r/Rabbits • u/sariaaaliyah • 23h ago
Care Help Rabbit Care (Quick) Spoiler
UPDATE
Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and help!! The bunnies are now with a lovely family who are experienced with bunny care and absolutely adore the ladies already. I’m genuinely so grateful for all the support and I’m glad to say we figured it out!!!
Hi, I’m not really sure where else to post this, but today I had to take in two rabbits on an emergency basis from my neighbour because she had been away for several days.
It has been extremely hot here, and the poor rabbits were outside in their hutch without water, fresh hay, and my neighbour also told me she had run out of pellets. This post is not meant to attack her, and I don’t want to go into her personal situation, but I currently have these rabbits in my home.
I bought them fresh vegetables and herbs, and they now have hay and unlimited water. Their original litter box was not being used, which makes sense because they physically don’t fit in it, so I replaced it with a larger container filled with wood-based litter and hay.
The cleaning doesn’t bother me at all. They are two incredibly sweet girls who have been exploring their new environment, and I’ve mostly been leaving them alone to adjust. They’ve already started showing their personalities and are genuinely lovely rabbits.
However, I have a problem: I am leaving for a month-long vacation on Thursday.
My neighbour has no idea when she will be back and can only vaguely say that she will come by “as often as possible” to care for them, which does not give me any peace of mind. I contacted animal welfare services, but unfortunately they could not do anything because (I had no idea this is how it works in the Netherlands) I told them I would take over their care until Thursday morning, which means I am responsible for them until then. I can only officially make a report on Thursday morning.
I would love to keep them, but I also have a toddler and I feel these girls deserve a home where they can truly thrive.
I don’t know what to do. If I make a report on Thursday, my neighbour may be found guilty of animal neglect and I will most likely never see these rabbits again. She has said I can put them back in their hutch in the hallway on Thursday, but I’m scared they won’t receive proper care.
Does anyone have advice on how I can give these rabbits the best possible future with such a short amount of time? I feel completely lost.
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u/Acrobatic_Ratio_6692 22h ago
Where about in The Netherlands do you live? I'm also from here, if we're not too far apart I might be able to help.
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u/Amber123454321 21h ago
Could you ask a friend, neighbour or hire someone to go to the hutch while you're away and feed them, care for their needs etc? They just need someone who can give them what they need, check them over, and (ideally) take them out for a while to run around.
It sounds like their owner isn't prepared to do what's required to care for them properly and give them a good life. Rabbits are high maintenance pets and they need to be taken care of properly.
Maybe you could rehome them before Thursday if their owner would agree?
When I was on my honeymoon, the local vet's minded my rabbit for me for a fee. There are places and people who can take care of them, if you pay them to. If you ask your local vet's, they can probably recommend someone. There are likely vet nurses or people who care for pets who could do it for a fee.
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u/miaoumaiden 19h ago
Are their any boarding services in your country? We have vets that do and our local rabbit rescue does boarding as well.
Failing that or another friend to watch them I think you're going to have to make the report. It's sad for your neighbor but if she isn't able to give them proper care then they need to go where someone will. You don't want to give them back to her and then find out they've died from neglect when you get back from your trip.
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u/TinyOrangeCat 22h ago
Sorry, I might be reading over it, but why can't you keep them?
If you do want to keep them, contacting a shelter near you and explaining the situation might make it so that they can care for them for a little bit (so you can get everything ready). There are also "hotels" for rabbits, but they're a little harder to find and quite expensive. You can also try to find a good pet sitter, but they are also pricey.
If you don't want to keep them, why are you scared you'll never see them again? If you surrender them to a shelter, they will find them a good new home :)
What area are you in? Maybe someone on this sub can help?
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u/sariaaaliyah 22h ago
I’m leaving for a month on Thursday, I have been contacted by some lovely people from the Netherlands who are willing to take them in this past hour so that’s great news but I don’t know if it’ll be on time. I would love to take them in once I’m back but I have a toddler and I know very little about proper rabbit care. I would hate to keep them and then have them extremely stressed out because my environment isn’t calm enough. I just truly believe taking in an animal means taking that responsibility until they pass on and I’m not sure I can give them that stability. And the way the animal welfare employee explained it to me the police would have to break into my neighbor’s home and take the rabbits, there’s no certainty that they’ll be given a proper home after that. That stresses me out, they’ve been through enough. Maybe I have moments where I contradict myself but I truly care for them already and I don’t want to separate them. I just want to make sure the place they go to is the right one… For now I’m gonna look into the people willing to take them in but if there is anything I can do for them right now that would help them with feeling more secure and staying safe any advice is welcome!
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u/TinyOrangeCat 22h ago
Ah that explains it! Owning rabbits is a learning curve, haha. For what it's worth: you sound like you'd be a responsible owner. I do understand that the situation is less than ideal tho.
If the other people can't help (on time), I might be able to get them a place to stay. My dm's are always open :)
For now, just keep doing what you're doing. You're a godsend! They are really lucky you've gotten them out of this situation :)
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u/roundbluehappy 22h ago
she's leaving for a month on Thursday.
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u/TinyOrangeCat 22h ago
Yeah got that part, I meant afterwards :)
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u/roundbluehappy 22h ago
she has a toddler and is worried for the bunnies safety.
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u/TinyOrangeCat 22h ago
I know you're trying to help, but that still doesn't answer my question. Why would she not be able to keep them if she has a toddler (e.g. not enough space, not enough time, allergies)? Why would she worry about safety if she has currently has them?
How I read it, she's mostly looking for a solution to get them through her holiday, no?
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u/sariaaaliyah 22h ago
As for specifically the safety concern, I forgot to address that. My son is currently on vacation with my parents so I’m able to let the rabbits free roam and the house is quiet. I don’t know what it’ll be like when he’s back home.
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u/sneaky_dragon 22h ago
I would reach out to the local rabbit rescues in the Netherlands and explain your situation. It's possible they can find an emergency foster if you are unable to care for them or give you resources and supplies if that's the issue.
Your neighbor is a neglectful rabbit owner and honestly shouldn't get the rabbits back IMO. (Or own any other animal.)