Q & A with 
TWO SPECIAL
SOME-BUNNIES! 
Meet volunteer Jennifer Pomerleau and her thirteen-year-old daughter Tralee. This pair of bunny lovers is currently fostering four baby rabbits and their mother Nibbles. They recently sat down with us to chat about what it's like to have cute, energetic, fluff balls running around at home.  

Q: How did you decide you wanted to foster rabbits?
Jenn: About four years ago, I started volunteering at AWS. At the orientation there was an opening to help clean the small animal room. Well, I fell in love in rabbits!  After a few years, I decided it would be fun to help out even more. We didn't think we could adopt a rabbit because we have a pretty wild cat [Cheeto], but fostering is a nice way to really help out an animal in need, especially if they need medicine.

Tralee: We keep them in a separate room away from Cheeto. 

Jenn: It's so great to help out in small batches and do a little bit more for them. We really love socializing them and teaching them to be comfortable with people.

Q: Tell us about the bunnies you're fostering. What are they like?
Tralee: They were born about 6 weeks ago. You could hold them in your hand right at birth! They were so tiny, with their ears back against their heads. Then their ears went straight up and now they have flopped back down, except for Pudding, he has one ear up and one ear down!

Jenn: They are all very friendly and each has its own personality. It's been neat to see them interact with each other. Popcorn, the white one, is definitely the leader. He got his name because when Tralee and I would open the cage to start cleaning, he was always the first to pop up!

Tralee: Yeah, they'd start running all over the place and he was always leading the pack! He's crazy but fun!

Tralee: Midnight, the black baby, likes to go on walks around the house on a leash. He's also the cuddler. He likes to sit on my bed and watch TV with me on Saturday mornings.

Jenn: Blizzard likes to snuggle too. She's pretty calm and easy going. She's a little mama's girl, enjoys being near her mom, more so than the other bunnies. 

Tralee: Blizzard and Popcorn are both white but Blizzard has light grey on her ears, so we can tell them apart.

Jenn: Pudding has the more beautiful coat - she's brown but when you pet her, you can see brown, black, grey and white fur. And she's so soft!

Tralee: Pudding, is the biggest now, but the smallest when they were born. She's crazy and loves to explore.

Q. And what about Mom Bunny?
Jenn: Nibbles, she's a cutie pie. She's all grey with adorable floppy ears. At first she was a little jumpy and skittish, but she's getting better. She's friendly and very smart.

Tralee: She loves her veggies! She also likes to be out and about. She doesn't like going back in her cage when it's time to go to bed. She'll hide behind it to try to trick us!

Jenn: She does this cute thing where she just flops down on the ground when she wants to get petted. Such a sweetie!  

Q. What's something we might not know about taking care of baby bunnies?
Tralee: You have to clean their litter box everyday! Nibbles is litter box trained so the babies follow her lead.

Jenn: Yeah, they aren't as messy as people think.

Tralee: They are more crazy than you might realize, crazier than a cat, and we have a pretty wild cat.

Jenn: They don't sleep as much as a cat does during the day. They have lots of energy and LOVE running around in circles. We can hear them galloping around the rabbit room all the time! They are also more social than you would think. They really like to be with each other!

Q. Why do rabbits make awesome pets?
Tralee: They don't run around the house destroying things [like a cat].

Jenn: Though you do have to keep wires and other things away from them because they love to chew.

Tralee: They make confetti from newspaper!

Jenn: They do entertain themselves.

Tralee: They have a ball they like to play with when they are in their cage area. Their favorite thing to do is run around so you definitely need to give them plenty of space to do that, for at least an hour, at least once a day.

Jenn: They are pretty low maintenance -- they don't need regular baths or a lot of vaccines or medication. They are more contained than a cat or a dog because they have their own home within your home. They are content in their cage setup, but love to come out and play with you!

Tralee: You can take them out on a leash and they can be trained to do agility!

Jenn: Since rabbits are so social, they are often adopted in pairs. Nibbles and Blizzard would especially like to go home together, since Blizzard is such a mama's girl. But if  you can adopt just one, he/she will make a great companion if they get lots of love and attention. And who doesn't love a bunny?

NOTE: Jenn and Tralee's baby bunnies and Mama Nibbles will be available for adoption in a few weeks, when the babies are weaned and old enough to be separated from their mother. Jenn and Tralee will be sad to see them go but know their new families will give them all the love and companionship they deserve!
WANT TO HELP SOME-BUNNY?
FOSTERING
Fostering a pet is a great way to make a difference. We have a regular need for cat/kitten foster families and occasional needs for dog/puppy or rabbit foster families. Commitment can last from just a few days to a few months, depending on the individual animal's needs. Contact our Volunteer Program Manager with questions.
ADOPTING
  In 2016, we helped more than 200 rabbits find new homes! Most were adopted through our partnership with PetSmart stores in Northern New England. By housing the rabbits (and other small animals) directly at PetSmart stores, we make it convenient for adopters and increase the number of animals we are able to help.