Two years ago, I was busy. It was the middle of my senior year of high school and I was juggling AP classes and college applications while continuing with extracurriculars. Despite all the busyness, I made time to engage my love for rabbits. Every Saturday, I looked forward to seeing the many bunny faces at House Rabbit Society Headquarters in Richmond, California, where I volunteered. The smell of hay drifted in the air as I walked through the doors, excited to see rabbits newly arrived, and check on those who were still there from the week prior.
My shifts at HRS allowed me to have a break from the stresses of school life. Cleaning bunny cages and pens can be a messy process, but it was very therapeutic to me because it gave me the opportunity to get to know individual bunny personalities, especially those of rabbits with medical conditions. Every week I saw improvements in a bunny’s healing, whether they had bite wounds, a broken leg, or a skin infection. Some bunnies recovered quickly and so my time with them was short. But the regulars? I got to know them best and fell in love with them.
One particular bunny I always looked forward to seeing was Owen. He had gray fur and long ears that stuck straight up. Healing after an abscess removal and an old hip injury caused him to have a goofy posture, sitting slanted to his side. When I was about to clean his cage, he always ran over to greet me and request pets. Little did I know that Owen was to become my very first foster bunny.
I never intended to start fostering. I thought I didn’t have the time nor space for a live-in bunny, and I worried about my family’s allergy problems with pets. I wanted to try fostering for just a short term. Luckily, I was able to commit to a one-month foster. I learned that “allergies to rabbits” are commonly due to their hay, so I switched to providing orchard grass which has significantly fewer seed heads than timothy hay, so fewer allergens in our house. The moment Owen first hopped into our home, I fell in love with fostering. Fostering was the perfect way to manage my time volunteering from the comfort of my home. After the month ended, I picked up my next foster bunny. Each month I welcomed a different bunny into our home, allowing me to learn more about rabbit care, and discovering each rabbit’s personality, all with the aim of getting them adopted into loving forever homes.
Fostering is a great way for bunny lovers to get involved with their local shelter or rescue. It saves a life from euthanasia and provides a safe home environment for a rabbit to socialize with humans. Many of the rabbits at HRS Headquarters need medical attention due to unexpected pregnancies, ear mites, neurological issues, megacolon, and other afflictions. Fostering frees up one more additional space at the rescue, allowing them to save another life in need. Through generous donations, HRS is able to provide fosterers with start-up supplies and will cover all medical expenses with their staff veterinarian.
Fostering is great for the adoptable bunny because it allows the bunny to experience life in a home and receive more personal attention, care, and love. This helps the rabbit to settle and relax, knowing they are safe and free from harm. As intelligent, curious animals, their individual personalities reveal themselves as a result of mental stimulation and social interaction in the foster home. Rabbits who are very reserved or wary of human touch can build their confidence and increase trust by learning new everyday activities. With lots of patience, they will completely open up their silly personalities and adjust to living with a family. Plus, as a foster parent, I identify their personality traits and better promote them for adoption, matching up adopters with a rabbit that fits best their family.
My foster bunnies are all spoiled like crazy in my home as I try to make them as happy and comfortable during their short stay as possible. Over the past two years, I have fostered over 20 bunnies! It is such an amazingly rewarding experience to be able to make an impact on the lives of these bunnies and eventually see them living their best life in their new forever homes.
Author: Emily MaPhoto Credit: Emily Ma
Journal Issue: House Rabbit Journal, Winter 2020
