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Some questions about fostering

angeleyes

Warren Veteran
I wonder if anyone who runs a rescue could answer a few q's for me?
my family would like to help local rescues by fostering some bunnies but would like to know what exactly is involved.
Would we be provided with a hutch (es) as we don't have any or would someone be able to donate them?
How long are buns normally fostered for?
Will we need to pay for vet bills?
If anyone thinks we can help please let me know :D
 
Where in the UK are you?
I foster for a rescue and I have my own hutch, because I moved my rabbits into a new setup. A lot of rescues may be able to supply a hutch for you. The rescue pays for all the vet bills, and also for the food, unless you are willing to pay for that. I pay for the food, hay, bedding, etc. myself instead of donating money.
I had each of my foster bunnies for a few weeks, but there is no average time for fostering a bunny. Sometimes they may be difficult to rehome, then you have them for a longer time. Or they may have to recover from some operation or illness.
You should have a car to take the bunnies to the same vet that the rescue uses, and you should have some experience with handling rabbits. The rescue would do a homecheck to see if you are suitable.
 
It varies by rescue but for us we expect:

The foster carer to provide a decent sized hutch and run (we have on occasion loaned some out with the inhabitant though), the food, bedding and love. We also expect them to have the easy use of a good, knowledgeable rabbit vet. We pay all vet bills (illness or injury) and medical bills (such as worming and flea treatments etc) but expect foster carers to provide receipts from the vets.

Foster time varies according to what the rabbit and rescue needs. Rabbits are usually fostered because they are not ready to rehome and are filling up a rescue space where a healthy rabbit could be. Usual foster reasons include a need to gain/loose weight, waiting for snuffles, eye infections, minor illnesses to clear, work on sociability and behaviour or waiting for them to mature to a suitable age for neutering.

Often once rabbits arrive in a foster home they gain 'safe' status and this can mean they end up in foster care for longer than previously thought as more urgent case jump ahead to come into the rescue.
 
im not a rescue but i have fosterers.

where possible i pay for the neutering and vaccinations and people supply there hutches and runs, we find we are always short on foster homes who can take indoor cages for quarantining etc.

its always on a volunteer basis but i try to pay as much as i can like food hay etc.
 
My bunnies were fostered for 9 months before we took them. No-one wanted them because Button is partially sighted, though they are clearly the best bunnies ever and everyone else just missed out! But it does mean that they can be fostered for a very long time if they are considered to be less desirable.
 
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