VIC: Still looking for homes- Rupert and Evie

Adorable lovers Rupert and Evie.

Rupert and Evie's mum is moving to Queensland for her job- sadly there are no bunnies allowed there (they incur a huge fine and are put to sleep) so she has to leave them behind.

These very loved companions are adorable and follow each other around, Evie is very protective of Rupert and they are such a joy to watch together.

Rupert has some special needs to do with his teeth but just requires an injection each week- his mum is supplying 5 months worth for him. Besides that they are healthy and happy and come desexed and vaccinated.

They need urgent help and can be either adopted or fostered by a caring person who can make them part of the family indoors. Even if you are not in Melb, let us know if you can help.

You can contact me for more info on bunnybooksydney@hotmail.com or Suzanne who is helping rehome them on: she_suz@yahoo.com.au

Bonding Bunnies

1. Desex both bunnies

Most bunnies would love a bunny friend, however, finding a perfect partner and bonding rabbits is not as simple as people think.  Rabbits are very territorial and aggressive when another bunny enters their home.  The best bondings are a desexed boy & a desexed girl and best if they pick out their own friend.  Bringing just any bunny home and introducing that bunny to yours will just end up in tears and trip to the vet when one of the bunnies gets hurt.

2. Let your bunny find their own friend

The best thing you can do (if your bun is desexed) is to take your bun along to a shelter for a "bunny date".  Your desexed bun is introduced to a number of desexed buns and they can equally agree who they find the nicest bun to live with.  The best place to do this in Melbourne (assuming you're in Melbourne) is the Australian Animal Protection Society in Keysborough where they have a fabulous bunny adoption program.

3. Bringing home a new bunny
Saying all that above, however, it doesn't mean smooth sailing even if your bunny finds a friend and all seems good at the shelter.  When you get home, it's still your bunny's territory so you need to change all towels, rugs and thoroughly clean out the litter tray (preferably get a new neutral tray that both can claim).  I find it better to re-introduce in the bathtub when you get home (with a towel on the bottom) so you can see how they go when home.  If they seem to be okay, you could put them together in a neutral zone with all neutral things and supervise.  If there's any chasing, humping or aggression, you'll need to keep them separated until they get used to each other.

4.  Introducing your buns safely

A barrier helps when you bring a new bunny into the home.  Swap each bun over into the other's territory so they can smell each other's zone and get used to each other without any close up contact.  Keep swapping them over every day & introduce in a neutral zone for a short time every day until they start to groom each other, snuggle & share food together.  By that stage, the buns are usually very happy together unsupervised.

From Boing Online - a great Melbourne based site for rescue buns. 


**In Sydney I recommend contacting Porsches Small Rescue.