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People with Wildie bunnies, advice needed

Hugo's There

Wise Old Thumper
I have no experience with wild bunnies at all so need as much info as I can get about housing ,temperament etc Basically what their needs are to be kept happily.

Also can you bond a reasonably tame baby wildie to a domestic rabbit?

And would you consider it fair for a wildie to be kept with mobility problems and possibly future front leg amputation :?
 
In general wildies are very nervous, very active rabbits. The bigger the better as far as housing is concerned...an aviary set-up with a hutch (even a small hutch will do) filled with hay is fine.

You can bond wildies to domestics, but I've found that once a wildie hits maturity it will display dominant behaviour, so the partner will need to be carefully chosen.


I think wildies would probably have less difficulty getting around with 3 legs than a domestic, because they are naturally small and athletic...so I don't think it would be a big problem.
 
Thanks Amy and Jane. I now have a little more information. The disabled leg hasn't been injured itself it is the result of spinal trauma, so amputation doesn't seem likely to be an option. So not sure if this makes the situation better or worse :?

I just want to make sure we are able to offer the bunny what she needs to make her happy and comfortable, althought at the moment she only seems to have one other option :(
 
I would think if it was a spinal injury her movement would be limited anyway, so space would be less of an issue.
As Amy says, they are more nervy and active- and Benji was definately the boss of his 2 girls. He was bonded to 2 dwarf lops, and they got on fine.
He was very hardy and although not cuddly was handled daily without any difficulty- got his vaccine, was neutered and his nails clipped- never needed a dental though.:)
 
Thanks. Unfortunately I don;t have any spare aviaries, that doesn't happen very often. All we can offer is a hutch with daily access to a large run. Not ideal but more than what she is getting at the moment. Obviously we will look to move her on to something bigger when a space becomes available, but we have no way of knowing when that will be :?
 
I have to say that i have three half wild boys, i have had them in numerous set ups large and small and have found that during the day they tend to hide in dark spaces and under plant pots and inside areas, at dusk and through the night they are very active and play run around etc etc. i think as long as they get access to an outside space even if it is at dusk once all the others have had their time out they should be happy enough x
 
I took a few photos of Freddy the wildie the other day, and you can sort of see what kind of set-up they live in. It's a 9x6 aviary with a 4ft double hutch:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=234797

That's very similar to what out 3 had- Mike made a big 4 by 2 hutch ( big in those days- 15 years ago) and they had a 6 by 14 ft aviary type run.
There was a small mezzanine floor between the 2 levels, half the width and Benji loved to sit there- in all weathers.:D

I think if this bunny has only ever know a hutch and has a disability- space would not be a major concern, saving her life and giving her some freedom would be more important to me. Lets face it, any chance to more around and a bit of mental stimulation would make such a difference to her- if I have understood rightly and she has spent her life in a hutch.
 
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She is 2 months old, was taken to a wildlife hospital by the RSPCA after a cat attack, not sure how long ago. She has been nursed back to health so far but her leg means she can't be released now. the hospital have contacted us as they are desperate to find somewhere for her to live as they only have hospital accomodation nothing large. If seems if we can't take her she will be pts. The owners are obviously desperate as they don't want that to happen after putting so much care into her. There is also another with a head trauma they have asked about us taking, it has been hit by a car :(
 
Thanks for the help. I still need to think about it as we said no more bunnies for a few more months, but how can you sit back and know it will be pts :? :cry:
 
I'm sure somebody has mentioned that Bobtails are linked to a wild rabbit sanctuary...could you contact them as a last resort?
 
I'm sure somebody has mentioned that Bobtails are linked to a wild rabbit sanctuary...could you contact them as a last resort?

Just had a look on their website and couldn't see anything so will contact them when i have more time, even if its just for advice :) thanks.

BTW I saw on their site that their fun day raised £6000, how good is that :shock: :D
 
This may be a really stupid and obvious question but I am assuming they can be neutered and vaccinated OK :oops: I was just wondering if a female spay may be too much for them given how nervy they can be :?
 
This may be a really stupid and obvious question but I am assuming they can be neutered and vaccinated OK :oops: I was just wondering if a female spay may be too much for them given how nervy they can be :?

Don't know about females, but Benji was castrated about 15 years ago- I think the first rabbit done by our vet, and he was vaccinated yearly for VHD ( as soon as we knew about the vaccine) and 6 monthly for myxi. Merry wasn't speyed, but was vaccinated- we lost her before we knew about speying, but they both coped well with the injections.

Sorrell, if she isn't a wildie is a very neurotic bunny and she was speyed at the age of 2 and coped fine.

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Thank you, can you tell I know next to nothing about wild bunnies :oops: Always good to have a new challenge in life though :D
 
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