Well the farm has a new resident. Hopefully, a temporary one. A woman brought a rabbit into our office this week that she found in her yard. It walked right up to her and wanted to be picked up. It’s a tortoise shell Rex rabbit, that means its gray and orange mottled, with short plush fur. He is very tame and was obviously a pet.
The woman put the rabbit in her pole barn, loose on the floor, while she asked neighbors if they lost it. After a few days it became obvious no one was going to claim it and her beagles were circling the barn and howling. So she brought it to the Extension office.
I tried to get everyone else to take it home but to no avail. I used to raise rabbits and show them but I soon remembered why I decided to get rid of all my rabbits. I am very allergic to them. I forgot how allergic I was getting- it was about ten years ago- but my body remembered like it was yesterday. Soon my eyes were red, itchy and swollen, stupid me was cuddling the bunny several times as it sat in a box by my desk. I drove home with it and luckily Steve had found one of our old cages and set it up for him in the barn so all I had to do was pop him in it.
He seems fairly happy there- he was too hot in the office, but every time I go near him he wants me to pet him and I can’t. My eyes start itching even when I feed him. He needs a new home quick. I am too soft hearted. I think I will call him Riley.
People are dropping animals off all over, a sign of bad economy. They think a farm will take them in or like in the case of the rabbit, that they will be able to just take care of themselves. But farms can’t take everyone’s pets in, and pet animals don’t do well in the wild, with the exception of cats maybe. Even a lot of cats die trying to adjust to wild conditions. I saw a Siamese cat sitting by the road in a very remote location. It may have come from a nearby home although I couldn’t see any homes nearby, but my guess it was dumped. After a few days they will seldom let you catch them. This one ran off as soon as I stopped.
People need to be responsible and take their pets to a shelter and surrender them or have them put down humanely if they can’t keep them. You have to admit you can’t care for them and it’s hard. It’s harder than just leaving them or turning them loose but when you get a pet it’s your responsibility to do the hard things too. Besides it’s illegal and cruel to abandon them.
I know that when people lose their homes or hard times come the pets become a lesser concern to some, but there are organizations and shelters that will help. Don’t kid yourself that a farm wants your pet or that country homes will let it hang around. And they won’t learn to take care of their self in the wild either. Man up and do the right thing. And for God’s sake if things look shaky for you don’t get new pets or let yours breed.
I wish I could help all the homeless animals but I am realistic enough to know my limits. I can’t take in any more dogs for example. I don’t want more cats but they seem to find us. We feed what comes along. The bunny is ok because we had the cage and the barn space and he doesn’t eat much but he needs a home somewhere else too. I might consider other farm animals if they were tame, but that’s my limit.
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