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Chloe: A Christmas Bunny's Story

Lobo

Mama Doe
On Christmas Eve 2004 a mother impulsively bought Chloe from a pet shop for her 12 year old daughter who had been pestering her for a pet rabbit.

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During January 2005 I was regaled with stories by the mother about Chloe being a wonderful pet and so loved by her daughter.
By February the stories had started to dry up. In March I enquired as to Chloe's status and was told that she was becoming unmanageable and that the daughter had ceased to feed and water her.

By April Chloe had been relegated to a tiny hutch in the backyard where her only company was three dogs who were allowed to chase her on the few occasions she was let out. The mother told me that Chloe was totally uncontrollable and would bite and scratch her when she was putting in food. In May the mother asked me if I would re-home Chloe as they no longer wanted her. I explained to her that Chloe's behaviour was due to the fact that there was limited interaction with her and this was complicated by her not being spayed. This fell on deaf ears.

My OH (wife) was initially opposed because of the disruption it would cause to our bonded pair and I knew she was right. We both went to the house to tell these people and intended offering to show them how to relate to Chloe. When we saw her we were so pleased we had brought a carrier with us. Even getting her from the cage caused the mother to be inflicted with more scratches and bites. I looked at my wife and said: "what have we we let ourselves in for"?

This was Chloe about 30 hours after we got her home.

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Unfortunately Chloe could not be bonded with our other pair even after spaying, due to aggression towards them and the fact that she was almost twice their size and 5 years younger. Since their crossing to the bridge in the past 7 weeks she has had our unrivalled bunny attention and spent this Christmas Day like most of us, eating and sleeping.

I hope that Chloe's story is not being replicated this Christmas, but sadly it probably is.
 
Chloe has an amazing story, & is such a beautiful bunny.
No wonder she objected to being taken out, if she always got chased by the dogs.
I'd be highly aggressive if some giant alien species kept me in solitary confinement in a tiny room & periodically hoiked me out, dumped me in a park, & allowed lions to chase me around a bit "for exercise".

I find it remarkable to see her snuggled up to you, so quickly. My own bun was very forgiving too.
Thank goodness you found her.
I sincerely wish Chloe a long happy life & you & your family many hours of enjoyment with her.
Merry Christmas Lobo to you & yours. :wave:
 
Bless her Chloe is so beautfil :love: well done to you & your wife for giving her, her forever home :) Just so sad that her little life started the way it did & does for so many bunnies :cry:

Hope you have a lovely Christmas & enjoy spoiling beautiful Chloe xxx
 
awh what a story :( poor girly. and poor you to have lost bunnies so recently.

I bet she is so spoilt now, like mine are.

Bad starts in life, for bunnies, seem to be a regular occurance
 
I am so glad that Chloe has a happy ending. Sadly this isn't the case for many buns.

Rabswood
 
Aw poor Chloe, but she is lucky that she has now found her forever home :D

I think the media and pet shows on tele are a lot to blame for things like this happening. Buns are always promoted as cheap, low maintenance pets.

The thing is, when they're cared for properly they're not cheap or low maintenance - but TOTALLY worth it!

People don't realise that costs of caring for a bunny are similar to cats, and that buns also need desexing and regular vet checks for vaccs/teeth etc.

I think the tide is starting to turn, housebuns are slowly becoming more popular - personally I think it's the only way to go!
 
what a lovely story I love hoppy endings.
Stupid people what i hate is the fact they are offered advise but refuse to listen so they'll prob end up with another.
yep that looks like one out of control bunny to me!:lol:
 
Chloe is a beautiful girl :love: and I'm so pleased you rescued her from such a horrible life

I'm sorry you've recently lost your other bunnies :(
 
Im glad Chloe got her happily ever after, shes gorgeous and deserves it after the way shes been treated.

Its a shame we cant save them all :(

:love:
 
poor chloe :cry: so glad you have saved her from that awful situation... i hope she will learn to trust and be a happy girl. x
 
I know of two bunnies, who live in tiny hutches and neither of the owners spend any time with them. They are unspayed, unvaccinated, and the owners are uninterested :cry: Neither of them will listen to a word i say.

Glad at least Chloe has been saved from that life xx
 
Chloe certainly has got her forever home. Through work I see the people about once a month, they enquired about her maybe half a dozen times in the first year and not at all in since; they have completely forgotten her.

After we had her for a couple of weeks we took her in for spaying, the nest building and rampant hormones dictated sooner rather than later. I had to wear gloves when I sat on the floor with her to protect my hands from her amorous advances.:shock:

She had to be left at the vets the evening prior to the surgery as he wanted to be able to perform the spay first thing in the morning. When we were leaving she had the saddest look on her which, on reflection, I think she thought that she was being given away again. We picked her up the following evening and although she was quite sore as soon as I opened the vet cage she pushed herself forward and pressed her nose against mine and all but threw herself on me. I think she was so relieved that we had come to reclaim her.:love:

I have found that getting stretched out on the floor seems to be effective with unsure buns. They don't seem to care much how long you are, it is the height that causes concern. Chloe initially kept her distance but when I reached my hand out she came to investigate and let me give her cheek rubs. I stopped rubbing and moved my hand an inch or two from her and that was when she pushed her face into my hand while I took the photo with the other.
 
I hope you don't mind but I've copied this over to another forum. It sounds a bit similar to Nutmeg, but she had a bit of a better life before coming here.

Such a sad story and you are such a wonderful person for taking her in.
 
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