Rescue Tails / Midnight the Yo-Yo Bunny

Contributed by FKSPCA Staff

“Yo-Yo: to move from one position to another repeatedly.” That dictionary definition could describe young Midnight’s back and forth life up until now. She first came to us, as so many rabbits do, as an unwanted teenager who is no longer a tiny, irresistible baby. This is often when the long-term cost and care of a rabbit becomes a daily reality and overwhelming. Her family did not have the time to give Midnight what she required, and they brought her to the shelter in March 2022.

Midnight was a sweet, outgoing rabbit once she settled into her shelter routine. She quickly made friends among our staff and volunteers. Because she was so friendly, we hoped her stay with us would be relatively short and it was! About three months later, she found an adopter who wanted two rabbits, and Midnight was one of them. The other rabbit was a very sweet, neutered male.

Midnight was to be a free-roaming, house rabbit and would have her own bedroom. Rabbits are not as compatible with each other as people think. When rabbits fight, it can be an extreme event, even causing serious injuries! Rabbits may look cute and harmless, but they can be extreme warriors if they feel the need. Since the two rabbits were opposite genders and were spayed/neutered (a necessity for safe bonding with no chances for breeding), the match was worth a try. The adopter went home with bonding information and follow-up support. Unfortunately, within a few days, Midnight’s friendly behavior changed radically. She started aggressively charging her adopter and charging and “attacking” the male rabbit. We made some suggestions. Ultimately, the situation was not working, and Midnight was returned to us.

We suspected Midnight might return behaving very differently than she did before she left us. However, she amazed us! She was the sweet, interactive bunny we knew. Since fear is a major cause of aggressive behavior in all animals, we have to assume she felt safe at the shelter. The environment suited her and her behavior reflected that. Her housing set-up allowed her to be out and about in one of our small animal rooms when we could supervise her, so she was always “helping” us as we prepared litter boxes, cleaned cages, and mingled. She was one of those nosey busy-bunnies who wanted to be where the action was.

Six months passed. Midnight was still with us. Then one day, Samantha,  our wonderful small animal care-giver, casually mentioned she was considering adding a rabbit to her family. Of course, we were more than excited to hear that. When she told us that Midnight would be her choice, we couldn’t contain ourselves. If Midnight went home with Samantha and her husband Marcus, Midnight’s life would assuredly be wonderful and permanent. Midnight’s yo-yo lifestyle would come to an end. All of this has since come to pass, and Midnight now gets more love and attention than she could ever have imagined as a free-roam house rabbit!

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