What foster families do:
As a The Rabbit Haven foster family, you will be providing a loving, indoor home for a Rabbit Haven foster rabbit following our care guidelines. The foster parent offers the emotional and physical support systems the rabbit needs while they wait for permanent adoption. Your foster care saves rabbit lives. You can read about the experiences of some of our foster families on our fostering success stories page.
Time frame for fostering:
Your foster commitment is decided when you begin your fostering experience. Each foster person sets his or her own fostering time frame. Minimum foster time period is three months and fostering timeframe may remain open.
Supplies:
The Rabbit Haven provides initial foster supplies: the x pen, sheets, floor protector, topper, litter box, and food and water dishes. We ask that foster provide the perishables such as litter, food and hay.
Educational information:
You will receive an education packet. This packet includes educational information you need to know. Foster parents learn about rabbit care, behavior, and all about rabbits. Please read the info on basic care, behavior, food and exercise needs. This way you will have the most up to date information and be great caregivers for your foster rabbits. Your initial set up will include this information, yet review of materials at home is very helpful and great to have as a reference. Hopefully you will educate others you know and encourage them to foster or adopt as well.
The job of a rabbit foster parent:
You provide love, support and tender loving care to foster rabbits while they wait for adoption. You provide a secure foster home and a sense of stability. You provide the proper food, shelter and housing to meet the rabbit's need. Fosters work with the rabbit to help the rabbit become even more socialized and adoptable. Fosters keep the rabbit's area clean and reinforce litter box training. Your job is to make sure the rabbit is safe, well cared for, protected and loved. What a wonderful job!
Monthly email reports about your foster bunny:
As a foster parent, you are asked to let Heather know how your foster rabbit is doing each month. A simple email to director@therabbithaven.org is fine. Fosters check for accuracy of photo and write up on our web. After you begin fostering, make sure your foster bunny has a picture posted. If your bunny is not there or a write up change is needed, let us know!
Transport:
Foster parents transport their foster bunny to adoption shows when it is their turn: You are asked to make arrangements to have your foster rabbit shown when it is their turn. You are notified by email of rabbits to be shown at our adoption shows.
Medical care:
Fosters watch over the foster bunny and let the director know if you have concerns that your foster bunny may be ill. Together we will locate the proper medical support. You do not pay for medical care.
Medical Foster sites:
Medical fosters are trained to provide medical support needed by a specific Haven foster bunny. Medical fosters give medications, monitor rabbit's temperature, injury or condition, take their foster bunny to veterinary appointments and report to the executive director about progress and needs. Medical foster families work closely with the veterinarian and medical staff caring for their foster bunny.
Infant Rabbit Care:
The Rabbit Haven needs special foster sites to care for newborn litters and their mothers, as well as orphaned baby rabbits. Rabbits often give birth in shelters and require immediate rescue, and stray babies without mothers are also common. We will teach you how to provide support for both the babies and their mothers, as well as give specialized instruction on how to care for orphans. Once the babies are old enough to be separated from their mother (usually 8 weeks) the males and females will be separated. We will help you determine the gender of your babies and provide everything you will need to give them the best of care. The Haven will cover the costs of spay/neuter for mom and babies once the time is right.
Foster families are encouraged to join in other Rabbit Haven activities. Ask how you can be involved. Thank you so much for your love and support of Rabbit Haven Foster Rabbits. If you are interested in fostering, please complete our foster site application and email it to director@therabbithaven.org.
Heather R. Bechtel director@therabbithaven.org (831) 600-7479