I found an abandoned pet rabbit-HELP

[Tiffann4k]

LOL Tigger. OMGosh I love your little duckie that hatched...too cute!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

LOL Tigger. OMGosh I love your little duckie that hatched...too cute!!

It's a little too cutesy for me and I'm missing my foot. My kitty morphed into the creature on the left.

 

[jx3smom]

Well, I still have him/her. Somebody please help!

 

[Thumper's Tara]

Well, I still have him/her. Somebody please help!

You may want to contact the rabbit organization that is closest to you. They may be able to work with you to arrange a "Bunny Transport" to get it to a foster home in their organization. I have worked with several bunny organizations that will do that...it is worth a try.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Try the new jersy house rabbit society...it has some tips and also says they would be willing to list the rabbit on their site.

http://www.njhrs.com/findinghomes.htm

I dont really agree with asking at least $30 for the rabbit but that is what they suggest. Personally I wouldnt pay that much for a rabbit unless it was altered or came with a pedigree...but thats just me.

Abandoning a rabbit is illegal in NJ so I am hoping that it was someones lost pet and that they find it

Thumper also has great advice, you may want to try that route as well. I wish I was closer I would take it.

 

[always quiet]

Have you tried to contact your local humane society? I am sure that they could take the rabbit in. When we got our dog last year from ours, they even had hamsters!!

I wish that people would realize that pets are not disposable parts of our lives. If this bunny was a pet, he would not be able to survive in the wild. Even though my Thumper 'is' a wild rabbit, he was not raised that way and would not make it an hour outside.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Even though my Thumper 'is' a wild rabbit, he was not raised that way and would not make it an hour outside.

Whats your secret ? I have tried to raise cottontails ( they were abandoned by their mother) two different times with two different litters and they were way to wild to tame so to speak. I only know of one person who was sucessful with a wild jack rabbit even though it does lunge and nip but have never heard of anyone else raising a wild rabbit...how did you do it and what kind is it ?

 

[jx3smom]

I tried the OC Humane Society. They can't take it. They're a no kill shelter and they have no room at all.

I will not put this poor baby out side but I cannot take him home. He looks like a Florida White Rabbit and fits the discription but I am no bunny expert. I don't even know if it is male or female and have no intention of trying to find out! It does like being held and scratched on the head.

 

[always quiet]

Trust me, if he is "of age", there is no doubt if he is male...let's just leave it at that.

Thumper is a "wild" cottontail. He will be 3 yrs. old in May. He is so sweet...never tried to bite or anything. He does, however, lick you, just like the cat does. Maybe he thinks he is a cat since he was raised with one. When he was teeny (he fit in the palm of my hand - sideways), I would syrienge feed him kitten milk replacement every 4 hours, he slept in a shoe box which I placed on top of a heating pad. After his feedings, I held him for about a half hour...that way, if he had any problems (they can suffer from nasal aspiration easily), I was there. He graduated to raw oats (oatmeal), then to cheerios (still a favorite) and onto rabbit food (he hates the pellets...likes the 'gourmet' stuff). He has literally "travelled the World" with us!!

 

[jx3smom]

I remember all of your stories of Thumper and loved them. I am glad to hear he is doing well. Are you sure he wouldn't want a playmate? LOL. My kittens are 0nly 8 months old a such a handful. I will be KILLED if I even tried to keep her! I really need to find this sweetie a good home.

 

[always quiet]

You do know that kittens and bunnies get along wonderfully....and Thumper has never had a "playdate" and I am far too young to be a Grandma!

 

[jx3smom]

It was hard enough to convince DH for the kittens because after our cats (8) had all passed away (in 3 years time) we just did not want to go through the pain anymore. It hurts so much when you lose them. Well now we have the kittens and they are nuts. They would hurt the rabbit, I'm sure. I also have terrapins that are a "pain" to take care of.

 

[Thumper's Tara]

Trust me, if he is "of age", there is no doubt if he is male...let's just leave it at that.

Thumper is a "wild" cottontail. He will be 3 yrs. old in May. He is so sweet...never tried to bite or anything. He does, however, lick you, just like the cat does. Maybe he thinks he is a cat since he was raised with one. When he was teeny (he fit in the palm of my hand - sideways), I would syrienge feed him kitten milk replacement every 4 hours, he slept in a shoe box which I placed on top of a heating pad. After his feedings, I held him for about a half hour...that way, if he had any problems (they can suffer from nasal aspiration easily), I was there. He graduated to raw oats (oatmeal), then to cheerios (still a favorite) and onto rabbit food (he hates the pellets...likes the 'gourmet' stuff). He has literally "travelled the World" with us!!

Wow. Great job raising Thumper. I did some work with an exotics vet in Memphis and even he had no luck raising/saving wild cottontails. Your ability to save Thumper is amazing. This is the first time I have heard of someone being successful!

Have you ever considered getting him fixed, so that he could have a friend? Just curious...while some bunnies do great as solo bunnies, some do need a friend! I am sure you know this though!

I second you on kitties and bunnies making good friends - Trouble loves Mr. Emily (my solo bun). They have even learned to work together to break Mr. Emily out of his enclosure...

 

[Thumper's Tara]

It was hard enough to convince DH for the kittens because after our cats (8) had all passed away (in 3 years time) we just did not want to go through the pain anymore. It hurts so much when you lose them. Well now we have the kittens and they are nuts. They would hurt the rabbit, I'm sure. I also have terrapins that are a "pain" to take care of.

It is so hard to lose a pet...I am scared because my bunnies are getting up there (two of mine turn 9 this year!)....I know I will have to face it sometime, but it is scary.

what are terrapins?

 

[always quiet]

Wow. Great job raising Thumper. I did some work with an exotics vet in Memphis and even he had no luck raising/saving wild cottontails. Your ability to save Thumper is amazing. This is the first time I have heard of someone being successful!

Have you ever considered getting him fixed, so that he could have a friend? Just curious...while some bunnies do great as solo bunnies, some do need a friend! I am sure you know this though!

Thumper is considered "wild" and no local vet can see him. Something about them needing a special license....knock on wood, he's been good about not being allowed to date. He has so much companionship (dog, cat, kids.....) that he is not lonely.

 

[jx3smom]

Diamondback terrapins (Univ. of Maryland mascot) are basically turtles that live in the back bays. They are land/saltwater creatures and are very pretty. I have them in 2 tanks and in the summer I have a plastic baby pool that they swim in outside. I'm thinking about building a turtle pond in the back but we don't have much of a yard as it is. I just have NO room in the house or outside for a rabbit cage, too. But, it would take no time to fall in love with this rabbit so I'm avoiding it!

 

[Tiffann4k]

JX, if its a florida white it will be fairly small. I use to raise those but the does would get nasty as they got older.

Its actually very easy to tell if its a buck or doe if the bunny is around 4-5 months of age. Just flip it over..lol


Always quiet,
All rabbits lick so its not because he was raised with a cat. Also a word of advice if you ever have to hand feed another rabbit, they do NOT need to be fed every 4 hours Im suprised the little booger didnt explode..lol Wild and domestic rabbits only feed their young once or twice a day if that. Generally very early in the morning and then at dusk. Just curious, where did you find thumper ? ( I never got to hear the stories ) If your feeding him the right stuff( rabbit pellets, oats, high quality hay) and keep his surroundings clean he should never need a trip to the vet anyhow. All the years I have raised rabbits I have never had to take one to the vet, granted I generally treat them myself if I have to which is rare.

I agree with Thumpers Tara, its very rare that anyone can raise a wild rabbit, I have only heard of it being done once. Congrats on your bunnies making it to almost 9.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Sorry about all the yacking about rabbits, I am very passionate about them and tend to go on and on and on....its what I get paid to do( know about rabbits)

 

[jx3smom]

Wouldn't you like to make a trip to New Jersey to raise another? J/K! He isn't all that small, though but it looks like one that I saw on the "net". I've learned a lot about rabbits in the last 24 hours.

 

[always quiet]

Always quiet,
All rabbits lick so its not because he was raised with a cat. Also a word of advice if you ever have to hand feed another rabbit, they do NOT need to be fed every 4 hours Im suprised the little booger didnt explode..lol Wild and domestic rabbits only feed their young once or twice a day if that. Generally very early in the morning and then at dusk. Just curious, where did you find thumper ? ( I never got to hear the stories ) If your feeding him the right stuff( rabbit pellets, oats, high quality hay) and keep his surroundings clean he should never need a trip to the vet anyhow. All the years I have raised rabbits I have never had to take one to the vet, granted I generally treat them myself if I have to which is rare.

I agree with Thumpers Tara, its very rare that anyone can raise a wild rabbit, I have only heard of it being done once. Congrats on your bunnies making it to almost 9.

What is interesting about this is about a year after we got Thumper, a knew someone else who was raising an orphaned baby bunny, not a wild one though. She was feeding it twice a day and not only did the baby not thrive, it didn't make it. The vet said it was because it was dehydrated. I am glad I raised Thumper the way I did. He was so cute when he was little...I was the only one he would take his syrienge feedings from. I guess he thought I was his "mom". When I introduced solids, he was the same way. Thumper was never chubby...he stayed on the small side actually. We got Thumper when my son was cutting the neighbors lawn and flushed out a nest of bunnies. We left and waited for the mom to come back to get her babies. She left this one behind....he has a "head tilt" and in the wild, they don't make it. I guess that is why his mom left him there. We have a lot of hawks in our area, so there was no way I was going to leave him there. I believe that if you do a search, you can still find Thumper's photo.