Survivor Rabbit

by Haley
(Lake County, Illinois)


I have raised rabbits for years, so when the local feed store called me about a bunny caught in someone's yard, I had to go get her. When I got the little doe rabbit home, she was skin and bones.... and she weighed only a little under two pounds. I could tell she was an adult rabbit based on her fur coat and structure, but she was near death. Her eyes were a gorgeous hazel color, so I called her Hazel.


I gave her a cage with unlimited pellets, a nest box (to eliminate stress), and a big handful of hay every day. She also made friends with my huge New Zealand brood doe next to her. She seemed quite comfortable. In about two weeks, I came out to do my feeding chores, and I noticed she had a nest built. I peeked inside and saw one tiny black kit.

I figured that she was maybe bought with another rabbit, and she was released due to their breeding... I'm still not quite sure. She eventually got into a healthy weight of seven pounds, which was far from her beginning weight.

She went on to have three more litters containing eight kits in each. This doe was such a nice addition, but when an elderly man wanted a pet rabbit, I couldn't say no to giving away Hazel. When his wife came to see her, she also saw Hazel's just weaned baby doe kits... She ended up leaving with the Hazel and those 3 doe kits.

Hazel and her little pod have been given a whole corner of a garage as a home now, with an entirely fenced in rabbit run that is safe from predators. Hazel deserves to be spoiled, so I am glad she's at her new rabbit heaven home.

Comments for Survivor Rabbit

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 16, 2016
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Glad I'm not the only one
by: AnonymousWhitney

I know the post is old, but still had to leave a comment...

I take one of our rabbits everywhere I can get away with...Petsmart, Tractor Supply, our local college, etc. In fact, if I go in our local Petsmart with OUT a bunny, I'm in trouble (not literally). If I go in without bringing kits when I have them, I have very VERY unhappy people.

Apparently I have taken them with me to the pound when I license my dogs a lot too. A few weeks ago they called me about a "huge black domestic rabbit" that had been found in someone's yard and brought down to them. Thinking "huge...what, a Flemish Giant or something?"

Got down there...it's less than six pounds, marked like a Silver Fox...I guess huge compared to the cottontails. Took him with me to a rabbit show hoping to find him a home...no go...no surprise. My daughter got attached and now "Fox" is ours...what's one more rabbit when it makes a dozen?

Fast forward to last week. I got a call from a lady that said she got my number from the Humane Society (how did they get MY number?) and was told I might be able to help with some wild bunnies her dog found in their yard, and now would not leave them alone.

We agreed to meet at a circle K for the exchange (after I made sure leaving them with their mom was not an option). I found out during the exchange that it wasn't the humane society she'd got my number from, but the local pound.

I guess I'm now their go-to rabbit person...

***** Karen Sez *****
Good job AnonWhitney! Your story makes me happy. I wish we were all as good-hearted as you. Blessings! :-)
Dec 09, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Wonderful Gift
by: Suzanne

What a wonderful story! We have a 9mo french lop doe named Sadie. I can't imagine her outdoors on her own. Hazel and her kits were very blessed!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Pet Rabbits.

Protected by Copyscape Plagiarism Check Software