Rabbits
We first got into rabbit keeping about 11 years ago, when we pick a young wild bunny off the A96, he'd been hit by a car and had a broken front leg and a damaged eye. We had Benji for 9 years and although he was never a cuddly rabbit we could clip his nails, check his teeth and carry him to bed every night. When he was 1 we got him neutered and he got 2 dwarf lop girls. Bramble and Clover to keep him company. We vaccinate all our rabbits, 6 monthly, for myxomatosis and yearly for VHD.
All our rabbits are neutered, although the operation for the girls is a risky one, we have decided to put all girls through the op, to remove the risk of uterine cancer, about 80% of females over the age of 3 develop this disease. Neutering also removes many behavioural/ hormonal issues some rabbits exhibit. We also found out we were overfeeding our rabbits so the now get a small hand full of rabbit food each daily and some veg but an unlimited supply of hay, as this should be the main part of their diet.
Snowy is an angora lop, white with red eyes and a nightmare to keep groomed, his hair is so fine we usually end up cutting it off. His owner had drug problems and couldn't keep him anymore, he didn't like being groomed which was a bit of a problem, but has learned to accept it. He was also very nervous when he arrived as his cage was kept right next to a ferret, not the most relaxing of situations for a rabbit. He came in 2007 at about 18 months old and initially was bonded with Bertha, who sadly died of uterine cancer ( before we knew the risks) He now lives happily with Jessica and Jess.
Jessica was a friend's rabbit, she didn't have time to do the grooming and liked our set of runs, where Jessica could be out most of the day. Jessica is a grey angora, but her coat is much easier to keep than Snowy's, as long as she doen't get too wet. She's a bit of a character and doesn't like going to bed, so usually runs about the run growling, until she gets fed up and finally lets us catch her. We have had Jessice since 2006 and she was 2 years old when she came here.
Treacle is a black and white lop, and although she was very thin, she's a bit too fat now. She arrived in 2005 with her son Fudge, aged about 1 year old. They were very thin and shared a filthy cage, we were reported to the police for taking htem via a friend. They police told the original owner to leave them where they were or they would follow up charges of negelct, so they satyed. Fudge was bonded to Jessica, but sadly we lost him to a suuden death in 2007. Treacle is very good to handle and has even been to the Inverurie brownies, when, Scott, our vet did a talk for Rabbit week in 2007. Treacle lives with Odd-eye, who came as a set of 4 brothers, at the age of 8 weeks. We fellin love with Odd-eye and after he was neutered he was bonded to Treacle
Oddeye is a brown dutch with one blue eye and one brown eye. He spends most of his day being groomed by Treacle, seems happy with being loved. He came to us via PAWSS and was meant to be a foster, but he stayed! He arrived when he was 8 weeks old in 2006.
Runt was Oddeye's brother and was handled in the same way, neutered at the same time, except he was much smaller! As he reached 8 months, just before he was neutered, his temper changed. He started to bite, he would launch himself at your knees, and he was very tense when you picked him up. We had never experienced an aggressive rabbit before, but knew we couldn't back off. We made a point of picking him up, and if he attacked we would hold him, gently but firmly until he calmed down. It worked to a certain extent, but he was still very tense. I then had a brainwave, what if its diet related, we feed our rabbits a muesli type food, so I changed him on to complete pellet, and it has certainly made a difference. After he bit me in the face ,I wouldn't hold him near my face again, but he is much less angry with life. In later years he has become quite a loving rabbit, who loves nose rubs.
Xena had been dumped in a local park in 2008, aged about 1 year. She was found by a member of the public, after their dog nearly caught her. They called our vet, and they called us. Xena was a very angry rabbit, very hormonal and nervous. We got her spayed and she is now bonded with Runt. She still doesn't like being handled, but doesn't bite anymore
Milly and Molly are sisters and had been bought by a family, the girls were a bit nippy and flighty, so the owner decided to rehome them. They came in 2007 aged less than a year.
Thumper is a silver fox rabbit and very handsome, he was a PAWSS bunny who we fostered, and who arrived in 2007 aged about 1 year. As usual we were dreading losing him to new home but nobody showed any interest in him. When we lost Scotty, we could see that Milly was a bit unhappy, so we decided to partner her with Thumper.
Sorrell is an agouti crossbreed rabbit and very nervous, she arrived in 2006, a year old. The history we were given for her was sad indeed. She was apparently bought by a drug user who didn't look after her very well. Somebody else took her on to try and help her, but they could not afford a cage and had many friend with dogs who came to visit. Her owner finally decided to give her up when she fell and broke a front leg, so she came to us. I don't know how much of this story is true, but she is very timid and neurotic, although I sometimes susect she may be a wild rabbit!
Molly is practically blind and after losing Smokey was very quiet, wehad her spayed and then decided to bond her with Snowy and Jessica. She is a very happy girl agiain ( she loves Snowy) and the all get on very well.
Mallow was handed in to the vets as a stray in April 2010. She had wounds to her back and eye, the vets looked after for 2 weeks until she was recovered and we then said we would take her. She is a lionhead and very sweet. We do not think Mallow is very old, maybe a year, she has been vaccinated and neutered and we hope to bond her to Sorrell.
Mallow's vaccinations and spayed we paid for by a donation from a fundraiser on the Rabbit United Forum, so we would like to gave a big thank you to them all!
Katie also came via the vet in June 2010, she was taken in because her third eyelid hemorrhaged while having her bottom cleaned. Her owner couldn't cope anymore and wanted her rehomed, we said we would take her. Her eyes were very sore and she was quite overweight, which we think may have contributed to her problem, it was certainly the reason she could not clean her own bottom add to the fact she had a rich diet that caused her to produce too many soft droppings. Katie had to have eye gel put in 4-6 times a day and then some antibiotic cream in her eyes afterwards, initially, her eyes are almost normal now, unless she gets stressed- then they look like they will pop out. Katie is also losing weight and once she is thin enough she will be spayed, she has been vaccinated.