Fostering a Bunny

[AnnBunny]

 Hey Everyone!

A friend of mine found a bunny in her backyard.  She has a dog and a very small apartment so she called on me to help since I already have a bunny of my own.  The local rescue group gave her a cage and some supplies and I got in touch with them when I took the bunny home.  My intention was to hold on to her and help them get her adopted since my bunny is 7 and he is pretty content NOT sharing his room haha!

Anyway, since taking her in, she has been in the same room as my male bunny (un neutered) but NEVER together, never out of their cage at the same time.  It’s been two weeks and I think she is going through false pregnancy, she is carrying around bunches of hay and digging.  I HOPE it’ false, but she doesn’t look big (she would have to have gotten pregnant while she was left outside – we do’t know how long she was out on her own).

If I keep her in another room, will she come out of this?  She’s also been agressive but she didn’t trust me at first so I don’t blame her.  I can move her to another room so she isn’t near my Bun, the plan is to get her spayed but the rescue group is being less than helpful to me and I’m trying to find her a home on my own.  She could stay here if I could afford the spay right now but I can’t for a while – I’m in the process of looking up low cost options however.  Also, the woman from the rescue looked her over when my friend had her and said she looked really healthy and she does to me too.  She didn’t notice her looking pregnant either.

I’m just wondering if I move her, will she be better?  Thanks for your help!!

[AnnBunny]

Also – I didn’t mention, I really am trying to get her spayed through the rescue so I can be considered a foster volunteer for them, but the woman I’ve been in touch with hasn’t been returning my email. She told me it would cost 100 dollars and it’s over an hour away somewhere I don’t feel comfortable driving. Unless she is looking to see if someone else can take her in for the surgery , I don’t know why she isn’t answering when originally they were supposed to cover the cost. Hopefully I can find something on my own!

[jerseygirl]

Welcome and Thank You for fostering this bunny. I’m sorry to say that the chances of this being a real pregnancy are great. If it is, she would be getting close to delivery of a litter. I hope for your sake I am wrong!

Do you mind posting the general area where you are? We might be able to help locate a vet or organisation that offers a spay program that covers rabbits.

I really hope the rescue continues to give you support. Make it very clear she came to you pregnant if it does turn out she has a litter.

[Monkeybun]

If your boy can get to her through cage bars, they can do the deed through them. Make sure there is NO contact at all between them til she is spayed.

Fostering can be so fun. a couple days ago I brought home my first foster bunny, and she is just adorable. She was so scared at first, but within 12 hours she was binkying and hopping towards us to check us out. She’s a social little thing. Just got her spayed this morning

[Beka27]

I’m also concerned about them being in the same room where one or the other is out free. One set of bars between unaltered rabbits isn’t enough to protect against a pregnancy… you actually need a space at least 3 inches wide separating the bunnies.

So if the rescue spays her, it’s going to cost YOU $100, or the rescue can hook you up with a vet who does spays for that amount? $100 for a spay is an amazing price (that IS considered low-cost!) but if you’re fostering, I would think the rescue would be paying for that.

It’s impossible in most cases to visually detect pregnancy, bunnies barely gain any weight, and even if she did gain weight, you don’t know what her body composition was previously because you just got her. Is the woman at the rescue a vet? I wouldn’t be taking the word of just anyone about the health of a rabbit, she does need to be evaluated by a vet, including a fecal check. A vet might want to do an ultrasound prior to the spay to be sure there are not any babies.

I’m surprised the rescue is allowing you to foster. Typically, if all rabbits/animals in a home are not spay/neutered, you wouldn’t be considered to foster. Did the woman know your male is unneutered?

[Sarita]

It’s very possible this rabbit was already pregnant too…I have the same questions as Beka about the rescue and the spay.

[AnnBunny]

 Oh, thanks guys.  It’s very unclear because the first email I was told that they would cover the costs, and then the next email was basically the volunteer telling me the phone number and cost and to call and make an appointment.  Since returning that email letting her know I can’t afford it and don’t feel comfortable driving in the city, I got no response.  She also DOES know that I have an un neutered male!  That is what I told her was my biggest reason for not just keeping her!

Looks like I may want to find another contact person for this rabbit rescue if possible.  Their website just has a generic email address.  

I know it sounds crazy but I doubt my Bun had any contact with her – he hasn’t shown any interest in her at all, but I am going to move her ASAP.  I mean we really don’t know how long she was outside anyway 

You guys are great, I wish I got this much help from the rescue group!! Now I’m thinking of what to email her back – they basically told my friend that they have no more room to take any more rabbits and left it at that.

[Beka27]

Well… congrats! I think you have yourself a new bunny. I reread your thread to make sure I understood the story. Your friend found the bunny, contacted the rescue, rescue gave her a cage, friend gave you the bunny and cage. So really… the rescue never had possession of the bunny. This is a tricky situation because it’s not like it’s really a “legitimate” foster where they have the bunny, and THEN you decide you want to help the rescue by taking the bunny in temporarily. Did you sign any paperwork with them or anything? Are they listing the bunny on Petfinder or on their website as being available soon?

Like I said before, $100 for a spay is considered low-cost. They average from $200-400. Rescues can’t get spay/neuters done for free, so $100 is probably their price.

[AnnBunny]

 O Hey Beka,

That’s exactly what happened.  I’d wanted to volunteer for them in other ways as well, because I don’t have the space for many fosters.  I only took her because they said they don’t have room.  I thought I was doing them a favor but they didn’t express interest in having me be an “official” foster for a rabbit or anything so I’m just taking things into my own hands.   I told them I was interested in doing this through them though – but I got no reply =(

I did however, email the volunteer today because I posted on craigslist to see if I could find someone nice and responsible who may want her.  She won’t go to just anyone!  So I thought maybe they could help me screen people seeing as how they have some experience.  We’ll see!  I think I’m pretty good about it though so I’ll make sure it’s someone good.

The good news is, she is not pregnant!  I moved her into a different room and behavior is much better.  I have her litter trained and trained to get back in her cage – with the help of raisins of course, but she’s being great!  Now to just get her aggressiveness under control….

It wouldn’t be the worst thing if she did end up being my new rabbit!  I just didn’t expect to have another new pet for a while as I want to travel and things like that, but it will work out =)

[Beka27]

Thank you for the update on her! She sounds like a smart girl! If you can, I’d love to see a picture of her…

Rescues are very overextended right now. If they have room for, let’s say, 20 rabbits, they have to feed, house, spay/neuter, and vet check 20 rabbits. That’s a lot of money and work, especially for rescues that bring in very few donations and may only function thru the help of unpaid volunteers.

I’m wondering if there was mis-communication somewhere along the line, either with your friend and the shelter, or the shelter and you… but regardless, the good news is she is safe and being cared for until she can find her forever home. If you have any questions about listing her on craigslist, feel free to ask. We don’t list rabbits for “rehoming” on this site, but we could maybe give you some tips on your ad.

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