Rabbit Speed Dating (and Big News!)

We had been fostering Brayden for just under 7 months when we got a request to bring him to the next rabbit speed dating event with Contra Costa Rabbit Rescue. Hana, a 2-year old female rabbit, was looking for a companion. Maybe she and Brayden would hit it off and could be bonded. 

On April 27, I loaded Brayden into his carrier and took him to Pet Food Express in Walnut Creek. 

To be perfectly honest, I didn't want to bring him. Steve, Trevor, and I have grown very attached to Brayden and had talked a lot about adopting him ourselves. But we felt like we owed Brayden the chance to find a loving rabbit companion. By the time we got to Walnut Creek, I decided that this was it. If Brayden was meant to go to another home, so be it. But if he didn't hit it off with the bachelorette, we would adopt him. 

After securing Brayden in his enclosure, I met Hana and her family. I felt comfortable with them right away. It was clear they were loving bunny parents who could provide an excellent home for whatever bunny Hana selected. And Hana was just darling. 

Hana was a little nervous in this strange place and took about an hour to relax. In the meantime, Brayden had a pedicure and a photoshoot. 

I spent some time getting to know some of the other adoptable rabbits. This is Clover. He's really friendly and had been binkying all over the place just before he flopped and I took this photo. 

This picture shows most of the Butterscotch Teens. The last time Brayden went to an adoption event, they were babies and there just for socialization. Now they're grown up, neutered, and ready to find their forever homes. 

We call this "bunstruction." Rabbits love destroying cardboard boxes - even the ones they rest in. 

These are the Butter Babies. They are the slightly younger siblings of the Butterscotch Teens. 

Their pregnant mother was rescued from a bad situation, then soon gave birth to the litter now known as the Butterscotch Teens. A month later, she had another litter, the Butter Babies. It's unknown if they're full- or half-siblings, but we do know that Mom was pregnant with both sets when she was rescued. Rabbits have a double uterus and are induced ovulators. Combined, those characteristics lead to a lot of baby rabbits. In this case, a single rescued rabbit ended up requiring vaccinations, neuter surgeries, and attempts to find homes for 16 rabbits instead of just the one. And this is not an unusual situation. Thank goodness for rabbit rescues who care for all these rabbits and do their best to find them good homes. 

Peach is a really sweet bun. His foster mom thought he was a girl, but when she took him for a spay, the vet got a surprise. Peach is intersex, with internal anatomy that is (well, was) 80% male. So Peach uses he/him pronouns. 

Scarlet and Violet are a bonded pair. Bonded rabbits cannot be adopted separately. If someone is looking to bond a single rabbit with an existing pair, the pair is treated as one entity. With luck, they become a bonded trio. There are special ways to bond two pairs into a quad. 

After plenty of time to get comfortable, Hana was relaxed and ready to start dating. Julie (Bunny Bonder Extraordinaire) is in the cage with the buns while Hana's parents look on. So far, so good!

One by one, Hana met potential friends. Most of the dates went fine, with the rabbits coexisting comfortably in the same space. 

Brayden was the seventh rabbit that Hana met. At first, Brayden was interacting with Julie and seemingly oblivious to Hana. 

He wanted to sniff every inch of the cage. 

Finally, some interaction! 

And then Brayden went back to sniffing the cage. Sigh. 

He wasn't the only one who mostly ignored his date. 

Hana and Samuel seemed to hit it off. 

When an initial date goes well, there is usually a second date, and then the real work begins. Good luck, Hana!

When the event ended, I brought Brayden home. When Steve and Trevor got home from their Scout trip, we discussed it and decided to make it official. Introducing Brayden deRosier!

Brayden will continue to be an only bun for awhile, but we hope to start taking him on speed dates of his own in the fall. I'm excited for the possibility of helping to rescue another deserving rabbit.