Found this bunny… What now?

[Mystery Bunny]

Hi!

I found a very sweet bunny today wandering around the neighborhood while I was out walking my dogs. He wasn’t worried about me or the dogs. After I put my dogs away, I was able to lure him/her over with some lettuce and eventually was able to pick it up. It seems very tame and loves to be pet on his head. I haven’t had any responses regarding my posts just yet (local classifieds, local found pets list, craigslist, local SPCA). One person suggested that maybe it was an indoor/outdoor bunny, like how people keep cats. Is this really a thing? I’m not familiar with it. Is it likely? I would have hated to have stolen somebody’s pet… but I figured somebody had either lost it or dumped it. Should I have left him be? While he was enjoying his freedom, I didn’t know if a domesticated, non-camouflage (bright white) bunny would fare very well living wild.

I will probably keep him unless an owner turns up, or maybe find him a good home.

Thank you for your thoughts on this!

Also, what type of bunny do you think Mystery Bunny is?

[kurottabun]

Perhaps you could ask around and see if anyone lost a bunny. If no one takes it back then it was most likely abandoned :/

I haven’t heard of anyone letting their bunnies live both indoor/outdoor lives – usually the bunny has a default living area (either indoors or outdoors), and the owner would only temporarily take them to the other area for playtime etc.

This is obviously a domestic bunny and domestic bunnies won’t survive long in the wild, regardless of colour. They are very sensitive animals.

While you look around, it’d be good to feed it some rabbit safe vegetables like cilantro, romaine lettuce (iceberg lettuce is a big no-no), basil etc. (assuming you don’t have hay since you don’t have rabbits of your own?). Their guts need to keep moving or they could go into stasis, which is pretty fatal.

The fur looks a bit like a rex. Does it feel velvety/plushy?

[Nichole]

That’s definitely a rex. You did the right thing by bringing him inside. While you wait for a response do some research on house rabbits and decide if you want to keep him.

[Sirius&Luna]

He looks like a rex to me!

Thanks for saving him – responsible people definitely don’t let their rabbits roam around freely outside, there’s too many predators. It sounds like he was abandoned or escaped.

Are you able to get him some hay? Hay is the most important bit of a rabbit’s diet! If you can’t get hay, fresh grass is also good

[Mystery Bunny]

Thanks for the feedback! I had picked up some rabbit pellets yesterday and will get him some hay today. He’s already getting lots of lettuce, fruits, and veggies as I usually have a bunch on hand for me and the tortoise.

I have gotten a reply that suggested a house he might belong to. It sounds like they might really be purposely letting him roam? I will go ask about it today… But I am concerned for him if that is the case. He is so sweet, I would hate for something to happen to him wandering around like that. But if it’s their bunny, I guess it’s up to them.

[Mystery Bunny]

Oh, and yes, he is super velvety and plush, and he has lots of beautiful curly eyelashes.

[tobyluv]

It’s very good that you rescued this bunny. No one should ever purposely let a rabbit roam outside. There are so many dangers out there and a domestic rabbit won’t last long.

It would be best to stick to giving him hay and pellets, with just a little bit of greens, and an occasional small piece of fruit. Rabbits have sensitive GI tracts. You don’t know what he had been fed in the past and if he is used to eating greens, so it’s good to start slowly with those and introduce one variety at a time. Fruit contains a lot of sugar, which can cause gas or other problems in rabbits.

Go to the BUNNY INFO link at the top of the page, to see all the basics of rabbit care, including diet and which greens/veggies are best for rabbits.

[LittlePuffyTail]

What a beautiful bunny! Thank you for caring!!!

It sounds like they might really be purposely letting him roam? I will go ask about it today… But I am concerned for him if that is the case.

I have, unfortunately, heard of this more frequently. Very sad. There are way too many dangers for bunnies out there, cars, weather, predators, humans, etc…. If they keep letting him out, one day he won`t come back.

You`re obviously a good person but I would just keep him. He`s much safer with you. If they are letting him roam, they clearly don`t care enough about him.

[Mystery Bunny]

I’ve been pretty conflicted over what to do, but I’ve decided I do need to Try to see if that is his owner since I have that lead. Primarily because the person saying they think they’re letting him roam could be just assuming that and be totally wrong. The person who said that also said she’s only seen him out within the last couple of days. One of their kids could have accidentally let him out or something, and he could be a beloved family pet… I can’t know unless I ask, but i do hope if it’s theirs that they are NOT really letting him roam on purpose! I would be so sad if he went back to a home that might put him in danger.

I went by the house today and no one was home, but there was a bunch of bunny stuff set outside the door, not set up as if to currently house a bunny but all the supplies and a plastic bag of hay etc. piled into a small dog crate. Not sure what’s up. I think i will try one more time and leave a note and leave it at that.

[Bunny House]

I would personally not contact the owner because they are showing they do not want the bunny anymore as all the items are placed outside. If one of my buns got out I would keep his house set up for a long time hopeing he would come back.

I would keep him or foster him until you find him a home and let it be. They would be putting out flyers for him or posting online for him. You now have a furry new friend

[Hazel]

I agree with Bunny House. It sounds to me like they dumped him, otherwise they wouldn’t have tossed his stuff to the curb already. I wouldn’t even bother trying to contact them, he’s better off with you.

[Binky and the Bro]

She’s very beautiful!

I’m in the exact same boat as you — found a bunny a few weeks ago. Mine is almost certainly a rabbit who was “released” by a family that didn’t want to care for her. However, I alerted my local vets and took her to one to see if she’s chipped (they did a quick scan and didn’t find one, but evidently some people chip their bunny). 

Side note — I posted this on the Rescue board, but if she had any ticks/mites/etc., monitor your health. I am currently on antibiotics as my doc suspected Lyme disease or Tularemia (!!) from one of the 50+ ticks I pulled off poor Binky. Just an FYI.

[Mystery Bunny]

Thanks for all your feedback! It has been very helpful. I really want to do the right thing here, for both bunny and the possible owners. I’ve chosen a middle road… I put up a found bunny flyer on a stop sign in front of their house. It also has a note stating that if they don’t want or cannot keep the bunny, not to worry, it will have a good home.

However, I’ve driven or walked by the house numerous times over the past days at different times (morning, afternoon, evening) and there has not been anybody home. I’m beginning to suspect that they went on vacation and let him go instead of finding someone to care for him. So, I might just take down my sign.

[Nutmeg]

If thats the case then that is so sad
I’m so glad you are trying to do whats right by both the bunny and the owners – but the fact that they put the bunny’s stuff out on the front steps makes me think you are right.
Thank you for being there!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Awww….that’s so sad. Wouldn’t surprise me. People often mistakenly think bunnies can survive outside on their own. Keep the bunny. You will be overjoyed at how wonderful they can be. Or if that’s not an option, try to rehome him in a bit.

[Sleepy]

I think it’s very mature of you to take the middle road. Personally, I would’ve left a far less pleasant note around at this point. However, good on you for making he effort with the bun anyway.

[Mystery Bunny]

So based on the preponderance of evidence that the bunny seems to have been released/abandoned, I have decided to keep the bunny.

I took down my sign and I’m done knocking on doors. I feel like if they had actually lost the bunny and wanted him back, they would probably be the ones putting up signs, be out looking for him, knocking on doors, etc. They don’t even appear to have been home for at least the last several days.

I really, really like this bunny. He is such a character. Now I have to decide on a name! I’m thinking maybe T-Rex, although I don’t know if he’ll be a Mr. T or a MissT… ?

[Mystery Bunny]

Edit: oops double post.

Side note… It was super awkward knocking on other doors in the neighborhood at first… People kept thinking that I was delusionally talking about the wild rabbits that are everywhere and thinking that people had lost their pets. ?

[BB8]

I’m glad to hear T-Rex found a good home!

[Mystery Bunny]

Re: Bunny and the Bro. Poor thing! And I hope you don’t get Lyme!

I did notice that he has fleas. Is there anything I can do for that?

[kurottabun]

Aww yay! T-Rex is pretty cool and gender neutral heh

You could try to pry around the rear area (lol) and see if you can find testicles when the bunny is lounging. Or you could make him/her stand and see if you can find anything down there. A rex shouldn’t be as “fluffy” as other breeds but I’m still not too sure if you’ll be able to see anything!

It’s best to find a rabbit savvy vet and take bunny there, not just to check the gender but also estimate the age and check for any potential illnesses.

[Mystery Bunny]

I have a really good exotics vet who my birds and reptiles see , so he will be going to the vet soon for a well check and neuter consult if male… Will he start marking if he’s male and not fixed?

[tobyluv]

Posted By Mystery Bunny on 8/16/2018 8:13 PM

Re: Bunny and the Bro. Poor thing! And I hope you don’t get Lyme!

I did notice that he has fleas. Is there anything I can do for that?

Revolution (kitten formula) is one of the most common medicines given to rabbits who have fleas.  NEVER use Frontline or any medicine containing fipronil.  Some vets may give injections of ivermectin to rid a rabbit of fleas.

Make sure you keep any area he is in well vacuumed.  Fleas only stay on the animal part of the time, and at other times they are hiding in the carpet or upholstery.

Regarding marking by unneutered rabbits – some do it and some don’t.  Some may hump people and some don’t.  Unneutered rabbits can be frustrated, so the surgery certainly relieves that. It’s also usually easier to litter box train a rabbit who has been neutered.

It’s wonderful that you are keeping him.  Check out the BUNNY INFO link at the top of the page, for information on all the basics of rabbit care.  Don’t hesitate to ask any questions here either.

[Nutmeg]

Awesome name!!

And Also, even if its a girl I would still get her spayed – Uterine cancer is very HIGH in unspayed females – statistics are at about the 80% range will get it by age 3 to 5… Congrats on your new addition

[Mystery Bunny]

Update… The owners had seen the sign and contacted me today. They explained that he had escaped his outdoor pen that they had made for him. They were keeping him outside due to space constraints and living circumstances. They miss him and love him, but said they just can’t keep him and have asked if I would keep him for them. I agreed of course. I feel bad about the assumptions I had made so want to set the record straight. They seem very nice and are coming over tonight to visit him. I hope it goes well for everyone!

[Mystery Bunny]

The visit went as well as it could under the circumstances. It was very sad and they cried saying goodbye, but I let them know that they can come visit him anytime, just to text me. So I guess it worked out in a way. I’m glad they we’re able to have closure because they had been very sad as they thought he was likely eaten by something.

[kurottabun]

Aww such a happy ending. Sending you the best vibes as a new bunny owner!

[tobyluv]

It’s good to know that he wasn’t just thrown out. That also underscores just how important it is to have a rabbit totally secured if he is living outside. That can be hard to do, which is why indoor housing is the preferred way to keep a rabbit.

Maybe you can get his medical history from his former owners. Find out the vet that he may have gone to, and any problems that he may have had in the past that you should watch for. Or any foods that may have caused trouble and should be avoided.

It’s so good that he now has a home with you.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Sounds like a happy ending. They were not able to properly care for him and now they know he will be well taken care of. And you get an adorable bunny.

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