Need to help a bunny -How do I go about it?

Hi folks, I was just looking for some advice.

There is a bunny who lives over the back from me who lives in awful conditions. Her hutch is tiny...I mean absolutely tiny - no more than 3ft. She is called Ruby and she is a medium lop but she is overweight. She doesn't get any hay either. Her water bottle has been frozen the last few mornings. I never see her owners out at her often enough. They got her last August.

Poor girly. I need to do something. I used to go to school with the couple who are now married. They have a five year old and a newborn baby.

How do I approach them about this. I want to help this little thing. She comes to the wire of her hutch every time I go out to feed my buns and spend time with them. I talk to her through the fence and she listens, bless her.

Any suggestions appreciated. Has anyone else approached neighbours. I would take her in a flash. Don't know where I would put her straight away but I would sort something out, but anything is better than what she has got, honestly.

Fiona x

I would just start with a friendly chat along the lines of ..
"your rabbit is really lovely! . . she looks really friendly . . . what's her name?"
General sort of chit chat. You should be able to gage how much interest they have in the bunny. Maybe say "I don't know how you find the time with a new baby as well!" in a friendly way. She may say that actually its a big strain or she doesn't really have time. Then you could tell her about your ones and drop in that you are really hoping to get another one or two some day.
Hopefully you will get an idea as to how much she likes the rabbit and if there's any chance of persuading her to give it up. Also if you get chatting then you can offer some care advice.
If you don't talk much then you could start by asking about the baby - everyone likes to talk about their children!

Hi there. Typed vigorously last time so didn't have time to tell the whole story. I have sort of approached her and asked how bunny was doing a few weeks back and she looked sort of awkward and said oh yeah she's great, gettting big (eh, I can see that) and she is getting out lots these days :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: No she isn't. I think she sees the space my buns have got and probably feels embarrassed.

Her husband goes out to feed the rabbit about twice a week as far as I can see, and always with the ipod on...never speaks to her.

I don't know how else to do it now. Is this hopeless?

Perhpas you could just mention something like, "If you ever need someone to look after the rabbit while if you go away or if you're just really busy with the baby then I'd be more than happy to take care of her for you"
Might open a dialogue?

You could say that you are looking for a new rabbit to bond with yours and if she knew of anyone that had a rabbit that needed to rehome.

Just bunny nap her I like all these suggestions

You could go round and say you got loads of free hay and would she like a bag (bag in hand) because don't bunnies get through it fast, especially in the winter when its cold and they need something to keep them warm and eat.
Its very difficult but better you risk offending people you don't usually even talk to and it lead to a better life for the bunny than do nothing.

I don't know what to suggest. I had this problem a few months ago and just totally alienated the owners!!!! ( I was polite and even fed the poor thing) There is no way on this planet she would hand the bun over to me now!!!!!! :evil: She was reported to the RSPCA ( not by me) 3 times. :twisted: The bunny is still there, no covers, must be freezing!!!!!! :x Thought she would have learnt considering she has had two freeze to death! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
I hope you have more luck than I did xxxxxxxxxxxxx

All the best
Mel x

That's awful Melndan, poorthing. I'd be tempted to kidnap it one morning and take it to a rescue or find someone who can take it far away from them :evil:

I have thought about it believe me, but they would know it was me and then I would be in trouble!!!! I've tried doing it the right way but it got me absolutely nowhere!!!! She is moving tho, so hopefully she will either ask me to have him, or leave him there which would be ok, cos then I would take him!!!

Thanks for your PM Fiona - I didn't see this thread earlier....It's so hard watching this happen - I remember how Mel struggled with the same situation

I know that there are rabbits everywhere living in appalling conditions, but when it's shoved in your face every day, it's so frustrating - I lie awake at night worrying about the poor bunny next door to me, and her owner is a very difficult person too - what can you do?

The RSPCA pronounced my neighbours rabbit 'in good condition' - what they meant was 'not starved'. In my opinion a rabbit that's fat is just as unhealthy as one that's thin - I'm pretty sure that after months in a tiny hutch, eating from a huge hopper of food because there's nothing else to do or eat, my neighbour's bunny will be suffering from overgrown claws and a sticky bum, and easy meat for the flies in summer

Like yours Fiona, they got theirs in August last year - a summer toy for the daughter :x It's not been out of its hutch since end of September - I thought it had died as the hutch looked abandoned for weeks in November. At my nagging, she covered the hutch with a rug, but unfortunately she's never uncovered it since :roll: So this poor rabbit is now living in permanent darkness too. But the RSPCA don't think that's cruel - all they care about is if it's starving.

So I have just offered to buy the bunny AND HUTCH (no point leaving them with an empty hutch as they'll fill it again) but she's so incensed by my interference I honestly think she'd rather it died than let me have the poor thing.

I don't see what else you can do except offer to take the rabbit off their hands if they ever get fed up with it - The main problem being when they put so little effort into caring for such an uncomplaining animal, they will never get fed up caring for it - it's easy peasy to just chuck some food in a vat once a month!

Offering money for the hutch, even if it's fit for burning, might tempt them eventually. I have no qualms about giving people money for a rabbit if they are giving me the accomodation too - at least they won't get another.

I don't agree with all this urging to steal other people's rabbits though - I'm well aware that lots of people think I'm a bad owner for not spaying, vaccinating or bonding my rabbits - If I took someone else's rabbit, I couldn't object to my own being stolen by someone 'better' than me, could I? There's no way I'd steal someones pet - and of course unless you took the hutch too, they'd just get another one.

The RSPCA are a waste of time in cases like this though - and it creates a lot of bad feeling, and puts your own animals at risk of revenge attacks. I don't see a solution, except hope that offers of cash might tempt my neighbour eventually :?

elve said:

But the RSPCA don't think that's cruel - all they care about is if it's starving.

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It's not that they don't care, it's that legally they don't have anything to back them up. Unless an animal is suffering (e.g. ill or starved) they can't do anything. A healthy rabbit in bad conditions can't be removed because the fact the conditions might cause future suffering doesn't count. Hopefully the new animal welfare bill will change that though.

Well if you locked an RSPCA officer in a bathroom, with the curtains shut and a bath full of mouldy bread to eat, for weeks on end, I think they might adjust their view of what 'suffering' constitutes - Haven't they heard of mental cruelty? It's what I divorced my husband for, even though I was in good condition physically :?

If anyone kept a dog or cat in a tiny, darkened box permanently, even if it was well fed, the RSPCA would be claiming it was cruel I'm sure, because it's acknowledged that cats and dogs have a need for exercise and light - It's going to be very inconvenient for everyone if a rabbit's need for daily exercise is enforced - I doubt the rescue centres could cope, and owners won't be able to afford huge pens for their rabbits - There'll just be loads of escaping rabbits everywhere as it's so hard to secure your garden. Not to mention that most rescues haven't room to allow rabbits a run out every day - it's just not practical, so I can't see it ever being enforced.

And to further the point - my ex has just told me that a couple near here got prosecuted by the RSPCA for overfeeding their dogs - Apparently they were damaging their health! Can you imagine the RSPCA prosecuting anyone for overfeeding their rabbit, even though it takes years off their life? It's very frustrating for rabbit lovers, but the reality is that dogs and cats are valued more than rabbits. I don't see how this will change, as most people would happily eat a rabbit, but not a dog or a cat.

Oh dear this makes me so sad but so mad!!!!!!!! :twisted: ...
Why are people so cruel ?
I feel so sorry for you living so close to an animal that is shown no love or attention I honestly don't know how I'd cope with it...
My neighbours must think I'm mad when I go out to my foster bun I'm always out there talking to him saying good morning & mummys come out to play with you..

how about a little white lie?

'hi there! i really hope you dont think me rude for asking, but i am looking for another rabbit and i have fallen in love with yours, she looks so cute and just what i am after. would you mind telling me where you got her from please, or where i might find one that looks just like her? especially if you know of another adult as i find them easier than babies?......'
that way if she does want to let hers go without feeling embarrassed you have made it easy for her, and if she doesnt offer hers i think it would be a fair bet to say she isnt going to let it go.

good luck hun, i hope you find a way to bring her home xx

Thanks everyone. This is possibly one of the worst feelings I have had for a while. I've been aware of her plight for a little while but had managed to switch off a little. It was only when my o/h was admiring my bunnies last night after the run had been thoroughly cleaned and they were rearranging the straw and hiding in boxes, that it came back to mind full force.....during all that merriment from my lot all I could hear was her tapping away at her water bottle having a drink. The highlight of her night.

Poor poor girl. I will try anything. Back to the drawing board and thanks for your suggestions.

Fiona x

I had a similar situation. I think that a reputation as a 'mad but harmless rabbit woman' can be a good thing. I like the idea of the white lie ('I have fallen in love with your rabbit...'); Also 'please let me look after your rabbit while you are away, you know how much I love rabbits', and if you are into DIY and think that you can pull it off without giving offence, make a hutch/run combination and present it to them. Also, you could tell them how much you enjoy cleaning out rabbits and offer to do theirs...

I would guess that there is no way they will give their rabbit to you (I assume that rabbit is for a child, who would cry), but that maybe you could be the rabbit's slave (nice job..), or just by example show what is needed....

I know it can sound as tho RSPCA dont do a thing, but as has already been said, in a lot of cases their hands really are tied by the law. Take the overweight lab that was in the press recently. They had to hand him back. Im pretty sure that they would do more if they had a bit more support from our stupid government, they are a charity after all and they do all they can. I work for them as a volunteer and I have seen inspectors in tears because they have been to check on an animal, and because of some law that was invented 300000 years ago they cant do a thing. And it then gets to the stage where they can remove the animal because its life is in danger, we have to battle to save its life and it then dies and the owner slates the RSPCA for doing what they can.

I know there was a girl who lived over the back from us, she had a dutch rabbit in a tiny hutch, he had no shade in the summer his water bottle was always empty, my OH was hopping over there in the small hours to feed him, and fill his bottle up. He said that it also had a messy bum, but there was only so much we could do. I made posters and stuck them everywhere saying that I had lost a black and white bunny (total white lie) and the parents rang me and said they had found a black and white rabbit.. He was neutered within a week of me having him, and now lives with four other buns in Horsham in the biggest shed I have ever seen. That is the rescue that I am sooooo proud of!

Fiona, i know how you feel. There is a bun out the back from me who i think is very neglected. I thought the hutch (which looks grotty from the outside) was empty but my sister saw a black and white bunny in it (i must be so blind coz i never saw anything). My sister says there is hardly any bedding in the hutch. I have never seen anyone out with the rabbit so as far as i know it hasn't been cleaned out in weeks (i am worried bout this wee thing so being v nosy). There isn't a run attached either so it hasn't had any exercise. I don't know the people so don't know what to do. I haven't room for the bun either so i'm stuck.

I know we can't help all the unfortunate buns but when its in your face, it makes it worse knowing you can't do anyhting.

Fiona and buns, Lily and Pip xxx