Please read my rabbit story :)

[Jayyne]

OK so about a month ago, a beautiful white bunny appeared in our backyard here in Texas.  We’ve got tons of cottontails but this was obviously a pet.  I posted on Craigslist and a local board to no avail.  I believe this bunny was abandoned.  Now, I do not want a bunny.  My dogs chase her out of our yard, but she keeps coming back…at a certain point she stops running from the dogs, letting us feed her by hand, and barely running when we try to catch her (although she runs just enough to keep away).  We caught her once, I knocked on doors, nobody claims the bunny.  I took her to the animal shelter, they refused her.  I wrote to the local rabbit sanctuary, no response.  So…I let her go.  

It stormed the other night, and that bunny sat in the middle of our backyard getting rained on.  It has no natural instincts to burrow or hide.  I saw a cat on our street…and realized how guilty I would be if anything happened to it.  I didn’t want a bunny.  But with no one else to turn to, we popped a laundry basket over her last night and took a trip to Petsmart.  $130 later, we have a pet bunny named Zaika (Russian affectionate term for bunny…we have a Russian neighbor who gave us the name).  My 6 year old daughter has claimed her, and has even declared she loves her more than the dogs (my daughter has never been a fan of the dogs unfortunately).  

I’m not a complete caged-animal newb, I’ve owned robo hamsters and a hedgehog.  Compared to the hedgehog, this rabbit should be a breeze to take care of.  What I’m concerned about is her extreme docility.  This bunny allows us to pick her up, cuddle her, pet her, and she doesn’t seem terrified at all.  My daughter, who is so gentle with this rabbit, is cuddling her constantly.  She doesn’t struggle…she also allows the dogs to put their noses on her with no reaction.  From what I’m reading, it’s not typical for a bunny to allow itself to be picked up.  Do you think there might be something wrong with her?  She doesn’t seem lethargic, just docile to an extreme.  She’s eating just fine…pellets, hay, and watermelon for a treat.  Could she be depressed about losing her freedom?  It was so hot yesterday when we caught her I feel like she’s got to be happy in the air conditioning.

[Mocha]

If she’s your bunny now, you need to take her to the vet. The vet will be able to see if anything is wrong with her. Before you make any comitments, rabbits are very expensive. They are considered exotic animals, and their surgeries can be very expensive.

You should be feeding her 3 cups of fresh veggies, 1/4 cup of plain pellets (for example Oxbow Adult T), and her body mass at least in hay each day.

Rabbits are very sensative animals, so make sure your daughter knows that. You should supervise her with the bunny at all times. You know how to correctly pick her up. Don’t hold her so she’s lying on her back.

Are you sure she’s not scared of your dogs?

[MK]

So glad you rescued her I would highly recommend getting bunny an x-pen, it provides more space.

It is great your daughter is gentle with the bunny, they can make fine pets for children, as long as the children are supervised and not given important responsibilities like feeding to do by themselves.

Your bunny sounds fine, I know of rabbits who will willingly climb into people’s arms and sleep. However, it is best to take her for a vet visit, just to make sure she is healthy. Make sure you find an exotics vet. Rabbits are considered exotics, and cannot be treated properly by a regular dog and cat vet.

Check the House Rabbit Society’s webpage (rabbit.org) to find a vet in your area. Go under veterinary listings.

Congrats on your new (even if unwanted) pet

[Roberta]

She is beautiful and has obviously chosen you as her family…. I would say it is exhaustion and relief at having a safe home again.
Some bunnies are affectionate, most of mine are but avoid cuddles, my Starsky however is an affection seeking missile and comes running when he hear’s or see’s me.

[Jayyne]

I hear what you’re saying about the expense of making a commitment to Zaika, mocha, but I don’t think I have any choice in the matter. I am the only person willing to take responsibility for this rabbit…not my choice, some idiot who dumped her in my yard made that choice for me. No one will take her. I would so much rather NOT make a commitment to a rabbit, but here we are. I’m not going to leave her outside to a sad death. So I have no choice but to take her in.
Fortunately we have a rabbit-owning vet not too far from here that we will probably go see. I think I am way over feeding on the pellets and under feeding on the veggies, so we’ll fix that today.
One of my dogs is being kept away from her completely, since he’s too aggressive to be with her. I’m working with the other dog on her bunny manners, which so far aren’t too bad. Zaika hops right up to her and sniffs her nose to nose.
I’m also working on getting her out of her cage as much as possible so she can hop around…it’s a little tough because she’s limited to bathrooms right now due to a non bunnyproof home. She seems pretty happy, though. Hopefully the vet will confirm she’s healthy too!

[Sarita]

She’s beautiful and she’s lucky to have you.

You are doing a great job.

[Sarita]

I’m glad you found a vet too – I’m in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and if you need recommendations you can PM me but it does sound like you have a vet so that is good.

[Daisy1015]

she is really fluffy in your pic, some breeds like jerseyw ooly are known for being very docile and loving. I kind of wonder if that is part of her background. She is really cute and I think you will find you just adore her. What a wonderful temperment!

[robyn and 'tipps']

She found you. And you found her. Enjoy each other.

“Do you think the universe fights for souls to be together?
Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences.”
― Emery Allen

[Author]

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