When Rescue Rabbits Need a Little Extra TLC: Part One

Being a foster parent takes a lot of care and dedication to rabbits who don’t have homes and are awaiting a loving person to adopt them. Being a “TLC” foster parent, as I call it, takes a bit more time, dedication, knowledge and a very strong heart. Over the past few years, I’ve been privileged to care for and share my home with some of the “TLC bunnies” who have come into the care of the House Rabbit Network.

Flower, the little rex that started it all!

FLOWER: I never intended to be a foster parent, let alone a TLC foster parent, but it all started with a little black and white mini-rex named Flower. We got a call from a veterinarian on the North Shore who was going to euthanize this emaciated, sweet little bun who was found as a stray if HRN didn’t take her. I volunteered to go pick her up and keep her until we had space in our foster home system. Well, Flower never did find a spot in our foster home system. Instead, she ended up staying with me.

From the beginning, she stole a place in my heart. She had the qualities of a puppy dog, following me everywhere, allowing me to hold her, wanting to snuggle, giving bunny kisses and just wanting to be loved. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would just dump her like they did. She was spayed about a week after I got her and was available for adoption right after. However, after a few weeks, I noticed one of her eyes was bulging slightly. Veterinary evaluation determined that she was having dental issues, which were more than likely affecting her eye. She ended up going in for surgery and a large abscess was discovered in her jaw and behind her eye. After surgery, she seemed to be recovering rather well, and we held out hope for this precious soul. TLC was in order for Flower, along with critical care feedings, meds and keeping an eye on her surgery site. A week later, Flower went down hill. I immediately got her to the vet that Saturday morning and she remained in the oxygen tube for the day. Her breathing was labored, she stopped eating and I was just praying she would pull through. Later that night, she seemed to suddenly turn the corner! She was back home with me, eating, running around my kitchen and giving kisses. Once again, my spirits were raised that my little “Flower Child” was going to be okay.

On Sunday night, she seemed to be wavering again. Monday morning came and we were back at the vet’s office. Dr. Kruse took her out back to prepare her for X-rays to see what was going on.

Despite all of our best efforts and the best veterinary care, Flower passed away in Dr. Kruse’s arms that Monday morning. After further testing, we believe she had cancer and her abscess was also a lot worse than we originally thought. This little rabbit had gone through so much in the short 2.5 months that I shared my home with her. She was by far the sweetest, most loving rabbit I had ever known in the last 10 years of having house rabbits. Even though life was not kind to her in the end, she clearly loved life and those around her while she was here.

Summer, the shy little bun whose first bink
brought tears to my eyes.

SUMMER: The call came in on the first day of summer 2007. A little gray bunny had been spotted in a neighborhood in Reading. I went to check it out and sure enough, there she was! Happily munching on the garden greens, enjoying the warmth of the summer night air. The next day, with the help of several other HRN volunteers, she was caught, and to my house she came. In honor of the season, she acquired the name “Summer.”

From the moment she arrived, Summer was very timid, yet extremely inquisitive about her new surroundings. Even though she was outside as a stray, she appeared to be in great health. The next week she was checked out and spayed. Once again, I agreed to foster her. During that time, I noticed “something” on Summer’s face and made note of the amount of water she drank. I had to go out and literally buy a dog bowl for her. She was consuming 5+ cups of water a day and I thought to myself that something was not right! Medication to treat for possible E. cuniculi was prescribed as well as a surgery date to remove this “thing” from her face. It turned out to be a Shope papilloma, which are skin tumors caused by a leporipoxvirus, which is often transmitted by insect bites. They can turn into squamous cell carcinoma if left untreated.

After surgery, she healed up beautifully. A month on medication helped her water intake, but didn’t completely curb the extra consumption. Unfortunately, when rescuing strays we have absolutely no background information on them. We can only assume their past and learn what we can about their current health via testing and experienced rabbit vets. With Summer, that’s exactly what we did.

Over the next few months, this shy little soul eventually started to blossom and come out of her shell. She would shower me in bunny kisses and she became a lot braver while exploring her surroundings. The ultimate was seeing her do her first “binky.” For those not familiar with binkies, it’s a happy bunny dance. Tears of joy fell from my eyes. She was finally experiencing what it was like to be a house bunny who was loved. After a few months in my care, Summer was well enough and had enough socialization to be transferred to another foster home. Eventually she was adopted as a friend for another rabbit. I happened to be there the day Summer was adopted and yes, I cried. When you care for buns like Summer, it’s a blessing and such a happy moment when they are finally adopted, but they do take a tiny piece of your heart with them.

Sunflower overcame some big medial issues in foster care
and now resides with her “husbun” Harold, another HRN alum.

SUNFLOWER: My next TLC foster bun was Sunflower, a teeny brown and white Dutch, with the personality of a lightning strike! She was brought into HRN’s care by a good samaritan who found her outside in NH. Her back neck area was riddled with cuterebra maggots and her ears appeared to have been previously “cut.” Exactly what happened to her ears, we’ll never know for sure, but we can only guess based on their appearance. She was immediately treated with medication and after the maggots had been removed over the next few days, I acquired the little spitfire. I can deal with a lot of medical issues, but pulling out live cuterebra maggots is NOT one of them!

Over the next few months, Sunflower healed, gained a little bit of weight and was finally healthy enough to be spayed and put up for adoption. Her high-energy antics, crazy acrobatics and outgoing personality easily trumped her previous medical issues and were sure to grab the attention of any potential adopter. Then one day a call came in. A young woman was interested in meeting Sunflower after reading her blog and seeing her pictures. An appointment was set up for the upcoming weekend. Catherine was not interested in seeing any bun other than Sunflower. She held her for a solid hour upon their meeting and I knew, then and there, Sunflower had found her forever home. As the tiny three-pound bun left in a carrier with her “new mom” the tears poured down my face. Tears of sadness, knowing that I was going to miss her. But also tears of joy, knowing that another little fuzzball was given the chance to experience life again. A life that was going to be so much better this time around.

Being a TLC foster home has its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Many ask how I can do it, knowing that some of them will never see their own “forever home.” I do it for my love of rabbits. I do it because there is something in my heart that says, “even if I can’t save this one, I will still try my hardest and give him or her the best life possible until it’s their turn to cross the Bridge.” We owe it to them to at least try.