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Tugging the heart strings - Update: We got her!

TheThreeB's

TheThreeB's

Mama Doe
Hi all,

Just after some quick advice please if there is anyone around!

Every day I have a little check on the various selling pages online, this time something caught my eye. A little fluffy rabbit, being given away for free and a picture of their tiny hutch, which has barely enough room to turn around in.

It's close enough that we could collect it tomorrow, but:

- I already have three rabbits, who are happily bonded (don't know if this one is male or female).

- I don't currently have spare accommodation, but could get it.

- My husband is worried it could be ill with a disease.

My heart says we should get it, my head says we shouldn't.

WWYD

Thanks in advance x
 
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I used to be totally ruled by my heart and at one point had 11 bunnies. Now, I only have three and am paying off a £2500 vet bill.

If you have the time and the finances for another bun then I'd rescue this little one. I avoid going on sites where I would find situations like this as I would be sooooo tempted myself and I know I can't realistically adopt any more animals until my money situation is a lot better.
 
Hi, thank you for your reply. Your post makes perfect sense. Realistically we don't really have space (but could make some with a bit of time) and already spend a lot on the ones we have.

My dh said there will be a lot of rabbit lovers between here and there who will be interested!

As they are selling it anyway, do you think I should just let someone else come along?

I think I will think twice about going on these sites in future as it's difficult to not want to take them all! x
 
Just wondering if anyone else has any thoughts, as my dh says if I want to get it then we should.

At the moment it looks like it is living in one of those tiny upstairs / downstairs hutches that are more for guinea pigs. It looks like a small rabbit (mini lop?) but looks like it has hardly any head room etc. What would you do as a temporary solution? I have a large indoor cage, or would you keep them in their old hutch for a day or two? It's going to take me a bit of time to source something else.

If the rabbit had got an illness, is there any chance it could be passed on to our current rabbits, if they are in separate accommodation?

Thanks x
 
I hate seeing bunnies in tiny hutches :( I'd be the same as you - want to give it a better life but wary of the costs and the potential effect on my existing rabbits. If you can afford the potential vet fees (I would assume at the very least it will need vaccinated and neutered?) I would probably go for it. Do you plan to bond it with your existing rabbits in the longer term? For temporary accommodation I would go with whatever gives it more room until you can get something else. Not sure about spreading illness, I would assume that you will need to keep everything separate for a while until you know it's safe - hopefully someone else more knowledgeable can advise on that.
 
I would go for it (but that's me) otherwise it might end up in worse conditions than it already is in. Be brave -
 
Thanks for the replies. I have contacted the person, but I'm still waiting for a reply.

It's female, and I can't imagine will have been vaccinated or spayed. We can do both these things but will have to spread the cost across the months, money wise.

No plans to bond with our existing rabbits at all, they are happy (together since birth) and I don't want to disrupt them. So I would keep them in a completely separate area and most likely have to get them a friend at some point (haven't told my dh that :oops:). I'd have them inside if we had space and didn't have two dogs!

I'm still making my currents rabbits accommodation larger, so have lots going on already.

I'm scared! Maybe someone else would come along that could give them a happy life too, I can't be the only one to have seen it x
 
Hopefully someone else will have seen it and want to help, it would be a lot for you to take on knowing you would probably want a friend for her at some point plus the extra outlay for another setup. Wait and see if you get a reply and see what your gut feeling is from there.
 
If it's too much for you to tKe on and would impact on your plans for your existing bunnies then I wouldn't do it. If not, then I would do. Someone caring may take her on and give her the space she needs, but just as likely is someone getting her and keeping her in the cage she is in :cry: I'm afraid I don't look at gumtree etc....
 
Thanks Zoobec, I hadn't thought of it like that, as they are giving the hutch away too, it's possible that someone might just keep her in that :(.

We should be able to do this without impacting on our other rabbits. We have already purchased some new accommodation for them. We have had a 12ft x 6ft run bespoke built, which we are going to link to their existing hutch / run and eventually a shed. We can definitely offer better than she has now.

My dh's main worry was the health side of things!

We still haven't heard from them yet! x
 
Ok, so I'm bumping this up because she's HERE! :shock:

We got a call and my dh went straight off to get her. A lovely family, though, from we think Syria or similar (that doesn't matter obviously, just giving some context), but clearly overwhelmed with three young children too. Not the nicest of areas and an extremely tiny hutch.

I really need some advice about how to proceed, please. We have set up our large indoor cage for now in our bedroom and put the carrier that she travelled in, straight into it. She (just taking their word for it btw) is petrified and hasn't come out of the carrier yet.

We've left her alone for now to avoid upsetting her and to see if she ventures out of the carrier.

The owner said she used to not mind being handled, but has been more afraid of being picked up recently. She has very matted fur and looks filthy and smells. I can't tell if she is supposed to be all white or not.

Help please x
 
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Great news! :love: I would cover the cage for a while to make her feel safe and secure and it's just small steps from now on. Rabbits take a while to get accustomed to new environments so don't be in a rush. Just make sure she has all the necessities and she hopefully will start to clean herself.
 
TheThreeB's said:
Ok, so I'm bumping this up because she's HERE! :shock:

We got a call and my dh went straight off to get her. A lovely family, though, from we think Syria or similar (that doesn't matter obviously, just giving some context), but clearly overwhelmed with three young children too. Not the nicest of areas and an extremely tiny hutch.

I really need some advice about how to proceed, please. We have set up our large indoor cage for now in our bedroom and put the carrier that she travelled in, straight into it. She (just taking their word for it btw) is petrified and hasn't come out of the carrier yet.

We've left her alone for now to avoid upsetting her and to see if she ventures out of the carrier.

The owner said she used to not mind being handled, but has been more afraid of being picked up recently. She has very matted fur and looks filthy and smells. I can't tell if she is supposed to be all white or not.

Help please x
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I would quarantine for three weeks. Wash your hands between handling your rabbits and the new girl, always. If your rabbits are indoors too, then take shoes off and put something on your feet that can be left at her door. *Just in case* !!

It sounds like you've done the right thing. What a state she seems to be in! Take some photos of her now, and then you can compare them with her transformation.

I would let her settle for those three weeks before whisking her off to the vet, unless you need to for dematting or other purposes.

And lastly - you have a heart of gold :love:
 
MightyMax;6786916 And lastly - you have a heart of gold :love:[/QUOTE said:
My dh just said what about him lol :lol:

I think I might be just a little bit crazy, but I couldn't stop thinking about her. I cried when I saw the state of her. My dh collected her, I didn't cry at their house or anything. They weren't bad people, by any means, they just didn't have the time / knowledge.

At the moment she is in a large indoor cage in our bedroom and our trio live outside. I plan to keep them separately, but will make sure I'm careful about infection control, thank you for the advice.

I'm really new to rabbits anyway, so I'm really grateful for any advice. I'm obviously just a sucker for an animal in need :oops: x
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I'm glad your heart won :love:

I find it best to just leave a bunny in a carrier to start with until they feel safe enough to venture out for themselves. As long as she is drinking and eating, she probably feels safer in a small environment if that is what she is used to.

One of my buns who had been kept in a tiny hutch took months and months to venture out of her new (much larger) hutch. She was terrified so I just let her do it at her own pace. That was my Bridge bun Daisy - many, many years ago. She was a gorgeous bun - who her previous owners had told me was a 'he'.

Have you thought of a name for her yet?
 
TheThreeB's said:
My dh just said what about him lol :lol:

I think I might be just a little bit crazy, but I couldn't stop thinking about her. I cried when I saw the state of her. My dh collected her, I didn't cry at their house or anything. They weren't bad people, by any means, they just didn't have the time / knowledge.

At the moment she is in a large indoor cage in our bedroom and our trio live outside. I plan to keep them separately, but will make sure I'm careful about infection control, thank you for the advice.

I'm really new to rabbits anyway, so I'm really grateful for any advice. I'm obviously just a sucker for an animal in need :oops: x
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Two hearts of gold :love::love:
 
Judging by her behaviour she's probably not spayed so you could maybe leave dematting until she's neutered.

It's lovely that you took her on and I wish you luck :)

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
daphnephoebe said:
Judging by her behaviour she's probably not spayed so you could maybe leave dematting until she's neutered.
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Yes, we think it's highly unlikely she would have been spayed or vaccinated, so will get that sorted in time.

Im going to call her Buffy. It's the name I suggested when my children chose Bonny, Bluebell and Bing. Maybe I'll have to change my user name to TheFourB's lol :lol: x
 
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