Ahhh, I am so sorry everyone is so stressed! But, you really have to do what is right for you and your bun. Can you write an email, express your regret and tell them it is just not working out in your home. It really should not result in any confrontation or disapproval. I assume you are fostering for a rescue and if it is a reputable one, they will most certainly understand. Maybe in the future you could try fostering a neutered male, it might go a bit easier.

I have done a lot of fostering (dogs mostly) and it is very hard to bring a strange animal into a home. There is a time for adjustment, but after 4 weeks, I would say you gave it plenty of time and there is still no peace. I had a foster who was biting (dog) when he got scared. Us and my other dogs. He came from a very abusive home, had no upper top teeth and was a mess. I saw it through for about 2 weeks and then it just was too darn stressful. I told the rescue the reasons I was not seeing it through and they understood. I tried my best to work with him by making him feel secure, proper discipline, etc … but I really feel he was beyond help.

At any rate, I hope it all works out for you. Do not feel guilty for giving the foster bun back. You are being a good bun by doing what is in the best interest for your bun kid!

Can you change litter, put down food etc when she isn’t in the cage? Sometimes buns get cage aggressive, its just one of those things. IS she spayed? If not, that could really explain it.

Will you stop fostering after this then? Ideally, you would have an entirely separate space for your animals and the fosters, like a different floor of the house or a dry, warm basement. You don’t want your existing rabbit to even know there is a second bun in the house.

Not all rabbits are perfect (I’ll even go so far as to say NO rabbit is perfect… they all have at least one little quirk), so stopping fostering based on the fact that the rabbit has issues that need to be worked out doesn’t make sense to me, but it is your home and your time, so if you cannot do it, I respect that and the rescue should as well. I’d caution you against taking in another foster tho. You cannot expect to only receive perfect buns. Rescues need people that can commit to caring for an animal for as long as it takes to place them, and if the next rabbit has “issues” too, the back and forth is going to be more time-consuming for the rescue than just finding a different foster from the get-go.

I don’t foster, I feel I would get too attached, AND my house is way too small (only one floor, no basement) to provide an entirely separate area from my rabbits. Fostering isn’t for everyone, so it’s commendable that you tried, but if it’s not for you at least you found this out sooner rather than later.

Agree with Beka – it is great that you want to help out by being a foster, but it sounds like your current living arrangement doesn’t fit with it. I would reconsider being a foster. You really need a separate area to keep the rabbit you are fostering in, because beyond the fact every time you bring a new rabbit into the house your rabbit will be stressed by a new intruder, there is a risk of disease transmission. You really don’t want them playing in the same space, or being able to reach each others cages. Troubled rabbits with behavioral issues that need trained out are very common, a lot of buns that are dumped off at shelters or rescues are easter giveaways, or pet store bought childrens pets. They never learned proper behavior and most were not well socialized.

I’ve fostered and had my own small rescue which was fostering and it’s never ever easy. I did have a dedicated room especially for my fosters like I do with my fosters that are now my own because they never got adopted so they are now my rabbits.

So having a dedicated room is really a must to make this arrangement work.

As for the behavior issues – well, I’ve never met a perfect rabbit and I’ve had to work on having my rabbits trust me. Let’s face it, not even a rabbit you get from a breeder or a pet store is going to be perfect and some rescue rabbits aren’t either (although many more are).

I agree with Beka too because I’ve been the person who takes back the less than perfect rabbit many times – if you cannot commit to this rabbit, don’t expect perfection from the next one – it will be a never ending cycle.

Your foster rabbit is aggressive because she is fearful – fear aggression is the only kind of aggression a rabbit will have and it does take changing your behavior to help get her to trust you. Working with a fearful, distrustful rabbit can be frustrating but making a connection with one can be very rewarding.

Maybe you can help out in other ways like going to a rescue to provide care, setting up a schedule to help an established foster with tasks, or if a local rescue has adoption or fundraising events, volunteering to help with that.

Perfect rabbit? hahahaha! (says me, who was up until 4 am dealing with cute little fur balls aka Tillie and Toby, who insist no matter what I do they **MUST** get behind couch!)

I don’t think OP is looking for a perfect foster rabbit. My take is she was just stressed out at the moment and needed to vent. Fostering is certainly not for everyone. And despite a slight inconvience to the rescue or whomever she is fostering for, it is okay to admit it not working and to “throw in the towel”. She should not feel guilty. She already mentioned she has a fear of confrontation and disapproval. Fostering IS stressful, but it can also be very rewarding. But when it doesn’t jive with current living arrangements, then so be it. Lesson learned

Thank you for the update. It’s very sad when one rabbit has to be “chosen” over another. We can’t save them all, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking. Do they have other fosters who might be able to squeeze in one more? And if/when they take the other bun from the kill shelter, there will be another replacing it shortly.

Ah, that was rough of them to say this. I’m sorry. Don’t take that on board though, if they are die-hard rescuers they might take your foster and the one from the kill-shelter or work out where that one can go. Beka is right. We can’t save them all or feel it’s our responsibility too. Quickest way to becoming a burnt out wreck if we think like that.

They said there was a prospective adopter? What happened there, did anyone come see your foster?

I completely agree with luvmybunyhuny’s last post. You should not feel guilty. You were up front in the beginning and have been up front in telling them it’s not working. In my mind, you have done them a service because from feedback you can provide, they get a better picture of what will work for this rabbit in future foster homes or finding her the most ideal forever home.