About a year ago I was fostering my first litter of all white ruby-eyed rabbits. Jeremy and I were staying at my mom’s house while the bathtub in our condo was being renovated, so that included bringing the seven wee ones and our two dogs along.
The wee ones camped out in one of my mom’s spare rooms and every so often I’d see her sitting on the ground next to their cage having chats before she’d go to bed.
“This is the quiet one,” she’d tell me, holding one of the little babies.
I tried explaining to her they’re rabbits...they’re all quiet. But she insisted the little rabbit she was cuddling was THE quiet one.
Okay.
***
The time came for them to go back to the shelter to find their forever homes, and as we stood in the small animal room, Momma clung on to one little ruby-eyed rabbit.
“Not this one,” she said. “Not the quiet one.”
That night six little rabbits returned to the shelter and one came back with us; she had apparently already found her forever home. My mom named her Annie. She’s still very quiet. And she is the inspiration for this page.
This is my space to share with others what I’ve learned over the years and share best practices when it comes to all things rabbits -- celebrate the quiet ones.
If Annie is The Quiet One, then who manages all of this?
I'm so glad you asked! My name is Sam Tungul and I am the one behind the scenes snapping photos, recording videos, and putting all of this together so folks can learn as much about rabbits and keep their buns happy.
Almost five years ago I started volunteering at my local shelter in Fairfax, VA and through their foster program I discovered I really enjoyed fostering rabbits. Despite our robust foster program, resources, and support from the community, I felt like there weren't nearly enough fosters for the small animals. I was also amazed by the fact that rabbits are the third most popular companion animal, yet there's a shroud of mystery around these hopping personalities.
The Quiet One is a passion project of mine to highlight rabbits in shelters and rescues, teach what I've learned over the years, and encourage more people to foster these amazing animals. They may be small and they may even be quiet, but they are also dynamic and charming.
I dare you not to fall in love.