I miss Maple and Lunar a lot. They were such little personalities. For example, I disinfected and washed the carpets Buttons was on for the past few days, and hung them up on the fence to dry. It reminded me of when I did that previously, and Maple and Lunar would sit under the dripping corners and let the water run on their heads. They loved that. The water would run down their foreheads, between their eyes and off their nose. It was a little thing they enjoyed.
I would really like another bunny, for two reasons:
- to help Buttons
- to help me get over the loss of Maple and Lunar
I often think that I should just be happy with Buttons, which I should be. He is a beautiful bunny. Now that he is nearly 1, his sweet, gentle, trusting personality is flourishing. He is also happy, flicking his ears and tail a lot and even doing fat-boy binkies – which are binkies that are not very high.
He, like me, remembers things and I don’t know if its a good idea to consider another bunny or not. I think if I did, I’d get something completely different.
Also, I have to be careful with the parasite that ultimately killed Maple and Lunar. Is it something around where I live? Or, was it something they got where they were born? Buttons doesn’t have the symptoms, so I’m guessing it’s the latter. Is it too dangerous to bring in a new bunny?
Should I, or Shouldn’t I?
Otter, Lop – Beltane Bunnies
I contacted the rabbitry about a female bunny, I thought she was cute. They were so busy taking rabbits to the airport that she forgot to answer my message until a couple of days later. Beltane Bunnies in Coronet Bay, Victoria. Unfortunately, the girl was already picked up a couple of days before, so I missed out. But she said that she is expecting two more litters that will be ready in a few months, so I will wait and see.
I had a good chat with her, which was really sweet, she seems like a lovely person who loves bunnies more than anything. I didn’t tell her about Maple and Lunar, I just said that my boy bunny lost his bonded partner last month and he is now lonely and I think he needs someone new. I felt like it was some weird dating service, which I guess it is.
VERDICT:
Make sure you contact the breeder/foster/carer etc and ask the hard questions. See how friendly they are and whether they are forthcoming with information.
The lady I was talking to at Beltane Bunnies was so friendly and caring that I would be more than happy to buy bunnies from her.
I have written all the hard questions you need to ask in the Things I Should Have Known Before Getting Bunnies article in the Health Library.
Update: Early Jan, 2024
Beltane Bunnies was hit with calicivirus and most if not all of her bunnies died. She is out of business for the forseeable future.
Flemish Giant
I then saw this little thing with the ad title Baby Giant Flemish Rabbits, available at Pound Creek Rabbitry near Inverloch, Victoria.
The issue with this little thing is that it’s male. I don’t want another male – one fussy pants is enough.
Then I read the ad further… it said that there was another litter ready in 5 weeks… That’s a nice amount of time to sort Buttons out, and gives more time to figure out the parasite situation.
And what did I do? I messaged the breeder about whether there is a female in the litter, and if so, can I have photos.
Mother (top), Father (bottom)
Mum with bub
These photos were taken from the ad. I thought it was good to see the parents. Look how small the bub is compared to the mum – for the moment.
The man replied to my message and didn’t give away much information at that point in time. He must have been busy.
I answered his message, and he said that he put me in the client book. He said to me that the babies are too young to be handled at the moment, which is fair enough, but it sent alarm bells to me and I could calculate the rough age of when he sells them – about 6 weeks old. And, I was right, he messaged me to say he does let the kits go at 6 weeks, because they bond better with their human families. It really should be 10-12 weeks, but fair enough (Lunar and Maple were 5 weeks old when I got them).
Make sure the breeder answers your questions, if they don’t they are hiding something. One thing I’ve learned is that it may take them a while to answer, so be patient.
Later that day, he sent me photos of the babies in the nest, and a picture of the mum. He tried to send a picture of dad, but it failed every time.
Ready to find a home. I’m thinking about the brown female…
The Rabbit Sanctuary
I had contacted this sanctuary when Maple died because I was interested in getting Buttons and Lunar partners. But of course, that fell through pretty rapidly. The lady, was just checking up on how everything was going, which I thought was really nice, because she, like everyone else had not heard of anything like Maple and Lunar’s story before.
I asked her about which buns she would recommend for Buttons and she came back with 3 lady-buns.
Cherry
- DOB: 19 January 2022
- Desexed: March 2023
- Vaccinated: 6 January 2023
Profile: Cherry is sociable and curious. She’s happy to hang out on the couch with you, and if you’re scratching her head, she’ll stay there forever.
She loves her supervised visits outside to explore and eat grass. She is very well toilet trained and will come running when called if she thinks there might be a treat involved.
Cherry is looking for a caring, loving and safe place to call her furever home.
Ariel
- DOB: 19 July 2022
- Desexed: 2 February 2023
- Vaccinated: 19 January 2023
Profile: Ariel is all sweetness and gentleness.
This beautiful bun – look at how photogenic she is! She has a placid personality to match her prettiness, and will easily settle into a loving, caring home.
A little shy at first, Ariel will quickly warm up to you when you show she can trust you. And she’ll prove her comfort by exploring her environment and checking out every nook and cranny while free-roaming.
Ariel is toilet-trained and, much like Alice’s White Rabbit before her, she’s all about punctuality – she won’t be backward about coming forward to announce when it’s time for her dinner!
She would make a wonderful addition to a caring home.
Grape
- DOB: 27 October 2021
- Desexed: in 2022
- Vaccinated: 6 September 2022
Profile: She is gentle, inquisitive and sweet – not to mention super cute! She has soft tan fur and a fluffy white belly. Her coat is very low maintenance. She often comes to greet you when you approach her pen. She uses her litter box perfectly and loves food. Grape likes her free roam time where she will often follow you around wondering what you are up to, but she is also happy chilling out in her pen choosing the best bits of hay to munch on.
She is also good with cats!
What now?
I asked for their history and any information that can help me decide.
The next day, I received photos, desex date, birthday and vaccination date.
I have included the information in their profiles.
What to Do???
I have so many options, but I have to be realistic. Buttons needs a friend asap, and a rescue is the fastest option right now. The rescue comes desexed, vaccinated and microchipped, all for $265; when a vaccination, desex etc costs over $600.
I’d love the Flemish girl, but that is totally unrealistic and I’ll have to wait months before putting them together.
Because Flem giant girls can only be desexed after 6 months old – they mature slower than the smaller breeds.
The Beltane Bunnies lady said she was trying to get lop kits again, but she has had trouble. I’ll have to give her a miss.
I think right now, it’s my only option to get a rescue bunny. Now I have to choose which one.
Cherry is cute, I especially like the picture of her smiling. She looks brown, but her profile says she is black. Maybe she is brown because she is moulting… It’s hard to tell what size she is – it says she is medium, so I’ll just go with that.
I liked Ariel, she looked similar to Cotton. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. I think I have to get something different. Also Ariel looks like she has Buttons’ gas issue, have a look at her tummy when she is splooting in the third picture above. She is gorgeous and beautiful, but I think it’s a no for me.
Grape is sweet. She has a lovely big, soft face. She has a good shape and looks healthy. My only reservation is that she is a lop, where she may develop breathing or dental issues later in life because of her floppy ear. I think she is gorgeous, but she’s not for me.
I hope these bunnies find a loving home.
I Did It!
I put in my application for Cherry on the 16th May 2023, but for some reason my computer stuffed up the date and sent it as 15th May 2023. No complaints. I should hear from The Rabbit Sanctuary in the next few days.
The adoption was accepted on the 18th May, 2023. I was emailed a Certificate of Adoption. It’s official! Cherry is all mine!
I was given the contact details of the lady who was fostering Cherry, and made contact with her. I organised to pick Cherry up on Friday, 26th May at 10:30am. She sent me this photo “A hello, from Cherry”.