FOREVER FRIEND: Verandah, the female rabbit, ‘would make a great pet’

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She was found underneath a porch and now Verandah is looking for a home.

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The one-year-old female white American rabbit was dropped off as stray at the Toronto Humane Society after someone found Verandah beneath a porch at Christie and Dupont Sts. in February, according to THS spokesperson Lucas Solowey.

“She’s adorable, she’s sweet and affectionate and would make a great pet,” said Solowey.

“Rabbits can be nervous at first so she would do best in a calm and quiet home with people that can give her love, a safe and comfortable environment, fresh greens and hay, as well as a large enough enclosure with a litter box, places to hide, a good enough area to play in.”

Solowey noted while adopting a bunny is different from adding a dog or cat to your family, they make great pets and can be trained to use a litter box in their enclosure.

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“Bunnies, you know, aren’t necessarily going to be playing fetch or be as active as a dog or a cat, but I have a rabbit myself, and they can be amazing pets,” he said. “You want to also have maybe some toys for enrichment, like maybe a ball. I know my rabbit enjoys playing with a ball.”

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Solowey said rabbits also like to be outside of their enclosure once they are comfortable “to explore and hop around. You just want to make sure there are no electrical wires because they do enjoy chewing on those for some reason.”

Solowey also suggested that a home without small children or dogs or cats is most suitable.

“Dogs can sometimes be seen as predators as well as some cats,” he said. “I would say if other pets (are present), it might be best if they’re also rabbits or guinea pits and hamster-type animals. You’d want to have a meet and greet first and just make sure that they’re a good fit to be in the same space.”

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As for their diets, rabbits typically eat twice a day, munching on things like dry pellets, fresh greens, apples and rabbit cookies.

In general, “with rabbits you don’t want to make any fast moves,” said Solowey.

“You don’t want to make too much noise. They can spook easily and once you have that bond with them, once they feel comfortable, they can be quite affectionate, they can come to you, they can be more playful. … (Verandah) can be shy and timid, but she really does warm up to new people in a safe environment.”

Anyone interested in adopting Verandah can visit www.torontohumanesociety.com to start the adoption process.
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UPDATE: Hood, an “adorable” two-year-old male cat, from June’s Forever Friend column is still looking for his forever home.

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