By Rachel Andersen
Meet Sidebar: a rabbit rescued, a writer’s bunny, and the inspiration for a magazine helping other buns that need saving
Sometime in November 2021, a call came through to Space Coast Bunnies, a rabbit rescue in south Florida. A bunny had been found outside an apartment complex, abandoned and ill.
His ears were badly infected with ear mites, he was severely malnourished, and was losing patches of fur. He needed help, and he needed it quickly, if he was to survive.
Volunteers from Space Coast Bunnies came to the rescue, and soon the bun was caught, vetted, and safe with his new foster mom, Melinda. They named him Carrot.
Carrot soon gained weight, with Melinda’s expert care his ear mites soon disappeared, and his beautiful white fur had begun to grow back. He was ready to be adopted out.
Fur-ever home
Meanwhile, about an hour south from where Carrot was staying, I was searching PetFinder.com for bunnies. My birthday was coming up and I knew all I wanted was a little fur baby to love.
I missed having little bunny toes on mine while I retrieved greens from the refrigerator every morning. There’s just nothing like it!
I had done my research. I knew I wanted a healthy lop-eared rabbit, specifically a male, neutered, and who was sweet and friendly.
Location, Location, Location
A rabbit rescue near me had posted about a bunny named Carrot. He looked to be a half lop, not yet neutered, and was described as one of the sweetest bunnies they had ever met. He was also very sick.
Though he didn’t meet all the criteria I thought I wanted, as soon as I saw him I knew I wanted him. Getting to be a part of nursing him back to health, being with him through neuter surgery, and letting him know he was safe and loved throughout felt like my destiny.
I contacted Ashely from Space Coast Bunnies and she came right back to me. She went over his specific needs and gave me a great idea of what I would be taking on. In turn, I provided her with my background information and a video tour of my home and where he would be set up.
Happy wife, happy life
I spoke with my husband and poured out my heart to him. He knew how much it meant to me to have a house rabbit. He also knew of the challenges our family would face, and a rabbit would face in our home.
We discussed my plans for integrating a bunny into our life, and us into the bunny’s. These included:
- Our dog
- Our cat
- Our kids
- Our finances
- Our travel
- Our schedule
We broke each one down and figured out how to prepare for each one, and the impact a bunny would have one them.
The dog
Our oldest son is a dog trainer and had extensive experience with making sure our dog would be gentle and respectful of the bunny, and she would keep him safe like she protects us.
The cat
We had a free roaming house rabbit before and our cat had a long history of loving him. We knew that the cat would not mind or hurt the bunny. We were still careful with the introductions though, always taking the stress level of the rabbit into consideration. (Rabbits can literally die from fear or stress, it is very important to reduce their stress levels, and protect them from potential predators.)
The kids
Our kids are 18, 16, and 8. They have grown up around animals and are very respectful and gentle with them. They were involved in the planning and were fully informed and ready for a rabbit to join the family.
Our finances
My husband and I like to be careful with our money and live within our means. However, no matter how prepared or careful you are, sometimes things go wrong and require extra money. We planned to have a fund in place for the care of our rabbit for emergencies as well as being aware of the day to day expenses we would incur to make sure our rabbit was happy and healthy.
Our travel
We do not travel often, but when we do, it is of utmost importance that we have contingencies in place to make sure our animals are well taken care of when we are gone. We have reliable pet sitters available through family, friends, and we also enjoy helping small pet sitter businesses we have come to trust through the years.
I had extensively researched traveling with a bunny as well. I purchased a carrier that I loved, collapsible water and food dishes, travel litter box solutions, and other items I knew I would want or need.
I learned about rabbit’s stress, and how to train them to get into the carrier on their own, how to make new places feel and smell like home, and how to gradually get your bunny used to being in the car so that trips would be more “normal”.
Our schedule
I knew that we were not ready to adopt two bunnies at one time. I also was cognitive of the fact that rabbits need lots of attention and stimulation so they do not become depressed.
I am a writer and I work from home. I knew that most of the time I would be working on the floor, sharing space with my rabbit and would have the time I needed to spend with him.
Also, I got all the supplies I knew I would need, before I could even bring a rabbit home. Toys, hides, orders for hay, pellets, treats, and greens were all ready to go as soon as I needed them. I wanted to make sure that the house and the family were all ready.
New home: new name
Once I had everything in place, I found myself in my car with my daughter heading North to meet Carrot’s foster family and bring him home.
As a writer, I wanted to give Carrot a literary name. I chose Sidebar. The definition of sidebar is:
a short article in a newspaper or magazine, typically boxed, placed alongside a main article, and containing additional or explanatory material.
I found it adorable because rabbits are short, typically boxed (although they should never be kept in cages or boxes), and they are usually hanging out beside their favorite people adding so much joy to their lives.
Summery
Sidebar is my loving and sweet bunny. He has been through so much, but he is happy. He enjoys running full speed around the house punctuating his runs with binkies. He is the most dramatic flopper I have ever seen and I enjoy his company so very much!
Every morning when I greet him I say “Hey Bunny!” Every time he comes running as fast as he can. He, and this daily exchange is what inspired me to start this magazine. I hope you have enjoyed hearing our story and that you will be as happy as I am to be able to support this publication, other bunnies, and bunny rescues as much as you can!
Thank you!