Our First Rescue
Hubby and I had decided that it would be a not bad idea for us to get a few rabbits as pets. I obviously have extensive knowledge and experience, and he has 2 young kids, so it seemed like a good idea. Plus, being a retired show breeder, I was missing my bun time, and wanted somebun to cuddle. Despite how happy and full my life had become with hubby and his boys, there was still that little bun shaped hole in my heart.
We contacted a friend of mine, told her we were looking for a pet or two, possibly a breeding pair of lions so we could have the occasional litter. No big deal, she says, come by, I will set you up. We headed to her house with the intention of bringing home a Holland Lop doe, and a pair of lionheads.
We left with 20 rabbits.
My friend admitted to having too many, with a very poor market for the young pet stock. She was too far out, no one wanted to come see her, the pet stores she had been selling to had stopped buying... etc, etc, etc.
Beyond our initial three, we brought home Blue and her kits, Spot and her kits, Lucky, Pepper and a beautiful doe who didn't get a chance to be named. We also ended up with Alice, a small New Zealand kit who was expert at escaping her cage, and we caught her running free on the rabbitry floor. When I asked where she should be returned to, I was told it didn't matter, sooner or later she would get out and get eaten, so we brought her home. Hubby adopted Alice as his own spoiled little pet.
We did what we could for these rabbits, but suffered great loss in the young stock - they were bloating badly, quickly, and I was unable to get them going again. This should have been my first clue that there was something more than just too many wrong at my friend's house, but I assumed it was feed change. There was even a point we were worried we might lose Alice, as she developed what we now call chub-chub disease - she was so worried that food would stop coming, she was eating until she was bloating, keeping her tummy so full that it hurt her. More than a few times it was mentioned she had bloated and probably wouldn't make it. Thankfully, after being here for over 2 months, Alice has stopped her over eating.
But it wasn't just these guys.
When we bought the first batch of rabbits, we also paid for a stack of cages. Because we had ended up with so many more rabbits than we anticipated, we couldn't fit the cages into the car. I had been trying for several weeks to get ahold of my friend to arrange pick up. When we finally talked to her, she admitted that there were serious issues and she needed help NOW. Hubby and I, being the people that we are, wasted no time loading up what carriers we had and making a dash out to get some starving rabbits.
When we arrived, it was worse than I had guessed. No dead rabbits to be seen, but there were far more empty cages than I had seen, and more than a few skinny rabbits that concerned me. She admitted that due to issues with her and her now ex, the rabbits hadn't been being fed properly and had gone at least 5 days without food or water, or anyone even checking on them. She had lost many, and didn't really have much heart to continue, as well, she was moving and would no longer be able to keep such a large herd.
We loaded up another 20. brought them home, got them settled. Planned to go back the next day, intending to bring more home then(small car, we can only fit so many rabbits, and we had to empty carriers before we could refill them!!) When we returned the next day, it was a little earlier than anticipated. This time, we saw the bucket in which she collected the dead rabbits. Overnight she had lost at least 10, if not more. We loaded what we could(17 this time), and took the hay we had stuffed our carriers with to give to those we were leaving behind. One last trip planned for the next day, but consumed with regret for not leaving hay the day before, and for not coming back the day before.
The third and final trip, we loaded up 6 rabbits, as well as a number of cages we had bought to accommodate our growing herd. At this point we had a total of 51 rabbits, with one suspected pregnant doe. Of course, suspected meant confirmed and she delivered 6 kits the night after she came to our house. 57.
We have, at this point, lost a number of the rabbits. Sadly, between lack of food and lack of water, some simply did not get their systems going again. One doe, who is younger and still growing, has permanent damage to her ear base, and will always have ears she can't quite control right. Another girl may have had a seizure and possible brain damage from the hardship. Despite our care in re-feeding, we still suffered loss from bloat.
It is a long, hard journey that we have not yet completed. Several rabbits are still underweight or in need of further care. Many are ready to find new homes and begin what will hopefully be the final chapter in their already difficult lives. Trust issues abound and we are working hard to socialize and rehab those who may have issues.
We might be crazy for having taken this on, but we couldn't just leave them to suffer.
See the rescues
We contacted a friend of mine, told her we were looking for a pet or two, possibly a breeding pair of lions so we could have the occasional litter. No big deal, she says, come by, I will set you up. We headed to her house with the intention of bringing home a Holland Lop doe, and a pair of lionheads.
We left with 20 rabbits.
My friend admitted to having too many, with a very poor market for the young pet stock. She was too far out, no one wanted to come see her, the pet stores she had been selling to had stopped buying... etc, etc, etc.
Beyond our initial three, we brought home Blue and her kits, Spot and her kits, Lucky, Pepper and a beautiful doe who didn't get a chance to be named. We also ended up with Alice, a small New Zealand kit who was expert at escaping her cage, and we caught her running free on the rabbitry floor. When I asked where she should be returned to, I was told it didn't matter, sooner or later she would get out and get eaten, so we brought her home. Hubby adopted Alice as his own spoiled little pet.
We did what we could for these rabbits, but suffered great loss in the young stock - they were bloating badly, quickly, and I was unable to get them going again. This should have been my first clue that there was something more than just too many wrong at my friend's house, but I assumed it was feed change. There was even a point we were worried we might lose Alice, as she developed what we now call chub-chub disease - she was so worried that food would stop coming, she was eating until she was bloating, keeping her tummy so full that it hurt her. More than a few times it was mentioned she had bloated and probably wouldn't make it. Thankfully, after being here for over 2 months, Alice has stopped her over eating.
But it wasn't just these guys.
When we bought the first batch of rabbits, we also paid for a stack of cages. Because we had ended up with so many more rabbits than we anticipated, we couldn't fit the cages into the car. I had been trying for several weeks to get ahold of my friend to arrange pick up. When we finally talked to her, she admitted that there were serious issues and she needed help NOW. Hubby and I, being the people that we are, wasted no time loading up what carriers we had and making a dash out to get some starving rabbits.
When we arrived, it was worse than I had guessed. No dead rabbits to be seen, but there were far more empty cages than I had seen, and more than a few skinny rabbits that concerned me. She admitted that due to issues with her and her now ex, the rabbits hadn't been being fed properly and had gone at least 5 days without food or water, or anyone even checking on them. She had lost many, and didn't really have much heart to continue, as well, she was moving and would no longer be able to keep such a large herd.
We loaded up another 20. brought them home, got them settled. Planned to go back the next day, intending to bring more home then(small car, we can only fit so many rabbits, and we had to empty carriers before we could refill them!!) When we returned the next day, it was a little earlier than anticipated. This time, we saw the bucket in which she collected the dead rabbits. Overnight she had lost at least 10, if not more. We loaded what we could(17 this time), and took the hay we had stuffed our carriers with to give to those we were leaving behind. One last trip planned for the next day, but consumed with regret for not leaving hay the day before, and for not coming back the day before.
The third and final trip, we loaded up 6 rabbits, as well as a number of cages we had bought to accommodate our growing herd. At this point we had a total of 51 rabbits, with one suspected pregnant doe. Of course, suspected meant confirmed and she delivered 6 kits the night after she came to our house. 57.
We have, at this point, lost a number of the rabbits. Sadly, between lack of food and lack of water, some simply did not get their systems going again. One doe, who is younger and still growing, has permanent damage to her ear base, and will always have ears she can't quite control right. Another girl may have had a seizure and possible brain damage from the hardship. Despite our care in re-feeding, we still suffered loss from bloat.
It is a long, hard journey that we have not yet completed. Several rabbits are still underweight or in need of further care. Many are ready to find new homes and begin what will hopefully be the final chapter in their already difficult lives. Trust issues abound and we are working hard to socialize and rehab those who may have issues.
We might be crazy for having taken this on, but we couldn't just leave them to suffer.
See the rescues