House Rabbit Network

Mr. Rascal bun is our resident Honey Badger Bunny. He’s fearless and does what he wants when he wants!

Rascal wants hay now

I think if he could talk it might go something like this:

 Check out Mr. Rascal and other avaailable buns at:  http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/adoption/buns.php?s=boys

Samara, a lovely little Dutch, managed to charm all the shelter volunteers in less than a week.

After a very brief stay with us at the shelter, Samara went to her (hopefully) forever home with a new husbun today! It’s something of a heartwarming story.

Peanuts was born half-blind and with deformities in his feet, and he spent the first part of his life cruelly isolated and neglected. Despite all this, he is a very good bunny and he clearly wanted a friend, but understandably, he had some social rough spots. He went on dates with several of the girls at our shelter today, but his way of getting to know the other bunnies always came across to them as aggression. Most of them thought he was trying to pick a fight, and so they started to fight back, and most of the dates ended pretty quickly after that.

But Samara instinctively understood him. She was wonderfully patient with him, even when he jumped over her and thumped on her head! Similarly, she knew when to back off and give him his space. It was clear from the start that she liked him, because when she wasn’t getting to know him she was racing around the pen doing crazy, non-stop binkies! It was also clear that despite his awkwardness, Peanuts liked her, too.

Less than fifteen minutes after Samara left with her new family, I got a text from the adopter informing me that Peanuts and Samara were already snuggling together in their carrier. I think Samara is going home to an extraordinary bunny friendship! Fingers crossed!

One of the residents of a Billerica rabbit shelter was successfully apprehended after an escape attempt that took place during playtime last Thursday.

Marlene was found by shelter volunteers Thursday morning giving herself a tour of the bunny room instead of playing within the confines of the exercise pen where they had left her 30 minutes earlier.

Marlene made her escape in spite of the cornucopia of toys and amusements provided for her in the exercise pen. (Photo by Tess.)

Marlene led the volunteers on a high-speed chase around the perimeter of the room before veering off into the front vestibule and making for the front door. She was up on her hind legs, sniffing for the doorknob when the volunteers finally apprehended her. Finding herself cornered, she gave herself up and went quietly back into custody. The volunteers were able to return her to her cage without further incident.

Marlene claims that the exercise pen had not been properly fastened shut, explaining that she had simply availed herself of an advantitious opportunity. The two shelter volunteers, while admitting the possibility of a latch malfunction, have asserted that Marlene was being egged on by the other shelter buns and might not have made the attempt but for the other bunnies’ encouragement.

“We chased her in a big circle around the room, and as she hopped past all the cages, every single bunny stopped and watched her go by,” says one of the volunteers, who has  asked to remain anonymous.  “It was like they were excited for her. Like they were cheering her on.”

Upon being returned to custody, Marlene said, "There was an opportuniy and I took it. Sue me." (Photo by Tess.)

The volunteers point to Marlene’s extensive record of good behavior as further proof that the escape was due to the mischievous influence of the other rabbits, rather than a security glitch. The anonymous volunteer has even gone on record stating that Marlene is “an awesome bunny. She’s easygoing and friendly and has a happy-to-know-ya kind of attitude. But she is looking for a forever home, so keep that in mind before you judge her.”

Following Marlene’s apprehension and return to custody, shelter officials issued a statement informing the public that Marlene and fifteen other bunnies are at the shelter and available for adoption through the House Rabbit Network.

Sydney, another HRN bunny shelter resident, claims that she has never once thought about escaping. (Photo by Tess.)

It was pretty quiet at the shelter this week, but we don’t mind a little quiet — especially given this week’s events.

Shelter bun Polly was adopted and taken home, and newcomer George joined us. George is a dark and handsome gentleman with impeccable manners, and his black fur has the shininess of a shampoo commercial. So don’t hate him because he’s beautiful…Spread the word that he’s available for adoption!

Newcomer to the HRN shelter, George has a touch of mystery about him.

Mostly what we did at the shelter this week was keep calm and carry on, and bunnies are really helpful with this.

HRN shelter bun Skippy has a good calm going. And she's available for adoption! Photo by Tess.

The HRN shelter had two adoptions within days of each other this week. Buttons and Chuck went to their forever homes, and we assume their new families are already in love with them.

Currently still at the shelter are Buttons’ brother, Wooley, and Chuck’s brother, Simon. Simon and Wooley are two of the shelter’s cuddliest bunnies, and FYI they’re both available for adoption.

Wooley, HRN shelter bun, is available for adoption. Photo by Tess, who is not.

Available for adoption: Simon, HRN shelter bun. Photo by Tess, HRN shelter volunteer.

Much less exciting but still important is the bunny “grooming” table that the shelter acquired this week. Not originally designed for bunnies or for grooming, this secondhand end table has been repurposed. Its surface is big enough to perch a bunny on, and having the bunny on a table instead of the floor should make brushing a little easier for the volunteers.

HRN volunteer Lauren and HRN shelter bun Simon take the grooming table for a spin. One of them is not having fun.

Brushing is super-important at this time of year especially, when the bunnies are busy shedding their winter coats. At times it’s as if we have big tumbleweeds of fur drifting around the bun room, with all the brushing we have to do. Hopefully we’ll find that this table makes it a little easier to keep up with it.

And the bunnies? Rather less appreciative.

Silas was at the shelter for a only little while. When he came to us he wasn’t just shy, he was nearly paralyzed with anxiety. When it was his turn for play time, he sat crouched in the corner of his exercise pen; at all other times, he just sat crouched in the corner of his cage. It was as if the immensity of the world had begun to overwhelm him.

When bunnies like Silas come to the shelter, we know that somewhere inside that frozen animal is a being with its own unique personality and claim to life, waiting to make itself known. But what works to draw one bunny out of his shell, is not guaranteed to work for another. All we can do is be patient. We snuggle and pet the bun. We give him different toys. We encourage new activities. Everything we do for that bun becomes like a lighthouse or a beacon, telling him unremittingly, You are loved. You are loved.

And very often, we’re successful. As with Silas, we can and very often do help a rabbit move from a place of fear to a place of calm and trust. And that’s when he begins to come out of his shell: He reacts when you offer him food. He starts to explore the exercise pen. He starts to play with his toys. And then one day, someone takes else him home.

What we’re not always prepared for when we begin as volunteers is that these rabbits will enrich our lives immensely. Immeasurably. Even though they’re not our own. A shelter bun may have an appointment with a prospective adopter, and if circumstances permit, he might even go home that same day. Very often, we volunteers don’t have a chance to say goodbye.

So here’s to Silas. The next time I go to the shelter, his cage will be vacant. It will be empty and spotlessly clean, ready for the next bun who comes to us. But I am unequivocally happy for Silas. And I can’t wait to meet the unknown bun who’s on his way here to fill that place.

The House Rabbit Network offered another rabbit education event on Saturday, March 16, at the Petco store location in Brighton, Mass.

On duty as spokesbun that day was the lovely Marlene, a New Zealand white currently in residence at the HRN shelter (and currently available for adoption). Operating the education booth were HRN volunteers Diane Mayer and Sadie MacMillan, who invited Petco shoppers to meet Marlene and learn a little bit about the challenges and rewards of rabbits as animal companions.

Marlene checks up on the HRN volunteers at the education booth.

Diane behind the House Rabbit Network education booth at the Brighton, Mass. Petco.

Education events like these are a valuable opportunity for HRN to answer many of the questions people commonly ask about house rabbits: Can they get along with dogs? Can they get along with cats? Can they be litter-box trained?

Less straightforward but also of interest was the issue of rabbits in rental situations. A properly rabbit-proofed apartment, as the volunteers explained, can in theory be just as good a home as a house. (The lack of a yard makes no difference, since house rabbits should never be kept outdoors.) But different landlords may have very different policies about animals in their rental units, and HRN will never sanction the adoption of a rabbit if it violates the terms of the adopter’s lease.

The volunteers fielded these and other questions, and at the same time encouraged visitors to say hello to Marlene.

The lovely Miss Marlene keeps an eye out for her next admirer.

Marlene was a natural choice for rabbit representative because she’s outgoing and self-assured — not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Just about everyone who passed by the HRN booth came over to pet her, and she — never one to turn down affection — sat gamely in her box for each encounter. She welcomed everybody, both children and adults. And when an Italian greyhound stuck his nose between the bars of her pen, Marlene, imperturbable as ever, stuck her own nose right up to his to say hello.

Rabbit meets dog, thinks dog is just adorable.

These education days are a fun way for HRN to turn people on to the idea of rabbits as meaningful and rewarding companion animals. Many thanks to Petco, to the volunteers, and of course to Marlene, for making this one possible.

The next HRN education day will take place at the Woburn Mall on Saturday, March 23, at 296 Mishawum Road in Woburn, Mass., from 11 am — 2 pm. Stop by and say hello!

Like his name implies, the big bun will run your home and run your heart! Ten pounds of love and play is what Cassius will bring to your home. He took a couple days to warm up in his foster home, but now he is ready to be part of a family! He does an amazing amount of binkies - and watching a bun his size do them is amazing. Some times he goes for heights, sometimes a cardio work out of how many he can do in a row, sometimes he tries for the mid-air pretzel! He is a binkie machine!

Like most buns, he will rest a lot of the time too. He loves to watch TV with us at night but he’s not up to sitting on the couch with us. He’s a floor bun for sure. Sometimes he sleeps under the chair, but a lot of the time, square in the middle of the floor. He’s tentative to go outside on our porch, but we’re working on that.

Here are a couple videos of him playing and resting after a nice long play time!

http://youtu.be/0tbqMyjj7Ps
http://youtu.be/jD6YSmsZlnY

Logan is a young lady bun with soft dark gray fur and a slender face. She was born in foster care in June 2012. Her parents were dumped in a cemetery to fend for themselves but were lucky to be rescued by HRN.

Logan would love to be free range, or at least have a room of her own, in her forever home. She was very glum when she lived in a cage prior to her spay. Now she has an ex-pen but is still subdued when confined day in, day out. Her playful and joyous personality really shows when she is out of her ex-pen. She does fantastic and fast binkies! Sometimes she is up for a little play chasing. She likes to explore, and she will jump on boxes and climb stairs.

Her litterbox habits are excellent. She has not shown inappropriate chewing in foster care. She likes willow balls, grass mats, hay twists, and paper to chew on. Her favorite chew toy is a wooden carrot with knobs sticking out of it. She also loves to hide and play under a small area rug.

(Can you spot the bunny in this photo? She is under the rug nibbling on a collard green!)

She really likes to feel cozy when she is resting: You will find her hiding in her cardboard tube or resting in her bed — a box with soft linens.

She is friendly. She comes right up to the pen’s edge when it’s mealtime or when she’s in the mood for a snack. She smooshes right down for petting. She would probably enjoy the company of another rabbit as she is curious but doesn’t feel threatened by the presence of another bunny.

She is tolerant to being picked up, but she gets really feisty when it’s time to clip her nails. Another grooming challenge is that she has dark nails. Her foster family can offer tips on how to handle nail clipping.

Her favorite veggies are: lettuce, bok choy, chicory, escarole, cilantro, thyme, rosemary. She also likes kale, parsley, and to a lesser extent, collard greens; these three veggies should be served occasionally and not at the same time. Her favorite treats are strawberry tops, apple slices, dried cranberries, carrots, and Oxbow timothy hay treats. Don’t bother to feed her spinach or dried banana. She will ignore those!

If you’ve recently become a first time bunny owner, congratulations! Bunnies make great indoor pets and companions.

You probably already have a cage, food dish, hay, etc. In addition to the daily necessities, here are a few extra supplies that are important to have on hand!

• Bottle brush – if you’re using a water bottle, it will need to be cleaned with warm soapy water and a bottle brush on a regular basis.

• Nail clippers – your bunnies nails will need to be trimmed approximately every 4 weeks. Have a vet or groomer show you how the first time!

• Simethicone or infant gas drops – can be used to treat gas or bloating in bunnies

• Toys! – Bunnies need physical and mental stimulation. Get creative with things you have around house, such as paper towel tubes stuffed with hay, or a brown paper bag crinkled up with a treat inside. Bunnies also love cardboard boxes!

For additional medical supplies that are helpful to have on hand, please check out HRN’s Bunny Emergency Kit article!

Have fun getting to know your new friend. Please feel free to leave a comment with other ideas!