Well, there’s never a dull moment around here! You may recall that back in November, I rescued two abandoned domestic rabbits that literally invited themselves into my house – click here to read the post if you missed it the first time. I’ve never owned a rabbit before, so it’s been a total scramble getting everything ready for them – I had no cages, no feeding supplies, or any knowledge of how to care for them. Usually, one is prepared before getting a pet, but this was an emergency for these homeless rabbits so we just made do. 😉 Just when I was starting to get everything set up for Honey Buns, Bunsen Burner showed up and I had to start all over. I literally had a food bowl in my purse that I had bought for Honey Buns when I walked up to my front door and Bunsen was sitting there waiting for me…so it became his water dish instead!
Jai has been hard at working building custom rabbit hutches for both rabbits using recovered and scrap lumber. Our house was built in 1929, and one of the windows in the living room was actually sinking because of rot in the frame, which happens in older buildings. So to repair it, Jai built a bay window, and two custom, large rabbit hutches created to fit right inside the bay window. When the window is finished, Jai is going to build a little cat door into it that will lead to an enclosed, outdoor bunny run; this will give them the option to get some fresh air when the weather is nice while still living indoors.
Because Bunsen and Honey Buns are not yet fixed or bonded to each other, they have to be separated for the time being, so we take turns letting them inside the house to play. From what I have read, rabbits are extremely picky about who they like, to the point where it’s recommended to go to “Speed Dating” events (!) before adopting a second bunny to let them choose their partner and make sure they’ll get along. Well, these two were randomly thrown together so I have to be prepared for the possibility that they might not bond with each other – so their hutches have the option to either remain separate, or be connected if they end up bonding. They seem to be friendly as neighbors, so fingers crossed for a love connection!
Once the hutches were finished, we were finally starting to get everything set up nicely for the little buns and get into a routine. So I’m sure you can guess what happened next…
Meet Buster and Babs Bunny! Oh yes, that’s right. Two more bunnies showed up! We had seen this pair running around outside, but they were more skittish than Bunsen and Honey Buns and would run away from us. That is, until, they realized what a good thing they were missing out on and decided to move into the workshop! Jai just finished re-covering our deck back in October to convert it into an enclosed workshop. There are still some things to finish up on it, such as building a door, which got put on hold in order to work on the emergency bunny hutches. Buster and Babs took advantage of the open-door policy and decided to move in to the workshop and hide under the leftover lumber from the rabbit hutches! 😆 So, Jai boarded up the door for now and these rabbits have free run over the workshop while Jai builds two more hutches for them! As you might have guessed from the names, I grew up watching Tiny Toons, and I relate so much to Elmyra – from the “I’m gonna loooove them, and squeeeze them…” right down to this moment:
😆
Keeping four random rabbits together may not be possible; I have no idea if it will even be possible for them all to live together after they get fixed. And if they can’t live together, I’m unsure if I’d have adequate space to house them all separately. But what I do know is that they all need my help! If I can’t keep Buster and Babs longterm, I will either foster them out through our local rabbit shelter if they are able to assist, or find a loving home myself. I feel like I’m running an extremely amateur rabbit shelter! 😆
And as if that wasn’t enough excitement, Bunsen got very sick on Monday and had to be rushed to the vet. Jai and I have been caring for him around the clock all week to try and help him survive a bout of GI stasis, which is a serious digestive issue that rabbits are prone to that can quickly be fatal without intervention. Fortunately, he has now recovered 100%! Man, what a week!!!
To add to that, Jai and I leave for England in less than two weeks to visit family, celebrate our wedding and go on a Euro honeymoon. Between the rabbits, my workload, and preparing to travel for a full month, things are just insane here right now! We’re going to have a house sitter care for the bunnies while we’re away, and then when we get back, I can start the process of figuring out where to take them to be spay/neutered and, eventually, attempt bonding them to each other. So if anyone in the Portland area has any suggestions for me, I am all (bunny) ears! 😀
Oh wow! The rabbit hutches came out beautifully! Honey Buns really looks like a sizeable bunny. I would have been completely surprised if a bunny that large was at my door and then walked right in. I love the way bunnies look, but I’ve always been scared of their teeth. I had hamsters before and got bite once…it hurt so I could not get over how a bunny bite might feel. Anyways, that’s pretty cool how your new furry family members found you!
Thank you, Yona! They are definitely sizable bunnies – Bunsen weighed in at almost 9 pounds at the vet! (Everyone in the office stood around saying, “Wow, that’s a BIG bunny!”) It was definitely a big surprise when she invited herself in!! 😀
And, I know what you mean about their teeth. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but I’m lucky because all four are so sweet. I can hold up a small food like a raisin for them and they will take it out of my fingers so gently so as not to bite me. Which is not to say that they can’t nip – Honey Buns nibbled on my toe once doing a “Taste test” to see if it was food (!), but it didn’t break the skin or really hurt. I think it’s totally personality dependent because some rabbits will attack and bite their owners. As I’ve learned, each bunny has its own unique personality, they are all so different!
I can’t believe people abandon pets. So sad. I’m glad that they found you.
I soooo love bunnies and had them as a child. Makes me so sick that people abandon their pets that is so evil! I am so thankful that they found a new home with you and your family.