# Rabbit Awareness week



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Starting tomorrow, next week is Rabbit Awareness Week.

I no longer have rabbits, but I've always had a soft spot for them ever since I was "Rabbit monitress" at school over 50 years ago!

So let's celebrate the rabbit, an intelligent critter, sadly quite often neglected and treated badly. These were mine over the years. Apologies for the poor quality of some, as they were taken long before digi cameras and so are photographs of old photographs.

My first rabbit as an adult - Solo, a dwarf Cashmere Lop on the day i collected her from her breeder.










And snuggling up to my Havana cat.









My next rabbit, Kupo, a Sussex Gold, the day I brought her home

















After Kupo, I began rescuing instead of buying kittens - so she was followed by Gimpy,another Sussex Gold, who sadly had splay legs - I took him from his breeder because she knew I would keep him in the house on carpet to help his movement.










After Gimpy came Orwell - a British Giant - he had been kept as a show rabbit by his breeders in Wales, but didn't make the size and when they had to downsize they asked me if I would take him










Next came Basil, a Rex, I took him in because his owner was moving from Leeds to the far north of Scotland and was worried that it would be too cold for him.










And finally my last 2 rescues which came together. They had been owned by an elderly lady who just couldn't look after them properly.

Rumon 











and Merewyn











And finally the litter of 4 wild babies I handreared and successfully released. The day I brought them home.

















5 days later











Couple of weeks later










About 6 weeks old


----------



## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

What a lovely thread! I couldn't possibly list the characters I have had the pleasure of knowing over the years. Such a wonderfully complex and successful species, despite being seen as simple and easy to care for.
Rabbit behaviour is fascinating and so many interesting breeds!


I'll leave it there because I just started waffling on really badly about rabbits then deleted it, so consider yourselves spared :lol2:


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

When I lost Merewyn, followed quickly by Rumon I decided not to have any more rabbits. I was working full-time (in terms of hours and weeks) just not every week and felt I wasn't giving them the time they deserved.

So I advertised all my rabbit equipment before I could be asked to take another rabbit or be tempting to buy another one. Barry warned me that once gone, then he wouldn't be building another des res like the one he'd built for me all those years earlier, so if I went ahead, there would be no more rabbits in the future, but I was adamant that I didn't have the time to spend with them and was feeling guilty about it.

A few months later I resigned from my job and and have always regretted getting rid of my equipment as so many beautiful rabbits have been brought into the wildlife sanctuary that I would have loved to offer a home to. :sad:


----------



## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

never say never! Sounds to me like you need bunnies in your life lol

It is quite sad when folks get one or two and when the inevitable novelty wears off as it always does and people are often not prepared for, the rabbits get left in their hutch living such a boring life. I mean, it must be blinkin boring in a wooden box. 

Mine have rather a nice life in comparison as they live in large groups where possible, have free roam of a shed and aviary at all times and enjoy their own full bales of hay lol
With a nice big setup I'm not convinced you need lots of time to handle them because quite frankly they don't like being picked up anyway. Its more a case of changing up their enrichment and toys etc to spice up their lives a bit. Mine seem to get a lot out of sunbathing too which I'm sure some in hutches must struggle to do! 

All comes down to different ways of keeping I suppose. I have seen happy bunnies spending lots of time in their owners house or in a run before going back to their hutch.


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Well. I had a large run with a totally covered in end for protection and in the summer they lived in that, but had free run of the garden and house when I was home, in winter they went into the large hutch that Barry built out of 6ply wood, which even had a double glazing panel which we put in the wire front section when temps were zero or heavy snow was forecast. 

It was just that I wasn't home during the day a lot and I worried about them being in their run for such long periods of time. I accept they had a damn sight better life than a lot of their species, but it wasn't good enough for me I guess.


----------



## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

... but now you are home more... heehee

You could have a nice setup for christmas and rescue half a dozen does in 2013 :whistling2:


----------



## FelixFelicis (Jun 4, 2010)

We had a rabbit years ago when I was living with my parents. She was supposed to belong to my younger sister, but of course she got bored, so me and mum were her main carers. She was a grumpy thing, but very entertaining. She had the run of the garden for most of the day, and during the night slept in a huge custom built 3 story hutch. I will always remember the day I saw from the doorway a bird of prey swooping down into the garden when she was out... and our dog shot out and chased it off! Lucky escape there!
Unfortunately she developed a large tooth abscess while we were away on holiday and she was being looked after by our neighbour (who somehow didn't pick up on it!). We had her put to sleep on our return 

At around the same time I found some baby rabbits that had been dumped in a field while I was walking the dog. There were 3 english marked ones and a tiny black one. I caught them and got them vet treatment (the little black one had a deep but partially healed scratch on it's belly which was surrounded by fly eggs) and then found them good homes 

No more rabbits for us - our current dog is not rabbit friendly!


----------



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Ahh me and my sister had buns as kids, that we shared.
My first very own rabbit was a mini lop called Jackson, poor fella came to me as unwanted childs pet, he was underweight and i later found his teeth were very overgrown and he couldn't eat, he was 5 years old when i got him, he had to have his teeth burred every 90 days and his sinuses flushed sometimes.
He was 7 when he passed away, he was naughty and had a litter with a neighbours rabbit, thankfully all young had healthy teeth, was thought his was down to neglect anyway and not genetic.
Old boy Jack.









anyways Jack died when the babies were 5 months old, and i decided to keep a little boy back, so then came along Mike. The apple of my eye, a rabbit i will never forget, he meant the world to me. He was just amazing in everyway, a pure soul.









It was not long after Jack died, in fact we had just picked his body up from the vets to bring home when we stopped at the shop to pick up some supplies for Mike, when i spotted this cage on the floor beside the rabbit and guinea-pig enclosures, inside was this beautiful Otter rex rabbit, whom i instantly fell in love with, and there was no question about it, i took him home about 20 minutes later :blush:
So meet Felix.









Mike and Felix became the best of friends, never apart from eachother.
I had my boys for 4 years until one tragic day, it was xmas day too, and i made the stupid decision to leave them out while i went for xmas dinner it my granparents...i've never forgiven myself, for Mike and Felix were visited by a very hungry fox that evening and i've never been so upset in my life, never have got over it fully. Every xmas i tell them how sorry i am for not going with my instinct and putting them in the garage before i left 









T'was about 2 years later when i was able to have another bun, didn't feel right getting more after i lost them, couldn't look at another rabbit without getting upset.
When i decided having empty hutches was too depressing i started to look for another rabbit, i couldn't have another lop or rex, just brought back memories and thats when a dear friend of mine posted some pics of her trip to her friends house, who is a big time breeder, rescue and exhibitor of rabbits and she so happened to have a couple of Belgian Hare's available.
Well that was it, my mind was made up and i drove down to South London to pick them up.
So along came Bracken and Clover.









Unfortunately Clover was Put to sleep earlier this year after cancer of the mammaries spread to vital internal organs causing her a lot of discomfort and pain, so i made the decision to let her go. She was coming up to 4 years old and had 2 wonderful litters with me.









and so this summer whilst on the hunt for another Black Hare to come fill the empty space Clo left with us, i came across this beautiful little Tan doe and so we picked her up from Reading about 9 months ago and she became my little Princess Willow. She's about 13 months old now and currently has a litter of 5 who are now nearly 7 weeks old and we have decided to keep a little female...









...and so it seems this little yet-to-be-named madam will become the latest addition to the family, and i think even you will admit, she's a little bit gorgeous


----------



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

I also have 6 netherland dwarfs and 3 looking for homes.
I got them mainly for breeding, but now they've sort of just become pets, got them before xmas i think, they're all kinda sweet, but i do prefer my larger buns.

So this is Habe









Jess









Jalo









Taco









Zork









and my keep back, Ennis.









and if anyone wants a black, or REW buck please get in touch because i reeeaaaalllly need them shifting, dirt cheap!!! lol


----------



## Pouchie (Feb 9, 2008)

ah, Belgian Hares. A dream of mine still left to fulfill :lol2:

now where did I put my 'one day' list...


----------



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

I have one little buck left to sell :whistling2:

You should really go for it, no other breed comes close, they are like little dogs, i don't think i will ever be without one now!
They have such big personalities, unlike the single brain cell nethies :lol2: they just become family members like any dog or cat!


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

All gorgeous bunnies, but I do have a soft spot for a Belgian Hare! :flrt:


----------



## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

I've got 6 rabbits now.This is Lulu and we all love her even my teenage son,she's very friendly


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Aw, she's very like Smudge, who was my favourite school rabbit all those years ago! :flrt:


----------



## FLINTUS (Feb 12, 2012)

A rescue where I got my female pure white cashmere from to match up with a magpie lop male after his sister died had 7 belgian hares in a few months ago. They'd been dumped at their front door.:censor:


----------



## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

For some reason people think there is money in hare's because they have such large litters and are very desired when its totally untrue.

80% of those who'd love one are not in the position to own one, they do need space to run and jump, they are very intelligent and where any other rabbit would be happy to sit in a 6ft run all day, a hare would soon become very bored and even depressed.

My doe had 11 babies in her current litter, but after a series of unfortunate event's, a course of metacam, a course of baytril, countless trips back and forth from shop buying pro biotics and mixers and the loss of 6 babies, we now how 5 healthy young, that we won't make any profit on due to mediation and food costs.

It happens, but i don't care, i love them and even if no one wants them, they always have a place here


----------



## sarahc (Jan 7, 2009)

I really like the British Giant and I'm tempted everytime I see them forsale.Must stay strong,already have one impulse buy,Wiggy .Already adult when I got her and the breed is lionhead but I guess there are lionheads and lionheads and she's not the ideal.She has a marvellous temperament and even a child could handle her.








the bad attitude girls
















and the buck who doesn't have a bad attitude and is a biit wimpish








rabbit number 6 is a chocolate english .I've had my name on him for a while but due to life getting in the way haven't been able to collect.Getting him in 2 weeks.


----------



## Robin87 (Apr 3, 2021)

x Sarah x said:


> Ahh me and my sister had buns as kids, that we shared.
> My first very own rabbit was a mini lop called Jackson, poor fella came to me as unwanted childs pet, he was underweight and i later found his teeth were very overgrown and he couldn't eat, he was 5 years old when i got him, he had to have his teeth burred every 90 days and his sinuses flushed sometimes.
> He was 7 when he passed away, he was naughty and had a litter with a neighbours rabbit, thankfully all young had healthy teeth, was thought his was down to neglect anyway and not genetic.
> Old boy Jack.
> ...


----------

