“Feral” bunnies

[Marbles]

Hi, a couple weeks ago I got involved with a group of people trying to catch some feralish bunnies. They were abandoned by their previous owner, and what was originally 2 bunnies turned into 13. Nine of them were babies who were being fed by their mama still. However the mother was so thin and weak, she wasn’t able to feed them and they ended up passing. So that left four. One was caught and taken to our local shelter. And then another person caught the mama, and I took her in for the night. She was scared, but letting us pet her. She was eating veg and pellets, but was not really pooping. In the morning, we took her into the shelter. The shelter said if we catch any others, we could bring them in. Over the weeks, the group fizzled out. It turned out to just be three of us trying to catch the remaining two rabbits. We ended up catching another last night, and tried to take her into the shelter. But when I called them, they got mad and said I can’t bring in feral bunnies and that they are too untame. They have told me that they’re too scared in this environment and they will do better if I just leave them alone outside. So now I’m here freaking out that I’ve ruined these bunnies lives and that I’ve done the worst thing I could possibly do. So I need advice.

Keep catching the final bunny? Or leave the last one alone and set free the one I currently have. I don’t have a rescue around me and this is kinda eating away at me.
Did I do the right thing?
Thanks.

[kurottabun]

You definitely did the right thing. Domestic bunnies would never survive long in the wild. Some shelters are only used to taking dogs and cats so they would not know how to properly care for a bunny. I suggest you take mama back as well if you can as unfortunately the shelter doesn’t sound like they would care too much about her wellbeing

After being abandoned, most bunnies will become skittish and “untamed”, but time, patience and love goes a long way. They would no doubt be scared initially (leading to negative behaviours like lunging and biting) – after all they’re being caught by an unknown human and carried off to some unfamiliar environment. It’s fight or flight for them but since they can’t do “flight”, they “fight”. Many people only discover how sweet “feral” bunnies can be once they are given the proper love and care.

I’d recommend catching the final bunny and keeping it separately with the one you currently have (to avoid mating if it’s a male x female pair, and to avoid fighting if it’s a pair of the same sex). Could you afford to foster them while searching for permanent bun-parents to adopt them? Hay is the most important part of their diet so make sure the bunnies get them. Pellets and vegetables are secondary.

[Marbles]

They’re not even aggressive! They’re just absolutely petrified. I had two of them overnight and they’re letting me pet them and nudging at my hand whenever I’d stop, for more love. Luckily enough, today I found a lady who offered to take in all four of them and foster them.
Ive just been pouring myself into trying to help these babies, basically alone. And to be told by the only organization that was willing to help, that I just made everything worse. Was a little disheartening.

[Marbles]

Also about diet, I have my own bun so the food is taken care of! They’re so awfully thin and they’re only wanting pellets right now. So when I catch them I still offer pellets and veg but limit those things and try to push hay. The one I have now, isn’t pooping a lot but is still eating. I assume living off of grass for so long will mess up a tummy.

[Gina.Jenny]

Hi Marbles thanks for rescuing these buns and I think you did the right thing.

3 years ago, my sons and I caught 2 young girl rabbits that had be let you and gone feral. We caught Gina first, and poor thing was so hungry she ate non-stop for the first couple of days. I gave a very few pellets at a time, and a handful of hay in front of her initially, so I could monitor how much she was eating. She ate constantly, a few pellets, hay, more pellets, hay. At first she only pooped a couple of little peppercorn like poops every so often, but everntually the number and size increased. Same with Jenny when we finally caught her. Both were highly ‘aggresive’ but as you rightly said, only because they are terrified.

It took something like 9 months before it was possible to touch Gina without getting scratched, she is still very wary of being touched, but thankfully is bonded to a boy rescue who she is devoted to. Jenny still tryings to bite and scratch, but its more of a ‘just reminding you I can, mum’ than with any intent to break the skin.

Jenny nearly died of hypothermia shrtly after we took her in, and I’m certain being undernurished played a big part in that, she would not have lasted much longer in the wild as she just wasn’t getting enough to eat.

They may still be ‘semi-feral’ but they have had 3 years of warmth and safety and proper food and care that domesticated rabbits need to survive, hopefully these buns you’ve rescued will be the same, especially the poor starved mum bun x

[LittlePuffyTail]

You absolutely did the right thing. Domestic rabbits have very little survival rates outside. I`m so glad you were able to help and you have someone who stepped up to take them in.

[Marbles]

Update: So the three buns that were caught, have been settled into their foster home!

Their foster mum, has already found homes for two of them! So after they’re more comfortable around people, spayed/neutered and given a clean bill of health they’ll be off to their homes!
But, the one remaining likes to now “play” on a very busy street. So as I was attempting to catch him today, the previous owner of the bunnies decided to watch me/follow me. He has all of the neighbours call him whenever they see us around this final bunny.
It freaks me out a bunch, and makes me feel like I’m committing a crime.
But I’ve even offered before to help catch them, take them to be spayed and neutered and return them.
Local shelter, authorities and any rescue groups are of no help.
So I’m just wondering is what I’m doing is legal?
I never enter anyone’s property, without consent from the homeowner first.
I’m an anxious mess right about now so I’m sorry if this post is all over the place.
I’m so happy the three are doing great.
But this little guy is so scared of people and the previous (or current, seeing as he says they’re still his) owner is scaring him off any time I get close and has now stated, he’s going to kill and eat this bunny soon ?

[Author]

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