MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
Becky and Gary are therapy rabbits in training. They had their first visit to a local senior center last week. I'm not sure who had more fun, the rabbits or the people.
Therapy Rabbits in Training
- Thread starter MiniLopHop
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LakeCondo
Well-Known Member
How great. I love the idea.
gmas rabbit
Well-Known Member
Great photos, love that Becky was so relaxed she was snoozing in a couple of them. Good thing they are small rabbits, can you imagine a flemish giant or french lop in a basket. lol Everyone seems to be really enjoying the whole experience.
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
LOL yeah, Sophie would have been killing me.
Bunnies in Baskets is a great orginization. They have been so helpful in getting us prepared for the visits.
Bunnies in Baskets is a great orginization. They have been so helpful in getting us prepared for the visits.
patches2593
Well-Known Member
omg the grey bunny is adorable!!!!! what type of bunny is he/she???? my bun could never stay in a basket or let people hold him. i have enough trouble trying to hold him and im his most trusted person!!! ughh
Samara
Well-Known Member
AWESOME. Props to you and your buns!
So cute. Serena would be good as she's a lap rabbit and loves to be rubbed. Only problem is she's an 18 pound Checkered Giant.
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
patches2593 wrote:
Becky is a mini lop. She loves to cuddle.
omg the grey bunny is adorable!!!!! what type of bunny is he/she???? my bun could never stay in a basket or let people hold him. i have enough trouble trying to hold him and im his most trusted person!!! ughh
Becky is a mini lop. She loves to cuddle.
ZRabbits
Well-Known Member
Brandy, you are amazing as well as your bunnies. What treat you give to those elderly when they hold your bunnies. It IS such a good therapy. I know, I've seen it with children. In my eyes, you should be awarded the "Golden 10 Bunny Ear" Award.
Wishing you all the best. You ROCK!
K
Wishing you all the best. You ROCK!
K
audrinasmommy88
Well-Known Member
This is great!!! Do they do this in my area? I would love to do this with Olivia!!
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
Oh Karen you made me blush. Thank you
Rachel, they are on-line. Your vet fills out a form, sort of a health and temperment certificate. So it doesn't matter where you are! Check out their website, it really is great. It's helpful because a lot of places won't let you visit unless you are certified and this also covers you with liability insurance just in case. There's lots of educational reading and responses you have to complete, but it is wonderfully informative. I like their approach of compassion for your buns as well as the patients.
For example, I had a visiting session planned for Tuesday of this week. Normally when I put the carrier down, a little tickle and the buns hop right in. For some reason that morning when I put the carrier down Becky thumped me and ran under the dresser (her burrow). I talked to her and she thumped me again. I was not going to force her to be social, she didn't want to go. I called and post poned. The next day I tried again and she hopped right in. Go figure.
Rachel, they are on-line. Your vet fills out a form, sort of a health and temperment certificate. So it doesn't matter where you are! Check out their website, it really is great. It's helpful because a lot of places won't let you visit unless you are certified and this also covers you with liability insurance just in case. There's lots of educational reading and responses you have to complete, but it is wonderfully informative. I like their approach of compassion for your buns as well as the patients.
For example, I had a visiting session planned for Tuesday of this week. Normally when I put the carrier down, a little tickle and the buns hop right in. For some reason that morning when I put the carrier down Becky thumped me and ran under the dresser (her burrow). I talked to her and she thumped me again. I was not going to force her to be social, she didn't want to go. I called and post poned. The next day I tried again and she hopped right in. Go figure.
audrinasmommy88
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for the info Brandy. I am going to look into doing this. This is great
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
Great! Let me know how it goes
And it's easier to keep them in the basket than it seems at first. Just give them a few treats in there at home, then the difference of location keeps them in.
And it's easier to keep them in the basket than it seems at first. Just give them a few treats in there at home, then the difference of location keeps them in.
blinkrawker
New Member
Hey there, I am so very glad I found this thread (and this forum! : ) I have two 2 month old bunnies, Hawkbit and Buckthorn. Or Hawk and Buck for short. (I named them after characters from Watership Down.) Their momma is a New Jersey Wooly and the daddy is supposed to be a Californian, although none of the babies looked anything like him.
Anyways, back to the point. I have been wanting to use bunnies for therapy just like you are. Have been researching it for months and I have found very little online.
Almost everyone I've talked to about it acts like it is the most stupid, far out idea they've ever heard. I know it can done, I just need a few tips on how to get started.
I'm handling my boys every day so that they are tame and hopefully not quite as skittish and will be used to being petted.
When my late grandmother was in a nursing home I used to take my dog and my late cat to visit her. She loved it and so did a lot of the other patients. However I noticed that so many people were scared of my dog. My dog is too big to be sat on someone's lap, and my kitty, who was perfect for therapy visits, passed away shortly after my grandmother did. From my research it sounds like bunnies are perfect. they are small enough to be held, or sat on someone's lap. They are seen as fragile and cute and most people are not afraid of them.
Shew...sorry for being so long winded. Just so excited that I found this forum and hoping you can give me some tips on how to get started. I no longer live in the same state so I am not sure if the nursing homes in my area will accept therapy pets of any sort.
Thank you so much, and your bunnies are adorable. : )
Anyways, back to the point. I have been wanting to use bunnies for therapy just like you are. Have been researching it for months and I have found very little online.
Almost everyone I've talked to about it acts like it is the most stupid, far out idea they've ever heard. I know it can done, I just need a few tips on how to get started.
I'm handling my boys every day so that they are tame and hopefully not quite as skittish and will be used to being petted.
When my late grandmother was in a nursing home I used to take my dog and my late cat to visit her. She loved it and so did a lot of the other patients. However I noticed that so many people were scared of my dog. My dog is too big to be sat on someone's lap, and my kitty, who was perfect for therapy visits, passed away shortly after my grandmother did. From my research it sounds like bunnies are perfect. they are small enough to be held, or sat on someone's lap. They are seen as fragile and cute and most people are not afraid of them.
Shew...sorry for being so long winded. Just so excited that I found this forum and hoping you can give me some tips on how to get started. I no longer live in the same state so I am not sure if the nursing homes in my area will accept therapy pets of any sort.
Thank you so much, and your bunnies are adorable. : )
LakeCondo
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum. More & more people are recognizing the usefulness of therapy pets, so I hope you can find places to visit.
blinkrawker
New Member
Thank you! I'm getting extremely excited about this. : D I'll have to upload some pictures of my bunnies too, although I don't have any really good ones yet.
Also I found the website that was mentioned and have been researching it. It sounds really great and I'm going to keep socializing my babies and find a nice basket I can use. Plus contact the BIB organization.
Also I found the website that was mentioned and have been researching it. It sounds really great and I'm going to keep socializing my babies and find a nice basket I can use. Plus contact the BIB organization.
Nela
Well-Known Member
Goodness, look at Becky! What a sweetheart!
wendymac
Well-Known Member
What a wonderful, wonderful service you're doing! And love the sleeping bunny pics. You can tell that both the buns and the people enjoyed themselves. Kudos to you!
Paddy Ohara
Well-Known Member
gmas rabbit wrote:
I do this with my flemish but we do not use a basket, we use a wagon along with harness and lead. She loves hopping around and will visit room to room too. I do need to post some photos.
I do love the photos. They are naturals and the people get so much enjoyment out of it.
I do this with my flemish but we do not use a basket, we use a wagon along with harness and lead. She loves hopping around and will visit room to room too. I do need to post some photos.
I do love the photos. They are naturals and the people get so much enjoyment out of it.
MiniLopHop
Well-Known Member
I am so excited that we just completed our training! Now I'm just waiting for our badges to come
I think Becky and Gary really enjoy the experience as well as the humans. When I put their carrier down they hop right in, ready for visiting. Now I am just trying to set up some interesting places to go. There's a school for the blind I would like to visit as well as the hospital.
Bunnies in Baskets have been so wonderful working with us to make sure the buns have a safe experience as well as the people.
I think Becky and Gary really enjoy the experience as well as the humans. When I put their carrier down they hop right in, ready for visiting. Now I am just trying to set up some interesting places to go. There's a school for the blind I would like to visit as well as the hospital.
Bunnies in Baskets have been so wonderful working with us to make sure the buns have a safe experience as well as the people.
