New Member in FL – Updated w Pics!

[B. Faircloth]

Hello. My name is Brooke and I recently acquired what I believe is a Dutch. My husband and I named him Stuart, or Rabbit Stu for short. I came across him about a week ago when I stopped by the local garden shop for some chicks to bolster my dwindling chicken flock. The poor guy was in the very back of the building (and by back I mean you go to the back of the store, then further back into a storage warehouse where feeds and fertilizer is stored) all by himself in a tiny cage I wouldn’t even want to keep a hamster in. Three white bunnies were also in a cage together but they were removed from Stuart’s line of sight.

 

I immediately tracked down the kid working in the store and all I asked was, “What’s the deal with the bunny in the back?” To which he replied, “We’re not sure… he was brought to us like that.” So naturally, my curiosity was piqued as I was simply wondering why he was banished to the feed storage section but this kid was clearly indicating something wrong with the bunny that I didn’t immediately notice. The kid said the bunny was purchased and returned when he developed a slight head tilt. He said he believes the little guy is either blind or deaf but he wasn’t sure. What a way to treat a disabled creature, huh??

 

We went back and pulled the guy out of the cage and I also noticed he had an open cut on his shoulder blade and nips to his face and between the ears. He also had a lot of flaky skin which appeared to be due to previous sores healing up. The kid said they thought he might have been injured in a fight but they weren’t sure. I didn’t really put a lot of thought into it when I said I would take him. I’m not a bunny expert but having fostered countless critters in my day I figured anything I could do for him would be better than the state he was in.

 

Stuart now lives in our laundry room in an XL deluxe wire crate that’s large enough for a German Shepherd. In fact, his crate is situated on top of my husband’s police K9 crate so he has a bunk mate. We have three cats (two kittens – one of the kittens also physically disabled with pituitary dwarfism; all three cats rescues from the streets) that love coming to visit with him and crawling into his kennel as I’m cleaning it or interacting with BunBun. They also have daily play dates in the bathroom with Stuart hopping from kitten to kitten. Our three dogs have yet to meet Stuart; they’re more into chasing critters than playing nice, but once they learn an animal is off limits, they’re respectful and gentle.

 

Stuart isn’t my first bunny but he’s definitely the nicest one I’ve had. My grandmother surprised my bro and I with bunnies when we were kids, but we were too young to be able to even take care of them. Several years later when I was in my teens, I came to own a brownish/orangish bunny that I named Cadbury and I’m pretty sure it was pure evil incarnate!! I tried so hard to be friends with it but it bit and scratch and would run after me so often (almost always getting a painful nip in) that I eventually found it a new home. Stuart so far seems to be a sweet fella with a good disposition despite what might have been a rough start.

 

So that’s my freakishly long introduction. I’m going to have lots and lots of questions I’m sure so hopefully I’ll meet some nice people here!

 

Brooke

[bunnygirl]

Oh wow! What a truly beautiful story! New members are always welcome here, especially ones that have a a heart big enough to rescue one that truly needs a new home. Thank you, on behalf of Rabbit Stu for rescuing him! Welcome to the binkybunny community! Everyone is really nice, we’re always here to help where we can, situated from all areas of the globe! Feel free to ask any questions you need! ~ Kate

[sleepy538]

welcome! can we see pics of your lil fella?

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Brooke,
What a great story.
I look forward to hearing from you in our forums. And yes, we luv luv luv pix of our bunnies and other furbabies.

I’d suggest taking a long browse around the info. section of the site before you have any questions. BB has done a lot of research, and much of the info. is current and updated, so you may find answers before you even ask the questions. You sound like you have the habitat all set for now. I would say check out the Diet section in particular just to get stocked up on any foods that may have changed in recommendations since you had bunnies before.
And is his head still tilting? If so, you can do a keyword search in the Q&A forum for Head Tilt and it will bring up many older posts with some very good links and advice on how to treat and live with head tilt, which can be temporary.

You must have a great relationship with a vet already from the sound of your menagerie. Be sure to take him to be seen asap so you can get him the right meds to heal his various injuries and conditions. Head tilt is now being treated if caught early by a med, so that may help him greatly. And if he is sight or hearing impaired, we have experienced members who have tips for that, too. Just if you read a post older than a month or so, we ask that it be read only. Any questions can be in a new post from you.
I have a feeling your sweet little rescue will be with you, and us, for a long time.

[CinnabunMom]

Welcome to BB!! Id love to see pics of your bun!

[tanlover14]

Oh goodness, this is an amazing story!!! So glad you stumbled upon this guy and rescued him!

I agree — pictures are always a must!

[B. Faircloth]

Okay, lemme see if I can figure out how to upload pics. I took lots tonight while the kittens hung out with Stu.

 

Took this the night I got him. He’s a sweet little guy but he sure was freaked out.

 

This is his temporary crate until the pan for the big crate arrives tomorrow. That’s Charlie (found him at 3 weeks old under a trash can in Pensacola and severely underweight – he’s my heart) climbing into this crate to see if he has treats. He’s such a tubby little guy.

 

I think he’s buddies with Charlie already. They were chasing each other around that crate (that’s the police K9’s living quarters when he’s off duty — Stu’s crate is same size and above)

 

Sweet Charwee must like Stu because they’re both dressed so dapper.

 

You can still see where Stu’s shoulders are missing some fur from his previous injury, but it’s healing quickly. That’s sweet Oscar, the kitten that we all think has pituitary dwarfism. At almost a year, he’s only 2lbs, has no testicles, and still has his fluffy baby fur. The vet has ruled out everything else.

[sleepy538]

what an adorable bunch you have!

[Author]

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