Rescue Tail / A Home for Mabel

By Cathy Baier

A hop, skip, and a jump! Sometimes finding the right destination for our animals involves a few stops along the way. This was Mabel the Bunny’s story.

Mabel was found on the streets of Key West. We named her Mabel because of her beautiful Maybelline® eyelashes. What we remember most when we met her was her incredibly soft fur, her tough-girl attitude, and her plus-size waistline. She definitely hadn’t missed many meals before she ended up on the street! We assumed she had been abandoned, a fate that often befalls rabbits after the challenge of caring for them becomes apparent. Often they are obtained as babies for young children and as the bunnies mature, their needs and behavior become too much. Many are “set free,” a euphemism for being dumped or abandoned. Others spend lonely lives in back yard cages. Mabel was one of the more fortunate ones. Rabbits are the third most common animal brought to shelters.

As we got to know Mabel, we learned that her cage was off limits when she was in it; she would grunt and charge to let us know her boundaries. This territorial cage aggression is not unusual in rabbits, especially those who are not yet spayed or neutered. We spayed her but also respected her boundaries. We’ve learned the best way to build a trusting friendship with rabbits is to avoid invading their space and allow them to come to you. We started letting Mabel out for exercise time while we cleaned her cage–a situation that worked best for everyone.

Her weight was another issue we needed to address. Rabbits have a unique digestive system, which works perfectly when they have an appropriate diet (80% grass hay), and also are physically able to consume their nighttime droppings called cecotropes, which are full of essential nutrients. If a rabbit is too fat and unable to reach around to do this, major health issues may result. So, Miss Mabel was put on a bunny Weight Watchers® diet to help her slim down. More hay, fewer pellets, and lots of fresh greens daily started her on the road to better health.

Mabel’s first try in a new home was as a potential companion to a senior rabbit who had lost his lifelong bunny wife. Introductions were proceeding slowly with precautions being taken. Rabbits can cause major harm to each other if a fight breaks out. Things were going well, but apparently her prospective beau got a bit too eager and pushed his way into Mabel’s space. That didn’t go well. The poor guy ended up with a broken foot. Although the adopters were already attached to Mabel, their first loyalty was to their own rabbit, so she was returned to us.

Her next home was a foster beginning during the Covid lockdown. Again, she was appreciated by the human but NOT by the other rabbits in the house. After a few months of hoping things would improve, it was decided for everyone’s sake that she would be better off back at the shelter. Mabel returned to us again.

When Walt and Tina, previous adopters of two FKSPCA rabbits, called before Christmas and said they had space for another rabbit, we immediately felt a surge of excitement and joy! We knew any rabbit they took would have a great chance of succeeding in their home. We told them about Mabel and her challenges, but they didn’t miss a beat. They said Mable would have her own room and be allowed to transition at her own speed. They just wanted her to be home in time for Christmas!

According to each update we receive, Mabel is thriving in her new home. Walt told us they are in love with her. She follows them constantly, begging for attention. She has met their other rabbits through a few layers of fencing with no issues. Formal introductions might be in her future. But for now, Mabel is enjoying her life as a single bunny and like us, she thanks Walt and Tina every day for taking her home!

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