how to help rescue buns

Hi all,

I have recently started volunteering at my local rescue to help with all of the animals; i went yesterday to help walk the dogs and see meet the rabbits it was lovely.

However i can see that most people volunteer to help the dogs and cats and i dont think the rabbits and smaller animals get any attention; from what i can gather the rabbits just get fed and cleaned out! I dont think they receive much love from humans, i want to just dedicate my time to help the rabbits and smaller animals like mice, rats, hamsters etc. What would people recommend i should do?

They are mostly bonded in pairs which is good, but a lot are very timid and have not really been handled; not surpised they are so scared of humans as most of them were strays or just dumped it boxes

I was thinking of checking they are in good order with their nails and checking that they dont have mites or any thing and also just taking a stool into their cages (which are actually really big and they have some toys to play with) and sitting in there to try and give some of them some TLC. One of the rabbits is lovely im not sure what the sex is but it is so friendly and just let me stroke it for ages but its clearly an older bun and is not grooming itself properly and is a bit matted and smelly; i want to give it a clean; how shall i go about this?

People who are involved with rescues can you give me some tips and advice on how to help these rabbits and what i should do to utilise the time i spend at the rescue.

The rescue is very nice and the rabbits live in big accommodation which is pretty clean; they are on pellets, hay and fresh grass... i am thinking about bringing in some fresh vege for them all. I just felt so bad for them all i just wanted to help them as they are a bit neglected and also people generally come to this rescue looking for dogs and cats so the rabbits stay there for ages

Any tips and advice please??

Thanks :wave::wave:

It sounds as though their basic care needs are being met, but I'm sure the human interaction will help them be more used to people when prospective new owners come in to meet them.

Well done for volunteering by the way :wave:

I think veggies are a great idea. Can you take a brush in to groom the matted one?

I used to work for a rescue and the rabbits were the most overlooked, all the volunteers wanted to do cats and dogs like you say.

Maybe also spend time with some of the more nervous and less friendly buns, they need some human contact as they will be harder to rehome than the friendly ones

Also why not think about making some posters for them with pics of some of the bunnies and the rescue details on and asking the local vets if you can pin the posters up?

You could ask at local supermarkets for their just off sale veg stock. I know waitrose used to send food that was just past its sell by date (but still perfectly edible, I'd have eaten it!) to a petting zoo I used to work at. It saved them loads of money and the animals loved the variety.

Thanks All

Good idea about the posters! I will do that for sure.

Yes i will bring a brush for the matted one but it smells quite badly too. I am going to buy a chair so i can sit with them; pool little mites.

There are some gorgeous ones; i will get some pics and post next week

The one that smells should really be checked by a vet to find out why he smells - is it poo or is it urine? If urine he may have EC or a bladder/kidney problem. Finding out the cause is the most important thing because then it may be treated.

Keeping the bunny clean is very important as if he is soiled he will be at risk of Flystrike. I clean my bunnies with warm water and cotton wool, or else I use cornflour (the kind used in cooking) as it absorbs any dampness and protects the skin from further dampness, however if the skin is sore apply some sudocrem afterwards to soothe and work as an antiseptic. I would not use shampoo on the bun if it is in any way sore.

Apart from this I reckon spending time with the buns is lovely, will help get them used to human company and may help them learn to trust again. As a plus you may get to know their personalities and can provide this information about them to prospective adopters.

If the rescue isnt on Rabbit Rehome, you could encourage them to put their bunnies on there too.

SPENDING TIME WITH THEM , TALKING TO THEM , GROOMING THEM ..WILL ALL HELP THE BUNS TO BUILD UP TRUST WITH HUMANS ..MAKE THEM MORE SETTLED ...AND THEREFORE MORE APPEALING WHEN PEOPLE COME TO CHOOSE A RABBIT ..

SO YOU WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THEM BY JUST THESE FEW SIMPLE ACTS .. GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY THEM :wave:

bunnymadhouse said:

SPENDING TIME WITH THEM , TALKING TO THEM , GROOMING THEM ..WILL ALL HELP THE BUNS TO BUILD UP TRUST WITH HUMANS ..MAKE THEM MORE SETTLED ...AND THEREFORE MORE APPEALING WHEN PEOPLE COME TO CHOOSE A RABBIT ..

SO YOU WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THEM BY JUST THESE FEW SIMPLE ACTS .. GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY THEM :wave:

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All very good advice but no need to shout :lol::lol::lol:

Is this Millbrook?

If it is, I used to volunteer there and as you say noone did the small animals. It just seemed to be all about the cats and dogs.

Socialising is so important and that would be great if you could get them used to being stoked, handled and 'assessed' for character as this would help with rehoming.