My Boyfriend's Mother's Rabbits

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 9sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 17 years, 8 months ago by Scarlet_Rose.

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- 07/04/2008 at 4:10 PM
  Lightchick
  Participant
  1017 posts
  What with all the moving of messages, I don’t know where to post this, so I apologize if this is in the wrong place…
  
  One of the reasons I adopted my bun Lizzy was that I met my boyfriend’s mother’s rabbits, and they were so fun and friendly and active… I’d never had a rabbit before, but I wanted a pet, and none of the types I’d had before (dog, horse, rat) were appropriate for some reason or another. So I got Lizzy, and she’s obnoxious, and I love her…
  
  But I WORRY about my boyfriend’s mother’s rabbits! Their names are Thumper and Flower. I had no idea that their care was so haphazard when I met them, because I didn’t know anything about rabbits at the time. But the more I read, the more I just want to steal the both of them to give them better care…
  
  According to rumor, Thumper’s a boy, and Flower’s a girl. I don’t know where this info came from. They were acquired from a Pennysaver ad about 3 months ago–2 rabbits w/cages $25, sort of thing. I doubt they’re fixed. They live in separate cages next to each other…outside. In northeastern San Diego county, where it’s easily 100dgr during the summer. They’re under an awning, but still…
  
  When I was getting ready to adopt Lizzy, and started reading up on rabbits, I noticed that these two live on pine chip bedding (ack! ALL of my pet rats when I was a kid probably died from living on that stuff, but we didn’t know any better at the time! In 1990, there wasn’t this much internet-access or exotic-pet-info out there!). They don’t have any hay. They live on pellets. My boyfriend and I bought some hay for them, and I told his mom, “oh, yeah, I was shopping for my new bunny, and thought I’d grab some for you, too.” She thanked me, and said, “they really like making nests out of it.” !!!
  
  She grew up on a farm of sorts, and my boyfriend grew up with her having bunnies and chickens and pheasants and horses and dogs and…on and on and on. She knows animals, apparently. And here I am, the 1 month owner of a bunny, and the care, or lack-there-of, that her bunnies receive scares me, but who am I to say anything?
  
  My boyfriend (their whole family lives in different houses around the same courtyard, with the bunnies in the courtyard in between), now gives them frozen water-bottles to try to keep them cool, since I read that suggestion somewhere. But when I left his place this morning, Thumper was moving around (needed more hay, DESPERATELY wanted a pet and to be let out…but there’s no place to let him out to…they maybe get out of their cages 1-2 hours a week on a cat-harness…), but Flower was in hiding in her igloo. As she was last night when we got home at 11pm. She hadn’t touched the lettuce we left for her. Thumper was out of hay; Flower’s house was full of it, as though she hadn’t touched it in days. Pellets untouched.
  
  I called my boyfriend at work, in tears, rambling about GI Stasis and Flower on her death-bed, and about how if Flower died I was stealing Thumper (would have to get him fixed, bond him with Lizzy, who’s a hand-full on her own, and I KNOW NOTHING! I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ONLY 1 MONTH!). He called his mother, and she came home and moved Flower inside and turned a fan on her and sprayed her with water, and they say she is eating and doing better…
  
  Holy cow. I can’t tell my bf’s 60-year-old grew-up-on-a-farm mother that she’s abusing her rabbits when I have 4 weeks of experience, but it WORRIES me!
  
  My bf is super-supportive, and if he thinks I’m a nut-case, he doesn’t let on. He says he’s going to tell his mom that if she doesn’t move the buns inside, then he will…. But his little back-house isn’t big enough for 2 buns and a person…
  
  It was a frustrating morning… Sort of just venting…don’t know what to do about it…
- 07/04/2008 at 4:26 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  Oh what a dilemma you are in! I would be going crazy too. Does she even like the rabbits? Maybe you could approach her and say even though you are not an expert you have learned so much information that you would like to share it with her. I know how hard this is but you and your boyfriend should talk to her. If you don’t you will wish you had. The rabbits deserve a better life than this and they are certainly not being fed correctly and certainly should not be stuck in a cage outside. Hay is the most important part of their diet as you well know. I feel for you. You just need to be brave and talk to her in a positive way without being critical. Maybe she would give them up to you? Oh good luck and please let us know what you decide to do.
- 07/05/2008 at 8:33 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  first of all… breathe. i know it’s difficult b/c you only have one month experience, but you can try to share your knowledge with her. does she have internet access and would she be willing to come on this site? if not, you can print out some of the bunny info pages from this site, or some articles from HRS. all you can do is try to politely educate her. do it in a way where you are just sharing what you’ve learned. you could say, “i’ve been learning a lot about how to take care of my bunny. i read this article, and i know you don’t have the internet, but i thought you’d find it interesting.” don’t hound her. don’t threaten. see if the conditions begin to improve. keep us posted on how this goes.
  
  i am very glad they are not housed together. this is a very important thing for obvious reasons. but female buns have a very high risk of cancer (80-85%) if not spayed by the age of 3. so i’m concerned about that as well. for now, see if she can bring them inside permanently and if she can improve the diet.
  
  i’m not sure if you or your boyfriend is in the position to help, but if you can buy a large 40 lb bag of proper litter and good pellets and hay… that’s a step in the right direction.
- 07/05/2008 at 4:51 PM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  I’m thinking you can use your new bunny-mom status as an excuse for a couple of “presents.” If you could buy her a copy of either “Rabbits for Dummies” or “The House Rabbit Handbook” (it’s really good but she might wonder why you got that one- the Dummies is more generic.), saying you are studying rabbit care and found they had great tips, particularly when it comes to health problems. She might pick it up at her leisure and learn from it without you having to tell her info. directly.
  
  Her son, bf, learning and caring for the rabbits is definitely a good step. With Beka’s suggestion you could always say you found a great sale on supplies for bunnies so thought you’d pick her up some too while you were at it.
- 07/05/2008 at 5:16 PM
  Tracy
  Participant
  108 posts
  …..just a point of observation but it sounds like Flower is pregnate. If she is making a nest in Her igloo? Does Mom let them out toghter on their leads? Just a little concerned about the way Flower is behaving…(deep sigh)
- 07/06/2008 at 8:50 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  ^^^i missed that, but this is a good point… do you know what she does?
- 07/07/2008 at 9:01 AM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Good point, they can get pregnant THROUGH a cage…
  
  bad situation, especially wth an in-law… Let us know how it progresses
- 07/08/2008 at 1:47 PM
  Lightchick
  Participant
  1017 posts
  Hi, all..
  
  Well, the bunnies were moved indoors after my paniced phone-call, which is a great first step! I have been bringing over “presents”…lettuce and hay and whatnot, saying that I was grabbing some for my Diva-Lizzy, and thought Flower & Thumper might like some, too…. But I don’t know if the bunnies are given what I’ve brought unless I do it (and I live 90 miles away…I happen to have a job down there this week, which is why I’ve been around so much…but after Thursday, they’re on their own again…). Mom & co. just don’t think of it. They think the bunnies are low-maintenance, in comparison to the dog and the cats and the grandchildren…
  
  My boyfriend tries his hardest to take care of them…I’m really grateful for all that he does, but I’m sure he probably thinks I’m over-reacting since he grew up with bunnies being taken care of just the way Flower & Thumper are…
  
  Flower doesn’t seem to touch her hay, which I don’t understand. I haven’t noticed her making a nest, but I haven’t been looking for it, either. I gave both the bunnies huge handfuls of endive this morning, and they both DOVE in! Which is great, because Flower wasn’t eating at all a couple days ago. She’s still pretty quiet…moves around the cage a little, but her coat seems awfully dull, and she seems pretty listless.
  
  Thumper is a trooper! Everytime I walk into the room, he flings himself at the door of the cage and begs for pets and treats. He MOWS through his hay…I can’t put enough in for him. I actually let him out to hop around the living room last night after everyone had gone to bed…I think it was the first time he’d ever been allowed out off of a harness…he was such a happy bun, I wanted to bunny-nap him!
  
  They only have one cat-harness, so I don’t think they were ever allowed out together, but their cages did used to be next to each other outside. Now they’re stacked on top of each other…
  
  This is going to be a pathetic question that will make you all sad…but should you be able to feel a bunny’s rib-cage without some serious poking? Lizzy’s a big old fluff-ball, and I have to annoy her by prodding at her to feel her rib-cage, but I can feel Flower’s ribs easily…
  
  I’m trying to pass on as much info in as much of a non-judgmental way as I can…wish me luck…
- 07/08/2008 at 1:55 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  I think the indicator for being too thin is being able to easily feel the spine. And I think you’re doing a fantastic job, of helping them without causing strife in the family. Excellent work and kudos to your boyfriend for helping too!
- 07/08/2008 at 8:10 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  Here is an answer from Dana Krempels that should answer your question about the rabbit being too thin:
  
  http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/Proper-Rabbit-weight.htm
  
  I think that what you are doing is wonderful and take it one baby-step at a time by adressing one thing at a time that is wrong with the care of the rabbit/the rabbits health. If you overwhelm, it seems like a lot of trouble for most folks and they either don’t want to bother or do not think it is worth it. Rabbits are often viewed as “stock” animals with little worth.
  
  Start with the most important issues like health and diet, work on housing (which you did as it was an immediate health concern for them). Also, keep it simple and condensed otherwise too much information can be a bad thing.
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