Bunny Adventures

Honoring Baby: Why we decided to foster rabbits

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It’s been about three months since Baby, our white lionhead bunny, passed away unexpectedly.

I can honestly say it was one of the worst experiences of my life. It’s still difficult to talk about, and there is very much still a gigantic hole in my heart.

The Feeling of Loss Consumes

It took a while to go a day without crying.

But since Baby has left us physically, our family found our home more empty.

There was no one for me to say goodbye to when we left the house.

There was no one to entice me downstairs on a cold morning.

There was no one to give the dinner prep scraps to. The celery tops were just thrown outside.

There was no one for me to pet after my son went to bed.

There was no one to love in the special way you can only love a bunny.

Every time I’d walk into the kitchen, I’d have to look over at the dining room. I’d have to see the empty space where his playpen used to be — where I used to be able to see him lounging or looking back at me.

The Idea of Fostering Helps Heal

Inevitably, the topic of getting another rabbit came up.

It was too soon.

The wound was too raw.

But the empty space in the dining room…

That’s when fostering was brought up.

We’d always considered fostering children at some point in our lives. So why not foster rabbits?

The Negatives of Fostering

We didn’t come upon this idea lightly. Of course there were plenty of questions and concerns we had to mull over.

Some things that threatened to dissuade us:

  • What if we got too attached and couldn’t keep the rabbit?
  • Who would be responsible for medical expenses?
  • Would we be emotionally ready for this?

The Positives of Fostering

But there were obviously benefits to consider:

  • We’d be honoring Baby’s memory.
  • We’d be helping rabbits in need.
  • We’d be providing a much needed service for a non-profit organization.

Ultimately, we decided that fostering was the best option for our family right now. We’d benefit from the presence of a bunny or two while also providing a vacation home/spa of sorts for bunnies in need.

The Process of Fostering

After we decided we wanted to go the fostering route, we had to do some research.

There are at least three animal shelters within 30 minutes of us and two rabbit specific rescue organizations nearby. Each one had its own ways to support or foster.

I made sure to read all the information online before deciding which ones to go with.

Picking an Organization to Foster For

  • Will the organization provide you with necessary care supplies?
  • Who pays for medical bills if the foster rabbit gets sick?
  • What are the organizations expectations of care?
  • What is their policy if you “foster fail” and want to adopt your foster rabbit?
  • How long does it typically take for the organization’s foster rabbits to be adopted?
  • What is the process for potential adoptees to meet the foster rabbit?

All of these things are important to consider. Especially if you find a particular organization does not align with your values or if you think you may not be able to meet certain standards (ex. The organization requires you to be able to give medication through injection, and you have a phobia of needles.)

We ended up going with Rabbit House Connection, an organization my family has worked with in the past.

Being Vetted by the Organization

The process from here likely varies between organizations, but you’ll likely have to go through a background check of some kind.

With Rabbit House Connection, I had a phone call with one of the members. She asked basic questions about my history with rabbits and what our household looks like.

Some of the questions were:

  • Where do you live?
  • Do you rent or own your home?
  • Who lives in the house?
  • Are there any other pets living there?
  • Where would the foster rabbit stay?
  • How far away is the nearest emergency veterinarian?

Once they deemed our family was a good fit, they had me fill out some paperwork and sign care agreements. I also had to call our vet to give House Rabbit Connection permission to contact them about how we’ve cared for past pets. Apparently, pet HIPAA is very real.

Getting Supplies

It’s different with every organization, but House Rabbit Connection provides you with everything you’ll need to foster a rabbit.

We met up with them to pick up an x-pen, food, toys, and general supplies. Any additional supplies we’d need, we’d have to buy ourselves and fill out a reimbursement form or schedule another meet-up.

The important thing to note is that you have to return supplies like bowls and x-pens if you stop fostering. You also have to thoroughly clean supplies between each foster rabbit placement.

Waiting for Your Foster Rabbit to Arrive

Then comes the waiting.

You could get a foster rabbit placed with you after a week or it could take longer.

Many organizations have a waitlist since there aren’t enough foster homes for all the rabbits in need. But things like waiting for spay/neuter surgeries to be complete can slow down the process.

This waiting period is the stage we’re in now.

We hope this inspires you to foster a rabbit of your own.

In the meantime, follow us on our fostering journey as we honor Baby in our own special way.

How to prepare your rabbit for a Blessing of the Animals

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Our lionhead rabbit, Baby, has gone through some pretty stressful health issues over the last few years.

He’s had several instances of GI Stasis, a hurt foot, and dental work.

In addition to great medical care, our family tries to get Baby all the spiritual help he can get!

One of the things you can do to help your own rabbit is to pray for the intercession of St. Melangell, the patron saint of hares.

You can also turn to St. Francis, a saint well known for his love of animals big and small!

Who is St. Francis of Assisi?

St. Francis of Assisi lived from 1181 AD to 1226 AD.

He is a Catholic saint, known for loving animals! In many pieces of artwork, St. Francis is depicted with animals, especially woodland creatures. In a lot of works, he’s even holding a bunny!

His feast day is October 4.

Here are some of his interesting animal encounters:

Converting a wolf

Around 1220 AD, St. Francis converted a giant wolf. The wolf had been terrorizing the people living in Agobio, Italy.

When St. Francis went to go make peace with the wolf, he found out the wolf was just hungry. The townspeople agreed to feed the wolf every day, and there were no issues after that.

The wolf ended up dying of old age two years later and was buried in his own tomb.

All things of creation are children of the Father and thus brothers of man. God wants us to help animals, if they need help. Every creature in distress has the same right to be protected.

St. Francis of Assisi

Preaching to the birds

One day while traveling near the town of Bevagna, St. Francis decided to preach to some nearby birds.

They were very attentive! At the end of his teachings, he gave them a blessing before they flew away.

From then on, St. Francis often preached to animals.

Helping a trapped rabbit

A much lesser known story, St. Francis actually saved a caught bunny!

While St. Francis was in Greccio, Italy, one of his religious brothers brought him a rabbit that had been caught in a trap.

St. Francis told the bunny to be more careful next time and released him. The bunny must have known what an animal lover St. Francis was and hopped right back into his lap! It kept hopping back to him even after he brought the rabbit closer to the woods. St. Francis couldn’t help petting the little guy!

Another friar ended up having to take the bunny out to the woods instead.

Oddly enough, the same situation happened again with a different rabbit while St. Francis was on the island in the Lake of Perugia.

What is the Blessing of the Animals?

Much like the name suggests, the Blessing of the Animals is when a priest gives your pet a special blessing.

It’s a nod to St. Francis’ love for animals and their protection.

If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

St. Francis of Assisi

When is the Blessing of the Animals?

Look in the bulletin of your church or a church nearby. They usually have a digital copy available on their website. Some more tech savvy churches may also have a Facebook event for their blessing.

Each parish is different.

At our church, the priest said most churches try to hold the Blessing of the Animals on the Saturday closest to the feast day of St. Francis.

Make sure to mark your own calendar so you don’t miss it.

How to prepare for the Blessing of the Animals

Most Blessing of the Animals will have a variety of pets.

For the safety of your rabbit, you’ll want to make sure you have a sturdy carrier. It only takes a moment for a well meaning (or not so friendly) dog to lunge up at an exposed rabbit they may view as a toy or worse, prey. You want to make sure your rabbit feels as safe as possible amidst possible barking.

There are hard shell carriers or purse-esque carriers like the one I have. Either style works as long as you make sure you have a good grip on it!

You may also opt to have your rabbit in a pet stroller with zipped up mesh. There are all kinds of strollers out there for pets, from deluxe models with storage to thrifty finds with just the basics.

A pet stroller is great for:

  • Longer blessings, since a rabbit in a carrier can get pretty heavy
  • People with multiple rabbits

What to expect when you get there

Make sure you get to the blessing event at least ten minutes early so you can get the lay of the land. You’ll have plenty of time to get your carrier or stroller ready, pick a spot, and get a gauge of the behavior of other people’s pets.

If there are out of control pets, you can always bring your rabbit back to your car. Ask the priest if he’d be willing to bless your rabbit from that safer distance after the main blessing.

After everyone is gathered, the priest may say a few prayers.

Our priest said a general prayer for animals. He said a separate prayer for sick pets and pets that had passed away within the last year. He also gave us all a St. Francis prayer card that we then read together.

Following the general prayer, the priest will go up to each pet, sprinkle them with holy water, and say a short blessing over them. This is fairly quick, so soak it all in!

It’s helpful to have another person with you to take photos and/or videos as you focus on keeping your rabbit safe.

A rainy day didn’t stop our bun from getting his blessing!

Praying for the intercession of St. Francis

Catholics don’t pray to saints, but we sure do ask for their help reaching God! Think of it like asking your dad to talk to your mom for you when you really want something for Christmas.

Here’s a prayer you can say yourself whenever you think your bunny needs an extra boost!

St. Francis,

We know you have a deep love of animals and view them as your brothers and sisters.

Look kindly upon my pet rabbit, knowing they’re a true member of my family.

Please ask God to protect and watch over my fur child, protecting them from disease, harm, and discomfort.

Help me to be in tune with needs of my bunny, St. Francis, just as you cared for all God’s creatures.

Amen.

St. Francis products featuring bunnies!

When browsing for St. Francis products for your garden or home, don’t be surprised if you see the saint holding a cute bunny!

Here are some adorable pieces I’ve found!

For your nursery

Start them out young! Why wouldn’t your nursery include some bunnies and one of their biggest fans?

For your garden

For your home

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

How to celebrate your rabbit’s birthday and gotcha day

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In our household, we love to celebrate!

We give our lionhead, Baby, a photoshoot for almost every holiday – and his gotcha day is no exception!

But a gotcha day is about more than some pics! We go all out! It helps that my birthday is the same day as Baby’s gotcha day!

Here’s how we roll! Hopefully it gives you some ideas for your own celebrations.

Make a veggie cake

Pamper your bun with a veggie cake!

There are some small businesses who sell bunny friendly cakes. They typically don’t use fresh veggies. Instead they’ll use compacted baked treats. The creations look amazing!

You can also make your own pretty easily.

Here’s one we made:

Suggested Ingredients

  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Parsley

You can also add any other favorite vegetables your bunny has!

Building Instructions

  1. Put down a small plate.
  2. Cut celery tops so the bottoms are level.
  3. Put a rubber band around the celery tight enough, so they stand up together. Feel free to add parsley to the bundle.
  4. Stand up the baby carrots around the celery to hide the rubber band.

Important: Make sure you supervise your bunny while they eat their homemade bunny “cake,” so they don’t eat the rubber band. Your bunny also doesn’t have to eat it all at once. Likely it’s more carrots than they should have in one sitting, so you can save some for another day (just like humans do on their birthdays).

Make your bunny the star with their own themed photoshoot

I always like to have a mini photoshoot for Baby’s gotcha day to help commemorate the moment.

It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, although I have seen some people go truly deluxe with their setup.

For this year’s shoot, I just went to the Dollar Tree and got some cheap decorations to use as background props.

Learn to take nice bunny photos

Treat your rabbit with a birthday/gotcha day surprise gift

What’s a birthday or gotcha day without gifts???

Some years, I’ve gotten Baby just a small gift. But other years, I’ve gone all out! For one gotcha day, my family even joined in and got him some presents too!

Here are some ideas for your own bun that Baby has enjoyed on past birthdays:

Food

Toys

  • Baby keys
  • Baby rings
  • A stuffed animal (Just make sure your bunny doesn’t ingest any “fur” while grooming their new friend)

Habitat Upgrades

Spend quality time together

Last but certainly not least, spend some time together!

In the end, it’s not about the presents or the photos, but about the time you share with one another.

Take some time to get on your bunny’s level. Find their favorite spot and give them a good bun massage!

Cherish every moment you have with your bun!

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

cuzrabbits gets commissions from some of the affiliate links in this post. Support our education efforts by buying your pet supplies at Small Pet Select.

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Warning! This is adorable! We introduced our rabbit to our newborn baby

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Many people who know me in real life probably also know that my white lionhead, Baby, is my entire world.

I first got him off of Craigslist when I moved to upstate New York for my first post-college job. He was my greatest companion when I had none in a stranger new place away from family and friends. The only times we’ve been separated for more than a day have been for maybe one vacation and a few of Baby’s emergency hospital visits for GI stasis.

So when my husband and I found out I was pregnant, we were a little nervous about how our changing situation would play out.

Would we still have enough quality time to spend with Baby? I’d pet him for hours each day, especially since I worked from home and didn’t need two hands to click my computer mouse.

Would Baby be jealous? He’s been an only child so far and didn’t even love the idea of having another rabbit sibling.

Preparing Baby for the newborn and hospital stay

At about the 8 month mark of the pregnancy, my husband and I came up with an action plan for making sure Baby was taken care of while we were in the hospital.

Our usual babysitters, my parents, were more than willing to help out. And we had a note with care instructions ready to go.

We also wanted to include Baby in the lead-up to the birth. This included the mini photoshoots we did at home.

We had our baby in mid-February and spent two days in the hospital

We didn’t do much to prep Baby for the screaming of a newborn. Baby won’t flinch at my husband yelling while playing video games, but if I sneeze, it’s a total disruption to whatever he’s doing. We knew his reaction to a baby would ultimately be a toss up.

Checking in on Baby during the hospital stay

This was definitely one of those situations where I am 1000% grateful I bought a pet cam years ago.

During our two-day hospital stay, I was able to periodically check our Wyze cam to see how he was doing. He’s had a few bouts of stasis, so it was really important to me that I could still monitor him. Even though our absence threw off his routine anyway, I would at least be able to tell if he was eating the food my parents were dishing out.

It was absolutely adorable to see him eating hay, making a mess, jumping into his litter box, and napping. Even though I couldn’t be there with him, it took some of the anxiety away and made me feel like we weren’t forgetting him now that we had a human baby to worry about.

Coming home was a whole other adventure!

On the hospital, you at least get some breaks. They may take the baby away for 15 minutes here and there for testing, and bring him back nice and calm.

But at home, you’re on your own!

Our usual daily routine was completely thrown off, replaced by the needs of our human child. Between the screaming and the breastfeeding and the diaper changing and the burping, it was almost impossible to give Baby the real attention he deserved. Because the baby kept us up at all hours, there wasn’t really a start or end to our days. That meant we missed his morning puzzle feeder routine and barely made the late night veggie snack platter time.

The one trade-off was that we camped out in the living room. Because we could supervise him 24/7, Baby was able to start free roaming all the time. Typically he’d only free roam during the day (for his own safety), so this was a big upgrade for him.

At first, Baby was completely indifferent to our newborn. He was far more excited about us finally being home to let him out of his playpen. He did zoomies for about a half hour straight!

Slowly, Baby has been taking an interest, but it’s still very passive. If we’re changing our baby on the ottoman, Baby might come up to check it out. Or if he happens to be there already, he won’t be too bothered by the screaming.

Developing a routine that worked for our family

The first week or so, there was no routine. Everything was dictated by the hunger and bowel movements of our newborn. We couldn’t even get through a 20 minute tv show without having to pause five times (ultimately giving up entirely).

We tried to get to Baby as much as we could. Unfortunately shedding season must have begun while we were in the hospital, because his fur was just flying off!

After a week, things started to level out. Our newborn started sleeping for longer stretches, giving us a chance to breath. We were able to use some of those stretches to give Baby all the attention he wanted.

I could go back to petting him for 30 minutes at a time. We were also able to get back into our morning and night feeding routine again.

It wasn’t the same, but it’s what we could manage.

Trying our best

During the whole process, I felt so so guilty that I wasn’t giving Baby all the love he needed. I definitely cried a few times mourning our past life together.

I can only compare it to people who have multiple children and feel guilty they’re neglecting the emotional needs of their older children.

Having a human baby is a serious life change. It can take a while to adjust, and we’re still a work in progress ourselves!

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Rabbitat Makeover: How to turn your rabbit’s playpen into your cottagecore dream

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The cottagecore aesthetic, popularized by romanticized TikTok videos, is absolutely perfect for bunny lovers!

Cottagecore drips with nostalgia and a longing for a simpler life. Think “going back to basics” – baking bread, taking care of a backyard garden, learning how to knit, reading a book while on a picnic, etc.

It’s permiated many aspects of life, not only daily activities and hobbies.

Some people have taken to dressing cottagecore (florals, longer skirts, and puff sleeves). Others have transformed their homes (buying vintage furniture, hanging prints of botanicals, painting their walls dark green). There are even Spotify playlists that can help you get in the cottagecore vibe!

Common visuals include:

  • Mushrooms
  • Flowers
  • Herbs
  • Toads
  • And, of course, bunnies!!!

Launching myself headfirst into cottagecore, I decided to get Baby, my lionhead, on board!

What you’ll need

There’s no hard and fast rule whether or not something qualifies as “cottagecore.” I’d say the best thing is to look at your space and follow the vibes.

To give you some inspiration, here are some of the things I gathered:

  • Fake greenery: I didn’t want real plants in case leaves dropped and he accidentally ate one.
  • Christmas lights: Our apartment doesn’t have great lighting, so I draped lights around the top of his pen. They’re connected with the light switch so they’re off at night.
  • A string of fabric carrots: This can also be strung along the top of the playpen.
  • A wooden castle: Baby won’t be running towards it in slow motion wearing a flowing gown… but he could!
  • A canopy doll bed: He sometimes sits on it while he eats, but it’s too small to lay down on.
  • A woven basket: Baby doesn’t jump up on his castle, so I can put a basket on top of it with some extra toys in there. If it is in reach, just make sure the material is bunny-safe.
  • A miniature mailbox: It’s just adorable! No other reason!
  • Grass mats: We’ve found Small Pet Select‘s sea grass mats to hold out the longest against his super chewing. Couldn’t get it in time for the cottagecore makeover because it keeps selling out! But Amazon has another good alternative we’ve tried

Where to buy cottagecore props and decor

Cottagecore is all about vintage, so why not take advantage of that?

I’ve gotten the majority of my props from tag sales and flea markets. You’re almost guaranteed one-of-a-kind items that have serious character.

I was able to find Baby is very own little picnic set at a small flea market in Connecticut!

Keep your eye out for items for 18-inch dolls. Although not always the case, props for these dolls typically match rabbit proportions. This is how I found my canopy bed, the mailbox, and the cute little apples for sale sign/mini crate.

Another place to look is estate sales. These items are usually pretty cheap, especially if you go in the last hour. Sellers just want to get rid of the stuff at that point. There are oftentimes antiques or cute painting you can incorporate into your bunny’s space.

You can also check sales at craft stores. The best time to go is after Easter, when they’re trying to sell off all their carrot and rabbit themed inventory.

What type of castle to buy

There are some cardboard castles that you can construct at home, but we try to stay away from those. Some rabbits, including Baby, have a bad habit of eating cardboard instead of just biting it off. With his past issues with GI Stasis, we just don’t want to take the chance. For the money they cost, I also wouldn’t want a castle easily destroyed by bunstruction.

I got my castle from Small Pet Select! They’re really well made, so I don’t have to worry about it collapsing if Baby jumps on it.

The castle I have is open on two sides, so Baby doesn’t feel cornered while he’s in there. It also has little windows on the closed sides (spoiler alert: you will die from cuteness when your bun peaks out the window). The castle is hand-made with Kiln-Dried #2 Untreated Pine, so even if Baby did happen to take a nibble, he’s still safe.

Some bunny parents buy a couple castles and combine them with wooden ramps. This is a cool idea if you have a dedicated bunny room, but I’d suggest getting one to see how your rabbit likes it before splurging on a giant setup.

Small Pet Select Redesign

Small Pet Select recently switched up their designs, launching a whole new line of castle habitats.

Final Reveal

Once you put it all together, your rabbitat should start to look magical!

Here’s a final look at Baby’s Bungalow:

cuzrabbits gets commissions from some of the affiliate links in this post. Support our education efforts by buying your pet supplies at Small Pet Select.

Bunny Memes: A funny collection for rabbit parents to enjoy and share

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Sometimes you just need a good laugh!

Here is a collection of the rabbit themed memes I’ve created over the last few years. There perfect for bunny parents, people who understand the sassiness of certain pets, and anyone you need to send a message to (to prove a point lol).

Feel free to share with friends!

Send Your Requests and Funny Bunny Photos

You can also comment any requests for memes!

If you message a funny photo of your bun to @cuzrabbits on Facebook or Instagram, I’ll try to feature your bun (with name credit) to the page and in the next meme collection article.

The Memes in All Their Glory

The Great Gender Mixup: Why it’s important to get a good vet

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It was the classic gender mixup, which apparently happens more often than I had thought. Baby’s previous owners had told me the young rabbit was a girl, which is probably what they were told by a pet store or breeder.

I spent almost a month mulling over different names, and finally settled on Baby Anne. It was in honor of my favorite book character, Anne of Green Gables. But then, my family and I started noticing some warning signs.

Boy or Girl?

It started after my rabbit and I became friends. At first, Baby was jittery and was cautious about leaving his cage. After a few weeks, the bun was more comfortable with me and loved hopping around the living room. The hopping gave way to other habits.

one rabbit checks out another rabbit
Baby and Pepper had an interesting first meeting and proceeded to grow their love/hate relationship.

The rabbit started running circles around my feet and making little honking noises. I found it so cute and thought he was just really excited to see me. The honking was odd, but I brushed it off. Baby’s behavior started to get really annoying though, when he started mounting my arm. From my past experience bonding rabbits, I knew even girl buns mounted to establish dominance. It was clear that the previous owners had not fixed the rabbit, so it put it on my to-do list.

Baby behaved even worse when I brought him with me on a visit back home to my parents’ house. My sister has another Lionhead rabbit named Pepper, who happens to be a girl. One day, while we were all home, we let them both out to see if they would get along. In retrospect, it was a horrible idea! They immediately started fighting. Baby started mounting Pepper (who is fixed) from the front, which can be very dangerous for rabbits. It’s easier for them to get hurt because of the easy biting access. We separated them. At that point, my mom shared her suspicions with me. Maybe Baby Anne was a boy?

Suspicions Confirmed

When I got back home to New York, I scheduled a visit to a local veterinarian for an initial look. The vet I chose mostly treated dogs and cats, but she said they did take in rabbit patients. The first appointment went smoothly. I shared my concerns with the vet, listing off the various incidents. She reassured me some girl rabbits can be quite territorial, so the behaviours could stop once the surgery was done. Baby Anne it was.

Then came the actual surgery a week or two later. With much nervousness, I dropped Baby off at the vet and headed off to work. The office told me the procedure would be several hours. But I got a call from them about an hour later.

Vet: “Ummmm, so I have some news for you.”

Me: “Yesssss?”

Vet: “Baby Anne is actually Baby Andy.”

rabbit has to wear a modified baby onsie
Baby had to wear modified baby onesies for about two weeks as he recovered from surgery (so he wouldn’t bite at the stitches).

I was furious. Vet appointments are not cheap. Almost $80 for them to tell me the wrong gender. I love Baby either way, but the incompetence of a vet that “sees rabbits” was disappointing. It can be very difficult to find care for rabbits and other small pets, and I thought I had landed a good one. 

It had been several months since I had brought Baby home, so he was already used to his name. For the most part, I had shortened it to Baby when I called him, so that wasn’t too big of an issue. I did not take the vet’s name suggestion, mostly out of spite. 

Instead, I went with Baby Man. Dumb name? Maybe. But I thought it was a good way to make light of the story, while  emphasizing the change to my friends and family.

Lessons Learned

The stressful mixup taught me to research veterinarians before settling. Check with other pet owners in your area. Read reviews. If there aren’t many options, I’d recommend traveling to a reputable vet. Some just don’t cut it. If they can’t take the time to properly sex a rabbit, think about what would happen in a real rabbit health crisis!

rabbit has spot shaved from neuter surgery
The vet had to shave a spot of Baby’s fur to do the neuter surgery.

I love my rabbit, boy or girl. But it’s much better knowing which he is and being able to rely on a good vet.

What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned as a pet parent? Let me know in the comments, so we can learn together!

I bought my rabbit on Craigslist!

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When people adopt animals, they oftentimes say something along the lines of, “[insert pet name here] rescued me!” Although this mushy cliche makes my eyes roll to the back of my head, I have to agree with it. I rescued my rabbit from a lonely life in a cage. But my rabbit saved me from a lonely life in my apartment.

The Backstory

To understand this adoption adventure, you have to know a little more about me. I grew up with two sisters, so I always had “built-in friends.” When I went to college, there were always roommates, friends, and activities to keep me busy. I was never really alone.

rabbit stretching near a sliding glass door
The only good thing about that apartment was the giant sliding glass door. And even that needed a rabbit to optimize the experience.

Then it was time for the real world. I got a job as a news producer four and a half hours from home. My family helped pack all of my things and drove up to move me into a good sized apartment in Plattsburgh, N.Y. 

When I first walked in, I have to admit, I was devastated. The galley kitchen was small. There was a wooden balcony, covered in spider webs (spiders are my phobia). The lighting was terrible. Compared to the beautiful, four bedroom home I was used to, this apartment was dingy. It was definitely “first world problems.” But having an unwelcoming apartment on top of leaving my family was too much. I basically had to stop myself from lamenting to my parents, “How can you leave me in this hole???”

I dreaded my impending doom, returning to my empty apartment after my first day at work… alone… with no one… by myself.

Hatching A Plan

While my parents were still helping me move, I started planning Operation Heartbeat (basically making sure there was one other living creature in that apartment, so it wouldn’t be a nightmare). I had always known I wanted to adopt an animal and made sure my apartment was pet-friendly. 

I don’t love cats, so that was a no. A dog would take time to adopt and learn how to take care of from scratch. My new job would put me on a weird schedule, so there just wasn’t time for me to train a dog. 

A rabbit would give me the perfect balance of animal love and personal space. Our family has had rabbits since I was in elementary school, so I knew I would have no problem taking care of one on my own. 

I looked on Craigslist to see if there were any rabbits available nearby. A family was selling their small, white lionhead bunny.

The Craigslist Process And Not Getting Murdered

On Monday morning, I waved my family goodbye and headed off to my first day at work. Blah, blah, blah excited for work and meeting people. But in the back of my mind, I was really just thinking about that rabbit.

I emailed the family to see if they could do a safe exchange at the local police station. It was a no go. There were kids in the house, and some family member recovering from surgery. Although I wanted this rabbit sooo badly, I also didn’t want to get murdered by a copycat Craigslist killer.

In the end, my bunny greed overcame my fears. I headed to the house and called my parents. They stayed on the line as I walked inside.

Meeting My New Bun

The family seemed nice enough, but it was clear they had no real experience with rabbits. The white bunny was in a decent sized cage but didn’t have any place to run around. There was a dog in the house, and it seemed like the young kids had lost interest in the “less interesting” pet.

bunny sitting in the litter box
Baby didn’t have any toys when he was adopted.

It was honestly the best $20 I have ever spent. 

The rabbit was scared and ran into the little hidey hole. I felt so badly for the poor thing and knew I would smother the bun with love! I gave the mother $20 for the bun, the cage, a water bottle, a dog food dish, a new bag of pellets, a small bag of hay. 

Some people could say I rushed the decision and should have adopted from a reputable animal shelter. But I wouldn’t change a thing about my bunny buying story. An ad on Craigslist and a fear of being alone brought me a loving companion during a new, scary stage in my life.

Neither of us have been alone since.

How did you come upon your own bunny ol’ pal? Share your story in the comments!