We sadly lost Hershey, the older of the two buns, years later. We rebonded Checkers to an old rescue bun Finnegan who also eventually passed away. Needing another partner, Checkers then bonded with her current partner, Jack. Checkers is a tiny dwarf rabbit, while her partner Jack is a large checkered giant. They are adorable, inseparable and always cuddling. In fact, Checkers as our oldest sanctuary bun at present often uses Jack for warmth and balance.
Checkers receives daily pain medications for arthritis pain. She has weekly dental trims for points on her teeth. She also has had acupuncture and laser for pain management.
For those who believe a bunny who has lived outside in a hutch cannot adapt well to indoor life, they are simply mistaken. Checkers lived outside in a hutch with little human interaction for eight years. She stands as a testament to bunnies’ desire to be loved and comfortable, often with a bonded partner.
Checkers first came to our attention through an online add selling an outside hutch with the two rabbits living inside offered for free. We reached out to see if we could take those bunnies into our sanctuary given that they had lived outside subject to heat, cold, parasites, predators, and poor diet for eight years. The owners gave them no social interaction and fed them an unhealthy diet. Further, they were two female bunnies who were never to a vet or spayed. Cancer rates in unfixed rabbits are over 80%.
So, Checkers and Hershey came to Puffball Paradise. We immediately cut their overgrown nails and set up a vet visit. Both were eventually spayed, even as seniors. They both did well, however, Checkers developed a slight head tilt following surgery. Both buns were the tested for E. cuniculi and eventually treated for this condition. Checkers’ head tilt resolved.
