Helping River and Bandit hop into a new home
Whatever the reason for someone needing to give up their pet, we’re here to help. Female bunny River and her male companion Bandit came to Woodgreen after their owner fled a domestic violence situation.
Sadly, River and Bandit’s owner had no choice but to hand them over to us. We promised to find these beautiful bunnies a loving new home together.
After being brought to our centre, the pair were given a health check by our Veterinary team. Both showed signs of over-grooming, probably because of stress. They also had long nails and were underweight. Our top priority was to help these vulnerable bunnies get back to full health as soon as possible.
It was clear which of the two had been affected the most by their sudden change of environment. River was very nervous and refused to eat food, while Bandit was a bit more confident. He would never say no to a tasty treat! Fortunately, this began to rub off on River, and she eventually started to eat as well.
As well as getting the rabbits’ weight up, the team spared no efforts to make them comfortable and minimise their stress. They provided the pair with lots of hideaway areas where they could snuggle down and feel safe. And they continued working on building up their confidence too. Rachel, their main carer, tells us: “We gradually built up spending time with the bunnies. We sat with them, offering tasty forage such as lemon balm, mint or grass. It encouraged them to come over to us. Bandit caught on early that we offered nice, tasty food. Once River noticed, she soon felt it was safe to approach us too.”
After a brief stay with a Woodgreen fosterer for some extra care and undivided attention, River and Bandit found their forever home with Brin and his family. “As a family, we’ve all loved having River and Bandit join our home, and seeing them hop, skip and play in their run always puts a smile on our faces.”