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Catching an escaped domesticated rabbit - HAPPY ENDING pg5

I know, right?? Thanks for the support. I had told her that it seems like a domestic rabbit, it’s not like I spent 2 hours trying to catch a wildie!

I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with it. I’m really hoping it’s a girl - I’m not sure if my boys will rebond, and maybe adding a female to make a trio would help things gel easier. If it’s a 3rd boy...I’m not sure. Maybe try bonding it with my submissive boy. There’s a local rescue that takes small animals, but they’re full to bursting with rabbits and guinea pigs - I was actually thinking of contacting them to offer fostering to ease their capacity, so I doubt they have room for another singleton bun.
 
Pure bogglement at the recepotionist's "advice" :shock: I would definitely mention it. Good luck with the apppointment and well done with all your efforts.
 
I know, right?? Thanks for the support. I had told her that it seems like a domestic rabbit, it’s not like I spent 2 hours trying to catch a wildie!

I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with it. I’m really hoping it’s a girl - I’m not sure if my boys will rebond, and maybe adding a female to make a trio would help things gel easier. If it’s a 3rd boy...I’m not sure. Maybe try bonding it with my submissive boy. There’s a local rescue that takes small animals, but they’re full to bursting with rabbits and guinea pigs - I was actually thinking of contacting them to offer fostering to ease their capacity, so I doubt they have room for another singleton bun.

Given that it was wondering around the car park a lot in plain sight, plus the colouring, suggests domesticated to me. Wild rabbits are a lot more cautious, it would be very unusual to see one in such an urban environment. So lovely that you found the poor thing, best of luck if you bond the newbie with your boys <3
 
Just home from the vets.

No microchip, which is unfortunate. He's an unneutered male, which is also a bit unfortunate (possibly a sign of no owner, and also more awkward if I wound up keeping him). On the plus side, he's a good size and weight, no visible injuries bar a couple of marks in the fur of one ear. His claws aren't overgrown, his coat and back end aren't matted or messy, and from the (very brief) look at his teeth, they seem alright too - which all points to an owner, somewhere. The vets are posting on their social media, and I'll be sharing a post around too - hopefully someone is missing him, lots of fences came down in the storm a few days ago.

In the meantime, he's in one of my temporary 3x3 pens in my spare room. He's still pretty terrified, so I'm keeping interaction to feeding in the morning and evening, and an afternoon check in; the rest of the time he's being kept with the lights off, and in the quiet, with the windows open and radiator off so he doesn't acclimatise too much. Though I'm sure it's a bit warmer than living out in a car park!

He's not interested in the hay, but is scoffing the readigrass and making LOTS of poops, which is great. He's still avoiding the water bottle, but drinking great from a bowl.

I really hope I can locate an owner, all my contingency plans would've worked out far nicer if he'd been a girl bun!
 
Newbie is coming on leaps and bounds (pun intended)! He's much less fearful than he was, and he's more than happy to come out the carrier and sit next to me through the bars, if I've got kale to bribe him! His ears are always up and forwards, with an adorably inquisitive look on his face. He's making my own lads look positively antisocial :lol:

The best part was when I was able to slowly start giving him head rubs, and the eyes started to close, he looked blissful bless him.

He's not at the stage of getting restless about the small pen, he's still settling in and getting used to the sounds and smells. The local rescue I posted about up the page had actually been out a few times already and tried to catch him, without luck. The woman I spoke to there was so relieved to hear he'd been brought to safety, and said to let her know if they could help at all. I'm still crossing fingers that an owner will materialise, but if not then I need to start thinking about his and my options.

...is it impossible to bond a trio of boys, do you think? ;)
 
I've had boy trios before. It worked well. Just make sure the newbie is neutered for a couple of months before you start bonding.
 
He sounds like he has settled in well :love: it sounds like you are quite attached to him :love: and he sounds adorable:love:
 
He sounds like he has settled in well :love: it sounds like you are quite attached to him :love: and he sounds adorable:love:

After free-roaming for so long, and the ordeal of being caught, I thought he'd be a panicked stress-head forever - it's so nice to see him come around. It's more indication that he should have an owner somewhere, really. He's a lovely lad who'd be a joy to keep, but I do hope someone comes forward for him!
 
After free-roaming for so long, and the ordeal of being caught, I thought he'd be a panicked stress-head forever - it's so nice to see him come around. It's more indication that he should have an owner somewhere, really. He's a lovely lad who'd be a joy to keep, but I do hope someone comes forward for him!

As you say, he may have an owner who is missing him. He certainly sounds very friendly:love: he's lucky you are taking care of him :love:
 
UPDATE: the vets rang me back to say a man had been in after a neighbour saw the facebook post and left him a note. They passed on his number, and I'm just off the phone with him.

The rabbit is his granddaughters, and he keeps it because they've got dogs. His house's rear yard has hedging at the back, which goes straight to the 'in-between' land of scrub bushes and hedging which divides the yards from the car park where the rabbit was found. He tells me it's half-domesticated, half-wild, to account for it's white-with-wildie-brown-patches colouring - apparently the mother got out, it's the last one left, with no other rabbit company. He had no idea if it was male or female. He said that it 'has a hutch', but it's let out to roam in the yard, and it also gets into the neighbours gardens (but they like to see it), and it's obviously found a way to get into the car park through the dividing bushes, and it 'usually comes back', but has been gone for a few days now.

I feel awful. By the location, and the description of how this bun is left to roam, it's obviously his rabbit. I told him how I keep my own buns, and that it really needs a secure run attached to the hutch so it stays safe. He says to bring it round later when he's home, and that it will 'go back into the hutch for a couple of days' even though it 'wont like it', but once it's let back out again it'll be back in that bl:censored:dy ba:censored:tarding car park :evil: The man said he should really fence off the 'no-mans land', but he didn't sound very forthcoming about it. I didn't even get a thank you for catching it and keeping it safe.

I wouldn't have chosen to have a third rabbit, and gone through the cost of vaccinating/neutering and the stress of bonding etc., but I would've stepped up and taken responsibility for it, if no one came forward. And now I've got to return it to either life in what I'm 99% sure is going to be a rotten, tiny hutch, or have it loose in a car park to get run over, eaten, stolen, or catch myxi.
 
Oh no :cry: that is awful. I'm just having a think what to suggest. Unless you suggest you are happy to keep him? Even offer to buy him? Or wait for him to get loose again, catch him and don't say anything? Or say he escaped from his pen at yours and you don't know where he is now?!

Oh dear, what a worry :cry:
 
Oh no :cry: that is awful. I'm just having a think what to suggest. Unless you suggest you are happy to keep him? Even offer to buy him? Or wait for him to get loose again, catch him and don't say anything? Or say he escaped from his pen at yours and you don't know where he is now?!

Oh dear, what a worry :cry:

I'll certainly offer, and I'll bring some cash with me. If he got out into the car park again, there's no way I could recatch him alone.

The man really didn't seem that invested in the rabbit, but as it belongs to his granddaughter he might not want to give it up. As I said, he had no idea if it was even male or female, said 'they (granddaughter and parents, I guess) would know all about it'. Not that much about it, or they'd have been out catching it, and then making sure if had a safe, secure home :evil:
 
No one I spoke to had had the bun reported to them as missing. If it'd been an animal of mine, I'd be doing everything in my power to bring it home, and if someone got there before me, I'd be tripping over myself with gratitude. But no, none of that.
 
I'll certainly offer, and I'll bring some cash with me. If he got out into the car park again, there's no way I could recatch him alone.

The man really didn't seem that invested in the rabbit, but as it belongs to his granddaughter he might not want to give it up. As I said, he had no idea if it was even male or female, said 'they (granddaughter and parents, I guess) would know all about it'. Not that much about it, or they'd have been out catching it, and then making sure if had a safe, secure home :evil:

It's very sad. I have to say, I wouldn't want to return him to that situation. Don't know if the vets/rspca could suggest anything?
 
It's very sad. I have to say, I wouldn't want to return him to that situation. Don't know if the vets/rspca could suggest anything?

Given that 1 vet receptionist suggested 'letting it go again', and that it's in apparent good health, I doubt they'll have anything more to do with it.

I just can't believe how unapologetic he was, and that there doesn't seem to be any idea of how to avoid the same situation going forwards.

Mostly I'm really angry that rabbits are still treated like less important pets by some - not neutering or vaccinating (probably), allowing to free roam unsecured, to 'let it go again', not actively searching for it, thinking that a hutch is adequate housing.

The man didn't even know the bun's NAME. If I hadn't reported it as found, what would he have told his granddaughter? I wonder if she knows it's been gone. Would she have accepted that it's just 'gone', because granddad couldn't be ar*ed to get a run, or secure the yard? I'm so, so mad.
 
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Can you gently offer to keep it? Tell him that his granddaughter can see it (with new friends, ie your 2 boys) whenever she visits. You could email / FB etc her with updates. She would see how rabbits should be kept and grandad won't have to look after it. Even something like asking him to pay the vet bill might swing it. He did seem to have the rabbit's interests at heart - in a misguided sort of way - as it was away from the family dogs and he knew it needed more space to run around, and he has been in touch.

If he takes it back, leave him with your contact details and in no doubt that you will have him back in case he changes his mind - maybe with a nice note to the G-daughter about how happy bunny was to be safe and have new bunny friends to play with.
 
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