I might have to close

At the moment ive got 3 litters of semi wild babies in,
1st litter-- little female 4 months old
2nd litter -- 5 girls 1 boy about 3 months old
3rd littler -- only about 5 weeks and im not sure of sexes yet
The oldest litter no body has shown any interest in at all, i have spoken to so many people about what to do with them a few people have said to set them free but id worry my self sick about them ive phoned lots of wildlife rescues to see if they can be rehabilitated and then released but apparently not ive spoken to several animal sanctuary,s to see wether they would take them so they could stay together as a group but no one is of any help the people ive spoken to are
folly,s wildlife rescue
wras
hillside animal sanctuary
british wildlife trust
my vet
kit wilson
st tiggy winkles andv another place in hastings
im so stuck because these guys are not good at being handled at all the youngest litter scarper when i go to the cage so are not friendly at all
rehoming is so slow at the moment and im left with 14 semi wild babies no one wants i cant bear the thought of them being shut in a hutch and forgotten which is likely to happen i dont have enough space to keep them and give them a good life i just dont kbnow what to do for the best i cannot have another 14 permanent bunnies aswell as the bunnies with problems even if i close it doesnt mean i can give them a good life permanently and what happens to all the bunnies who need help in my area
any suggestions would really help
i just dont know what to do for the best
sorry for such a long post
can anyone help

Is there any way of making it easier for you, e.g. having them in a shed setup so they get more exercise with less handling (so you don't have to keep lifting them out of a hutch if that's what they're in at the mo) and featuring them on your website to be sponsored? That way you're still getting donations to help with the costs without them being rehomed (but you can still keep an eye out for homes for them)

What an awful situation to be in. I'm sure between all the rescues and bunny lovers on here that we can come up with something to stop you having to close. Have you tried some open farms at all? There is one near me that keeps all their animals in really good condition but I have no idea if they would be able to help. Where are you based?

Gemma xx

Did you not contact Delia of Bobtails who has rehomed a family of semi-wild buns to a sanctuary :? Ithought in you last pm to me you said you had and Delia was helpful :?
Or perhaps I've got it wrong again :?

As you are asking for advise I'd sugeest not taking in more rescues at this time. I know it must be so hard to have to say 'no' but maybe you could point enquiries to other rescues until your circumstances are more stable.
Please note that this is a personal opinion not a critisism, the only details I know of your rescue are what YOU post on here.

Janex

i might have to close

Im based in eastbourne and i am prepared to travel i just dont know what to do for the best in order to make sure there happy if only that stupid woman :evil: :evil: had kept her bunnies in or had them spayed this wouldnt of happened

Maybe you could could start a waiting list for a bit instead of taking in more buns? It's more important that the buns you are have are well kept than the extra couple. The 2nd litter will need splitting too, - don't want another litter from that baby boy!

Have you spoke to Emma at Furryfriends in Surrey? She's dealt with quite a few wild and half-wild animals

i might have to close

i did speak to delia at bobtails she suggested ringing the british wildlife trust for which i have left several messages to no avail they dont even get back to me regards to your advice im very greatful for the advice im being given i do not feel its criticism i am not taking in untill rehoming picks up even then i want to get my numbers down have started a waiting list but this stikll does not help the semi wild ones

i might have to close

the male from the 2nd litter is seperate i definetly dont want anymore :shock:

Well, the wild ones have only been with you for a maximum of 4 months. It might just be a case of keep bumping them up on RU & RIN. A lot of buns sit in Rescues for a lot longer.

I wouldn't start to give up on them yet!! it IS relatively early days. Unfortunatelysome buns can take months to rehome - even a year or more. There will always be difficult to home rabbits, be they old or unwell or agressive, b ut most of them do eventually find homes. Some of us are evne ATTRACTED to the "less desirables" !

I would definitely stop taking incomings for a while as it does sound like things are getting on top of you.

Hi Caroline. I think its good to put bunnies on a waiting list. Most rescues cannot take in every bunny that is offered to them and has to operate a waiting list. Sadly too many bunnies being given up The fact is that rescues can only help a fraction of the bunnies that need it. The important thing is that you do not overwhelm yourself financially or emotionally and have to close. What you do is invaluable to the bunnies that are fortunate enough to be helped by you.

You have some lovely bunnies in your Rescue and its been great that the pictures have been posted under rabbits in need. I am sure that loving homes will come up for these soon. Im pming re rehoming in your area.

Concerning the wild bunnies, Im sure that other members might post some other options for you to consider. Ill get back to you on this, once I have had a chance to have a think.

Have PMed you

is the wildlife trust th one at amerton in staffs? if not then try there.

I have two litters of half wild bunnies here too. One has been here a year already, the other 6 months. I am not even trying to rehome them as they just do not want to be handled. But they are gradually getting tamer and I think in the end they may be able to go to a new home. They no longer run away when their food is put into their dish and I no longer look as though I need minor surgery after I handle them:roll:

Wild rabbits can become quite tame, so half wild rabbits ought to be able to as well. Probably being in a group makes them worse as they startle eachother. Pairing with a nice friendly bun that would set them a good example would be a way you could get them rehomed. As we are half sanctuary anyway it isn't really a problem for us having them here. If we had room I would take some of them for you, but our waiting list won't allow it at present I'm afraid

Is the girl from the first litter in with the 5 girls from the 2nd one? That would be a good idea. I adopted 5 girls (mother and 4 daughters) that are not tame at all, except for the mother. They had been living wild in a garden before going into rescue. I have never stroked or picked up the 4 daughters in 2 years (except once when one had stasis) and haven't had them spayed either - however they live very happily in a 5x8 shed, letting out onto a patio which they have the run of twice a day for an hour. Doesn't seem like much time out but they usually just sit in the doorway to the shed together after having a run round for 10mins. I have set it up deliberately so I don't need to handle them, and they are happy - hopefully you or someone else will be able to do the same for the group of 5/6 girls too. They are lovely to watch in a group

What about contacting wildlife parks - some of these have pets corners for younger kids to look at where the animals where the animals arent handled much. I'm thinking of the likes of Monkey World etc.

hello

I contacted the wildlife trust when I was trying to find a home for my wild bunnies, this is the reply I got.

Dear Suzanne,
Thanks for contacting the Wildlife Trust. I'm afraid I don't really know of any wildlife sanctuary that would want to take the rabbits off your hands. I'm not even sure who to recommend that you speak to because it's not something I've ever been asked before.
The Wildlife Trust's main areas of work are managing nature reserves, nature education and championing biodiversity in the wider countryside. Unfortunately, we are a charity with limited resources and cannot provide a sanctuary for wildlife.
I'm sorry I cannot be of more help and I wish you luck in finding an answer.

I wil repeat what others have said..
you haven't had them that long yet..some domestic recue buns will take months to home....anyone thinking of rescuing needs to be aware that any rabbit you take in could ,potentially, be with you forever..none are guaranteed homes This is why controlling the numbers you take is so important.

Splitting them and pairing each with a chilled out domestic bunster is a good idea. As Louise has said they will be sparking off each other at present.

I think you have said you before you have high bills and too may bunsters..but have taken in more...I can understand why it's hard not to squeeze an extra one here and there but in reality being overwhelmed by the animals in your care, and financial problems isn't going to help yourself or the rabbits.
Why not try to appeal for volunteers to come round to help you socialise them? (you can get them cleaning out at the same time! )

I have been in contact with Caroline overnight and she was just having a bad day yesterday, like a lot of us. She is operating a waiting list at the rescue, but unfortunately has had rabbits just dumped outside

Some kind RU members have offered some help. Thanks to them.