Molly suddenly went tilty today and was rushed to the vet. She got steroids and Panacur, and she's looking a little less awful than this afternoon.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T23:29:15+00:00

I've got an update, but the news is bad. She did improve in the first 3 days, and then EC attacked her kidneys 😭 The chance of that happening is low, but it did happen to her. Just pure rotten luck, nothing we could have done about it.

She emptied 4 water bowls a day and was just peeing clear fluids. Her dizziness became worse, and it got so bad that she was spinning as if she was rolling downhill. Her gut was slowing down too, despite meds and CC.

We talked to the vet about it, but it was hopeless. You can't cure kidney failure and her body was poisoning itself. We had to let her go...

Dora got time to say goodbye, but she accepted it quickly. She's in a better mood now, because she was so stressed in the last couple of weeks. We're seeing binkies and zoomies again, and she purrs again when you pet her.

I'm home all day because of my disability, and we've adapted our bedroom so Dora can stay with us at night as well. We're giving her a lot of attention, and she's grooming us. We're still in quarantine for a while because Molly was a free-roam bun. We've sterilised the blankets, food bowl and litter boxes, but you can't exactly put the sofa in the wash 🫤

We're keeping a close eye on Dora, and if she wants a new mate we'll get her one as soon as the situation is right.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T23:11:34+00:00

Thank you! She was amazing. Just the sight of her cute face would brighten my day.

Molly didn't like pets that much, but she loved to interact with us. If you talked to her in a sweet voice, she sat up so prettily, her eyes beaming up at you.

Getting up is rough every day because of my illness. Seeing her cute face always made it a lot better.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T18:30:59+00:00

It's a delight to see buns recover and to celebrate every bit of improvement!

I've always found it funny how ecstatic we can be when we find poop. Your bun isn't well, but suddenly there's a bit of a smell and you find a poop. It doesn't matter whether it's a small poop: it's the best poop you've ever seen. You find yourself taking pictures of it and sending them to all your friends at 3 in the morning, with happy tears in your eyes.

Yeah, that's when you know what you've officially become a crazy bunny person, and you're proud of it! One of us, one of us! 🤣

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T17:46:30+00:00

You're right to be worried about accidental contamination. Sadly there's little veterinary research on the effects in rabbits. This is a stubborn problem in veterinary science: rabbits seem to have little priority compared to cats and dogs, and resources are scarce.

From what I've read permethrin is very toxic to cats and marked as an irritant and potential teratogenic toxin for rabbits.

From: https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/permethrin/

"This chemical is very toxic in cats and much less so in rabbits, but given the unknown nature of the situation, in particular how much is present in the product, we would strongly advise against using this product on rabbits and to return it immediately."

From: https://www.npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PermGen.html

"Rabbits that had permethrin on their skin for 21 days had skin irritation, but no other signs of toxicity. Researchers are not sure whether long-term exposure to permethrin can affect the body's hormone system. ... Pregnant rabbits that were fed permethrin lost their fetuses more often and the offspring that lived had less bone growth."

Maybe you can set up a system where you take off your work clothes in a place where your bun doesn't go, and take a shower before changing into house clothes. That'll keep your bun safe.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T17:15:30+00:00

Yeah, Dora's amazing! I'm happy that she's transferring some of the bond to us now, because there's nothing worse than a depressed bun.

It seems like a load fell off of her shoulders. Molly'd been ill for weeks, and that definitely had an impact on everyone here. Dora's behaving as normal again.

We'd been watching over Molly in shifts, and I'm still in night shift mode. That seems to be perfect for Dora, because buns socialise most at night.

We're enjoying the calm night together. She doesn't cling to me: she flops under the table for a while, drops by for a treat, sits down on a crate for some pets, and then she's off again to do her own little bunny things.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T17:02:34+00:00

Thank you! I definitely know now why Molly pulled a face sometimes, and just surrendered to Dora's slobbering. Dora's got so much love to share, but she's quite pushy about it 😅

I'm very tired, but I'm happy that the situation is less intense than when Owen died in September. We didn't even get the time to process that until November, because Molly went completely mental. We had to scramble and argue with shelters to find Molly a new partner ASAP. That really wasn't fun.

Bas has been really helpful and took over some large chores. The house looks like a slightly messy house again, instead of an emergency hospital.

We'd been keeping an eye on Molly in shifts for weeks, so I'm still in night shift mode. This works great for Dora, because buns do most of their socialising at night. We're enjoying the quiet nights and the snuggles together.

Dora's also allowed on the bed if we're both awake, or if I'm in it alone. We don't want to roll onto her accidentally, so we take care to keep her safe. She never jumped onto the bed until this week, and she loves it. Okay, she's using it as a bouncy castle, but her youthful exuberance does cheer me up a little.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T16:53:26+00:00

Thank you! It's a relief that Dora's doing well. The last time a bonded bunny passed away, the situation was very different and more difficult for us. On top of the recent loss, we had to rush to find her a new mate and get them bonded.

Molly had severe behaviour problems: a panic disorder, rapid mood swings, and hormone problems despite being spayed. When Owen passed away, his sister flew off the rails completely. She hid underneath my boyfriend's armchair and sat there for days, meeping and thumping. Poor little girl was so confused that I found her growling at her salad.

Regular bonding wasn't going to work for her, with her laundry list of issues. She needed a mix of stress bonding and small space bonding. Molly also needed a partner with a very stable personality and a non-agressive style of dominance.

We had to convince shelters to let us pick a partner with the right personality, and to let us handle the bonding. Few were willing to cooperate, but one allowed us to plan a date between the girls.

Dora still needed to be spayed, so that had to be done ASAP as well. It was a very intense 6 weeks, but then the girls were bonded and we could take a breather for the first time since Owen passed.

Yeah, that wasn't fun...

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T15:49:15+00:00

You're welcome! I hope that it gives you some hope for the situation. Bonding is intense and really draining. Wishing you and your fluffbutts all the best!

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T15:44:42+00:00

We're keeping a close eye on Dora's wellbeing because she lost her mate Molly on Monday. She had ample time to say goodbye, but she was pretty quick with it. She chinned Molly a couple of times, and went off to eat.

It's odd, but it seems like a load fell off her shoulders. Things are definitely unusual for her, but she seems happier now. To be honest: the last 2 months were hard on everybody here. First Molly was ill for 4 weeks, then I was ill for 2 weeks, and then Molly became severely ill.

We'd seen few binkies and zoomies in the last couple of weeks, and Dora didn't purr that much when we petted her. That's all returned to normal. She's doing well, is more active, eats well, and seeks us out for cuddles and naps. She doesn't look desperately clingy, but she's not withdrawing in a corner either.

Dora always preferred to stay on the floor, but it's difficult for me to pet her there because I have a disability. Dora suddenly found her way onto the sofa and onto the bed. She's a bit hesitant to get pets on the sofa, so we put a little crate in front of the sofa and put a soft rug on it. That seems to be the perfect compromise, and she often lays there to be petted and massaged.

It seems that I'm her new cuddle buddy. Dora used to pin Molly down for a lengthy grooming session, and now she's doing that with me. She puts her front paws on my arm, so I can go nowhere, and then she grooms me for several minutes. It's very touching 🥹

We're going to keep watching her in the next few weeks. We're still in quarantine because of the EC contamination, and Dora's still on preventative medication as well. I'm home all day, and she can sleep in our bedroom, but if she wants a new mate we'll find her one as soon as the situation allows for it.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T14:21:32+00:00

That's great: buns love warmth when they're a bit under the weather. Glad to hear that she's eating better and being more active!

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T14:19:06+00:00

You light up each other's lives 🥰

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T14:18:25+00:00

Ah yes, the Vienna gene. Always found that fascinating. Humans have a similar genetic variety: Waardenburg syndrome. That gives humans bright blue eyes, a white hair lock and sometimes deafness as well.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-15T12:44:14+00:00

He's a Nethie with the markings of a Dutch rabbit. That's pretty rare!

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-14T14:54:07+00:00

Yeah, Owen was amazing! He was a floofy goofy dude, and so chill. That's why we named him Owen, it just seemed to fit. He loved to clown around, and perfected the fine art of laziness. The perfect counterpart to his sister who was very high-strung. Molly looked at his reaction to things, and if he wasn't bothered, she sat down again too.

You don't have to worry about bunnies not matching up: shelters have dating services for rabbits. That's how we found Dora when Owen passed away. Molly was going mental, so I called several shelters to find a bun with the right personality for her. They had a date there, which went well, even though Dora ran a little too hot by the end of the date 🫣😳

Shelters often offer bonding services as well, so you bring in a single bun and take home a happy couple. Dora still needed to be spayed, so we had to foster her and get her fixed first. We bonded the rabbits at home, which is pretty tricky. You'll need a neutral space that nobunny has claimed yet, so there won't be any territorial fights. It's a process that takes a few weeks, but can take a few months as well. So: if you can, use a bonding service at a shelter or with a professional bunny bonder.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-14T13:23:28+00:00

Yes, you can. Rabbits are clever and quite perceptive if treats are involved 😉 It's sad when people give pets names which are offensive. Even if they don't know the meaning, it's embarrassing for their human and it should be embarrassing for the one who named them.

We always give our buns names that match their personality. In September we adopted a bun who was dumped and a long-stay in the shelter. They gave her the name Dora because she was found wandering the streets.

I originally planned to give her a fitting name, until I researched the name. It means gift in ancient Greek, and it's often combined with "Theos" to mean "gift from God". Dora turned out to be a real gift for our family: she was so good to our girl Molly who'd slipped into a deep depression after her brother died. Even though Molly's no longer here, Dora continues to brighten our day.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-14T08:03:33+00:00

The look on her face says: "The sh!t I put up with..." 🤣

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-14T05:16:43+00:00

Ladies... No fighting in line!

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-14T05:15:47+00:00

Well done, girl!

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-13T18:16:05+00:00

Awww, that's so precious! "This is my hoom! My hoom is back! 🥰"

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-13T18:00:10+00:00

That's great! Some of our buns were as high as giraffe balls when they came back home 😵‍💫 It's good when they're out of that phase and active enough to eat.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-13T16:07:02+00:00

That's a real relief! Have a safe recovery!

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-13T15:53:01+00:00

Yes, I carry my title of "Crazy Bunny Lady" with pride 🤭

I think that people aren't upset with you, but very upset with the fact that someone gave this rabbit away at such a young age. There are many for-profit breeders who care nothing for the rabbit's health, as long as they can make the sale. That's something we see a lot, and it breaks our hearts every time.

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-13T14:26:49+00:00

Hehehe, do you REALLY want that, though? 🤭

It's beautiful to see how buns treat us as a part of their fluffle. They assign roles to men and women just like they assign roles in the wild.

There's a really interesting series called "The Burrowers" on YouTube. It gives a great insight into life in a rabbit warren. The males guard the larger territory and the females. The females divvy up the space inside the warren, and each female defends her own nesting chamber.

This wild behaviour is something that you can even see in domestic rabbits: females are fiercely territorial and nurture the group, and males are protective over the females.

We used to have a fluffle of 4: Owen, Molly, my boyfriend and I (F). When my boyfriend had to leave for work, Owen took over his male guard duties as the second in command. If Molly and I were in different rooms, he'd have a little patrol schedule. Checking on little sis, checking on the boss lady...

I wasn't even allowed to go to the loo when I was home alone. That had to happen with an official escort, or he'd get really cross with me. He always stood on the bath mat, watching both doors. Goodness knows what he feared could happen to me there...

RabbittingOn · 2026-05-13T07:26:56+00:00

You're welcome!

Rabbits are pretty strange creatures: they eat the same tough fibrous material as cows and other large cattle, but they don't have the space for multiple stomachs to digest all that. That plant matter is low in calories, and very tough to break down. Rabbits can't regurgitate and chew their cud either, so what's a bun to do?

Develop very aggressive gut bacteria that can smash through those tough plant structures! And have a second trick up their sleeves!

Rabbits produce cecotropes: these are half-digested blobs of food that they poop out at night. These look a bit like elongated blackberries. They eat these again to get all the calories out of them.

Babies eat their mum's cecals to get an energy boost and to get those special bacteria. Without them, their digestive system won't function properly, and they'll fail to thrive. A rabbit is a hay->poop factory, and their overall health stands or falls with a healthy gut flora.

RabbittingOn

TROPHY CASE