Walks near the lake in El Dorado, California, often came with little glimpses of wildlife, so Mathilda was used to seeing animals along the way.
But this was different.
During one stroll, something tiny and furry caught her attention from the dirt. It was wriggling, small enough to miss, and strange enough to make her stop right where she was.
Curiosity brought her closer, but the moment she realized what she had found, that curiosity turned into something much more urgent.
Mathilda understood that this little life was not something she could simply admire from a distance and leave behind.
She knew what needed to happen next.
A Tiny Life Left Behind
As Mathilda leaned in, she recognized the creature as a rabbit. Something about its behavior felt unusual.
Then the rabbit made the first move. “She came up and asked me to pet her,” Mathilda shared in a Facebook video posted by The Dodo.
That simple gesture made everything obvious.
This was no wild rabbit; it had clearly been a domestic pet, abandoned and left to fend for itself. Its eagerness for affection reflected the loneliness it had endured.
Tugged by compassion, Mathilda decided to bring the rabbit home to Los Angeles. At the veterinarian’s office, her concerns were confirmed: the rabbit had no microchip.
Mathilda adopted her immediately, giving her the name Honeybun, though she quickly became known as Bun Bun.
Providing this gentle rabbit a safe, loving home felt like the most meaningful part of her day. Yet life had another surprise in store.
An Unexpected Addition To The Family
Shortly after settling in, Bun Bun began behaving oddly. “She started ripping out fabric, nesting a lot, gaining a lot of weight,” Mathilda said.
Mathilda initially wondered if she was overfeeding her, but it turned out there was another explanation.
“The next thing I knew, I just saw three little feet popping up from underneath her belly,” she recalled.
Bun Bun had been pregnant all along. Overnight, Mathilda’s household expanded unexpectedly.
Despite the unexpected turn, Mathilda was thrilled. “I felt so proud,” she said. “I was really happy just looking at them.”
As the tiny babies grew into playful little rabbits, Mathilda’s affection multiplied. Managing four energetic bunnies was challenging, but the experience only strengthened her bond with them.
The experience also inspired a new ambition.
“Having these bunnies in my life has made me want to foster more rescue bunnies in the future,” Mathilda said. “And even start a rescue.”