Fostering my first bun this weekend

Well now I've started reading these ads on Gumtree I can no longer stand to see these animals being given away for free, so like some of you on here have started trawling through the ads and sending people links to labrador, rabbit, snake etc rescues nearby where I live.

Anyway, unfortunately I was in contact with an owner yesterday who was giving her male bun away for free and is getting really "fed up" with having him around. I knew she didn't have the patience to contact a rescue, and she said she needed to know he was "leaving," so I have offered to take him and foster him to find him a good home. She doesn't really care either way.

Are there any specific processes I have to go through with fostering or when I collect him? Any questions I have to ask? Would he be okay to put in the vicinity of my own (vaccinated) rabbits or should I keep him separate for the time being?

Can I advertise him straight on rabbit rehome, or do I have to be a rescue to do this?

Hey Candiflare

I am afraid I am no help to you, but just wanted to say well done you for being pro-active

Keep him away from your own buns for at least 14 days. Free ad buns I've had have come with mites, EC, & a surprise free gift - baby buns. Then you have the general neuter/vacs costs if you have no rescue back up

I don't do it anymore - happy vet bills:lol:

The problem with free ads is that you can very easily be drowning in bunnies, its very emotive. I contact free ads now to point them here so they can put there bunnies on rabbits in need and also to tell them not to give for free as they could end up as snake food or dog bait. The bunnies from Banbury are going to BARKS on Sunday and we were lucky to find them a rescue place.

I would quarantine the bunny you are taking in away from yours. As you are wanting to bond your own bunnies, bringing another male into the mix (particularly if its not neutered) might give you added problems. I would get yours bonded before you take anymore in after this one.

Well done for taking this bunny, but be careful when reading free ads or you could be overun with bunnies. If you read any ads you are concerned about, send them to Hugos There and she assesses them and contacts them.

Look forward to seeing photos of this bunny.

I totally agree about quarantine and freeadds coming with added extras. Looking forward to piccies.

Ive got a freeads bun coming this week too but felt he needed to get out asap. I have a spare hutch and felt i had to do something quick... even if it does cost me (doing extra shifts!) Jill advised me to have a set of clothes to handle him and change before doing anything else, im going to makesure i always do my buns first, change and then sort him out.

Thanks for your advice guys..

I know how easy it is to become overrun.. It's just with some of the owners I can tell that they want shot of the animals pretty quickly, whereas others are happier to take their time and give the animal to the right person. I think you can usually tell from the correspondence you have with them.

They are also giving a labrador away for free on gumtree at the moment which I just think is ridiculous..

I agree with everything thats been said,if you have bonded buns you might find that even the smell of a newcomer upsets them and can cause them to chase or even fight [referred aggression].I had this initially with Daisy and Loppy when Ozzie arrived but now that Ollie has arrived I think even the buns have given up and think of me as a sad old rabbit woman and no longer chase each other.:roll:

Daisylop said:

I agree with everything thats been said,if you have bonded buns you might find that even the smell of a newcomer upsets them and can cause them to chase or even fight [referred aggression].I had this initially with Daisy and Loppy when Ozzie arrived but now that Ollie has arrived I think even the buns have given up and think of me as a sad old rabbit woman and no longer chase each other.:roll:

Click to expand...

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

You're not a sad old rabbit woman!

Well what do fosters normally do then? If people foster bunnies do they usually have some of their own and then take in a few more temporarily because they have the space?

The reason I want to do it is because I have the space and the cash at the moment to take in bunnies, but I'm sure I'm going to get confused about it and if the rabbit is with me for months and months I'm probably going to decide to keep it anyway... oh, I don't know..

Candiflare said:

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

You're not a sad old rabbit woman!

Well what do fosters normally do then? If people foster bunnies do they usually have some of their own and then take in a few more temporarily because they have the space?

The reason I want to do it is because I have the space and the cash at the moment to take in bunnies, but I'm sure I'm going to get confused about it and if the rabbit is with me for months and months I'm probably going to decide to keep it anyway... oh, I don't know..

Click to expand...

Your reasons for doing it were the same as mine. My "fosters", were my responsibility but Rescues put them on their waiting lists, & took them when they had space - bearing in mind bun is safe with you so wouldn't be rushed in as an "at risk" bun. You may end up keeping them a while. Quaratine is important -my quarantining lacked a lot at first - & didn't become an issue until I got Bouncer & he got EC symptoms (after I'd had him neutered). I do feel I've learnt a lot from all the health issues fosters have introduced me to. And my Kendra bun was a result of a free ad litter. Sometimes I was thrown in the deep end:roll::lol:

Financially, I wouldn't do it now. My own buns health issues have been an issue this year (myxi/EC/2 blockages/dentals/bloat/& a couple of unknowns) & it's been costly - I would've struggled to cope with fosters too. I have had fosters for Rescues - they stand the vets bills, so I just stick to that now - I can always pay for them, if I'm having a rich month

Emotionally, I wouldn't do it either. I felt two-faced telling people I understood why they wanted to get rid of their rabbits, when I wanted to hit them. Rescues have to deal with that daily. I couldn't.