I wasn’t exactly sure if this topic would fit into this forum category but hopefully I can get some advice. I am going to do my best to describe this situation in all fairness. I will admit I do not know the situation behind closed doors, but I have observations.At the basis of this post, I am concerned for the animal in this situation, as pet owners we are often a voice for the voiceless. I am deeply concerned this animal is not being properly taken care of.

I have a friend who has severe mental disorder issues. She tends to need to be taken care of and very easily is overwhelmed to a point where she cannot function. Over a year ago she got a rabbit named Kili. When Kili was very small she was kept in a cage. My friend went through the process to get her rabbit approved as an emotional support animal to live in the dorms with her during the school year. After getting all the papers signed and whatnot, we both went into our second year of college, living in dorms. We did not live in the same building. I only saw her rabbit a few times through out the school year. While I cannot assume directly the care of the rabbit behind closed doors here are my observations:

As the year progressed Kili obviously grew to a nice large bunny size! However she remained in the same cage. Our dorms at this school were tile flooring, which isn’t good for bunnies to grip and run around on. She was mostly kept in the cage. If she came out, it was a slippery time on the floor. This obviously creates pent up energy, depression and even anger in rabbits. My friend described that sometimes her rabbit would thrash around in the cage restlessly. Her claws never were trimmed because my friend was too afraid to do it. Vet visits, few and far between. I understand that one reason her rabbit did not get out much was her roommates had a hard time with the smell of the rabbit. However, my friend did not do well to clean her litter or cage often enough. A spayed rabbit should not come with an awful scent! That being said, in her own room at least, she should been able to but down a sheet or fleece blanket for the rabbit to run on.

This summer she moved her rabbit into a bigger pen. However that’s about all the progress that was made… Kili was rarely ever out of the pen. I am assuming this mostly based on that my friend told me she didn’t really enjoy having her rabbit out, plus I never received pictures or videos of Kili outside of her pen. Additionally my friend now works, which means less time to take the rabbit out of the pen. She resorted to digging in her pen and chewing and making a racket. My friend said she was losing sleep to all the noise. I was told Kili had toys. But I know from my own bunny. just because you have toys doesn’t mean they’re being played with. Bunnies can be hugely picky. Some would rather have social play than toy play. So what I am observing is a rabbit that is not being exercised, played with, or interacted with on a positive basis.

If the lack of exercise was not alarming enough, what really is digging at me is the fact the rabbit is being blamed. My friend often says things like “Kili isn’t doing her “job”” or “She is causing more stress and harm in my life than good. She is supposed to help me!!” It is scary to think an animal is at blame for a job it is somehow supposed to have. She no longer looks at this animal as a pet to love and care for but rather something whose job is to help her mental illness and take care of the human. Pets do not have jobs. At the end of the day a rabbit is a rabbit. The truth is for all rabbit owners, we know that with this particular animal comes the work and play that rabbits require. My friend does not have a positively constructive way to deal with her emotions and I am afraid she may be projecting these negative feelings on to her pet. Rabbits do not understand human language, they will not know what they did wrong. And in any case, digging and chewing and pent up energy are all natural rabbit behaviors. We cannot get angry at animals for being animals.

So I got a message on snapchat: “I can f****** do this anymore I need to get rid of her!!!” I offered to come pick up the rabbit and care for it, and possibly rehome it as a second bunny for me (I would then have two spayed females). However my friend has since then not contacted me or replied to any of my messages. I don’t know what to do. I want to help Kili. It just is not fair.

I know it is a sensitive issue. And it must be hard for her to get rid of her pet. I also understand what it is like to have a mental illness. I have depression and anxiety.I understand myself what it is like to be stressed, but I don’t know if it is right to coddle someone who is wrongly projecting emotions and their illnesses on an animal. At the end of the day, there is an animal that is not being given what it needs. I am worried about the anger being directed towards the animal. It is hard for me to know that out there, there is someone who looks at their pet and doesn’t feel love. It is also scary to think that an animal is being projected to have some “job” which, other than possibly a dog that you can train, animals do not have. I know I need to remain respectful and sensitive towards my friend because she has deep issues and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I just can’t stand here and let an animal be mistreated. What should I do? What should I say? How can I make the best of this situation and help my friend and her rabbit so both are in healthy situations?