# Fostering



## HalaBuns (Jan 6, 2021)

Hi everyone

I have recently joined a FB group in Dubai which provides help and support to small animals, many of which have been abandoned. They frequently need foster spaces and I would really like to help, but I want to make sure I have done my homework first in terms of the impact it will have on both my bunnies and myself, so we don’t all end up stressed and potentially regretting my decision.

I live in a 2 bed, 3 bath apartment and my bunnies are completely free roam. 1 of the bathrooms I rarely use and I could set up as a space for one of the rescues.

To give some background on my bunnies, they are both girls, spayed in June. They were rescued by a lady in April / May after being dumped . I adopted them in June, shortly after their spay. We then moved house in September. They are very settled now, but have of course been through a lot of ups and downs, moving a lot etc. They are my absolute priority, so if bringing another rabbit into their space at this point is likely to cause them any further stress, I will leave the idea.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you


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## Madelyn L. (Jan 6, 2021)

As long as your buns can’t get into the bathroom, having the rescue in your bathroom would be a good idea! Just make sure the rescue has plenty of active engagement (toys, puzzles, etc.) to keep him occupied. Maybe for some part of your homework time, you could go hang out in your rescue buns bathroom and do some of your homework. I hope it works out! If u decide to foster, keep us posted!


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## JBun (Jan 6, 2021)

The major issues that could occur bringing in a new rabbit(or any new animal), is that it could spark territorial behavior like poop or urine marking, and it could even possibly cause referred aggression to occur with your bonded pair, where one lashes out at the other from having a new animal smell in their territory. Now, these could all settle down after a week or two, or may not even occur at all, but there is the potential that either could occur and the effects could be longer lasting, even to the point of having to separate your current bonded pair. Even if the rabbit is kept completely separated and confined in a separate room, your rabbits will still be able to smell it and hear it. 

I don't want to discourage fostering at all, as it's such a kind thing to do for animals in need. But it's best to be aware of potential effects that can occur with your current rabbits, when considering and making the decision on whether it's something you want to take on or not.


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## HalaBuns (Jan 7, 2021)

Thank you very much for your replies.

I think I would be a bit nervous about how my girls would react, so for the time being at least I don’t think I will offer or commit to anything. They are finally so happy in their lives and I would worry about disrupting that and losing their trust. 

There are just so many buns (and other animals) needing help here every day, it just tugs at my heart strings and I wish I could take them all in


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## HalaBuns (Mar 14, 2021)

So I’m really considering this again. We don’t have any rescues or shelters here. Any buns who are taken from whatever horrible situation they are found in have to go to a foster space, as there are no other options, or the person that found them has to keep them until they can be adopted.

We have 2 or 3 ladies who co-ordinate the rescuing, fostering and adopting on top of their full-time jobs and families and they are totally overwhelmed with bunnies. Every day a bunny is dumped, released, or needs to be taken from a dangerous situation (in the last week alone, there have been 2 bunnies spotted being kept in bird cages in supermarkets). They are desperate for foster spaces, even a bathroom and each day that passes I feel more guilty about not stepping forward to help.

My concern still remains about my buns. I have no intention of letting them meet and ideally I would prefer they did not even have an awareness of one another (but not sure how easy that would be). My buns have not claimed my bathrooms or kitchen as theirs, so that would be the space I could offer. It wouldn’t be ideal and certainly not long-term, but it would offer a place for the bun to be away from danger, heal, have some good food and receive love and care before being homed. 

Aside from keeping the door shut, are there any other measures I could put in place to reduce my bunnies’ awareness of there being another rabbit in the house? Or manage it at least.


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Mar 15, 2021)

That is such a sweet and thoughtful idea! 
I certainly am no expert whatsoever but I will share my experience.

I have one Flemish Giant bunny that lives in the front yard and she is the sweetest thing, but anyway, we were given a neutered/spayed 2 year old brother and sister bonded pair of mini lops. We tried to introduce them to our bun but the girl is very savage to our FG and and scratched her up. She isn't the friendliest rabbit anyway and I think she doesn't want our FG girl to steal her brother. XD So we seperated them from our bun so they do not hurt her. They can still see and sniff our Flemish through the bars but that has not affected the mini lops relationship in the least. They even switch cages sometimes so the mini lops can have more space for a bit. 
I suppose in your situation it depends on you bunnies personalities and how strong their relationship is. Who knows? Maybe they will be friends with the fosters! If I were you I would go ahead and foster some buns and I would even let them see each other, not necessarily bond or anything, but just meet. But please don't take my word for it as I may be totally wrong and I don't want to give you the wrong idea. Just my personal opinion.


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## HalaBuns (Mar 15, 2021)

LizzyMayHarvey said:


> That is such a sweet and thoughtful idea!
> I certainly am no expert whatsoever but I will share my experience.
> 
> I have one Flemish Giant bunny that lives in the front yard and she is the sweetest thing, but anyway, we were given a neutered/spayed 2 year old brother and sister bonded pair of mini lops. We tried to introduce them to our bun but the girl is very savage to our FG and and scratched her up. She isn't the friendliest rabbit anyway and I think she doesn't want our FG girl to steal her brother. XD So we seperated them from our bun so they do not hurt her. They can still see and sniff our Flemish through the bars but that has not affected the mini lops relationship in the least. They even switch cages sometimes so the mini lops can have more space for a bit.
> I suppose in your situation it depends on you bunnies personalities and how strong their relationship is. Who knows? Maybe they will be friends with the fosters! If I were you I would go ahead and foster some buns and I would even let them see each other, not necessarily bond or anything, but just meet. But please don't take my word for it as I may be totally wrong and I don't want to give you the wrong idea. Just my personal opinion.


Well that sounds like you had a positive outcome! (minus the initial scratching).

As you say, I wouldn’t really know how my buns would react until it happened. I’m assuming one would be a bit of a jerk about it, just not sure to what extent Equally, she may prove me wrong and not be the little terrorist I am worried about


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## bunny34422 (Mar 15, 2021)

My friend rescued and is currently fostering a solo bun, but she doesn't want to disrupt the bond between her original pair after it took her months to get them together. So in addition to keeping them in separate rooms, she washes her hands and changes her clothes each time she interacts with the single before going back to her pair. It's a hassle and I think her pair's probably still aware there's another rabbit around, but they haven't really cared  Maybe you could try that but like you said it all depends on the rabbits!


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## HalaBuns (Mar 15, 2021)

bunny34422 said:


> My friend rescued and is currently fostering a solo bun, but she doesn't want to disrupt the bond between her original pair after it took her months to get them together. So in addition to keeping them in separate rooms, she washes her hands and changes her clothes each time she interacts with the single before going back to her pair. It's a hassle and I think her pair's probably still aware there's another rabbit around, but they haven't really cared  Maybe you could try that but like you said it all depends on the rabbits!


Yes I was also thinking that I’d have to do that to be on the safe side!


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## HalaBuns (Mar 20, 2021)

One of the ladies who co-ordinates the fostering suggested fostering a baby bun, in the hope it would cause less disruption to my two. Within a couple of hours of me agreeing, here we are...

This little angel was found dumped in the road yesterday and almost got run over. Not quite a baby, but still very young. He/she is incredibly thin, but has had a good amount of food since arriving. I’ve left her (we’ll call her a she as it’s easier) to rest as she is totally exhausted.






She’s incredibly affectionate and loves head rubs. She also has the longest tongue in the world 

I will get her vet checked in a couple of days when she is strong enough for another car ride, or sooner if she deteriorates. So say a prayer for this little one.

She’s in my spare bathroom within my 2nd bedroom / office and thus far, my girls seem completely unaware there is another bunny in the house as there are 2 doors between them. That set up may change, as my buns like to hang out with me in the mornings whilst I’m working, so then they would be passing by the closed bathroom door, but I can’t deal with that potential stress today.

Of course the space is not ideal. But better than being outside and unsafe.


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## HalaBuns (Mar 20, 2021)

Just walked out to find one of my girls sat outside the door, watching and waiting. Got an absolute death stare. SHE KNOWS. It’s the most terrified I have felt in a long time haha


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Mar 20, 2021)

She is so cute!!! I'm so glad you went ahead and fostered her.  I hope your buns accept her presence and everything works out. I think if I didn't have dogs then I would love to move my bunnies inside and foster some as well.
Please keep us updated!


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## JBun (Mar 20, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> Just walked out to find one of my girls sat outside the door, watching and waiting. Got an absolute death stare. SHE KNOWS. It’s the most terrified I have felt in a long time haha



   

She's a beauty! Hope you don't have to endure the stare down for too long  Maybe they'll decide they even like the new bun. One can always hope.


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## Mariam+Theo (Mar 20, 2021)

SHE IS SO CUTE!  Praying she stays well and that she finds a new home soon!
Make sure you are spoiling your bunnies so they don't get jealous. Maybe your bunnies will learn to like her


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## HalaBuns (Mar 20, 2021)

She is an absolute darling. Just need to get some weight on her, make sure she’s back to full health and then try to find her her perfect home. The bunny ladies here have started running weekly adoption days at one of the pet stores so I’ll take her along when she’s ready (the store doesn’t sell pets btw, but gives the ladies an area to bring some buns along). 

I am actually hoping that “she” is actually a “he” as it might make life easier in the meantime with my 2 . Still very nervous there, it will be a few days before I let them any closer to her I think. They’re loving the extra snuggles they’re getting though


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## HalaBuns (Mar 23, 2021)

So my sweet girl is actually a boy! . Had him checked by the vet today.

I also found out his story yesterday, because his “cage mate” also escaped, was rescued by a neighbour (who has refused to hand him back) and the adoption group were contacted. 

Both boys spent most of their lives living outside in a bird cage, out in the sun with no shade (it rarely drops below 25c here, even in winter) with who knows what food and little water. They would often fight too, which is not a surprise given mine is 4-5 months old. It’s amazing they’re even still alive.

The vet said he is the sweetest, calmest little bun he has seen in a long time and that he is in great shape considering his ordeal. He doesn’t have as much muscle mass in his hind quarters as he should though, which is most likely because of his awful conditions and terrible diet, so hopefully not permanent.

We’ve had lots of flops over the last couple of days and I’ve been working from the bathroom floor for a couple of hours each day to keep him company, whilst my other 2 are sound asleep . He uses his litter box pretty much 100% when I’m in the room (but a bit hit and miss when I’m not haha).








I moved his blankets around because I was worried about his little bones on the hard floor, but then he picked another cold, hard place to flop earlier instead  I’m guessing the velocity of the spin must be better on tiles? 

As my girls are being amazing frankly and don’t really seem bothered, I will expand his area out a little bit, give him more space to get those legs moving. And will book him in for his neuter in a couple of weeks.

I’ve decided to name him Noah, as he’s such a calm little chap. I’m so proud of him already


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## Madelyn L. (Mar 23, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> So my sweet girl is actually a boy! . Had him checked by the vet today.
> 
> I also found out his story yesterday, because his “cage mate” also escaped, was rescued by a neighbour (who has refused to hand him back) and the adoption group were contacted.
> 
> ...


You are treating him so well!


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## HalaBuns (Mar 23, 2021)

Madelyn L. said:


> You are treating him so well!



Thank you! He’s the sweetest thing, he deserves the best life


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## SirLawrence (Mar 23, 2021)

What a sweetheart!! You are being so good to little Noah! I love his big ears! 

An both my buns love flopping on hard (cool) surfaces... it used to scare me to death; I was afraid they would hurt themselves!


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## JBun (Mar 23, 2021)

He's certainly feeling at home! And a complete dead bunny flop to prove it  I know it's just further proof of how comfortable and happy a bunny is.... but even after all these years it's still a little freaky to see cause they make it look so real.


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## HalaBuns (Mar 23, 2021)

SirLawrence said:


> What a sweetheart!! You are being so good to little Noah! I love his big ears!
> 
> An both my buns love flopping on hard (cool) surfaces... it used to scare me to death; I was afraid they would hurt themselves!



He laid on the blanket, but then as the day progressed he edged further and further off it haha. Funny little thing.


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## HalaBuns (Mar 23, 2021)

JBun said:


> He's certainly feeling at home! And a complete dead bunny flop to prove it  I know it's just further proof of how comfortable and happy a bunny is.... but even after all these years it's still a little freaky to see cause they make it look so real.


I really wasn’t too sure for a while because he’s so frail, I kept watching his breathing. I thought perhaps he’d witnessed my insurance job and died of boredom. I know how he feels.

He’s a little twitcher in his sleep too, I was quite relieved when he came round and began hopping about again!


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## Mac189 (Mar 24, 2021)

He is absolutely adorable! It's awesome of you to help the little guy! As sweet and pretty as he is he's gonna be easy to find a home for!


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## HalaBuns (Mar 24, 2021)

Mac189 said:


> He is absolutely adorable! It's awesome of you to help the little guy! As sweet and pretty as he is he's gonna be easy to find a home for!


I’ll be sad when he goes! But I’m also excited for him to have the life he deserves and lots of room for roaming and binkies


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## HalaBuns (Mar 24, 2021)

I saw this litter box idea from Daiso on one of the Lennon the Bunny videos and it’s absolutely perfect for him. It’s actually a paper storage box. His rear legs are quite weak, so it’s low enough at the front to encourage him to hop in, but the sides are high enough to keep everything in. I’ve not had to clean up any pee at all today  he’s such a good boy 






Couple of extra pictures, just because he’s so handsome


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## HalaBuns (Mar 30, 2021)

My teeny weeny colleague 




I wish my other 2 loved me as much as he does. Might have to trade them in! (kidding).

He follows me everywhere, I have to shuffle about because he’s always around my feet haha. So much energy now, zoomies and binkies everywhere and loves cuddles. Such a special, happy little boy


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Mar 30, 2021)

That's so cute! He looks like such a sweet heart. I'm so glad he settled in well and is binkying every! I would love to foster buns but I think I wouldn't be able to give them up!!!


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## HalaBuns (Mar 30, 2021)

LizzyMayHarvey said:


> That's so cute! He looks like such a sweet heart. I'm so glad he settled in well and is binkying every! I would love to foster buns but I think I wouldn't be able to give them up!!!❤❤❤


Oh there will be tears for sure! But i recently discovered that it costs £3,800 (per bunny!) in quarantine charges alone to relocate back to the UK. So that in itself stops me from committing to any more on a permanent basis, that would make me cry for a whole other reason . Not that I’m planning on doing that any time soon, but you never know.

In the meantime I’m enjoying the love I’m giving and receiving with him 

My friends who live next door to me also fostered his brother Buster yesterday! He’s got the cutest moustache, he looks like a little old man!


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## HalaBuns (Apr 6, 2021)

I have another addition... my apartment has become a bunny hotel 

Jokes aside, this tiny little dot was left in the park opposite my house tonight and picked up by security:







He / she had been left in the cage with a bag of food next to them, so obviously deliberately abandoned. There was no way I could leave them, so I now have bathrooms filled with buns 

Mini Bun (nice generic name for the time being) actually seems in pretty good shape, and is eating lots of hay, drinking and bouncing around. Teeny little poops, but I doubt he/she was given any hay before 

He/she does not seem interested in pellets, preferring hay. I know i should slowly transition from one pellet brand to another, but this is the rubbish they have been fed until now. Should I still be giving them a little? It looks very unhealthy


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Apr 6, 2021)

Eek! So cute! That's so great that you could foster another bun! S/he is super adorable. The poor thing, I can't believe so many people dump their bunnies.


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## ArtistChibi (Apr 6, 2021)

Is that the generic garbage found at Walmart filled with foods that can be harmful to bunnies?! That poor thing. So glad you're fostering it and saved it. Probably a good idea to transition like you would with any other rabbit.


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## JBun (Apr 6, 2021)

Cute! If she's eating plenty of hay, I would just start the transition over to your pellets and stop the muesli. Muesli is full of carbs and not great to be giving to a baby rabbit anyways. Plus lots of hay right now will be a good thing to get that gut back on track and help prevent digestive illness setting in, which recently weaned baby rabbits are very prone to developing when fed a high carb diet.


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## HalaBuns (Apr 6, 2021)

ArtistChibi said:


> Is that the generic garbage found at Walmart filled with foods that can be harmful to bunnies?! That poor thing. So glad you're fostering it and saved it. Probably a good idea to transition like you would with any other rabbit.


From the look of the cage, I should think the little one was sold right before Easter at one of the horrific pet markets they have here and given the bag of food as part of the sale. They don’t care whether these little ones are healthy or not, they just want the money.


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## HalaBuns (Apr 7, 2021)

JBun said:


> Cute! If she's eating plenty of hay, I would just start the transition over to your pellets and stop the muesli. Muesli is full of carbs and not great to be giving to a baby rabbit anyways. Plus lots of hay right now will be a good thing to get that gut back on track and help prevent digestive illness setting in, which recently weaned baby rabbits are very prone to developing when fed a high carb diet.


It literally looks like a high sugar breakfast cereal with a few pellets thrown in, awful.

It doesn’t seem like she’s eaten much overnight and I couldn’t see many poops either, but she’s zooming about and very bright. I’m offering both alfalfa and Timothy hay and she’s preferring the Timothy this morning. I’ll keep a close eye on her today.

She licks me whenever I pay her a visit, it’s the first time I’ve experienced a bunny kiss . My others don’t like me enough for that


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## HalaBuns (Apr 7, 2021)

LizzyMayHarvey said:


> Eek! So cute! That's so great that you could foster another bun! S/he is super adorable.❤ The poor thing, I can't believe so many people dump their bunnies.


It’s a huge problem here, particularly after Easter. I’m a bit surprised they gave up on this one so quickly . If I hadn’t taken her, security said they would have had to call the municipality to take her. I’m not totally sure what that means for bunnies, but I can’t imagine there would be a good outcome, as they have no shelters here. 

One of the other ladies in our foster group has 11 bunnies at the moment!


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## ArtistChibi (Apr 7, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> From the look of the cage, I should think the little one was sold right before Easter at one of the horrific pet markets they have here and given the bag of food as part of the sale. They don’t care whether these little ones are healthy or not, they just want the money.



That poor thing.



HalaBuns said:


> It literally looks like a high sugar breakfast cereal with a few pellets thrown in, awful.
> 
> It doesn’t seem like she’s eaten much overnight and I couldn’t see many poops either, but she’s zooming about and very bright. I’m offering both alfalfa and Timothy hay and she’s preferring the Timothy this morning. I’ll keep a close eye on her today.
> 
> She licks me whenever I pay her a visit, it’s the first time I’ve experienced a bunny kiss . My others don’t like me enough for that



Positive news, she's super happy. That's a great thing. You're a great person.


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## HalaBuns (Apr 7, 2021)

Snuggle spot has been established. If I move her off, she hops back up again 

Bit concerned about the lack of poops today and she’s not very enthusiastic about hay, but has been eating and drinking regularly, albeit a little and is very active and purring away. Hoping she’s just feeling a little unsettled and her appetite will improve once she’s had a proper rest.


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## SirLawrence (Apr 7, 2021)

Oh my god, I love her ears! What a sweet little girl!

You may just have her off her "schedule", or she's just exhausted, and is happy to have a safe place!


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## HalaBuns (Apr 7, 2021)

I won’t lie, from my perspective it’s quite tiring trying to manage work, which is very demanding at the moment and keep the bunny stress to a minimum in this house. I think we’re all quite on edge for different reasons 

All the buns need comforting and attention and I spend a lot of time cuddling. Which is lovely, but doesn’t allow me to get anything else done. And not being able to move freely between rooms without changing clothes / washing scent off things / trying to prevent bunnies from spotting each other is time consuming, particularly if I forget something . I feel like I need a nanny  .

I forgot to wipe something down which had been in Mini Bun’s room and left it in the hall. It obviously had her scent on it, and my girls were very interested in it and there was a bit of aggression as a result. Nothing too bad, she just chased the other into the next room and I calmed them down immediately, but enough to make me worried and remind me to be more diligent. Fingers crossed they’ll settle again soon.


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## HalaBuns (Apr 7, 2021)

SirLawrence said:


> Oh my god, I love her ears! What a sweet little girl!
> 
> You may just have her off her "schedule", or she's just exhausted, and is happy to have a safe place!


She’s a little rascal  she’s worked out she can fit her entire body through the fence panels, so they’re pointless until I have time to fix some cardboard to them. Every time I open the door, she’s ready to escape. 3 times she’s squirmed out, made it all the way to the kitchen last night


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## Mariam+Theo (Apr 8, 2021)

S/he is so cute! I really hate how people will dump rabbits after Easter! I'm currently working on getting a bunch of rabbit supplies together to take to the shelter because I know they will be getting rabbits soon. I wish so badly that I could foster!
You said s/he didn't want much hay yesterday, how is s/he today?


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## HalaBuns (Apr 9, 2021)

Mariam+Theo said:


> S/he is so cute! I really hate how people will dump rabbits after Easter! I'm currently working on getting a bunch of rabbit supplies together to take to the shelter because I know they will be getting rabbits soon. I wish so badly that I could foster!
> You said s/he didn't want much hay yesterday, how is s/he today?


Awww that’s a lovely thing to do ☺

He (he’s a boy we think) was eating really well yesterday morning, so I was happy with that. But became quite withdrawn late last night and it was an effort to get her to eat anything. My girls were outside, so I thought it may be the stress of that, so I let him be so I could move them away.

Sadly, today he is not in great shape and the vet thinks it’s unlikely he’ll make it . I’ve moved him to a quieter room, but he wasn’t eating this morning and had very watery poops / cecotropes. He’s had subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and gut stimulants and I’ve brought him home and just given him his first dose of critical care. He’s currently in his snuggle spot resting. If he does pass, I’d prefer he was here where he feels safe.


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## Diane R (Apr 9, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> Awww that’s a lovely thing to do ☺
> 
> He (he’s a boy we think) was eating really well yesterday morning, so I was happy with that. But became quite withdrawn late last night and it was an effort to get her to eat anything. My girls were outside, so I thought it may be the stress of that, so I let him be so I could move them away.
> 
> Sadly, today he is not in great shape and the vet thinks it’s unlikely he’ll make it . I’ve moved him to a quieter room, but he wasn’t eating this morning and had very watery poops / cecotropes. He’s had subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and gut stimulants and I’ve brought him home and just given him his first dose of critical care. He’s currently in his snuggle spot resting. If he does pass, I’d prefer he was here where he feels safe.


Oh no, that's so sad. It is quite possible it is coccidiosis. He urgently needs a good rabbit vet and if it is that he needs trimethoprim or toltrazuril.


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## Mariam+Theo (Apr 9, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> He (he’s a boy we think) was eating really well yesterday morning, so I was happy with that. But became quite withdrawn late last night and it was an effort to get her to eat anything. My girls were outside, so I thought it may be the stress of that, so I let him be so I could move them away.
> 
> Sadly, today he is not in great shape and the vet thinks it’s unlikely he’ll make it . I’ve moved him to a quieter room, but he wasn’t eating this morning and had very watery poops / cecotropes. He’s had subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics and gut stimulants and I’ve brought him home and just given him his first dose of critical care. He’s currently in his snuggle spot resting. If he does pass, I’d prefer he was here where he feels safe.


Poor thing! Praying that he makes it!


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## HalaBuns (Apr 9, 2021)

I called 4 of the vet practices today who have the best bunny vets and either they didn’t have their bunny specialist working (Fridays are a weekend here) or couldn’t see me as quickly as I wanted. The vet I went to successfully treated my other bun for GI stasis, but that too was out of hours so not my first choice of vet. They were wonderful then though.

One of the adoption ladies here also mentioned coccidiosis. After seeing @Diane R’s message I called the vet again. She said she had analysed his stools and it did not show signs of it, but I asked if I could pick up the treatment anyway. She basically said there wasn’t a lot of point, which annoyed me (even if it was true) but I pushed for it anyway.

He had become so weak that I didn’t want to leave him, so I had it delivered. By the time I received it though, he had already had 5 or 6 seizures and passed away in my arms.

I had spent the whole afternoon and evening with him resting in my lap where he loved to be and I’m pleased that I was cradling him when he died, rather than in the car on the way back to the vet. But he did not pass peacefully and I am devastated about that.

I don’t think there’s much I could have done about the vet I chose, but I don’t understand why they couldn’t have given me the treatment earlier, if there was any chance it could have helped. It may have saved a lovely little bunny and a lot of heartache for me.

RIP darling little bunny, I really tried


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## Mariam+Theo (Apr 9, 2021)

I'm so sorry for your loss! ❤


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## HalaBuns (Apr 9, 2021)

Mariam+Theo said:


> I'm so sorry for your loss! ❤


Thank you Mariam


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Apr 10, 2021)

I'm so sorry. He looked like such a sweetie.❤


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## HalaBuns (Apr 11, 2021)

LizzyMayHarvey said:


> I'm so sorry. He looked like such a sweetie.❤


Thank you Lizzy. He really was and I miss him hopping up into my lap for a snuggle. Although I now realise that he probably did that because he was suffering . I keep replaying his final moments and hope that he had less of an awareness of what was happening to him than I did. I feel quite traumatised.

My friends have been lovely and drove us out to a place in the desert called the Love Lakes and we laid him to rest there yesterday . He’s at peace now.

My lovely Noah has gone in for his neuter today. Keeping everything crossed for that gorgeous boy, it will be an anxious day waiting


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## SirLawrence (Apr 13, 2021)

Praying for you and Noah, @HalaBuns ! I was so sorry to hear about the little one passing, but you gave him the chance no one else would. Such is the way of life, and whether he knew it or not, he was loved. Thank you for what you do! ☺


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## HalaBuns (Apr 13, 2021)

SirLawrence said:


> Praying for you and Noah, @HalaBuns ! I was so sorry to hear about the little one passing, but you gave him the chance no one else would. Such is the way of life, and whether he knew it or not, he was loved. Thank you for what you do! ☺


He really was loved, crazy how quickly they can creep into your heart. Today is the first day I’ve not had a good cry about it.

Exactly the same thing has happened to another bun today - left in someone’s car port in a cage with a bag of stuff. The poor lady who was left with him has no experience with bunnies and is currently trying to manage work and looking after her sick daughter in hospital, so last thing she needed was more stress. These people who dump have no regard for the bunnies, or the impact on the lives of the people who actually do care. I had a bag of hay delivered to her and luckily someone has kindly volunteered a long-term foster space from tomorrow 

Master Noah... well his neuter went well  and he was back munching on his favourite herbs in no time. He was a bit subdued yesterday, but today he is back to his gorgeous, loving, snuggly self. This boy has my heart  I just checked his incisions and all looks good.

He new place to nap is on the window sill by my feet whilst I’m working, so he can look out of the window at all the chicks at the pool  and make sure my movements are monitored


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## HalaBuns (May 2, 2021)

So my big boy is off for a date today with a boy called Daisy (they thought he was a girl initially haha).

Noah and Daisy spent a few hours in a pen together at an adoption day on Thursday and did not hate each other. There were a couple of small tussles, but they mostly ignored each other, or had a little sniff, but it all looked fairly positive.

If all goes well today, then he will stay with the family so they can continue the bonding process. I know they will love him very much and it will make me happy knowing he will have more company and hopefully a best buddy.

We spent all day yesterday together, just in case it was our last chance





I hope it goes as planned, but my gosh I will miss this little fella


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## SirLawrence (May 3, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> We spent all day yesterday together, just in case it was our last chance
> 
> I hope it goes as planned, but my gosh I will miss this little fella



Aww! I hope all goes well, and whatever happens is best for him! I've really come to love that sweet boy, and will miss him too! But like you said, we just have to be happy for him!!!


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## HalaBuns (May 3, 2021)

SirLawrence said:


> Aww! I hope all goes well, and whatever happens is best for him! I've really come to love that sweet boy, and will miss him too! But like you said, we just have to be happy for him!!!


Aww, I love this . Thank you for following his journey 

So today went from this 



To this by the time I left:






There was a bit of a fight at the beginning, but Daisy has been trying really hard to make amends since and has been grooming Noah and laying with him. Noah just doesn’t trust it though and is tolerating Daisy’s advances, but not really enjoying them 

Early days, but they were both relaxed, eating and drinking when I left and the family are amazing. Keeping everything crossed for them


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## SirLawrence (May 3, 2021)

Oh wow! So cute! Looks promising, not to jinx it! They've gotten farther than my boys have, though! Fingers crossed he ends up with a BFF and his forever home!


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## HalaBuns (May 4, 2021)

Still looking good today... Me on the other hand 

I feel he’s dealing with this far better than I am!

I will be fostering his brother in a week’s time, so that should be a distraction from his much I’m missing him


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## HalaBuns (May 4, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> View attachment 54868
> 
> Still looking good today... Me on the other hand
> 
> ...


*how much


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## SirLawrence (May 4, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> Still looking good today... Me on the other hand



Just concentrate on how happy he seems! It hard for me to even watch him go to a new home... over the internet, from thousands of miles away... but I know it's a good thing... but I'll miss him too! 

That just goes to show how such a seemingly insignificant little animal can have such a big impact in our hearts! 

I'm hoping for the best for little Noah! He deserves a bff he can relate to as another rabbit, and a forever home! Stay strong! We're in this with you! ☺ ☺


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## TreasuredFriend (May 4, 2021)

Fosterers are so needed. A rescue friend just got clobbered wirh requests to take in 27 rabbits that people no longer want. (People acquire rabbits and are uneducated about their hormonal behaviors and personalitites.) 

On top of that, she's trying to catch Strays that people dump. Where did the uncaring people get their rabbits?

Any type of large or small rabbit can embrace your heart and fill your life with love. On Facebook a meaningful discusssion occurred wrt feelings and attitude for lagormorphs and sentient beings including cottontails. As a retired cottontail rehabber, the conversation brightened my day

-- Adding a care emoticon. -- Forever homes with much-loved buns and responsible caregivers make life better. My RIP tortoise-shell dutch and harlequin soulmate are missed so very much. Your pics made me smile @HalaBuns .

I'm in 'n' out of here and hopped up to read your post on April 13. Occupying your heart is a good thing! Forever love and comfort hugs.


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## HalaBuns (May 4, 2021)

SirLawrence said:


> Just concentrate on how happy he seems! It hard for me to even watch him go to a new home... over the internet, from thousands of miles away... but I know it's a good thing... but I'll miss him too!
> 
> That just goes to show how such a seemingly insignificant little animal can have such a big impact in our hearts!
> 
> I'm hoping for the best for little Noah! He deserves a bff he can relate to as another rabbit, and a forever home! Stay strong! We're in this with you! ☺ ☺


Thank you!  I love that even without meeting him, people have felt a connection to him. He is a special little bunny indeed 

I gave my girls lots of love when I got home from work yesterday and that made me feel much better. They are rubbish comfort animals when I’m sick or upset and flee the room when I sniffle  but they made me happy anyway so they stuck around haha.

I cleaned out his room yesterday which was emotional, but as I was doing so, the family sent me some more videos of him in his new home with Daisy and that made me smile. They are all so in love with him and he’s getting so much affection .

I couldn’t wish for a better outcome and the family are being so caring towards me too. As I’m writing this, they have just messaged again. They are lovely people


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## HalaBuns (May 5, 2021)

TreasuredFriend said:


> Fosterers are so needed. A rescue friend just got clobbered wirh requests to take in 27 rabbits that people no longer want. (People acquire rabbits and are uneducated about their hormonal behaviors and personalitites.)
> 
> On top of that, she's trying to catch Strays that people dump. Where did the uncaring people get their rabbits?
> 
> ...


Honestly, the number of bunnies found here on a daily basis is astonishing sometimes. We have a lovely local Facebook group and every now and then someone will pop up, expressing a wish to adopt a bunny, having done zero research. We then highlight the negatives of bunny ownership, not to put them off, but to just make sure they have considered everything first, otherwise that bunny will most likely end up on the street, or if it’s lucky, in the care of one of us fosters. Quite often, that puts the idea out of their heads, which is not a bad thing. Bunny ownership is not all roses and cuteness.

You are right, the biggest problem is people not educating themselves before making their choices. We live in a really transient country too, and people don’t think about how expensive it is, or if it is even possible, to relocate their bunnies back to their home country when they go. Even I am guilty of this. Had I known the cost, I may not have adopted. But now I have, so I make sure I am financially prepared, but sadly it means I cannot commit to any more buns. Lots of people don’t do that though and “set them free” when they leave, or have to rehome their family member because they cannot take them with them 

We don’t have any shelters or rescues here, so fostering is the only option for the lucky rescued ones. I have joined a really supportive group of likeminded bunny foster parents, so I’m making new friends alongside doing something that I find hugely rewarding. 

I’m looking forward to caring for my next little one and will no doubt get super attached to him too  I can deal with a bit of heartache every now and then, if it means one of these fluffies can have a lifetime of happiness


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## TreasuredFriend (May 5, 2021)

Well-said @HalaBuns . The years I volunteered at a shelter opened my eyes regarding how many (can I use the word gullible, or impulse-purchase) humans get a "cute" baby rabbit and later find out they involve maintenance care and guess what, the rabbit costs money! But they aren't devoted to lifelong care, so out they go -- No wonder everybody pitches their "baby" photos so people get sucked into thinking he or she will always stay cute and _not_ require an ounce of work, or DVM visits, etc. Or cute lil' male or female will create trouble. They are not inanimate, stuffed toys.

Gratefully you connected with your local Facebook group with bun parents' dedicated to care and education. I applaud your energy and determination to educate and advise.

At the shelter and in my current network of rescue friends, strays are seen all the time. Yes, exactly like my rescue acquaintance above stated. Lifelong and devoted humans will invest the time to provide a forever home, and do as much as possible not to engage in "pass-the-bunny" or "get rid of". -- Skimming Craigslist ads in our area you can see hundreds of the unwanted sale object companions. Commodity quantities, who often end up abandoned when hormones activate. 

Our 2nd bun joined our first shelter-adopted when the young person didn't like the fact he was a boy, not a girl. The 4H youngster wanted two girl baby bunnies. Likely got duped into gender ID by seller who may have been clueless or didn't care. She eventually got two more rabbits but lost interest as years wore on,, and both went to the local shelter. 

Thank you for joining the supportive rescue group of bun parents. You and I are similar in numerous ways, thinking of other vulnerable beings or pets, and not looking to pad our wallet or get sucked into the "cute syndrome." 

My inbox gets filled with can't-keep, have to find a different home. Guess what, in most cases, the innocent pet isn't spayed or neutered either. Thank you for joining the supportive network so you can educate.
--------------------------------
@HalaBuns , I thought of you yesterday when I saw a line in Entertainment Weekly magazine that I hurriedly flipped through. Rabbits are not objects to us. Rather sentient companions and part of our family. They have emotions, can suffer, feel pain and loneliness, express happiness and gratitude, get sick, need medical care.... My praises to you for bestowing love to those in need of a kind human's actions. Kindly keep me posted on the supportive bun parent group if you can.

"What is grief, if not love perservering." - Paul Bettany.


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## TreasuredFriend (May 8, 2021)

@HalaBuns - have you received more updates?


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## HalaBuns (May 11, 2021)

TreasuredFriend said:


> @HalaBuns - have you received more updates?


Sorry for the late reply! I’m away with friends so I’ve not been on the forum much.

I still receive updates every couple of days and the boys are still doing brilliantly from the sounds of things. They are still sorting out the hierarchy, but Daisy is completely besotted with Noah . They cuddle a lot and they’re always up to mischief and have managed to escape their pen a couple of times, the little monkeys.

They bring so much joy to their new family every day . They are the cutest little duo


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## SirLawrence (May 12, 2021)

He certainly looks like a happy boy! ☺ 

Thanks for the update on little Noah!


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## HalaBuns (May 23, 2021)

Introducing my latest addition... Mildred, or Millie







I picked up Millie on Thursday afternoon, from a golf course where she had been hanging out for a couple of months apparently. She had become quite the celebrity, demanding head rubs from the players and having selfies with security .

Unfortunately it’s just getting too hot for her to be out now (pushing 40c) so I had to take her away from her lovely luxury outdoor environment to the confines of my spare room / bathroom. Lots of cats roaming around that area too (although she’s a sturdy girl, I reckon she could hold her own!).

She seems well fed and in good condition generally. She was none too happy when I got her home, lots of stamping, particularly when I was falling short on the head-rub front.

She’s a vocal little thing too, always oinking at me and circling me when she’s not getting the attention she requires. Total diva haha. But sooooo cuddly. She could lay next to me for hours if she were being stroked constantly.

We’re off to the vet for a checkup later. She does eat, but very slowly and is totally unenthused by all food (head rubs are the preference instead). I’m not happy with her hay intake either, so want to get her teeth checked.


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## LizzyMayHarvey (May 23, 2021)

She is so beautiful! It's a shame the weather is too hot for her now. It sounds like she had a blast at her golf course home! Her personality sounds just like my FG Alice. I hope she settles in quickly and her vet check goes well. You are doing an amazing job with your bunny fostering. It is really inspiring to hear about the things you are doing to help the buns.


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## Preitler (May 23, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> I’m not happy with her hay intake either, so want to get her teeth checked.



I go through this struggle every year after a summer of fresh forage and grazing is well over and it get's too hard to find anything green. Takes at least a week for them to consider hay an edible option.


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## Catlyn (May 23, 2021)

Preitler said:


> I go through this struggle every year after a summer of fresh forage and grazing is well over and it get's too hard to find anything green. Takes at least a week for them to consider hay an edible option.


True, that happens!


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## BunBun71 (May 23, 2021)

I am so sorry for your loss. I almost cried


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## Mariam+Theo (May 23, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> Introducing my latest addition... Mildred, or Millie
> 
> View attachment 55371
> View attachment 55372
> ...


She is so cute! ❤ Sounds like she was totally spoiled at her last home, which makes sense because of how adorable she is! I am kinda surprised she wasn't hurt by the cats, but then again my cats are scared of Theo  I hope the vet appointment goes well and she starts eating more hay!

I'm also so glad you are getting to cuddle with her! Didn't you say your other girls don't like cuddles?


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## HalaBuns (May 23, 2021)

Preitler said:


> I go through this struggle every year after a summer of fresh forage and grazing is well over and it get's too hard to find anything green. Takes at least a week for them to consider hay an edible option.


Good to know! The vet pretty much said the same thing, as she’s been living on fresh grass for so long


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## HalaBuns (May 23, 2021)

BunBun71 said:


> I am so sorry for your loss. I almost cried


Thank you  I get very attached to all these little ones, I was extremely sad


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## HalaBuns (May 23, 2021)

Mariam+Theo said:


> She is so cute! ❤ Sounds like she was totally spoiled at her last home, which makes sense because of how adorable she is! I am kinda surprised she wasn't hurt by the cats, but then again my cats are scared of Theo  I hope the vet appointment goes well and she starts eating more hay!
> 
> I'm also so glad you are getting to cuddle with her! Didn't you say your other girls don't like cuddles?


My other girls will tolerate the affection I force on them  but nowhere near as cuddly as any of my fosters have been frankly, they’re too sassy. I feel like I want an exchange haha. I wouldn’t change them really, they make me smile every day


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## HalaBuns (May 23, 2021)

So Millie’s vet check went well 

But... shortest foster experience ever haha. My friend messaged yesterday morning to say these two buns had been dumped at the school where he works:







One is definitely a boy, and 99% certain the other is female, but she freaked out too much when I tried to check again. No chance that they are spayed or neutered so they need to be separated and my friend doesn’t have the space. So we did a little bunny swap...






Millie is having a fabulous time at my friend’s and they love her! Fingers crossed that could be a permanent move 

I won’t lie, I was very sad and stressed at the thought of having to keep them like this for probably the next 10-12 weeks as I’m not sure the boy is old enough for the snip yet, but it will be easier once the he is through his neuter I hope. It’s also hard on my buns having an extra 2 in the house, they’re a bit stressed this morning. They seem fairly oblivious when it’s just 1, but too many sounds and smells with 2 ☹

The white one sounds quite snuffly, so we’re off to the vet again on Thursday. Eating, drinking and hopping about fine, but I’m keeping a close eye on her.


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## SirLawrence (May 25, 2021)

Wow! @HalaBuns it's been a busy weekend for you! I also hope Millie has found her forever home, and all goes well with the two new stinkers! They are quite adorable!! ☺ ☺


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## TreasuredFriend (May 25, 2021)

Keeping you and the buns in my thoughts.


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## HalaBuns (May 26, 2021)

Well I’m finding this all very hard, but they seem to be having a lovely time! Haha.

Lady (the white one) appears to have a couple of small patches of ringworm. One on her ear and one just under her eye. Obviously just a bit of a nightmare from a cleaning / disinfecting / quarantining perspective and has added a whole new level of admin to caring for them. I’m applying antifungal ointment, coconut oil and bepanthen twice a day until we get to the vet tomorrow. Hoping that should at least get to work in the meantime. I know ideally she should be totally quarantined  but I feel that moving her away from her boy into a spare bathroom would add to her trauma. I’ll see what the vet says tomorrow.

Rufus (the ginger) appears to be totally clear of it which is good. We think perhaps the stress brought it on for Lady 

Other than that, their litter habits are totally appalling, so I may have to leave the house today to relieve my anxiety . I have to work all day and by the afternoon had given up trying to keep it tidy.



all pee goes in the boxes though so hooray! 

They are extremely cute though. Lady is completely traumatised and a little aggressive at times, but just wants to be loved. She fell asleep for 20 mins with her front paws and head resting on my legs yesterday.

Rufus is just a complete pain . I let him out for a run around yesterday and he got into all sorts of places I never expected, scaled any barriers I put up and was just a general nuisance haha. Like having a tiny little irritating puppy. Soooo adorable though


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## Mariam+Theo (May 26, 2021)

I can't get over how cute they are! The picture of Rufus flopping is killing me! ❤
Have patience with their litter habits, they will catch on eventually. That is so awful about ringworm, I know the vet will be able to help though. I really hope you don't have to quarantine Lady.


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## LizzyMayHarvey (May 26, 2021)

They are way too cute! Keep up the good work and good luck!


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## SirLawrence (May 26, 2021)

Wow are they ever adorable!    I know they have the best care, I just pray for your sanity during their healing process!


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## ArtistChibi (May 26, 2021)

OMG They are so adorable!!!! <3 Hoping Lady gets well and overcomes her trauma.


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## HalaBuns (Jun 24, 2021)

I’ve not been on the forum for a while as I’m a bit overloaded with work / cleaning / laundry, but both buns are part-way through their oral ringworm treatment.

Poor Lady-Locks had a respiratory infection (as I initially suspected) so was on antibiotics for a week and that knocked out all her good bacteria and the ringworm just flourished .

We have 4 days treatment left and this is how she’s looking



My feeling is that they may extend the treatment, but let’s see on Monday.

She also urgently needs a spay as her uterus is enlarged for some reason. But the vet said that could indicate another problem and also be why her immune system is not taking care of the ringworm itself. It’s too risky to spay her all the time there’s an indication her immune system is low.

So she’s in a bit of a pickle, but happy and eating and drinking loads (she’s such a good hay eater, loves it). But she just wants to snuggle with her boy and she can’t yet, so that makes me sad.

Rufus had his neuter about 10 days ago which went well. He had a tiny patch of ringworm behind his ear, which is clearing up well. He’s getting so big now and loves a cuddle 




I let them out for a run around at different times, which does then mean a lot of cleaning and disinfecting and washing blankets and clothes, on top of an intense full-time job, so I’m tired and can’t wait for this process to be over frankly. Ringworm is a pain!


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Jun 24, 2021)

I hope that Lady-Locks gets better soon and nothing more serious is happening. They are both so cute and it sounds like it is a bit of a hassle trying to look after them but it sounds like you are doing an amazing job! I hope you can stay sane!


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## HalaBuns (Jun 28, 2021)

Well… Rufus’s ringworm is definitely lingering apparently. And they didn’t do a full check on Lady because the vet is more concerned about the upper respiratory infection she still appears to have, but need to assume her ringworm is not totally cleared up.

Both received a first dose of a ringworm vaccine, the next is in 2 weeks. Lady’s back on antibiotics for another 10 days. And I’m still spending my evenings disinfecting for the foreseeable.

So far I’ve spent around $475 and feel we’re no further forward


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## John Wick (Jun 28, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> Well… Rufus’s ringworm is definitely lingering apparently. And they didn’t do a full check on Lady because the vet is more concerned about the upper respiratory infection she still appears to have, but need to assume her ringworm is not totally cleared up.
> 
> Both received a first dose of a ringworm vaccine, the next is in 2 weeks. Lady’s back on antibiotics for another 10 days. And I’m still spending my evenings disinfecting for the foreseeable.
> 
> So far I’ve spent around $475 and feel we’re no further forward


When you say disinfecting each evening, do you mean disinfecting the environment to prevent further ringworm? If so, a part of me wonders if that is moot effort. I'm not a vet nor fungal expert, but my understanding from speaking to my vet when one of my rabbits had ringworm is that the spores can really live anywhere and cleaning every nook and cranny thoroughly enough is a very difficult to impossible task. It probably doesn't hurt to disinfect everything, but I am unsure if it is incrementally beneficial to exhaust yourself each evening with the task, if you are!


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## HalaBuns (Jun 28, 2021)

John Wick said:


> When you say disinfecting each evening, do you mean disinfecting the environment to prevent further ringworm? If so, a part of me wonders if that is moot effort. I'm not a vet nor fungal expert, but my understanding from speaking to my vet when one of my rabbits had ringworm is that the spores can really live anywhere and cleaning every nook and cranny thoroughly enough is a very difficult to impossible task. It probably doesn't hurt to disinfect everything, but I am unsure if it is incrementally beneficial to exhaust yourself each evening with the task, if you are!


Thank you  That’s exactly why I’m doing it. The vet asked me about how I’m keeping their environment and I said that I’m pretty much obsessively cleaning. She said “that’s great”  haha.

I guess I figured that a bit of short term extra effort from me for a couple of weeks would at least put my mind at rest that I’d done all I can. But I am perhaps going a bit overboard


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## HalaBuns (Jul 3, 2021)

Lady’s fur is looking fantastic and she’s becoming such a confident, cheeky, mischievous little thing . I’m really hoping she’ll be given a clean bill of health at our next vet visit.

In the meantime, I have another addition to the house. I won’t post the photo as it is too distressing, but this little one was pictured laying next to his dead companion in a park on Thursday. It was only 15 mins from my house, so I drove there as soon as I could to pick him up.

I spoke to another lady in the park and she said there were 3 at one point. I could not see signs of another, so the other must have passed away too. It is around 45c during the day here at the moment.







He / she (not sure yet) is eating and drinking well, but has patches of fur missing on his rear paws. I’m unable to touch him to check the rest of his fur as he is completely terrified still.

I feel so sad for him. He is too scared to come out for long and spends most of his time in his hidey-house. He has been through such an ordeal and must be grieving the loss of his partner.

A trip to the vet will be needed soon, but I’m reluctant to stress him just yet as he’s in a very delicate place.

I’m hoping someone else will come forward to foster him, who can offer a nicer space than a bathroom, which is all I can give right now. Someone did offer, but that appears to have fallen through 

Any advice on what I can do to for his mental well-being would be appreciated


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## JBun (Jul 3, 2021)

Poor little bub. I imagine helping settle his nervousness would just be the same as what you would do for any new skittish rabbit. Sitting quietly with them, doing your own thing until they get brave enough to approach you.

That's great Lady's healing well!


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## LizzyMayHarvey (Jul 4, 2021)

Poor baby! S/he looks such a mess and so sad! I can't really help with anything but I hope s/he will warm up to you soon and be able to find comfort in you.


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## HalaBuns (Jul 13, 2021)

Little Shaunna (after Shaun the Sheep because of her fur) has discovered that being stroked feels really good and we’ve had some binkies and zoomies this week. 

She lovesss being brushed, she’ll fall asleep if I get going with a grooming mit. She seems to be covered in some sticky substance though - I brush or comb her fur, it goes all fluffy and then sticks together again a couple of hours later 

Her vet check went well, no obvious issues. Just need to keep building her confidence and put a bit of weight on her. But I can tell she feels safe and happy now


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## SirLawrence (Jul 13, 2021)

Sweet girl!! I'm glad she seems to be relaxing and is happy enough to be doing some binkies!!! Here's hoping she continues to do well and put on some weight! 

I love her name! If she is part sheep, the lanolin is what's making it clump up like that!    

It melts my heart when these fosters finally get some joy in their lives! And when they get a name. It may not mean anything to them, but to me, it's a declaration of importance we make about our animals by giving them a name. And I think one of the sweetest things someone can do is tell them they're important! ☺☺☺


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## HalaBuns (Jul 13, 2021)

She rarely gets called by her full name, I always call her Shaun haha. She was supposed to be a boy 

I try to give them names based on their personality or characteristics, so I like to get to know them a bit first. Noah means “peace” and that fitted him perfectly because he’s such a calm little boy. Rufus means “red-haired” and suits his mischievous little ways too haha. And Lady is just beautiful, elegant and immaculate (now the ringworm is gone ) so once she stops peeing all over my room that will match her too


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## SirLawrence (Jul 15, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> She rarely gets called by her full name, I always call her Shaun haha. She was supposed to be a boy



There's a lot of that going around with rabbits! My little Florence came back from her first vet visit as Lawrence!


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## Barbara (Jul 16, 2021)

HalaBuns said:


> I saw this litter box idea from Daiso on one of the Lennon the Bunny videos and it’s absolutely perfect for him. It’s actually a paper storage box. His rear legs are quite weak, so it’s low enough at the front to encourage him to hop in, but the sides are high enough to keep everything in. I’ve not had to clean up any pee at all today  he’s such a good boy
> 
> View attachment 54000
> View attachment 54001
> ...


He is very handsome for sure


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## HalaBuns (Jul 27, 2021)

Little Lady had her spay yesterday, which went well, but she’s really been struggling since coming home 

I was up every couple of hours in the night trying to encourage her to eat just a little, but she would only have a few bites of herbs or a nibble on a hay cube.

I tried to give her her pain meds at 6am, but she became extremely distressed. She hates being handled anyway and freaks out at a syringe, even if it’s filled with something nice. She kept trying to hop away, so I had to put her on the countertop and she was very squirmy, so I really hope I didn’t pop her stitches or anything. I dare not try to check at the moment because she’ll get agitated.

I’m not even sure they worked / I got any into her, she seems so uncomfortable . No poops yet, but I’m making sure she eats a little every hour and she’s been eating a little on her own. 

Hoping she’ll start to feel better soon.


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## JBun (Jul 27, 2021)

I had that problem with a bun that got neutered. He would only eat a little bit of greens every time I offered, for the next 2 days. So I just kept offering and he kept eating a little each time. Enough altogether that I didn't have to start syringe feeding. 

With the meds, next time you could maybe try putting it on her herbs, if she's eating enough of it for her to get the meds in that way. Or throw a towel over and bundle her up so she can't struggle when you administer them. It can be a really hard thing to accomplish with a noncompliant rabbit that's just had surgery.


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## HalaBuns (Jul 27, 2021)

Yeah, I’m not sure how syringe feeding would have gone down with her, it would have been a disaster, so pleased I’ve been able to avoid it so far. I tried wrapping her in a towel, but she struggled so much i had to give up on that. She’s always been a very nervous bun, she got very anxious when I just tried to put an extra blanket next to her to keep her warm last night.

I’m hoping she’ll be eating enough later that I can disguise her antibiotics in her food. She’ll only eat mint and hay at the moment.

We’ve had some poops now, so that’s good news


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## TreasuredFriend (Jul 27, 2021)

Following. Hooray for new poo's @HalaBuns . Lots of love being sent to your girl recovering from Ovariohysterectomy. For all of our spayed females, their recovery time took a little while.

When our boy went thru a cecum gas concern about a month ago (fyi: he also has an inoperable kidney stone), I would encourage him to eat hay but placing a long oat hay strand or his fave hay strands in front of his nose or slip into his mouth via side teeth opening.

It is a JOY to see marbles being made! ~ Hugs and loving words to Little Lady.


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## HalaBuns (Jul 27, 2021)

Aww thank you! She’s doing great and a bit brighter, but still feeling very sorry for herself.

I still don’t really know the best way to get her meds into her without making her super stressed. She is only interested in eating oat hay (which is amazing) and will reluctantly munch on some mint if I tease her with it / hand-feed it to her, but refuses everything else. I tried mashing her antibiotics with banana, which she usually laps up, but she wouldn’t go near it yesterday.

I’m so scared to try to handle her because she’s so nervous and will certainly struggle. Putting a towel over her will make her jump from under it. When I tried before, I couldn’t even get a hand near her afterwards. And the countertop experience was a mess.

Think I’ll just need to try tiny amounts on mint leaves and hope she doesn’t notice!


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## SirLawrence (Jul 28, 2021)

When I've had to give medications, I have to convince myself the good of the medicine is greater than the stress of giving it.

I just make it as quick as possible.

Good luck to you and Lady! Glad to hear she's doing better! ☺ ☺ ☺


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## HalaBuns (Jul 28, 2021)

I had another attempt, by kneeling down and trying to hold her between my knees to stop her backing away. Absolute fail… she shot off, did laps of her pen and then tried to jump out over the top, which I was not expecting! Completely terrified the poor love, just wanted to get away from me and my nasty syringe.

Thank goodness she has her sweet tooth back, I was able to mix it in with some banana. Full appetite has now returned too


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## HalaBuns (Jul 28, 2021)

Oh and little Shaun is still amazing  she has all her fur back on her legs now. She’s the only one of my buns that has used the IKEA bed, so she can keep that haha. I’m loving seeing how happy she is now


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## JBun (Jul 29, 2021)

It's amazing the energy and strength that seems to emerge full force from those tiny little fluffy creatures, when it comes down to having to take their meds  Thank goodness she's eating again and you don't have to struggle giving meds anymore.

Awww, Shaun looks so content and comfy on her little bed. My buns loved their bed too. They would pile on there all snuggled together. One of the best bunny accessories I've had over the years, at least as far as the bunnies liking something goes.


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## HalaBuns (Aug 2, 2021)

My day… trying to prevent one foster bun from deleting all my emails. And another from submerging himself in a bucket of water.

My laptop is her favourite snuggle spot  (please don’t pee )


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## HalaBuns (Aug 24, 2021)

So possibly a little soon after Lady’s spay, but her and Rufus have always been besties and tried to snuggle through the bars, so I thought I would see how they got on sharing a space.

A little chasing to start with, but nothing aggressive and they are the happiest I have seen them . They started off either ignoring each other or just bumbling about together, but are showing each other more affection now and grooming and snuggling more often. I feel like I’ve turned a corner with them and they’ll be ready to find a permanent home soon 







They are such cuddly buns. They love hopping up on to the day bed with me and hold me hostage there with their cuteness.

Rufus’s hair is now out of control haha


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## HalaBuns (Sep 17, 2021)

So I feel I’m finally there with these two  It’s been a long process, but I’m comfortable their bond is now strong and they are adoption-ready. I’ve completely removed the pens from the room (which were open, but I had kept just in case they were needed by my pet sitter whilst I was travelling) and they are overjoyed.

The flip side to this is that I believe they can tell I am thinking about finding them a new paw parent and have launched a heavy charm offensive. It started with Rufus giving me a couple of licks on my cheek a few weeks back, which was cute. But the other day he really made an effort, put his little front paws on my shoulder and licked all over my face. Then after I had been grooming Lady, I leant in to give her a kiss on the head and a nose bump and she too licked my face all over.

Their tactics have worked and I now have no idea what to do haha. Them showing me love has made me feel so connected to them. But equally I know that keeping them forever could make things extremely difficult for me in several ways if my circumstances change 

They will certainly stay with me until I have figured it all out ☺


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## HalaBuns (Oct 15, 2021)

Rufus’s face, shortly after me explaining to him that the mattress is not in fact there for him to dig a massive hole into 



So this little chap is just dying to get out of the spare room. He rushes to the door (or is already waiting behind it) and if I don’t have a hand free to move him away, he will dig at my socks and nip my ankles as I’m trying to get in, to get me to move out of the way so he can see the wonders of the world beyond.

As my adopted girls (Kiki and Gigi) are now so chill about having 2 little imposters in the house, I decided to let Lady and Rufus have a little run in the hallway for a short time whilst the girls were asleep in the other room.

The following morning as I was getting ready for work I heard a huge commotion in the lounge and Kiki was aggressively chasing Gigi, there was fur flying and I immediately felt terrible. This was the exact sort of thing I had been worried about by fostering and with the best intentions for Rufus and Lady, I had brought a lot of confusion into Kiki and Gigi’s relationship.

Poor G had been bitten, but didn’t look too bad, so I applied some iodine and kept an eye on her. She was bouncing around, eating fine until the following evening, when she started turning down food at around 10pm. I checked her bite and it looked super sore, so took her to the vet straight away (thank goodness for 24 hour vets here)




We returned a few hours later with pain killers, antibiotics and gut stimulants and I had a long night checking on her every hour to make sure she was eating something.

She’s on the mend and very lively this morning, but obviously hating her meds.
Kiki still chases her a little, which concerns and saddens me. They generally spend a lot of time snuggling though, so I really hope it’s a temporary thing



Safe to say that it’s a lesson learned and little Ru will need to stay in the spare room for a little longer until we find him a lovely big home to run around.


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## HalaBuns (Jan 7, 2022)

I haven’t posted for a while, but I still have little Lady and Rufus staying with me. I just can’t bring myself to give them to a stranger, so still hoping that I can find somebody I know and trust to adopt them.

Shaun is just a big ball of sassy fluff now and is having a lovely time staying with a good friend of mine in my building. I am looking after her this week though and apparently doing a questionable job, because I found her sat in the sink yesterday, helping herself to a bag of pellets



I still don’t really understand how she got in there, but she was quite happy.

I’m also looking after this cutie, Bunbun, for a few days whilst her foster parents are travelling. She was rescued from a park when she was a tiny tiny baby (around 4 weeks old) so she’s an absolute fighter. She’s a gorgeous little whirlwind though and just brilliant! She has to be involved in absolutely everything and wants constant cuddles. She sits on my shoulder when I do her litter  I hate leaving her on her own because she obviously needs company and comfort all the time . I hope she finds a buddy once she’s old enough to be spayed and whoever adopts her will be so lucky


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## Catlyn (Jan 8, 2022)

Storm has visited a sink as well. He just boosted and sprung up like a coil, though he didn't have anything to munch on. Just went and explored the sink.


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## JBun (Jan 8, 2022)

Wow! You both have some very determined rabbits there! Mine won't even bother to jump over a foot tall obstacle


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## HalaBuns (Jan 8, 2022)

I should try and post the video because it’s so funny. Even after I walked in the room, she just kept on munching away from the bag as if it were the most normal thing in the world


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## HalaBuns (Feb 14, 2022)

This is baby Harriet, my latest little lodger 

Harriet (or Harri-Bobble, Harribo, Hazbo) is just over 9 weeks old and was found abandoned 10 days ago 

She is the most cuddly, adorable little thing and loves eating, snuggling and climbing adventures, but not sleeping apparently (unless it’s on my lap)

She’s got a tiny bit of mange, which we treated with Bravecto last week, but is otherwise healthy and full of energy.

I can only offer a bathroom at the moment, but have a lovely family coming to meet her this week, so fingers crossed they’ll love her as much as I do and she can have a lovely home with them


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## HalaBuns (Mar 3, 2022)

Little Harribobble went off to her forever home this week  I left her with a happy, but heavy heart. She’s with a lovely family who have another bunny they will bond her with eventually. She was loving all the company and binkying and zooming around the room right before I left.

She is such an affectionate bunny, I miss her getting under my feet flopping and sleeping on my lap . Fostering is hard!


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## TreasuredFriend (Mar 6, 2022)

Thank you for your dedication to helping some bun find a forever home, @HalaBuns.


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## HalaBuns (May 18, 2022)

Say a little prayer for my latest bathroom angel . I’ve named her / him Georgie for now. She’s teeny weeny, 550g and around 8 weeks old I believe. 

This little bub was rescued from a park by my neighbours on Tuesday morning, where she was being chased by dogs. Me delivering supplies turned into me returning home with her, as they suddenly decided they couldn’t look after her and put her in a box outside their door . Probably for the best though as I think she may have given up if she had stayed there.

She’s in a bit of a pickle and needing a lot of care. She has mange on her paws and sores on her rear paws, all of which is so painful for her, she can barely move. We were going to see the vet yesterday, but when I picked her up to try to check her paws, she screamed and screamed, the poor baby. I think I hurt her, rather than her being in fear, but either way, I cancelled the appointment as I don’t think she can handle a car journey yet.

I was able to pick up some bravecto and meloxicam from the vet and she’s doing much better today. She’s plonked herself next to her water bowl and I top up a little pile of hay next to her, so she doesn’t have to move too far. She’s really been tucking into the hay today 

The sores are a concern though. I’ve been able to put diluted betadine on them every few hours and I’m keeping her area as clean as i can, but I’m still too concerned about putting her through a journey to see the vet for antibiotics. I don’t really know what to do. She’s certainly better than yesterday and eating and drinking fine, so I don’t want to set her back.

She’s very determined and I’m so proud of her already


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## JBun (May 18, 2022)

Poor baby  I'm so glad she found her way to you.

I can't tell exactly in the photo, but it looks like the wound may possibly be a puncture wound, possibly from an animal bite. If that seems like a possibility to you and the wound isn't more than a few days old, it probably would be worth the risk of getting into the vet right away for antibiotics. You could help minimize the stress to the bun, by keeping the carrier covered with something(still with good ventilation though), and minimize handling. From the look of that toe in the photo, that may be broken.

Hopefully you can get all her issues seen to, without it causing her too much stress. Thank you for being such a kind and compassionate person, and taking care of these poor bunnies ♥


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## HalaBuns (May 19, 2022)

So she let me lift her up to check her rear paws and they both look the same, but not as angry and red as when I took the picture. As it’s both paws, I am guessing that she has probably spent her whole short life so far in dirty wire-floored cage in a pet shop or animal market.

But what a transformation today. Last night I was really concerned, because whilst she was alert and eating ok, she just wanted to sit in one spot over her water bowl and would dip her nose in it every now and then. I think it was to relieve itching around her mouth. Today she’s been moving around, she put her little paws up on the fence when my friend came to visit and she hopped in her litter box, which was unthinkable yesterday. And absolutely stuffing her face this afternoon.

I will still get her booked in with the vet, but I’m so happy with how well she’s doing today.


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## HalaBuns (May 25, 2022)

We made it to the vet and she was a little superstar. She has the worst case of mange he has seen in a long time, however, and she may lose the tips of her ears. They are totally stuck together at the top and appear to possibly be necrotic, but we’ll give it a little more time for the bravecto to work and then make a decision about what to do.

All the mange crusts have fallen off her rear paws, so she now has no fur at all on her little feet. I have soft blankets and rugs down, but the vet bandaged her rear paws anyway for a couple of days as he’s concerned about her hocks.

Prior to the vet and bandaging she was in very good spirits. Now she’s a bit annoyed with me!


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## HalaBuns (Jul 9, 2022)

Thought I would share some pics of a happy and healthy Phoebe. She’s so happy to be alive! Such a calm, tidy, cuddly little bun, just a joy in my life 

Unfortunately she lost parts of her ears when the mange crusts came away (you can see from the pics how bad it was; that was a rough day for her) so they are a bit raggedy, but I think that just adds to her unique beauty.

All the fur on her tail also fell off at one point. I had no idea that under all that fluff, the tail is just a tiny little stick haha. All grown back now though.

Now to find her a perfect forever home!


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## CrazyChickenGirl (Jul 9, 2022)

HalaBuns said:


> Thought I would share some pics of a happy and healthy Phoebe. She’s so happy to be alive! Such a calm, tidy, cuddly little bun, just a joy in my life ☀
> 
> Unfortunately she lost parts of her ears when the mange crusts came away (you can see from the pics how bad it was; that was a rough day for her) so they are a bit raggedy, but I think that just adds to her unique beauty.
> 
> ...


She sounds like a tough one and her ears just make her look the part!


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## HalaBuns (Jul 11, 2022)

HalaBuns said:


> Thought I would share some pics of a happy and healthy Phoebe. She’s so happy to be alive! Such a calm, tidy, cuddly little bun, just a joy in my life ☀
> 
> Unfortunately she lost parts of her ears when the mange crusts came away (you can see from the pics how bad it was; that was a rough day for her) so they are a bit raggedy, but I think that just adds to her unique beauty.
> 
> ...


Also forgot to mention that I re-named her Phoebe (she was previously Georgie). Phoebe means “radiant” or “bright”, which suits her perfectly


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## JBun (Jul 11, 2022)

What a sweet little bun  I hope you find a wonderful home for her!


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## HalaBuns (Jul 22, 2022)

Morning coffee routine with my Phoebe. The 4 stages of nap


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## JBun (Jul 23, 2022)

Bunny snuggles are the best


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