Fluffers
Wise Old Thumper
September and her kits were an RSPCA case, taken from a house in the Northants area. 12 Rabbits were removed by the RSPCA (although September and her 8 kits were counted as ONE!!!). We were told that they were at risk of being killed by the owner if they weren't removed immediately.
I had just finished cleaning out my foster bun accommodation in readiness for the next occupants (I was due to take a bonded pair from Jill the next day) when a call came in about a mummy bun and kits 'at risk' case. Jill asked if I felt comfortable in fostering a young family and explained the risks associated with doing so. I understood and said I was happy to help. Honeybunnies were initially told by the RSPCA that there were 3 kits, then when I spoke to another inspector I was told 6....When they arrived there were 8 plus mum.
The nest of 2 week old kits was carefully transferred from the RSPCA carrier to the warmth & safety of the hay lined hutch. Cushioned with mums fur, the nest was kept in tact and gloves were worn at all times to avoid leaving any scent on the babies. The door of the nest area was gently closed and the new family were left alone to settle in.....
Mummy bun seemed to relax quickly and I was relieved to see her eating within an hour of arriving. With 8 babies to feed she must have been a hungry girl! There was also the possibility that she might be pregnant again which would of course have been using up even more energy. It would be another 4 weeks until we knew for sure!
September on day one looking a bit scared:
....but starting to relax and enjoy some food.
I left the family alone as much as possible for the first few days, allowing them to recover from the move and get used to their new home. I peeped in at the nest a few times a day just to check the kits were warm and being fed. I was careful not to touch them at all as Jill had warned me that this could increase the risk of rejection and/or them being killed by mum - it was still very early days. Maintaining a quiet and calm environment was vital. Each time I visited, mum, now named 'September' (because that's when she arrived!) came to supervise my visit and protect her babies.
September turned out to be a wonderfully devoted and caring mum. Bringing up 8 healthy kits can't be easy but she appeared to take it in her stride. Thanks to her intensive nursing, all 8 kits grew at an alarming rate and within 10 days they had transformed from mousey looking wrigglers to bouncy balls of fluff, scampering about and investigating their surroundings!
A few days later, aged approximately 4 weeks, the kits were allowed out of the hutch and down into the run for the first time. September had been having 1-2 hours a day in the run since she arrived and this helped to slowly build up her leg muscles (she had spent her entire life in a 3ft hutch) and it also gave her some 'time out' and a change of scenery. Now steady-ish on their paws and keen to explore, the kits joined her and it was just wonderful to see them all sharing and enjoying the space together.
Note: sides were added to the ramp as a precaution to ensure the little ones didn't fall off the edge in their excitement to get to the bottom!
From here on, the kits ping-ponged about like little wind up toys (they hadn't quite got the hang of binkies yet), played together, hopped & skipped, snuggled (lots) and ate and ate and ate and ate! Indeed, I have never seen food consumed at such a rate. It was a truly magical time and one which I will treasure for many years to come.
Having confirmed that September wasn't carrying any more kits she was put on a gentle exercise & healthy eating programme. She gradually lost her post pregnancy 'tum' and her coat became beautifully soft and sleek.
Here she is enjoying some fresh grass
Aged 8 weeks, the kits were officially sexed & named. We decided on a 'Toy/Game' theme for them and so they were called (starting bottom left):
Paintbox, Croquet, Frisbee, Yo-Yo, Scooter, Chess, Jigsaw, Hopscotch.
With the exception of Frisbee and Hopscotch (the two agoutis) - no two buns were the same colour! That certainly made life a little easier when working out who was who! Not only that but it appeared that three out of the eight were lionheads!
Two of the three lionheads, Jigsaw & Scooter, were boys and as they were now in theory old enough to be fertile, they were separated from the girls (the last thing we needed was another litter!) and so they went to live with Auntie Jill.
Jigsaw and Scooter were re-homed together and are living in Halifax.
Their owner plans to bond them with his two speyed female buns and have them living as a quad of house bunnies.
At 10 weeks there was evidence of a scuffle amongst the girls. Yo-yo's fur was found on the run floor and she had a minor injury. For her own safety she was separated from the group but Frisbee went with her to keep her company. I just had to hope they weren't the two that had fallen out!
Yo-yo & Frisbee (& also Croquet) are now happily bonded with husbuns of their own!
12 weeks after their arrival I saw September do her first binky whilst free ranging and I almost cried with happiness. Soon after this she really discovered what her legs were for and from then on bunny 500's have been a daily occurance. Oh and jumping..... jumping is something September does a LOT of!! 4ft pen panels - not a problem!
Fast forward to 20 weeks of age and all 8 of Septembers kits and September herself are doing really well. They are all fully vaccinated, the two boys have been neutered and two of the girls, Yo-Yo and Frisbee have been speyed. The remaining girls (including September) will be speyed within a couple of weeks and they will then be looking for their forever homes.
Having been fed a diet of good quality pellets & hay & lots of natural foraged stuffs plus having plenty of regular exercise & stimulation, these amazing little buns have had an excellent start in life and far better than most. Like their mum September, they are superb hay eaters, friendly and inquisitive and will make wonderful additions to a family.
Here are some of the girls enjoying an apple branch.
Saying goodbye is always hard, especially when you've known them since they were so tiny but when a home comes along that can offer more than you are able to, letting them go is the easiest thing in the world....sort of :lol:
I had just finished cleaning out my foster bun accommodation in readiness for the next occupants (I was due to take a bonded pair from Jill the next day) when a call came in about a mummy bun and kits 'at risk' case. Jill asked if I felt comfortable in fostering a young family and explained the risks associated with doing so. I understood and said I was happy to help. Honeybunnies were initially told by the RSPCA that there were 3 kits, then when I spoke to another inspector I was told 6....When they arrived there were 8 plus mum.
The nest of 2 week old kits was carefully transferred from the RSPCA carrier to the warmth & safety of the hay lined hutch. Cushioned with mums fur, the nest was kept in tact and gloves were worn at all times to avoid leaving any scent on the babies. The door of the nest area was gently closed and the new family were left alone to settle in.....
Mummy bun seemed to relax quickly and I was relieved to see her eating within an hour of arriving. With 8 babies to feed she must have been a hungry girl! There was also the possibility that she might be pregnant again which would of course have been using up even more energy. It would be another 4 weeks until we knew for sure!
September on day one looking a bit scared:
....but starting to relax and enjoy some food.
I left the family alone as much as possible for the first few days, allowing them to recover from the move and get used to their new home. I peeped in at the nest a few times a day just to check the kits were warm and being fed. I was careful not to touch them at all as Jill had warned me that this could increase the risk of rejection and/or them being killed by mum - it was still very early days. Maintaining a quiet and calm environment was vital. Each time I visited, mum, now named 'September' (because that's when she arrived!) came to supervise my visit and protect her babies.
September turned out to be a wonderfully devoted and caring mum. Bringing up 8 healthy kits can't be easy but she appeared to take it in her stride. Thanks to her intensive nursing, all 8 kits grew at an alarming rate and within 10 days they had transformed from mousey looking wrigglers to bouncy balls of fluff, scampering about and investigating their surroundings!
A few days later, aged approximately 4 weeks, the kits were allowed out of the hutch and down into the run for the first time. September had been having 1-2 hours a day in the run since she arrived and this helped to slowly build up her leg muscles (she had spent her entire life in a 3ft hutch) and it also gave her some 'time out' and a change of scenery. Now steady-ish on their paws and keen to explore, the kits joined her and it was just wonderful to see them all sharing and enjoying the space together.
Note: sides were added to the ramp as a precaution to ensure the little ones didn't fall off the edge in their excitement to get to the bottom!
From here on, the kits ping-ponged about like little wind up toys (they hadn't quite got the hang of binkies yet), played together, hopped & skipped, snuggled (lots) and ate and ate and ate and ate! Indeed, I have never seen food consumed at such a rate. It was a truly magical time and one which I will treasure for many years to come.
Having confirmed that September wasn't carrying any more kits she was put on a gentle exercise & healthy eating programme. She gradually lost her post pregnancy 'tum' and her coat became beautifully soft and sleek.
Here she is enjoying some fresh grass
Aged 8 weeks, the kits were officially sexed & named. We decided on a 'Toy/Game' theme for them and so they were called (starting bottom left):
Paintbox, Croquet, Frisbee, Yo-Yo, Scooter, Chess, Jigsaw, Hopscotch.
With the exception of Frisbee and Hopscotch (the two agoutis) - no two buns were the same colour! That certainly made life a little easier when working out who was who! Not only that but it appeared that three out of the eight were lionheads!
Two of the three lionheads, Jigsaw & Scooter, were boys and as they were now in theory old enough to be fertile, they were separated from the girls (the last thing we needed was another litter!) and so they went to live with Auntie Jill.
Jigsaw and Scooter were re-homed together and are living in Halifax.
Their owner plans to bond them with his two speyed female buns and have them living as a quad of house bunnies.
At 10 weeks there was evidence of a scuffle amongst the girls. Yo-yo's fur was found on the run floor and she had a minor injury. For her own safety she was separated from the group but Frisbee went with her to keep her company. I just had to hope they weren't the two that had fallen out!
Yo-yo & Frisbee (& also Croquet) are now happily bonded with husbuns of their own!
12 weeks after their arrival I saw September do her first binky whilst free ranging and I almost cried with happiness. Soon after this she really discovered what her legs were for and from then on bunny 500's have been a daily occurance. Oh and jumping..... jumping is something September does a LOT of!! 4ft pen panels - not a problem!
Fast forward to 20 weeks of age and all 8 of Septembers kits and September herself are doing really well. They are all fully vaccinated, the two boys have been neutered and two of the girls, Yo-Yo and Frisbee have been speyed. The remaining girls (including September) will be speyed within a couple of weeks and they will then be looking for their forever homes.
Having been fed a diet of good quality pellets & hay & lots of natural foraged stuffs plus having plenty of regular exercise & stimulation, these amazing little buns have had an excellent start in life and far better than most. Like their mum September, they are superb hay eaters, friendly and inquisitive and will make wonderful additions to a family.
Here are some of the girls enjoying an apple branch.
Saying goodbye is always hard, especially when you've known them since they were so tiny but when a home comes along that can offer more than you are able to, letting them go is the easiest thing in the world....sort of :lol:
