persuade my neighbour to give me their rabbit UPDATE :(

I was in the garden just now and my neighbour asked if I would go and trim their rabbit's nails. It wasn't much of a trim though, this rabbit's nails were 2-3cm too long. Shes overweight too, about 3 years old, not spayed and her sister was found dead this morning with no sign of illness. I mentioned uterine cancer but then I've just thought it could have been VHD. VHD outbreaks round here have been nearer September time though.

My neighbours were cleaning out their rabbit and guinea pig hutch while I was doing the rabbits nails and the poo and shavings was about 8cm / 3 inches thick on the base of both hutches. They're putting the rabbit in with the guinea pigs now in one double hutch.

My neighbours don't seem like they're doing it deliberately, they were quite sad about the rabbit which died this morning and their three rats are ill and won't take their medicine. Their son (age about 26) owns all these animals but its his parents who look after them.

I don't think they really want the rabbit, they asked if I knew of a rescue which would take them both a while ago and I gave them details but I think having to donate money to give their animals away must have put them off. How can I ask or offer to give this rabbit a home without sounding like I'm trying to save her from them? I don't think they keep them like that in a bad way, they just don't know better.

Just offer. They might have been hinting at you taking bun when they asked for Rescue details

I would just ask them, you could subtly say something like you've been looking for another rabbit for one of your lonely buns and know that their rabbit must be lonely too. Make something up. Good luck!

Just be careful if you have buns of your own as if it's vhd you need to be prepared to thoroughly clean and change clothes etc between holding buns.

If you're worried about offending them I would make out that they are doing you a favour by letting you have her- say you were thinking of getting another bunn anyway and given the conversation you had a few weeks ago about rescues, would they let you have their bunn now she's on her own?

Those poor piggies though Not all rescues insist on a donation for taking animals in, maybe you could see what others there are in the area?

Covert mission to steal bunny?
You know where I am! Lol

Its not easy, I have had the same with my neighbour - at least the parents seem to be on side!! Good luck!

Well its bad news. My neighbour just caught me as I was going out and said the day after I cut the rabbit's nails, they found she had died So maybe it was VHD. I'm worried for my rabbits now, their boosters are due in August but my vet said try to move it to May by next year (i.e. mid-June-July this year then May next year). I'm going to take one to be weighed anyway so I'll ask then.

I'm really quite angry to be honest, the rabbits needn't have died. I wish they'd just given them to a rescue when I told them about rescues, and then they could have been neutered and vaccinated and living in a lovely home. Instead they kept them in a dirty hutch all day every day and both died because my neighbours were ignorant, she hadn't even heard of VHD.

RIP two Agouti Dutch buns, never knew their names or even if they had any.

Ow gawd, that's awful I would worry too but I'm sure your buns will be fine

Oh no I'm sorry what a sad ending You tried to help them xx

How awful
RIP little bunnies