# Long-term foster care in midwest



## jessi330 (Nov 4, 2009)

Sam photo and Maggie photo - I don't know how to embed photos. 
So, here's the story - my boyfriend and I have been planning a trip of a lifetime for a couple years now. It's finally going to happen this December. We leave December 3rd for our voyage to South America but before then, we need to find a kind, loving, knowledgeable bunny mom to take care of our 2 buns, Sam and Maggie while we are away for up to around a year. The bottom line is : *We want them back!*

Sam is a tan, 6 pound bunster neutered male, a bit older than a year. He's had perfect health since I've had him at six months. He used to chew wires in his youth but has slacked off. He binkies every night. He is a bit shy of new people but curious nonetheless. He usually allows me to pet him at night. He never bites. He loves to get underneath things and is persistent. 

Maggie is a pearl grey Holland lop, 3 pound, neutered male. We call her 'she' though. She is about 3 years old. She has more spunk. She loves her head-pets and will run to your feet and put her head down, waiting. She will also nudge your hand. If something unknown threatens her she may paw or charge the offending object.She hasn't bit anyone in over a year. 
Her health history is not so clean. She has no tail - born that way - not a problem. Her face is a bit lop-sided (ha!) which may or may not be contributing to her molars overgrowing a bit. In the time we've had her, she's only had them trimmed once though. She gets a bit lazy and doesn't eat her cecotrophs so every once in a while she gets a poopy-butt and you've got to give her a butt-bath. She has had history with her right eye bulging from abscess - we have easily fixed this with every other day shots of bicillin (penicllin-g). The first time the abscess was below her eye and she had surgery to drain it; the second time, it was behind the eye and after a week of shots, the pus drained right from her eye. She is still on shots from the last episode but her eye healed in two weeks time. 

Maggie loves bread as a treat, they both love cheerios, carrots, crackers, cilantro, and parsley. At their age, they should be eating timothy hay but they refuse and only eat alfalfa. This can be a problem since it is higher in calcium. My vet says it's okay as long as we don't see any problems. 

We keep them in an x-pen over a carpet over vinyl to prevent any accidents going through. We would bring those things. The remaining 25lb bag of food, Carefresh paper litter. And we offer $xxx to aid you in your care of our rabbits. That's right, we are offering a sum to care for our buns while we are gone on an adventure. 

We ask that you have bunnies or have had them before. We also want your home life to be stable because we will be out of the country and unable to help find new foster homes for them (not to mention how stressful that would be). We also ask that you be willing to e-mail maybe once a month to tell us how they are doing - photos would be appreciated too. 

We live in Lincoln, NE and would drive the bunnies to you ideally in mid-November anywhere in the Midwest. 
I hope you guys can help! Thanks, Jessi & Nick/ Sam & Maggie


----------



## TinysMom (Nov 4, 2009)

I would offer to watch them for you - but I am 16 hours away from you in SW Texas. I'm not sure what food you normally feed them but my choices here in Texas are fairly limited.

As a rabbit breeder - I know how to give shots of Pen G. I have dealt with abscesses before and am dealing with a particularly stubborn one right now in one of my rabbits.

The downside is - my nearest vet that will handle rabbits is 70 miles away one way....and his normal response to anything is baytril. 

Feel free to pm me if you can't find anyone closer. I have a fairly stable homelife as I've been married for 31 years and we live in our own home - so as long as the mortgage is paid - its ours! 

I hope you can find someone closer because I'm sure that would be better for you - but if you can't - let me know and I'll talk to my husband. We could probably meet you partway along the trip and bring the animals here rather than you having to drive 32 hours total!


----------



## jessi330 (Nov 5, 2009)

Oh, thank you. It is comforting to know that there is at least one option out there.


----------



## TinysMom (Nov 7, 2009)

I probably should do this in PM but I wanted to post it here so others would know that you still need to find help.

The more I've thought about your situation - I think it is best if you find someone closer to you (or who has less bunnies than I do) to help out.

My main reason for posting was that I do know how to do shots and handle stuff like that - but a year is a long time to be responsible for someone else's rabbits. 

Because I have several rabbits as a breeder - even though yours would be in a separate room - they would have a greater chance of picking up something if my rabbits got a virus or something...which can happen.

In addition, I really don't feel like I'd have the time or energy to let them have playtimes on a regular basis..which is something I believe in for pet rabbits.

I wish you the best of luck with finding a foster situation closer to you - and a WONDERFUL trip!


----------



## KRSAS (Nov 7, 2009)

If you dont have any other options, let me know. We could probably save a couple of spots for you here at the sanctuary in trade for a donation for us to help out other buns. Let me know when it gets closer if you havent found anyone else and I will let you know if we have openings. (We are fullllllll right now!)


----------



## JadeIcing (Nov 8, 2009)

I was just about to suggest rescues. They will sometimes accept a donation for bunnysitting.


----------

