The Rabbit Sanctuary

F ste Care Guid

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***NEED TO UPDATE FC AGREEMENT ABOVE***

Requirements of The Rabbit Sanctuary as a foster carer

These are non-negotiable requirements of a foster carer. If there is anything you need training on,
please let The Rabbit Sanctuary Bunny Tracker team know and they will be happy to help you.

Dear Foster Carer,

Welcome to The Rabbit Sanctuary’s Foster Carer team!

Thank you so much for kindly volunteering and helping bunnies in need.
The following manual should answer any question that you have. Please refer to this before
asking a Bunny Tracker any questions just in case it is covered in here. If you are ever concerned
about your foster bunny, please contact Kim Cooney immediately on 0416 062 947. If you cannot
get hold of Kim, please contact one of our Bunny Trackers.

What is a Bunny Tracker?

A Bunny Tracker is a volunteer who assists with the admin for The Rabbit Sanctuary. Please
check the website to see who our current Bunny Trackers are at this link:
https://www.rabbitsanctuary.com.au/who-we-are

Before you get a bunny

An Admin will connect with you once you have applied to become a foster carer and ask you
what equipment you require. Please let them know using the list above what items you need. If
there is any equipment that you can provide, we would greatly appreciate it?
A lot of our rescue work happens on Facebook and Facebook Messenger. A Bunny Tracker will
connect with you on these platforms and add you to your area’s group chat. In this chat you can
keep in contact with other foster carers, ask any questions you have, ask for equipment you need
and discuss anything concerning you about your foster bunny. We use these chats to coordinate
new bunnies coming into the area so it is important to be part of these group chats, however if
you don’t have Facebook, or don’t wish to use it, that is completely fine.

Equipment Needed
Play pen
Litter box
Hide/Tunnel

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Hay rack
Ceramic water bowl
Enrichment toys
Carrier
Hay
Litter
Pellets
Grass (fresh cut from garder free from pesticides)

Pellets we recommend: Oxbow Adult Rabbit Pellets, Burgess and Vetafarm.

If you wish to protect your flooring, The Rabbit Sanctuary recommends vinyl flooring or some
foam interlocking squares.

Setting up for a foster bunny

Once you have gotten all of the equipment needed, please set up your foster bunny’s area. On
The Rabbit Sanctuary Youtube channel we have several videos showing different play pen set
ups that we encourage you to watch.
You can find them here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/RabbitRescueSanctuaryAustralia

If you have other rabbits, we recommend you place the foster pen in an area that is away from
your bunny’s territory. Rabbits are very territorial and it can cause problems if your bunnies can
smell another rabbit in what they believe is their area.
When you have set your area up, please take a photo of your set up and send it to an Admin.
They can let you know if there is anything you need to alter, or if you are ready to foster.

Please note: if you have dogs it is imperative that you do not leave them unsupervised near a
bunny at any time. Dogs can react differently to a new bunny in their home and can attack them.

There are some important Facebook groups we would like you to join.
Rabbits for Adoption
Foster Carers The Rabbit Sanctuary
Bunny Parents

In Rabbits for Adoption, our foster carers post about available foster bunnies. Please wait for
someone to confirm for you that the foster bunny you have is ready for adoption before posting in
there.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/adoptarabbit/

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In the Foster Carers group it is a place for you to post any questions you have, post photos of
your foster buns and meet all the other carers kindly volunteering for The Rabbit Sanctuary.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1068181303210542

Bunny Parents is a group for all the adoptive parents of The Rabbit Sanctuary bunnies to post
updates on their buns. It is wonderful for past foster carers to see their bunnies happy in their
new homes.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/662551110544772

There are two other groups that we recommend you join.

Bunny Runners The Rabbit Sanctuary: This group helps organise bunny runs for bunnies
needing transport from foster carers and adopters.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bunnyrunners/

Australian Rabbits: This group is run by The Rabbit Sanctuary and has a lot of valuable rabbit
information in the group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/aussierabbits/

Bunny Essentials
The Rabbit Sanctuary requires you to have the following items:
● Brush
● Nail clippers

We recommend a slicker brush for grooming bunnies. Kim recommends:

https://www.habitatpets.com.au/products/shear-magic-flexi-slicker-s-m

Example of nail clippers are in the Photo Library.

The Rabbit Sanctuary recommends you have the following items in your bunny health kit:

● Cornflour
● Manuka honey or paw paw cream
● Kitchen scales
● Heat pad
● Tweezers
● Betadine
● Vaseline
● Syringes (at least 1 ml size)
● Critical care

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 ● Parrafin
● Meloxicam - do we add these four items in?

What to do when you get a foster bunny

Now it’s time for you to bring home your foster bunny!
Rabbits come into the care of the Sanctuary for all different reasons- surrendering, found as a
stray, from the pound etc. So they all have different backgrounds and their conditions and
behaviour can vary greatly.

We rely on our foster carers to check your bunnies when they arrive in your care until their vet
work is completed. This means we need you to check the bunny when they arrive.
Please check the bunny for any of the following:
for any wounds, any signs of illness (sneezing, discharge from eyes, ears or nose), weight
issues, urine scald, abnormal urine, poopy bums, abnormal poops, scaly matter in their ears,
black or white dust through their coat that could indicate mites and fleas, front incisor overgrowth,
blood from their mouth that could indicate other dental issues,
If you notice anything that concerns you, please let a Bunny Tracker know as soon as possible.

Please take a look at the Photo Library at the end of this manual for photos of different bunny
health issues you need to look out for.

If you have other bunnies, please remember the importance of keeping them separate from new
bunnies in your home for biosecurity. We recommend you quarantine new bunnies for 14 days to
ensure they don’t pass on any possible illnesses with your own buns. This means not using the
same water bowls, litter trays etc, as well as keeping them separate.

Worming and flea treatment for Foster Buns:

On the first vet visit, The Rabbit Sanctuary vets treat for internal and external parasites. If there
are none present then that would be enough if the rabbit is then kept in a parasite free
environment.

If the vet discovered ear or fur mites, we would then retreat two weeks later with an external
treatment. We generally use Revolution for cats and rabbits (purple pack). We can also use
Advantage for cats and rabbits.

When you bring your bunny home, we recommend you give them some time to adjust to their
new environment. Some of these bunnies have experienced trauma and could be scared and
frightened. Allow bunnies to settle in. Please monitor the bunny during this time to ensure that
they are eating, drinking and pooping.

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What to feed a foster bunny
● Unlimited Green Oaten and Rye or another type of grass hay should be provided at all
times
● Unlimited water should be provided at all times
● Pellets should be provided daily using the back of the packet feeding guide
● Fresh cut and washed grass

The Rabbit Sanctuary recommends using Earth Choice dishwashing liquid to clean grass as its
plant based, cruelty free and doesn’t have any nasties in it.

Please note: The Rabbit Sanctuary does not advise you to feed our bunnies vegetables, fruits or
herbs daily. These items are treats only.
Foods such as kale and parsley have high levels of oxalic acid and calcium which in large
quantities can cause bladder sludge and kidney stones.
Please change your foster bunny’s water bowl daily.

What NOT to feed your bunny

The following items should never be fed to a rabbit
● Seeds
● Corn
● Salt licks
● Items labelled rabbit and guinea pig mixes
● Seed/corn/muesli bars
● Fruit
● Iceberg lettuce

Rabbit Poops
Rabbit poops can really help determine how a bunny’s gut is working. The following link has an
array of photos and information on bunny poop that is a great resource!
http://www.bunssb.org/bunnies/guide-bunny-poops/

Caring for your foster bunny

We have a lot of great videos on how to handle bunnies on our Youtube channel. Please feel free
to take a look at our videos on how to care for your foster bunny.

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Picking Up Rabbits: to pick up your rabbit, place one hand under their front legs and support their
bottom with your other hand. Rabbits should never be picked up by their ears or neck.

Handling: Rabbits will need a lot of calm handling to prepare them for their new homes. The more
time you spend with them the better. Bunnies can be placed in a basket with a towel at the
bottom. You can put this basket on your lap, pat them while watching TV so they can get used to
the attention. Children often find it difficult to properly hold bunnies, so it can be a good way for
them to interact with the bunny and the bunny still

Litter Training: Most foster bunnies will come to you litter trained. Bunnies naturally like to use the
bathroom in the same spot, which makes litter training really easy.

If your bunny isn’t litter trained, here are some helpful tips.
Encourage your bunny to use the litter tray by sweeping all poo into the litter tray. Soak up urine
in the playpen with paper towels and then place them in the litter tray. Rabbits love to eat and
poop at the same time so placing hay over the litter tray helps everything happen in the tray. Litter
tray usage often improves after desexing.

Please note that sometimes you will see poop and urine outside of the litter box in the first few
days of the bunny coming to your home. This is normal. Bunnies are very territorial so they are
marking the territory as theirs. They will also do this if they can smell other bunnies. If you allow
your foster bunny supervised free roam time, you may also see them leaving a trail of poops.
Again, normal. If you become concerned about their poop or urine please contact a Bunny
Tracker or Kim.

Cutting bunny nails

We have many videos on our Youtube channel showing you how to clip bunny nails. For some
people this can feel a little intimidating, but with practice you will become confident in clipping
your foster’s nails.

Key points to remember:

● Make sure you have adequate light to see the quick when you are cutting nails. The quick
is pink. You can also use the flashlight on your phone. Place it underneath the nail to see.
● Apply pressure a few times before actually cutting. The bunny will pull away if you are
cutting too close to the quick. This technique works well on bunnies with black nails.
● Nails need to be cut every few weeks.
● The more you do them, the more used to cutting nails you will be.

Sometimes it can be harder to cut the back nails of a bunny. By holding the bunny away from
you, it makes it easier to cut the back nails.

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What do you do if you cut the quick? Dab a little cornflour on the end and apply pressure to stop
the bleeding. It will clot rather quickly and the bunny will be fine.

Click for the videos:

HOW TO CUT BUNNY NAILS | The Rabbit Sanctuary Australia

HOW TO CLIP DARK BUNNY NAILS | The Rabbit Sanctuary Australia

Please take a look at the Photo Library at the end of this manual for photos of how to cut nails.

Grooming your foster bunny

It is essential that you are grooming your foster bunny daily. Bunnies shed four times a year and it
is essential you are brushing them to remove the dead fur. Bunnies groom themselves and ingest
fur daily, but when bunnies are shedding, or if a bunny isn’t hydrated enough, or their gut motility
is poor, they can have blockages which can result in dire consequences, including death. As a
The Rabbit Sanctuary foster carer, you must be brushing your bunny daily.

Click the link for the video:

HOW TO GROOM DEAD FUR OFF A RABBIT | The Rabbit Sanctuary

Please take a look at the Photo Library at the end of this manual for photos of different types of
shedding patterns on bunnies. It is important to know what to look for when your foster bunny is
shedding.

Free roaming
After your bunnies have settled in you can let them explore outside of their pen if you wish.
Please raise or block off electrical cords or anything you don’t want eaten as bunnies love to
chew. Chewing is actually a necessity as their front teeth continually grow, so they chew to wear
them down. So please protect your special items, and electrical cords. We recommend providing
bunnies with safe items to chew. Please supervise your foster bunny when they are free roaming.

When it’s time for your foster bunny to go to the vets

The Bunny Trackers will arrange all vet appointments with The Rabbit Sanctuary vets. The Bunny
Tracker will send both you and the vet an email that explains the vet work needed for the bunny.
Most vets will then call you to book in this vet work on a day that best suits you. If you do not hear
from the vet within 3 days please give them a call and tell them that you are a The Rabbit
Sanctuary foster carer and you are booking in the vet work listed in the email. If possible, please
print off and attach to the carrier for the vet work day.
Some bunnies will need “The Works” which includes desexing, vaccinating, microchipping,
worming and flea treatment. Others may only need one or two things done.

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The Rabbit Sanctuary pays for all vet treatments.

After your bunny has been desexed they will need a clean and quiet environment. They may be
quiet for a few days but should still be eating, drinking, urinating and pooping. Please check the
surgical sites are clean (not becoming infected). Watch that the bunnies are not trying to chew
their surgical site open and are still eating and drinking. Please make sure you take home from
the vet and administer 3 days of pain relief. If you become concerned please contact a Bunny
Tracker.

When your foster bunny is ready for adoption

After all vet work is completed, a Bunny Tracker will let you know when they have been made
ready for adoption. They will be made available on The Rabbit Sanctuary’s website. We also
have a Facebook group, “Rabbits for Adoption” that all foster carers post available bunnies. You
will be asked to take some nice photos of your foster bunny and post them in Rabbits for
Adoption along with their age, their location and little about their personality. Please also include
at the end:
You can apply to adopt here: https://rabbitsanctuary.com.au/adoption-application-form

Instagram is also a great tool for foster carers. Many of our foster carers have set up Instagram
accounts for the bunnies they foster. This helps potential adopters see a glimpse of foster
bunnies daily, and helps spread awareness and educate people on what The Rabbit Sanctuary
does. We are now seeing adoptions happen thanks to Instagram! If you want help setting an
Instagram account up for your bunny, please ask a Bunny Tracker.
If posting about your foster bunny available for adoption on Instagram, please use the hashtag
#therabbitsanctuary

Taking photos of your foster bunny

Please refer to the announcement post in the Foster Carer group on Facebook on how to take
good photos of your foster bunny. If you cannot take photos, please let a Bunny Tracker know
and we will assist you.

Before you foster bunny is adopted

When your foster bunny is up for adoption a Bunny Tracker may contact you to ask permission to
pass along your phone number to an adoption who is approved, or almost approved. Often times
when adopters are almost approved, or have just been approved they are wanting more
information about the bunnies that they are interested in. The best possible person for them to
talk to about the bunnies is you, their foster carer!

Below are some things you can mention to adopters.

-All bunnies can be picked up and handled

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-Bunnies love head pats
-They love you you to sit on floor with them

Have a think as well about your foster bunnies personality and what your rescue bunny likes.
Include a list with your communications to potential adopters.
Is your rescue bunny playful? Tell them how they like to play. Do they like throwing toys? Do they
like to chew toys?

Please note:
Every bunny can be picked up and handled. The more often that this is done, the more the bunny
gets used to it. If an adopter hears that a bunny doesn’t like to be picked up they can see this as
a negative trait. So it’s best we let them know that they CAN be picked up and practice it often
with our fosters. If you need help with handling please feel free to shoot me or the team a
message and we can assist you. We all start somewhere and it’s only with practice we can learn
and grow our foster carer and rabbit knowledge.

When your foster bunny is adopted

When your foster bunny has been adopted by an approved adopter, you will be notified by a
Bunny Tracker. An official email will be sent to you and your You will be asked to contact the
adopter, or the adopter will contact you to arrange transfer of the bunny. If the bunny is quite a
distance away from the adopter, they may be put on a “Bunny Run”. These runs are done by kind
volunteers who will transport bunnies and equipment for The Rabbit Sanctuary
When the adopter is picking up their new bunny, we would appreciate it if you gave them some of
their hay and pellets so they can transition their food on to what they will be eating slowly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who do I talk to if there is something wrong with my bunny?

A: If it is urgent, please call Kim Cooney on 0416 062 947 immediately. If you cannot get hold of
Kim please contact a Bunny Tracker.

Q: Can I keep my foster bunny outside?

A: No. All The Rabbit Sanctuary bunnies must be housed indoors. You can, however, have
supervised playtime outside, in a play pen. The rabbit MUST be supervised at all times.

Q: My foster bunny isn’t eating, what should I do?

A: Contact Kim Cooney on 0416 062 947 if she does not answer please contact a Bunny Tracker.

Q: What if I or someone I know find a stray bunny?

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A: All bunnies need to be surrendered to The Rabbit Sanctuary before taking in any stray
bunnies. The surrender form is located on our website. No bunnies can be taken in to our care
unless Kim approves the surrender. If you take bunnies in to your care without Kim’s approval
you may be responsible for the cost of the bunny’s vet work.

Q: What if I fall in love with my foster bunny and can’t let them go?
A: This is what we call a “Foster Fail”! If you would like to adopt your foster, fill in an application
form as soon as possible and let a Bunny Tracker know. We strongly encourage all foster carers
to apply for pre-approval so that if you do want to adopt your bunny. If an adopter who is
approved wants your bunny but you haven’t applied, you may not be able to adopt them.
https://www.rabbitsanctuary.com.au/adopt

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Photo Library

Recommend pellets

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Brand: Earth Choice Dishwashing Liquid. We recommend you wash the grass you have freshly
picked to ensure it is safe for your bunny. Please then rinse with water. Please watch the video
below on how to use it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKwidfaTB6M&t=65s

Rabbit with ear mites

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 Rabbit with fleas

Rabbits with
fur mites

Normal rabbit teeth Rabbits with overgrown and curled teeth.

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Urine Scald

Urine Scald

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 Sore Hocks

Cutting nail guidelines

Cutting nail guidelines

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Different types of shedding patterns on bunnies

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