What do I do about this bunny?

[human_male]

A couple of weeks ago, a stray bunny arrived. We asked the neighbours but no one seems to have lost one. I hardly ever see it but I know it's been around since then as other family members see it regularly. I'm not sure whether to try and catch it and take it to the vet, because they'd just put it down. Or try the SPCA or someone. I wouldn't mind just leaving it if it can look after itself but I got a close look at it today and it's fur seems kinda patchy, so I don't think it's very well. I put some lettuce and water out for it.

So do you think it'll be ok? The weathers really warm now but come winter it'll be cold. Plus is it finding enough to eat d'you think?

What should I do?

 

[Nightbird]

Can you tell if its a wild Rabbit or someones escaped pet?

 

[pleasteasme]

I would call the county animal control and have them come out and get it. They won't necessarily put it to sleep. They try to get all animals adopted, not just cats & dogs.

(ok, I realized you aren't in the US) What do that have in terms of animal welfare/control there in NZ?

Unless, you want a pet bunny?

I would do this soon, before your weather changes. Btw, lettuce isn't much for nutritional value being mostly water anyway...have any carrots?

Good luck and tell us how the great bunny caper goes!

 

[sassy_girl1963]

If it is a domestic rabbit, then it can not survive on its own - so yes catching it or calling the animal people is the most kind thing you can do. Try putting some hay down for it and water. Rabbits need to have lots of hay and water for their digestions.

 

[Cathleen]

How about calling the local animal shelter? Also look online about what they eat, what the problem with the fur might be and so on. A local pet store might have some good advice too. How close does it come to you? Will it let you touch him/her?

 

[sassy_girl1963]

You might be able to find some information on this site - www.rabbit.org I checked, but their international links only have one link - to Canada. You might want to google for Rabbit rescue in New Zealand.

Good luck with the bunny -

 

[human_male]

Thanks. I guess I should call the SPCA but I think they'll just terminate it. But I'll see what they say. It is a domestic one I think, someone said they saw a white one too. It might actually have a home nearby, and the owners let it out but that doesn't seem likely.

I can't get close enough to examine it or touch it, and I only see it now and again. I have seen it eating grass though.

Thanks again.

 

[oddity83]

If you can find a live trap/humane trap use it, then figure out what to do with the bunny, a hardware store should be able to help you get one.

 

[pleasteasme]

If you personally would like to catch it...the only way I could catch mine when they escaped was with a fishing net! They are fast little buggers. Uh oh, if there are two, you might end up with a whole flock of them pretty quick!

 

[Denae]

Thanks. I guess I should call the SPCA but I think they'll just terminate it. But I'll see what they say. It is a domestic one I think, someone said they saw a white one too. It might actually have a home nearby, and the owners let it out but that doesn't seem likely.

I can't get close enough to examine it or touch it, and I only see it now and again. I have seen it eating grass though.

Thanks again.

My mom's neighbors let their rabbit run loose all of the time. It spent most of its days at my mom's house and, like you, she worried about its welfare virtually every day. Her rabbit never had fur problems, perhaps the one you see has gotten underneath a dripping oilpan on a car or something.

I hope you're able to help with the rabbit and its little white friend before they multiply (like PTM said).

 

[human_male]

I had a closer look at him, and the patches I saw were patches of black fur, so he looks ok. For all I know he might be fine, and I haven't seen the other one with my own eyes yet.

By the way, I've named him Greg.

 

[m.j.h]

A couple of weeks ago, a stray bunny arrived. We asked the neighbours but no one seems to have lost one. I hardly ever see it but I know it's been around since then as other family members see it regularly. I'm not sure whether to try and catch it and take it to the vet, because they'd just put it down. Or try the SPCA or someone. I wouldn't mind just leaving it if it can look after itself but I got a close look at it today and it's fur seems kinda patchy, so I don't think it's very well. I put some lettuce and water out for it.

So do you think it'll be ok? The weathers really warm now but come winter it'll be cold. Plus is it finding enough to eat d'you think?

What should I do?

Had anyone move out or into the area recently?
maybe was left behind when someone moved out.

 

[human_male]

Just in case anyone's interested (I always like it when someone updates their post when the situation becomes resolved), I rang the SPCA a few times but they have a recorded message and I never managed to actually get through to anyone. It's ok though, because the little hudlum children from the front came and caught all the ones that were loose. We'd asked them if it was there's and they'd said no, but they caught Greg anyway. Then they moved away so I won't have to worry anymore. In the end I'd seen three seperate bunnies loose. But they seem to have got them all.

I'm a little sad. I'd got used to him hopping around, but the olds said they'd seen him on the road when they drove in, and if he's going out on the roads it was only a matter of time til he got run over. And I'd have felt terrible if that happened. I still think about my cat, poor Lefty.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Denae]

Like you, I also like to see how a situation is resolved. Thanks for posting the ending to the bunny tale (just had to say it).


Maybe taking care of the bunnies will bring the hoodlum kids around.

 

[sassy_girl1963]

Bunny trail

LOL - I read that had to laugh - guess the bunnies all hopped down the bunny trail to a new home!

 

[pleasteasme]

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear it is all taken care of and you don't have to worry about a bunch of bunnies.

 

[human_male]

Would you believe it. There's me thinking all my bunny problems were over, and I look out the window today and... bunny! Not Greg, some white one. So now I'm back to square one. Poor thing looked like it was having trouble with the heat and vegging out under the deck, so I put some water down for it. But I guess now I have to get hold of the SPCA after all.

I wish there was stray pussy hanging around instead of stray bunny.

 

[Honeygirl]

Bloody Hell! Maybe Beatrix Potter's your new neighbour? *Worried*.

 

[human_male]

The new bunny, who I names Warick, has mysteriously disappeared. Just when we were talking about getting a hutch and everything. I'm glad because now I don't have to worry about him, but I hope he's ok.

 

[SlickTony]

Had anyone move out or into the area recently?
maybe was left behind when someone moved out.

I despise people like that. We have 2 1/2 cats now, because our ex-neighbor moved and left her shaggy tuxedo cat behind. We're feeding him, and we have a shelter on the porch, which he loves and spends a lot of time in. I don't think he's ever had a little hidey-hole before. We've been in the neighborhood for going on 6 years and he's always been outside. We would bring him into the house (even though that would lead to vetcare--physical, shots, fixing if he needs it, he's so shaggy I can't tell with a cursory glance) but he doesn't want to mix it with our two indoor cats. He'd probably insist on the right to go in and out, and then they'd want to do that too.

If I didn't have a garden, I'd say leave the bunny to its own devices. I see rabbits in my neighborhood from time to time. However, they're kind of brown and unobtrusive, so I'm assuming they're wild.