not a rodent....Rabbit i saw...please read

[dosergirl]

If there is a better place for this one of the mods can redirect it for me ;D

Hey all. I live in Hollywood CA and today while i was at a friends apt. building i saw a rabbit in a cage outside. I was at my friends a week ago and the rabbit wasn't there, so maybe it's new but it wasn't a babby. It had water and an empty food dish that looked like it used to have food. he had wilted letuce and and orange peel in there and he was pulling these leaves off of a plant next to his cage. It's a basic wire cage, with wire bottom.

I know nothing about rabbits. I stopped and talked to him, he wasn't very interested in me . Right now the weather is 58f and the forecast for the week is calling for lows of 45f.

Can someone comment on this stuff for me. I just want to make sure the rabbit is fine. This is not a nice neighborhood and i wouldn't live in some of these apartments so....i'm worried.

I don't think it matters but he/she had ears that stick straight up not floppy.He/she was wite with black spots, and black circle around his eye.

I'm going to go back every day for the next couple of days just to see anyway. (if i'm couragous enough i'll take pics)
sorry about the length of this i wanted to be throrough.

[rasputin]

It doesn't sound like a wholesome situation for the rabbit at all. Those leaves may be its only practical source of nutrition/hydration, and outside plants sometimes have poisonous leaves.

Is there an animal welfare group you can call locally? Are there ordinances against animal neglect?

[dosergirl]

James, unfortunately the only place one can call would be the Los Angeles City Animal Services/Shelter and that is NOT an option(see thread below)

[Die Fledermaus]

There are no rabbit rescue groups, Humane societies, or ASPCA's that can help?

I know nothing about rabbits, but if you wish a Rabbitt/Lagomorph forum on this board ask Kane - send him a PM. It would be fine with me.

I just did a quick search and came up with this in CA: www.rabbitrescue.com/ You can always e-mail them and ask for further advice, and tell them about the L.A. situation so they can help get the word out.

[cognac]

The weather won't kill the rabbit, I don't like the wilted lettace and orange peel, I also really don't like the fact that it has access to an outside plant. Lettuce can wilt quickly so maybe bun bun just didn't eat it for some reason. If you see the owner ever, tell them to put hay (perferably timothy or a timothy mix) in the cage. Bun bun will both eat it and use it for bedding.
Cognac

[dosergirl]

Brandy, Does this mean it's not as bad as i thought. I was thinking about keeping an eye on it and if it doesn't improve maybe finding the owner and asking to buy it. I'd rather just save the rabbit then have to deal with any hassle...unless it gets better.

[dosergirl]

Ok well, my roomate is going to kill me if i bring a rabbit home...but ...i called my friend last night because i couldn't stop thinking about it. I asked about the Rabbit that is now outside,he said, oh, it's one of my neighbors, she doesn't want it anymore. she put it outsdie because she doesn't want it. I said "I want it"
oh no, seriously this is probably going to cause big fight if i end up coming home with a rabbit. I spoke to one of my neighbors last night as well, and i happened to bring the subject up,oddly enough my neighbors boyfriend is moving in on monday and he has a rabbit. a netherland dwarf, he said he would help me out and teach me about them so that's good, since i know nothing.
I hope to get this bunny in a better situation even if it means my roomate hates me. He knows i can't just leave it like that.

[jeannie]

You could keep the rabbit for a while, until you can find a home, or tell your roommate that's the plan.

[dosergirl]

Right, that's what i'm thinking too Jeannie. I'm going to tell him that if it doesn't work out after a couple of months i will try to place the bunny in a good home.
Rabbits live a long time and are more likes cats and dogs than rodents i think. They need to be spayed/neutered.
I know i'm poor and i don't have much money but i'm willing to do without my own neccessities to make sure this baby doesn't have to live this way.
I know i can't save them all but i can save some.

[cognac]

The situation wasn't that bad, but the fact that the owner no longer wanted it would have put that bunbun in a horrible situation. Call and ask around about reduced fee spay/neuter programs. Make sure dissolvable stitches are used during a spay/neuter on the bunbun. As far as fresh veggies go, carrots and dark greens are good, cheaper dark greens are collards, broccoli, dandelions are god too, you can wait til summer, the whole thing is good for them. The pellet food shouldn't be the majority of there diet.

[Die Fledermaus]

Anyone who wouldn't be willing to be slightly inconvenienced to save a lovely animal has a serious problem. No offense meant.

[dosergirl]

Don't forget Brandy that i live in California so i don't have to wait for summer. I give her Romaine lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, and carrot as a treat. I'm slowly introducing other veggies, don't want to throw her system off.
I have already found a low cost spay, $90...as opposed to 155 from my regular vet....
I also was given a book... the House Rabbit Handbook which a gret resource.

Why the stiches that disolve?
She's also in a nice big pen now, i will take pics soon.
kim

[cognac]

For the most part bunbuns are kinda tense, they are prey and they sometimes will still act like that, animals do not get anesthetized again to have stitches removed, bunbuns stress. Some vets don't know enough about rabbits, if they say to not feed your bunbun after 8pm, do not listen they need food whether it's hay, pellets or, veggies, it's bad if their tummies go empty. Rabbits can not throw up. I adopted mine from Humane Soc. Had to be spayed/neutered before coming home, the vet they went to didn't know as much as they thought they did, my female has staples in her still, they will be left there unless they cause a problem, my male had a stitch still in him to that came out. Make sure dissolvable are used.
That book that you have is an awesome one.
Cognac

[dosergirl]

Brandy, thanks for all the advice. The book covers most of what you have told me as well, how much pellet do you think i should give her a day? She gets mostly Hay and Fresh Veggies.

kim

[cognac]

Between my two bunbuns I give them about one cup twice a day. They eat from the same dish and all, they get about a cup each. You could give her 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup at night.
Cognac