Adopt a bunny
Bunny Huggers South Africa has a network of foster moms providing safe homes for neglected and abandoned buns. Unfortunately there are many more buns than bun owners. This is due to pet shops and backyard breeders breeding bunnies in often terrible conditions. Does can be forced to have a litter every month putting terrible strain on their bodies and causing them to reject their litter at an early age to make room for the next litter. People who are finished with their bunnies tend to dump them in green spaces. This leads to out-of-control bunny populations.
While many people think that they are “setting a bunny free” when dumping it in a field, domestic bunnies cannot survive in the wild. They live short lives full of terror and illness, often killed by cars, predators or starvation. If you can no longer take care of your pet, put him up for adoption on our Rehome Page and give him a new chance at life.
Please do not buy a bunny from a pet shop or from a backyard breeder. Even though you may want to buy the bun’s freedom, your purchase just becomes part of an ongoing, cruel cycle. If you are worried about the treatment of a bunny in a pet shop or from a backyard breeder, please report to the SPCA and make the breeding cycle stop.
Fortunately there are many lovely, well cared for, happy, healthy buns available for adoption from foster moms. Just like adopting from the SPCA, you can expect that your bun will be sterilized. This is an important step in preventing further unwanted bunnies. Male bunnies can be sterilized from 3 months and females from 6 months. Only a bunny-savvy vet should carry out bunny sterilizations.
Read our Rabbit Neuter/Spay Guide for more helpful tips.
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How to adopt
First, research
Find out as much as you can about giving a bunny it’s best life. You can start by reading our 28 Lifesaving Bunny Facts and joining our Facebook group.
Count the cost
An adopted bunny might start out free but bunny care costs can quickly add up and bunnies live for 10 years!
Think about the family
Buns are not good pets for young children as their bones are fragile. Buns can get on with cats and dogs but it depends on the hunting characteristics of your pet.
How many bunnies?
Bunnies are very social creatures and are usually happy in pairs or more (called a fluffle). Adopting two bonded buns (friends) is much easier than trying to get two stranger buns to be friends.
Decide on your setup
Indoor or outdoor? Your bunny foster mom will want to see pictures of your setup and may even ask to visit before placing a bunny with you. Read our post on indoor set up.
Prepare
Shop for bunny food, litter tray, toys and bedding. Our Bunny Basics post has loads of great tips to help you get the appropriate items the first time around.
Find your new furry friend/s
Contact a rescue in your area from our approved list below or visit the Bunny Huggers South Africa Rehome Page.
We created the Bunny Huggers South Africa Rehome Page to help network bunnies in need of homes and/or lost and found bunnies. Our page is mainly Cape Town based, but we do get posts from Gauteng, PE and Durban as well. Make a difference by adopting a bun in need of a loving home.
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Recommended bunny rescues
WESTERN CAPE
Noordhoek Bunny Rescue
Noordhoek
062 124 5325 (Sian)
Visit Facebook page
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Barefoot Rescue
Kirstenhof
082 780 3955 (Michelle)
Visit Facebook page
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Antoinette Scholtz
Durbanville
076 857 9661
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Fluffy the Great
Somerset West / Gordon’s Bay
084 800 0836 (Hymne)
fluffythegreat@runbox.com
Visit Facebook page
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GAUTENG
Bunny Tales Rescue
Fourways
081 040 0489 (Anabel)
bunnytalesrescue@gmail.com
Visit Facebook page
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Berario Bunnies
Randburg
083 679 2243 (Meahni)
berario.bunnies@gmail.com
Visit Facebook page
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Critter Rescue SA
Benoni
073 437 8918 (Karien)
critterrescuesa@gmail.com
Visit Facebook page
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The Lonehill Bunnies
Lonehill
082 888 5895 (Cristina)
lonehillbunnies@gmail.com
Visit Facebook page
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EASTERN CAPE
REW Foundation
East London
082 704 8106 (Sonia)
Visit Facebook page
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Photo: Lyn Holm