Found a rabbit under my porch this morning!

[writerskramp]

Look everyone! I can't believe what I found under our porch this morning after work!

My neighbors say they are not missing any rabbits. I've posted lost pet notifications on Craigslist and local FB pages, and later I will put up posters along our road. We are hoping to find the owners, but since it is so close to easter, I'm afraid that perhaps he was dumped or abandoned. Ideally, we will find his previous home--but if not, my 6-year-old has asked several times if he could have a pet rabbit, so we might contemplate keeping him....

Does any one have any tips for his temporary or permenant care?--right now he is in my broody-hen jail, which is obviously too small. Is it possible to tell how old he is? Anyone know if this is a recognizable breed? Any opinions on keeping a couple rabbits outside vs one inside?

I am nuts for contemplating keeping a bunny.... I have chicks in the garage, more eggs in the incubator, quail, chickens, pigs, 2 dogs, a cat, and goats on the way. My younger boy suggested we name him "Chocolate Milk." I suggested perhaps, Hershey. And reminded him, of course, that he is not ours.....


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“hasenpfeffer”

 

[writerskramp]

Look everyone! I can't believe what I found under our porch this morning after work!

My neighbors say they are not missing any rabbits. I've posted lost pet notifications on Craigslist and local FB pages, and later I will put up posters along our road. We are hoping to find the owners, but since it is so close to easter, I'm afraid that perhaps he was dumped or abandoned. Ideally, we will find his previous home--but if not, my 6-year-old has asked several times if he could have a pet rabbit, so we might contemplate keeping him....

Does any one have any tips for his temporary or permenant care?--right now he is in my broody-hen jail, which is obviously too small. Is it possible to tell how old he is? Anyone know if this is a recognizable breed? Any opinions on keeping a couple rabbits outside vs one inside?

I am nuts for contemplating keeping a bunny.... I have chicks in the garage, more eggs in the incubator, quail, chickens, pigs, 2 dogs, a cat, and goats on the way. My younger boy suggested we name him "Chocolate Milk." I suggested perhaps, Hershey. And reminded him, of course, that he is not ours.....


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"My neighbors say they are not missing any rabbits. I've posted lost pet notifications on Craigslist and local FB pages,.." This is how I ended up with two dogs and didn't want the first.. but they have my backside.. Hoping for a kitten.. Miss Kitty bit the pavement.. Sniff,

 

[DogAndCat36]

A lot of other people have already given a lot of amazing tips, hopefully, I can help.

Give your rabbit unlimited hay, preferably timothy, never straw. Without a constant flow of hay, your rabbit can get gi stasis and will need an immediate vet appointment or they will pass away.

I seriously recommend for you to give them a private room or free roam them around the house. Hutches are cruel and only have the purpose to add fat to the rabbit. Also, hutches make rabbits exposed to elements like heat, cold, bugs, and predators. Even if the predators can't get to them, they can die from heart attacks, which happened to my gram's rabbit.

Rabbit feed pellets can sustain a rabbit but I recommend that you give the rabbit a bowl of greens with a little bit of pellet, about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pellets twice a day.

Last, enrichment, this is very very important! Stuf as simple as DIY toys to fancy cat scratching posts. They will need chew toys to distract them and keep them happy.

To learn even more I seriously recommend you to watch Lennon the Bunny on youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/c/LennonTheBunny/videos

She goes through many instructions like how to safely free roam, how to set up a litter tray, how to groom your bunny, how to make rabbit toys, and many more.

Please be warned that rabbits are expensive, not as expensive as a cat or a dog, but they still require a lot of care!

 

[DukesDucks]

I never owned a rabbit but my children used to pet sit some for their friends. We would let them run around the house or yard under close supervision. One belonged to a doctor friend who was on-call on weekend, and was surprised he wasn't getting any calls. A staff member finally came to the house to get him, and they discovered the rabbit had chewed through the phone wires. Obviously pre cell phones.

 

[Everose]

A lot of other people have already given a lot of amazing tips, hopefully, I can help.

Give your rabbit unlimited hay, preferably timothy, never straw. Without a constant flow of hay, your rabbit can get gi stasis and will need an immediate vet appointment or they will pass away.

I seriously recommend for you to give them a private room or free roam them around the house. Hutches are cruel and only have the purpose to add fat to the rabbit. Also, hutches make rabbits exposed to elements like heat, cold, bugs, and predators. Even if the predators can't get to them, they can die from heart attacks, which happened to my gram's rabbit.

Rabbit feed pellets can sustain a rabbit but I recommend that you give the rabbit a bowl of greens with a little bit of pellet, about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pellets twice a day.

Last, enrichment, this is very very important! Stuf as simple as DIY toys to fancy cat scratching posts. They will need chew toys to distract them and keep them happy.

To learn even more I seriously recommend you to watch Lennon the Bunny on youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/c/LennonTheBunny/videos

She goes through many instructions like how to safely free roam, how to set up a litter tray, how to groom your bunny, how to make rabbit toys, and many more.

Please be warned that rabbits are expensive, not as expensive as a cat or a dog, but they still require a lot of care!

Good tips

I do differ however on the whole "hutches are cruel!" thing, for most people it's just the best way to keep a bunny safe and secure. I love my rabbits ( I spent a retarded amount of money on them so I should ) and they get spoiled, but I certainly can't keep them indoors If I could I would. If all rabbits were supposed to be indoors all the time most people would not own them, and then... ya know... we'd just eat em.

 

[garlandchickens]

Well first of all, he is adorable!! Hard to tell what breed but he has some Harlequin coloring.
Adult males have balls, females don't.

It's very possible that he was dumped from Easter. Lots of people don't realize how much work they are and that they don't always like to be cuddled or picked up. So, when the kids get bored of it the parents don't want to deal with them to they "set them free". It's a good thing you found him when you did. Most rabbits don't survive more than a few days out in the wild.

I really recommend keeping him inside rather than outside. He'll be a lot safer, have more space, won't get as hot, and have more time to bond with you so he won't be so lonely.
Rather than using a cage or a hutch (which are very pricey yet small) I suggest using a wire dog playpen. These provide plenty of space for all his needs while still leaving space for exercise.

Keep him in a room where other pets won't have access to. Somewhere quiet is best. Give him some time to settle in.

Some basic things you'll need:

• Unlimited fresh timothy hay. Rabbits diets are made up of 80% hay, so having this available at all times is important.
• Fresh water. Rabbits drink as much as a large dog, so providing plenty of water will help keep them hydrated and healthy
• Toys. Rabbits are smart and playful, and they need something to help wear down their teeth. You can make DIY toys out of cardboard, paper bags, and paper towel rolls
• Hiding spots. Rabbits are prey animals and need comfortable spaces that they feel safe in. Cardboard boxes work well. They also like having multiple entrances so they don't feel trapped
• Litter box. Rabbits can be easily litter trained just like cats. All you need is a large cat sized litter box, big enough that he can turn all the way around in, some litter (don't use cat litter since it has clay which will kill him if he eats it), and lots of hay (since rabbits eat while pooping). It really helps to get them fixed though.
• A comb. Rabbits need to be groomed regularly. Though they groom themselves and are very clean animals, it's important to get out all the loose hairs. If they ingest too much hair they can't spit up a hairball like a cat, and the hair will block their GI tract which can kill them within 24 hours.

Things to avoid:

• Cages. These are way to small, cheaply made, and over priced. You can get a playpen for less than half the price.
• Hutches. Have all the same problems as cages and they often have wire flooring which will hurt their feet since they just have thin fur on their feet.
• Water bottles. Many reasons not to get them. They are very hard to clean, the nozzles don't let enough water through, it's an unnatural way to drink and it will hurt their necks and spine.
• Corner litter trays. These are made to fit into small cages. Most rabbits cannot turn all the way around in them and you can't fit enough hay in there. Rabbits spend a lot of time in their litter boxes, pooping and eating, and these small things just do not work.
• Bedding. It's really just a waste of money and if you were to put it all in the bottom of a cage your rabbit would use the whole thing as a litter box. And they'll have to live in an area with their waste everywhere. Just avoid getting bedding all together. If you want, you can use it in the litter box but that's all its good for.
• Treats with dyes and seeds. Most pet stores will sell these bags of garbage for small animals. It's like junk food. Treats such as apple, carrot, and bananas slices are a much better snack.

I recommend taking him to the vet. They can sex him/her for you, may be able to tell the age, and check for any health issues. I would also ask to have his nails trimmed if needed.

Rabbits make great pets but they are a lot of work! If you don't think you can care for him at the time then finding a home where someone could dedicate their time to him would be great (assuming he has been dumped).
Most rabbit rescues are great at finding homes where the adopters know how to properly care for rabbits.
A lot of animal shelters will take in rabbits too.
Most of the time, both shelters and rabbit specific rescues will get them fixed too.

Or you could rehome him yourself. Take the time to find the right people though. Most people just want a new toy for their kids, who can't even care for themselves.
And if you can, pass this info on to the next owners. There is a lot of misinformation about rabbit care that will end up hurting both the rabbit and owners.

Good luck, and I hope this helps!

X2!! Great post and info

 

[Everose]

Often times it can be more dangerous to keep a rabbit inside rather than outside, they're exposed to lots of dangerous things that they really shouldn't have access to at all. And it's nearly impossible to always have your house rabbit proof, especially with children around. Rabbits are especially delicate in the stomach, one bite of something bad could start to shut down their gi tract and kill them.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Definitely keep the bunny inside. Domestic bunnies should not live outside, as they can die easily if they are spooked by a predator.
I keep my rabbit in a kid play pen, and then let him free roam whenever I can keep an eye on him (he does not need constant supervision though).
You can easily train a rabbit to go into a litter box to poop and pee, so messes aren't really a problem.
Make sure he has plenty to chew as bunny teeth never stop growing.
Also, depending on how long he was outside, his nails might need to be clipped.
Give him lots of Timothy hay. He should have fresh vegetables in the morning, and then pellets in the evening.

 

[DogAndCat36]

Good tips

I do differ however on the whole "hutches are cruel!" thing, for most people it's just the best way to keep a bunny safe and secure. I love my rabbits ( I spent a retarded amount of money on them so I should ) and they get spoiled, but I certainly can't keep them indoors If I could I would. If all rabbits were supposed to be indoors all the time most people would not own them, and then... ya know... we'd just eat em.

Respectfully speaking hutches are cruel. If you look at the origins of hutches they have the purpose of holding rabbits for breeding and meat. Present-time hutches have more adjustments like runs or are slightly larger, but they are still are way too small. Hutches also are not big enough for a rabbit to stretch and binky and are also to small to hold enough toys to keep a rabbit happy. Hutches are basically, on human-sized scale, a room with a toilet and no enrichment. Let's also not forget to mention that rabbits need a water bowl NOT a water bottle! Rabbits drink a lot of water and the commonly used water bottle in hutches do not provide enough water.
Second, predators. During night, creatures like raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bears will walk into yards. I have heard of so so many horror stories of people waking up and finding their hutches opened by a raccoon, wires torn from foxes, and hutches destroyed from bears. And other stories where their rabbits dropped dead from fright even if the critter doesn't manage to get in.
Third, the environment. Rabbits are very very frail and a sudden cold snap or a hot day can and will kill them. Rabbits can also get bitten by a mosquito with nowhere to hide from them and can get parasites like worms from them
One last thing, people that are farmers raise their rabbits with little to no care about their wellbeings, they are food, a bag of money. To take more attention to these rabbits would take money out of their pockets. This is why farmers kill hens that stopped laying eggs and kill cows that get too old. I am not saying that these farmers are bad, they need to make a living. But when someone has a rabbit as a pet they should treat it as a pet, not livestock, and actually care for it.
These are domesticated creatures, that is why when they are released 90% die within a week. They are living creatures and should be taken care of properly as pets.
Keeping a rabbit inside will protect it from parasites and predators and will allow the owner to monitor and regulate the temperature around them. All the while allowing the owner to provide proper enrichment and bonding time with their bun.
Please please think this over! Rabbits are living creatures and deserve proper care.

 

[CSAchook]

Look everyone! I can't believe what I found under our porch this morning after work!

My neighbors say they are not missing any rabbits. I've posted lost pet notifications on Craigslist and local FB pages, and later I will put up posters along our road. We are hoping to find the owners, but since it is so close to easter, I'm afraid that perhaps he was dumped or abandoned. Ideally, we will find his previous home--but if not, my 6-year-old has asked several times if he could have a pet rabbit, so we might contemplate keeping him....

Does any one have any tips for his temporary or permenant care?--right now he is in my broody-hen jail, which is obviously too small. Is it possible to tell how old he is? Anyone know if this is a recognizable breed? Any opinions on keeping a couple rabbits outside vs one inside?

I am nuts for contemplating keeping a bunny.... I have chicks in the garage, more eggs in the incubator, quail, chickens, pigs, 2 dogs, a cat, and goats on the way. My younger boy suggested we name him "Chocolate Milk." I suggested perhaps, Hershey. And reminded him, of course, that he is not ours.....


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What a little sweetie! He (she?) sure picked the right porch to crawl under! So lucky to have found caring people. Whether you end up keeping it or finding a new home, he is definitely better for having been found

I see that the great indoor vs. outdoor debate is in full swing on this thread. Personally, I am of the opinion that there is no single best answer. Both approaches have pros and cons, and folks in the thread have done an excellent job of listing those. I have a house bun that I love very much. But would not recommend this strategy to just anyone as, depending on your setup and the personality of the rabbit, it can be quite a bit of work (although I get repaid in snuggles ).

There is a also a bunny chat thread on this forum if you have specific questions.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-bunny-chat-thread-for-bunny-owners.1383000/
Best of luck on your rabbit adventure!