Bunny Buddies Mocha and Joe, by Katherine Erez
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
Back in 2013, we adopted our first rabbit from the Peninsula Humane Society/SPCA. His name was Bob Stanley and he was a treasured member of our family for 11 years.
Bob had many endearing qualities like running up to you and pulling on your pant leg with his teeth when he wanted pets. Or greeting us at the door when we’d come home from work. Or standing on his hind legs and asking for a pet. One of the saddest days of our lives was when he passed away of old age in June of 2024. He had stolen our hearts and we said, “No more rabbits. Although an amazing experience, we don’t think we can go through this again.”
Filling the Empty Nest
Our resolve lasted about 6 months. We realized that we missed having rabbits and decided to sign up with Pets in Need to be a foster family. It was great having bunnies in the house again ─ a foster bunny named Coconut, a foster bunny named Pretzel, then no bunnies for a while until we got a call from PIN, “Would you be able to foster a mother with newborn babies?”
Mocha had been found as a stray just before Easter 2025, and when PIN workers came to work on Easter morning, they discovered that Mocha had given birth to 6 “Easter Bunnies.”
After much research and guidance from Pets in Need, we felt ready to foster this new little family and they handed us Mocha and her newborn pink jellybeans in a box.
Mocha had been dumped as a stray so she was very shy and not trusting of humans, but she was a wonderful mom who knew exactly what to do for her babies. All we had to do was provide a warm safe place with lots of water and high-quality food (alfalfa hay, pellets), and she did the rest.
As the babies got bigger, they had no fear and would climb all over us, which gradually allowed Mocha to become more comfortable with us as well. When they were ready, the little family went back to PIN for spaying and each of the babies found their forever home. Left behind, Mocha became depressed at the shelter so we decided to foster her again. Then, after a couple of months, we realized that she had become an important part of our family and we needed to keep her. At that point, she was much more comfortable, and we didn’t want her to have to start all over again.
Mocha Meets Her Soulmate
Rabbits are very social animals and do much better when they’re in mixed gender pairs rather than alone. We decided to take Mocha to a Rabbit Haven adoption event to do a “meet and greet” just to see what would happen. Through a process of bunny speed dating, she let us know pretty quickly that Casper was the one. We took him home with us, changed his name to Joe Burrow, and they have been absolutely inseparable ever since.
Although they are the sweetest “bunny besties” ever, each has a very different personality. Joe isn’t afraid of anything ─ hopping up stairs and climbing all over us. Mocha, on the other hand, is still pretty shy. While Joe is extremely affectionate and will come up to us for pets, Mocha is still a little cautious. He has a big personality where she’s the introvert in the family. That said, he’s been very good for her. She’s lost a lot of her fear and is slowly coming out of her shell.
Adding a Rabbit to Your Family
If you’ve been a successful cat owner, you should be able to add a rabbit to your family with little trouble. They are warm and fluffy, playful and affectionate, gentle and sweet, and can be endlessly entertaining. They’re not cage animals like guinea pigs or hamsters. They can have the run of the house, have a place where they sleep at night, and they use a litter box, “just like having a cat except for the hops, the twitching nose, the shorter tail, and the longer ears.”
“There’s something very satisfying about helping a rabbit who starts out too terrified to come out of hiding transform into an affectionate and trusting addition to our home. We’ve loved watching Mocha let go of so many of her old fears. When we first got her, we could hardly touch her, where now she lets us rub behind her ears and cuddle with her.”
"I would also like to give a shout out to Pets in Need. Throughout our whole journey, they’ve been there for us every step of the way.”
To learn more about Pets In Need and see their mission in action, visit PetsInNeed.org or follow them on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petsinneed1965/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsinneed1965/
You’re also welcome to visit their shelters in person at 871 5th Avenue in Redwood City or 3281 E. Bayshore Road in Palo Alto.
Come meet their adoptable pets any time, and consider giving a loving animal "a place to call home.”
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