cmh9023 is saving a rabbit from my shelter

[Pet_Bunny]

:great::blueribbon::great:

 

[cmh9023]

Hi everyone, I'm so excited about this! When Icalled the shelter today to finalize everything I asked the person Italked to if she could e-mail me Saphire's Petfinder pictures. AsTiny's Mom said, you can tell a lot about personality from a pictureand in her Petfinder picture you can just tell she is a spunky, fiestylittle one....and oh so cute!! It was amazing how angieluv and Ithought she had been PTS and felt bad, then a few days later I had a PMtitled "Saphire is alive!". It was great.

Before I made the final decision to apply for her, I read everything onRO about aggressive rabbits including the articles as well as people'spersonal experiences, and I"m totally up for the challenge of helpingher learn to trust people and feel safe and secure

Naturesee- My other two didn't actually bond yet, but the night Busterwas sick (with gas) I accidently left their two fences adjacent to oneanother and in the morning they were stretched out next to each otheron either side of the fence. It was a huge suprise because she is alittle terror and generally attacks the others. I've kept them that wayand its going real well so I know bonding will be possible, but I'm notready to move them in together yet.

Now I just have to wait until she is spayed and recovered!! I hope theycan schedule her spay soon. It's going to be so hard to wait!

I do have my first "aggressive rabbit" question though...Based on hercurrent personality and behavior, would it be best to set up a cage forher in the my rabbit's room or in a separate room until she is morecomfortable?

P.S.- I forget...was Oberon also considered to be unadoptable at the shelter? I've kind of forgotten his story.

I'm SOOOOOO excited.

 

[Haley]

I would give her her own room if you can. Ivefound with a lot of rabbits that they are just aggressive because theyare scared and have come to mistrust humans. After some love and tlc,they usually become very social bunnies. But for now, shemight appreciate the peace and quiet of her own room.

From what I remember, Oberon was considered unadoptable and Maureen wasstarting to worry that he would be PTS. Now he's quite the lover fromwhat I can tell!

My girl Mocha was an absolute brat when she came to me to foster. Shewould grunt and bite her previous owner. Shes never tried to bite me.Once you learn how to approach them and treat them, it really changeshow they look at humans.

Im so excited for you. Im sure youre up to the challenge!

 

[Maureen Las]

Hi Cara

We've been talking about things while you were away. I'm glad that yougot her picture. Did they want you to fax them thelicenseinfo about the cats???

 

[Maureen Las]

...also she is very handaggressive but we have no idea how she will be with another rabbitalthough there has been another caged rabbit in the room at the shelter.

 

[naturestee]

Hi Cara! Yes, they did consider Oberonunadoptable and if I remember right, he was actually 3 hours from PTSwhen Maureen called to check on him. Maureen knew he wasn'taggressive though, so your girl is a bit of a different situation.

I think it would be best to have her in a separate room for a littlebit just in case. It would probably be less stressful forher, and if I remember right that shelter doesn't vet check them, itjust gets them spayed. So just to be sure, do a good healthcheck on her and maybe have her checked by your vet before you move herinto the bunny room just in case.

We'll see what happens, but she may be much less aggressive once she'sout of the stressful shelter environment and is only being taken careof by someone who knows rabbits. Some of the caretakers theremust be pretty clueless. They claimed Oberon was aggressiveand that they had to throw a towel over him to pick him up.He's my easiest to pick up bunny and has only been aggressive when Ihad to syringe meds into his mouth.

 

[TinysMom]

I have had two aggressive lionheads and I thought I'd take a moment to share about them here.

Miss Bea was several months old when I got her. She lived in akindergarten classroom with her breeder mom (who was a teacher) for aschool year. When we got her - she was very aggressive towards us.

The problem was - I bred her the second day she was here (I was so newat this) and I needed her to let me into the cage to check on thebabies when they were born in 30 days or so.

So for that month - we deliberately opened her cage door several times per day and petted her.

At first she charged at us and reared up. We would lightly press herhead downward into a submissive position and say, "no". Therewere four of us doing this and I'm betting that we probably did this15-20 times per day. Yes - I know it seems excessive - but as I said -I had to get her used to us.

By the second week - she was no longer charging at our hand andfighting us...but she didn't want our hand in the cage. This was whenwe started petting her and rubbing the back of her ears and saying,"Good Miss Bea". I noticed that if I took her out of the cage, shewould be still and let me hold her and pet her for a bit...but once shewas in the cage - she was not happy with us at all.

By the third week (I think) we were giving her a cheerio every time weopened the cage door....and by the fourth week- whenever we'd walk intothe rabbitry to let the dog in or out - she would come to the cage doorand stand up on her hind legs - hoping we'd open it. Yeah - she wantedthe cheerio...but she was learning to like the pets.

Minnie is another story. I got Minnie last year at Nationals and thebiggest mistake I did was to let her get the upper hand. Talk aboutmean....later I found out she'd been raised outside and barelysocialized.

She bit me several times and tore Robin up too. If she was allowedplaytime on the floor - she attacked other does and finally lostplaytime privileges. (I've since noticed she's much happier just beingleft alone in her cage).

I was going to sell her at Nationals this year and just be done withher. She had given me four babies - three of which were mismarks andone of which is very nice. However, as I was watching her one day - Irealized she wasn't mean - she was SCARED. Even though she had livedhere for months...she was scared.

I realized that if I let her go - somewhere along the line a breeder would not put up with her and they would put her down.

Minnie will live the rest of her life here unless she becomessocialized enough to have a pet home - and even then - it will be withsomeone I've carefully screened.

She's learning to let me put my hand in the cage now. She still cowersa tiny bit sometimes -but I got tooth purrs a few days ago when Irubbed her ears...something I'm trying to do on a daily basis.

My one regret with Minnie is that she is in the rabbitry and not hereby my desk. I may be moving her in the next few days so that she ishere where I have easy access to her and can pet her more.

Part of my heart is crying out for her to learn to accept me. I'velearned that "special needs" bunnies - whether that need be medical -or something like this - often can become the most lovable bunnies whowill tolerate humans.

Miss Bea still isn't cuddly with me. Sometimes she'll let me pet her -like if she's eating a treat. But still yet - she is a special girl tome.

Anyway - that's the story of my two girls.

I find that lionheads can oftentimes overcome their fear because they are so curious and loving...

Peg

 

[Maureen Las]

This bunny is nothing like Oberon although I do think some of the caretakers have thrown towels on her. Oberon was much quieter.

Several weeks ago if I even opened the cage from the top and placed myhand in she would leap up and try to get my hand ..she is almostimpossible to pick up as she will jump to the side quickly andgrowlbut once you are holding her she becomes subdued (scaredto death)

She was a stray and I don't think was handled at all.

I tried placing my arm in her cage and leaving it there. She went upand was going to bite but didn't, sniffed at it scratched at my arm alittle with her front feetand then was done with it unless Imoved it. She is definitely afraid but gutsy too .

I let her run in the front reception area and she was very bold and curious and didn't stop moving ..
Idon't know very much about lionheads as this shelter has never had onethe whole two years that I have been there so I think Peg is going tohave to do a lot of counseling on this one when cara gets her.

A lot of the descriptions that Peg has given sound like her.
This bunny would not have been adoptable EXCEPT to someone that israbbit saavy and thats why it is very lucky for this girl that Carawants her.

 

[cmh9023]

You guys have confirmed what I'd beenthinking...to give her her own room at first until she feels morerelaxed. She can be my roommate for a while!Ialways read in bed at night, so I'll read outloud to her . I read insomeone else's story and in the articles that's a good way for them toget used to your voice.

Maureen- They didn't send me her picture yet. I asked the receptionistif that was possible and she said yes so I gave her my email addressbut nothing's come yet so they might not have it anymore. Did you thinkshe was probably a mixed Lionhead? It didn't look like she had aTumnus/Daisy Mae hairstyle. It seemed shorter and just stood up alittle.

Angela- I'll definitely take her for a vet check. My vet is wonderfuland she loves all my little ones . I wonder if I should schedule anappt for her right away to just get it overwith for her sinceshe will already be stressed and irritated from moving or should I waita while so she gets more comfortable. I was thinking if I wait, she'llbegin to trust me, then I'll have to get her in a carrier and take herto the vet and she will get stressed and lose any trust that's beenbuilt. What do you guys think?

I can't wait to know her better to decide on a good name for her. Itwas kind of funny, I really didn't like the name Saphire, but I thoughtmaybe Maureen named her so I didn't want to say anything. Then she toldme she hated the name and hoped I was changing it!

 

[Maureen Las]

Ill check to see if I can send the picture.
She may be a lionhead mix but she has a tatto so what does that mean?
She doesn't have as much hair that stands up on the top..sort of looks like a scottie dog to me
The shelter requires that you take her to the vet in the first 2 weeksafter getting her so I guess you'll have to stress her a little.

As far as the name..can't stand it and can't wait until you decide on something more appropriate

 

[Maureen Las]

Wait till you hear this!!
I went in the small animal room today and looked at Sapphire

I mean I really looked at Sapphire and .....

she is not all white at all
she is wht and grey..she has a light grey circle around one eye and has light grey large patches on her back

I guess that I was so busy with her behaviour that I really didn't look at her well.
She is wht and lite grey with blue eyes

she is very cute biut just wanted everyone to know that my observationskills are apparently suffering.... or senility is setting in

The receptionist e-mailed the pics from petfinder to Cara so I hope that she receives them

 

[cmh9023]

Hi! I posted Saphire's pictures on anotherthread. I thought she had grey around the eyes and the back half ofher!! I was really surprised when you said she was all white, but Ifigured it must just have been a bad picture. I fixed her red eyes sonow I can see they are blue. I couldn't tell they were blue inPetfinder, but I was pretty sure they weren't red

 

[Maureen Las]

I can't find the thread but then I againI got her coloring wrong .....

 

[LuvaBun]

This is so great - well done to both of you

Jan

 

[bluebird]

i think thats great.patience is a virtue and youwill need a lot of it.many of these aggresive bunnys are very freindlyonce they trust you.bluebird

 

[Maureen Las]

Look forward to a great big surprise tomorrow....no questions please!

 

[Okinawabunnymamma]

Wow this is so awesome! :bunnydance:

 

[LuvaBun]

onder::waiting:

Jan

 

[JadeIcing]

:waiting:

LuvaBun wrote:

onder::waiting:

Jan

 

[naturestee]

I'll ask questions if I want to!

So... when will we know?