Meet Sasha… or Levi… or how did this happen?

[Riya]

Had you told me yesterday morning that I would have a rabbit in my house, I’d have thought you insane.  Well, the joke is on me .

Yesterday afternoon, I was backing out of a parking space at the local Petsmart when a lady hollers “Is that your bunny?”.  I look to my parking spot and there’s this black rabbit, had been between my tires.  Thank God I backed out straight.  My older daughter (26) jumps out of the van and heads toward it.  I went and parked, and my younger daughter (12) and I went over too.  Little bunny runs under another car.

So there’s 4 of us on the ground, trying to coax bunny out from under the car.  We ended up getting an extension scraper out of my van to try to guide it out.  I learned just how agile bunnies can be.  What felt like hours later to my knees and elbows, but was probably 10 minutes, it finally moved close enough to my older daughter that she was able to catch it.  I’ll be honest, I expected the real fight to begin then, but no.  Bunny was scared, but kind of burrowed into my daughters neck. 

Back into Petsmart we go.  Talk to the manager.  Nobody has been in with a bunny, and they don’t sell them.  And they can’t take it.  Ask everyone we see, nobody knows a thing.  Call the local animal shelter, they tell me to call animal control, won’t take it without an appointment and 3 years worth of paperwork.  Run into my younger daughter’s orchestra teacher.  She’s starts laughing because she knows how this is going to go down.

We know full well we won’t find the owners.  There are no houses that close to the store.  Pretty sure it’s been dumped.  I hope I’m wrong.  This is the sweetest rabbit, was kind of timid last night but is exploring and showing no fear today.  My daughter is in love and hubby and I have been researching better habitats all day. 

I did try to get it into my vet today (he was open), but he doesn’t do rabbits.  We have a place in town that I’m going to call tomorrow and hopefully get in to find out what kind of rabbit, if it’s Sasha or Levi, and hopefully gauge its age.

So there’s my intro book.  I’m sure I’m doing everything wrong, but that’s why I’m here

[Boston's Mama]

Welcome so glad you found and rescued Sasha ( or Levi!)
Welcome to bunny ownership
There are lots of posts here that will help and feel free to ask any questions you have

Some basics : rabbits hate being picked up – it will help you to bond with him / her if you pick him up as little as possible
Food: they mainly need hay – unlimited. 90 % of their diet needs to be hay. Timothy is best ( if you can get it in your country ) unless vet tells you bunny is under 6 months when you go- then use alfalfa until he is 6 months old also have it available for him as well as water.
Pellets are only 5% of their diet. A tablespoon in the morning and again at night of a good quality pellet ( burgess / oxbow or sherwood are most recommended ) – stay away from meusli ones, seed ones or the coloured ones . Bunny will Iike the coloured / seed ones but they are bad for him.
With veges go slow – tiny bit a day until he is used to them and go slower if he stops pooping as much ( gi stasis is good to read up on the symptoms of as it’s common )

Other than that – a vet visit for sure – enjoy having a look around at habitat ideas and other sections available here

[Bam]

Hi! Thank you for saving Sasha/Levi!

Boston’s Mama has given you good starter-advice. I’m sure questions will pop up though, don’t hesitate to ask!

[joea64]

Well done on rescuing Sasha (or Levi, as the case may be)! For habitats, if you’re handy with putting things together, I suggest building one out of NIC cubes. They’re quite popular with house rabbit people (and their buns!) and you can put one together in just about any size, shape and arrangement you like.

You do need to make sure you have a solid floor of some kind – wire floors aren’t good for rabbit feet, particularly if your bunny comes from a breed that doesn’t have a lot of fur on the bottom of their paws; they can get an unpleasant condition known as sore hocks. A rug or carpet works fine if it’s made from a natural fiber; I use a sisal rug from IKEA as the flooring for my buns’ play area.

Seconded on hay being the most important component of a bunny’s diet, with water to wash it down. Since you mentioned that you found Sasha/Levi in the parking lot of your local Petsmart, I recommend you to go check the small-animal section; if the bun is old enough, get some orchard hay (Oxbow sells it) to mix with the timothy. You should also think, if you’re in the U.S., about a company called Small Pet Select; they have top marks among bunny people for their hay, and they sell mixed hay in various weights. Mixed hay is especially good because it provides your bun with a variety of tastes and because the different kinds of hay require him/her to chew them in different ways, thus promoting proper tooth wear. Next to GI stasis, dental problems deriving from lack of tooth wear are the most common health issues afflicting house rabbits.

For socialization, instead of trying to pick Sasha/Levi up, I recommend daily “floor sessions”. This basically involves you or your daughter sitting or lying on the floor, doing your various things and allowing the bun to explore you and get used to you at their own pace. Rabbits have a very complex and interesting language based mainly on body movements and postures, augmented by various sounds, and it’ll benefit you to start learning how to interpret the various positions Sasha/Levi takes.

[CottonBall]

Welcome. I’m learning right along with you. let us know what you find out at the vet.

[tobyluv]

Thank you so much for saving this bunny’s life! It was almost certainly deliberately dumped and unless rescued soon, would likely have come to a very bad end.

There is a lot of great information here on all the basics of bunny care. Click on the BUNNY INFO tab at the top of the page. Feel free to ask any questions that you have. We are always glad to help.

I hope that you can find a good, rabbit savvy vet for Sasha or Levi. I know that the poor bunny is very grateful that you found him and that you are giving him a home.

[ThorBunny]

What a lucky bunny to have chosen your car to hide under

Don’t have much to add to all the great advice above, just wanted to say welcome and I hope you have many happy bunny days to come

[Riya]

Thank you all so much for the welcome and the very helpful tips. We have an appointment this morning, so the name mystery shall be solved!

Currently Sasha/Levi is being housed in my dogs crate. it’s approximately 24″ x 48″. I have the floor panel in and a fleece blanket covering that. The Petsmart folks helped me muddle through and I got a bag of timothy hay and the pellets with the colored ones. After reading the above, we picked the colored ones out and I’ll find the better ones today. We also have a water bottle and a water bowl, because we weren’t sure what he/she was used to drinking from. I think the bowl is going to win.

And right now I think we’re pooping ok. I’m seriously considering renaming to SPAL (sure poops a lot)! It looks uniform in size/shape, so I’m taking that as a good sign.

We tried a bit of romaine last night and that was a hit . But going slow with it to be safe.

The more I watch this guy/gal, it appears to have been very well taken care of. I’m probably going to wait a couple of weeks before investing in a different habitat (and yes, I like the looks of the cube ones). I’ll keep watching Craigslist/shelters/lost pets notices because I’d feel horrible if it was truly lost. I can just imagine a devastated kid. But on the flip side, what are the odds of finding it in a pet store parking lot unless someone dumped it, hoping an animal lover would pick it up? It’s just weird.

[Riya]

Drum roll please…

Meet Sasha!  The vet said she’s in pretty good shape, approximately 4-5 years old, but a little underweight.  They’re pretty sure she was dumped and said that it happens a lot in pet store parking lots.  The dumpers aren’t complete ogres, trying to take them where someone might find them, but still.

And I’m going to try to post a pic.  This was taken on Sunday.

[joea64]

What splendid ears!

[tobyluv]

Sasha is lovely! Most rabbits prefer drinking from a bowl. They can access the water better and easier. Those bottles tend to drip or leak and it’s harder for rabbits to get the water. You do have to make sure that you use a heavy crockery bowl so that it can’t be knocked over.

Oxbow makes good pellets, and that brand is sold at Petsmart. Petsmart is kind of expensive, though. I order pellets and hay online at drsfostersmith.com, where the prices are better and the items are always fresh.

Rabbits usually get dumped at an earlier age, but the Sanctuary where I volunteer has been asked to take older rabbits, some were even 8 years old or more.

Rabbits are said to do 300 poops a day, so it sounds like Sasha is an average bunny.

[CottonBall]

Try the Snappyfit metal bowls. Midwestmakes them. they lock onto the cage wire and you can get different sizes. Agway or Tractor supply should have them. Not ale to be chewed or dumped.

[CottonBall]

Try the Snappyfit metal bowls. Midwestmakes them. they lock onto the cage wire and you can get different sizes. Agway or Tractor supply should have them. Not ale to be chewed or dumped.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Welcome to the forum! She’s gorgeous Thank you so much for taking her in! I still can’t believe how someone could ever dump a defenseless animal…

You’ll be in for a couple more surprises, because rabbits are quite different from the false image stubbornly portrayed in ads and other media. Most people expect a docile, somewhat dimwitted teddy bear who’s a great starter pet for your small tykes. Just throw it in the garden in a cage, and it’s super low-maintenance. Yikes, expect the complete opposite!

As mentioned, they dislike being picked up, and may scratch and bite furiously. They’ll need as much attention and mental stimulation as cats and dogs. They are easily bored, but on the other hand they get nervous from overstimulation. You’ll find that they dislike an environment with a lot of noise or activity. For a solo rabbit it’s often best if they’re housed indoors with the rest of the family, so they get enough attention and won’t get bored. Many rabbits who’re kept outdoors suffer from boredom and depression, and it takes years from their life. Another point for indoor housing is predators (even friendly yet curious housecats): rabbits take fright easily and may suffer a heart attack from it. They’re also masters at hiding illnesses, so they need to be watched closely. When a rabbit is obviously ill, it can be a real emergency and a matter of several hours.

What really sets a rabbit apart from the most common pets like cats and dogs is that they’re a prey species. You can see this in every part of their behaviour: to calm their nerves they need several places to hide, and constantly check their surroundings to see if all their escape routes are still intact. Rabbits may feel the need to bolt away when they’re frightened, and will do so blindly. Something like moving a chair or putting a bag on the floor can block their escape route, and they’ll attempt to push it away or chew right through it.

When handling a new rabbit, treat it with the utmost care and don’t force anything. Let them come to you, let them initiate cuddles, and let them choose whether to leave their cage etc. If you give a rabbit space, you’ll gain its trust. Rabbits can form a great bond with their human, like dogs. You can even teach them tricks: our bun goes into his cage on command. But the most special thing in a bond will definitely be the care that your rabbit gives you. Many people here notice that their rabbit seeks them out if they’re feeling unwell. Our rabbit Breintje will follow me around all day after a rough physio treatment, showering me with licks and cuddles. They’re such wonderful pets!

Here’s a good site which I found helpful in learning body language and general behaviour: http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

[Riya]

Wow! Again, I’d like to thank everyone so much for all of the advice. It really has been a whirlwind.

We did pick up the Oxbow pellets and she loves them. Right now the vet has me feeding her 1/4 cup am & pm. Once she fills out a little bit, they want to cut it back to 1/8th am/pm. She’s drinking quite a bit of water (thanks for the advice of the clip on bowls, much easier to deal with!), and going through quite a bit of hay. So I think we’re good there.

My daughter, aka Little Bit, has been very conscientious about not picking Sasha up. She’ll open the cage door and bunny explores all around her bedroom. Tonight, Sasha decided my daughter was a jungle gym. Then slid down her arm leaving lovely scratches. We decided sleeves were probably in order going forward. . But bunny comes right up to her and loves to be scratched. And it’s not too difficult to guide her back into the cage when it’s time.

Little Bit has also been very good about keeping the cage cleaned up of poop. When she grows up, she wants to work at the Intl. Wolf Center, and I told her it would involve cleaning a lot of poop, so she’s trying to get herself over the ickiness of it. Says it’s a lot easier than cleaning up after the dogs. LOL. Also measuring her food properly and keeping the water dish clean and filled. I do have to have her add more hay, but I think she’s realizing just how much of it Sasha eats. Overall much easier on me than the hamster was a few years ago.

We do have two dogs, and that’s where it’s been interesting. Little Bit didn’t get her bedroom door latched the other day and they went in. The shepherd mix was very excited. He didn’t bark or growl, but he just stared and his tail was going nuts. He and Sasha faced off for a bit, then she moved to the other side of the cage, which scared the dog half to death. He’s 90 pounds and the biggest wuss on the planet. I finally got him settled down and he sniffed a bit, then seemed ok. He still wants in the room all the time to go look. I’ll feel a bit better about that when I can get her new cage built, and she can get higher. I doubt it will ever get to the point where she can be out of the cage with him around. He just gets too excited and I’m afraid he’ll step on her.

The other dog is a 14 year old basset, deaf, and has a really bad back. Not sure how much longer we’ll have her. She went in the same time the shepherd did, looked, sniffed, then went and laid under my daughters desk for a nap. She didn’t even care. But the problem with her is that she’s started barking incessantly. We’re keeping her out of the bedroom, but I hope it’s not stressing Sasha out too much. Doesn’t seem to be, but boy, my basset is loud!

Ok, I’ve rambled on enough. I just really appreciate having a place where I can talk about this and people not get too bored with me .

[DanaNM]

Awww, Sasha sounds lovely, and lucky for her than you found her (or that she found you!) and could give her a loving home! Sounds like you are off to a very good start.

My Bertha was also likely dumped by someone… she was found wandering in an empty house with nothing, and she is the sweetest most loving creature… I can’t imagine how anyone would abandon her (or any animal) like that. I too wondered if she had escaped from a kid, because she had already been spayed, so we knew someone must have taken pretty good care of her at one point.

On that note, not sure if this was already mentioned by someone here or your vet, but you should get her spayed if possible. Female rabbits have about an 80% rate of uterine cancer if un-spayed, and it can help with litter box habits, etc.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Haha, it can be quite overwhelming indeed if a rabbit just falls into your life. Most people are very surprised how difficult it is to care for them, and how much personality they have. It’s great to hear that the kids are taking such good care of her, I hope they’ll get along splendidly!

The barking of the dogs may be stressful for Sasha, I hope that people here will have advice regarding dogs and rabbits in one household. I know that introducing rabbits to cats and/or dogs can be difficult and that they sometimes don’t go together that well. It’s the predator/prey thing. A playful dog is quite scary to a rabbit, and the rabbit’s running may trigger hunting instincts in the dog. It’s best to keep them separated for now while you’re still gathering information on how to introduce them. For now it’s most important that she learns to trust you and your family members, so you can confidently introduce her as a new pack member to the dogs.

I hope that one day the rabbit and the dogs will get adjusted to eachother so the rabbit can live in the family area of your house. In the long run she’ll likely get bored if she’s housed in a bedroom. Rabbits also need 3 hours of supervised playtime outside of their cage, and that will be easier to supervise in a family room.

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