A new home for Samson :-)

Samson, an unwanted rabbit who ended up at Newport Dog Pound, went to his new home with a lovely lady called Gemma.  He has the run of the garden when she is at home, something I know he is going to love!  He hated being cooped up in the hutch here.  What's more, Gemma is going to get him a ladyfriend at some point too.  What more could a bunny want eh?! :-)

Thought of the week...A hutch is not enough

Many pet rabbits live out their days in tiny hutches in which they can barely do one hop!!!  Their hutch becomes their prison, they get frustrated and lash out and then end up forgotten at the bottom of the garden.  If you know of anyone keeping their rabbits this way please inform them of the amazing campaign 'A Hutch Is Not Enough'.  With some small changes their rabbit will be happy and will start to show its natural entertaining behaviour.

The Rabbit Welfare Association 'A Hutch Is Not Enough'

www.jackrabbits.yolasite.com

The website is now live!!!  What's more, I made it myself.  Please take a look :-)

http://www.jackrabbits.yolasite.com/

Update :-)

Good news here.  Fred, Ginger and Monkey are still getting along just fine.  A few chasing incidents when I had to reduce their space again for a day or so but now all seems settled.  I often find them snuggled up together.

May and Dylan are also very happy.  Dylan escaped from their hutch a few nights ago (I must have left the bolt unlocked!!!!).  We came in from a recording session at 1.30am to find the hutch door open and Dylan missing.  I panicked, and immediately pictured him squeezing under the garden gate, running away and us never finding him :-(  I was searching the garden and then Max spotted him calmly sitting two feet away from the hutch in the flower bed.  He happily trotted back into his hutch and joined May again.  There are so many cats around where we live, I am so relieved he is ok.  Buying some extra bolts for the door soon.  Saving for a bigger, better hutch for them too.  Their Pets At Home one is just not up to scratch. 

Also had an awareness stall at the Odeon cinema in Cardiff today, the film 'Hop' is out and was a great opportunity to target children and their families.  My friend Emma dressed as a giant pink bunny, especially impressive as she could have potentially been seen by lots of people she knew.  She will do anything for the bunnies.  My boyfriend Max and friend Bricey helped too.  We handed out leaflets and raised a bit of cash for The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund.  Let's hope we helped a few bunnies out.

So, now that all the bunnies here are happy together I can fill the hutch at the bottom of the garden with another rescue rabbit who will then be re-homed.  Project for next week is website, advertising and cashing in all my spare change around the house.  It will be needed!

Thank you for following us,

Sarah and the bunnies xxxxx
 

Things are going very well :-)

They may still be in the honeymoon period but Fred, Ginger and Monkey seem very happy together.  They have now moved out to their large hutch in the garden and will be allowed more space tomorrow when I add a run onto the hutch.  The space has to be increased slowly to avoid any setbacks.  It is only a week tonight that they have been together so still taking it one step at a time.  To think I doubted whether to persevere with them, so glad I did.  Monkey has a whole new lease of life and is no longer depressed about losing Kato. Whether she is capable of remembering him or missing him I do not know, but she is definitely not sad anymore.  Fingers crossed this happy relatonship continues :-)

Lucky Fred!!!

It appears that Fred is a lucky bunny indeed!!  He has two gorgeous girlfriends and, even better, they don't mind!  Fred and Ginger have accepted Monkey and vice versa and I'm hoping that they will live happily ever after.  There has been lots of grooming, lots of nicely sharing food and as I fell asleep next to their pen last night (yes I have been keeping 24 hour surveillance) I peeked one last look and saw Fred and Ginger stretched out side by side and Monkey happily snoozing in the tiny space between them.  Very cute.  They are starting to get fed up with their small pen now, they have been cooped up in there for 48 hours, so tomorrow they go to their new home, a giant hutch in the garden which has been thoroughly cleaned and neutralised.  Initially, they will only have access to the top floor, and gradually I will increase their space.  Fingers crossed it goes smoothly.

Bonding update :-)

The good news is that a bond is forming :-) After many failed attempts in the hallway (neutral area) I thought it was never going to work.  Monkey was too defensive and attacked whenever Fred or Ginger approached her.  She is a nervous rabbit by nature and only ever used to do anything if Kato (her brother who died recently) did it first.  She was also harbouring bad memories of the meetings with Fred and Ginger and seemed tense.

So, I gave them few days off, did lots more research and have tried this very slow method instead.

For a few days I kept them in their exercise runs side by side in the living room!  Close enough so they could smell and see each other but not close enough to injure each other through the bars. 

Now and again I would swap over their litter trays and toys so as to get them used to each others smell.  It is argued that this simply delays the inevitable hierarchy setting which has to happen, but I gave it a try because previous attempts at bonding had failed.

The next stage was to let Fred and Ginger run freely around the room while Monkey was still caged and vice versa.  This did not go well.  Whichever rabbit or rabbits were caged protected their territory so I stopped that and moved onto the next stage.

This was the most important one to get right, the introduction, or re-introduction in this case following so many unsuccessful introductions.  Janice from ARC (Animal Rescue and Care) in Twickenham had sent me some great information which has proved very useful so far.  I also had Fiona Campbell's book 'Bonding Rabbits' and advice from Caroline Collings at The Rabbit Rescue Residence, Wendy Powell of Rescue Range in Newport and  Anne from The Rabbit Welfare Association.  All parties agreed that bonding a trio is so much harder than a pair so, while I am positive this is going to work, I also have to accept that it might not.

The first introduction was on Friday night and lasted an hour and a half.  I used a small animal play pen (the previous hallway attempts had not worked because it was too big) in the spare room, the only neutral room left in the house!  In order to avoid any terratorial behaviour I bought a brand new litter tray and water bowl.  However, I quickly removed the litter tray when Monkey started guarding it and when Fred started using it as a way of nibbling hay and pretending Monkey wasn't there!  I removed Fred for a while and let the girls sort their issues out.  Both seemed to be demanding that the other groom them and when neither would cave a little scuffle happened.  Eventually though, Ginger gave in and started grooming Monkey.  Then I added Fred who immediately started grooming Monkey.  Result.  I was tempted not to split them up but because I had work all weekend I decided to put them back in the living room seperately.  Whilst this can cause a set back I thought it much better than leaving them unattended.

The latest is that tonight 24hour bunny watch has commenced.  So far all is well.  They are happily sharing a litter tray, there has been mutual grooming and chilled out behaviour.  I have added some jingle ball toys so that when I have to leave the room I will hear if they start chasing or fighting.  Still haven't decided whether to sleep in here with them or go next door.  I am really hoping this continues.  Watch this space............   

Bonding a tricky trio!!

Have been trying to bond Fred and Ginger, a young rescued pair, with Monkey who recently lost her brother and companion of three years, Kato.  So far, not good :-(  Fur has flown!  So I am starting again, have done lots and lots of research and am taking it very slowly.  Watch this space! 

Hello World!!

Hello everybody, though obviously as this in my first post there is no-one there yet.  Hopefully that will change.

I am starting this blog to run alongside my rabbit rescue and rehoming venture.  I currently have five rabbits, four of which are rescued.  There are many reasons why I want to help these misunderstood creatures.  Mainly because they are the third most popular pet in Britain but the most abused and neglected, largely through ignorance and lack of up to date education on how to care for your rabbit correctly.

I don't have a website yet but I do have a facebook page and the logo above.  I am starting from scratch and funding it myself, from my personal income and hopefully lots of future fundraising events.  I will only be able to rescue one or two rabbits at a time due to space.  It won't make a huge difference to the world but it will make a world of difference to the rabbits.  I will neuter or spay them, hopefully vaccinate too and then find them a forever home.

So here goes.  Let's hope that my blog gets lots of followers and word will be spread that rabbits are wonderful creatures with individual personalities. 

In memory of Jack and Kato xxx