
  • Only rehabbing red squirrels

Killingly

Lebanon

  • Wendi Arndt
  • 860-823-8084
  • Only rehabbing chipmunks, mice, and squirrels

Lyme

New Fairfield

North Haven

Norwich

Plainfield

  • Janey Girardin
  • 860-222-5682
  • Only rehabbing fawns, squirrels, and rabbits

Plainfield

  • Sherry Harmon, Nutmeg Acres Wildlife
  • 860-631-7252; call or text
  • Only rehabbing weasels, minks, fishers, otters, porcupines, and opossums (no other species, please)

Pomfret

  • Linda Baade
  • 860-800-6259
  • Only rehabbing opossums and squirrels

Seymour

  • Krista Gambino
  • Kreationsbykrista@att.net
  • Rehab of only orphaned squirrels and flying squirrels (NO pinkies/newborns or injured/sick squirrels)

Southbury

Sterling

Stonington

Vernon

  • Maria Jean Carini Phelps
  • 860-992-5513
  • Only rehabbing rabbits and squirrels

Warren

Waterford

Waterford

Waterford

Weston

Willington

Windham

Woodbury

  • Crystal Gardner
  • 203-518-1827
  • Only rehabbing gray squirrels

Woodstock

Return to Dealing with Distressed Wildlife

Content last updated on October 7, 2026.