Seriously, as much as you love him – rehome him. He needs to be part of a family where he is completely loved (he deserves that), and he needs to be in a home where the people that are (financially) responsible for him actually care about him. Enough to actually get him vet treatment. If it is dental trouble, he’s likely in pain. The fact they think that’s okay is dispicable. Your parents, quite frankly, are irresponsible and just cruel (“he can stay in a cage all day”, “can’t let him out for more than 30 mins”) Honestly that’s just unacceptable. Their attitude is disgusting.

Yea I agree with sarah. Even if you have the will to take care of the rabbit and are willing to do whatever the rabbit requires, sometimes you just can’t make ends meet. I hope you can find him a loving home.

Like Sarah said, as much as you love him, rehome him. It’s unfair that your parents bought him for you and don’t take proper care of him. If it was a dog or a cat I guarantee there tone would be different. Why have spend the money to pick him up from a breeder and get him neutered, to not even get him a basic checkup. I know you care about Toby, but honestly if I adopted that attitude about my boys Bombur would have already been dead with his numerous health issues. I think when you’re old enough to be financially responsible on your own, you will make an amazing bun parent to a lucky bunny.

You are a GREAT rabbit owner. You care and are very knowledgeable. If only you had the means to do as you wish. Unfortunately you don’t and are not in control. And you live in a house where the parents don’t put much value in the lives and quality of lives of other living things (or so it seems, might be harsh). They seem to have that, “they are just animals” attitude.

I don’t know every little detail about your situation or their’s. But because you are so aware and knowledgeable about what a rabbit needs at the minimum to have a life of reasonable quality it sounds like it would be in Toby’s best interest to rehome him. And again because of your knowledge I think you would be able to be very careful and choosy as to who gets Toby to ensure that he gets the life he deserves. And even if you don’t get to control who gets him, you are still giving him the opportunity to have a life he deserves. Don’t think this reflects negatively on you in any way. Quite the contrary. You are being selfless and putting his best interest at heart. I’m sure it isn’t easy (understatement). But if what you say is true, (“A rabbit can stay in a cage all day” “You can’t let it out longer than 30 mins”) and there is even more that you can’t mention. I think the answer is obvious.

When you are on your own and have the means, you will no doubt be one of the best bunny parents ever because of your first hand experience. There are some buns in the future that have no idea how lucky they will be.

Such a heart-breaking scenario. This is sad to hear, but this must be really sad for you and tough for your bunny. I am sorry you are going through this. I agree with G&J that you are a great rabbit owner, but are dealing with things that are currently out of your control. We did have one member on here before who was able to convince her parents to change – resistant at first, but she showed the information – printed out info and they came around. They also realized that the rabbit could live for more than 10 years and realized it was a long-term commitment, like a cat or dog. But because your bunny has tooth issues, (and these can affect his gut/digestion which I believe you noted he had in a previous post), then this is more urgent. AND it can also add challenges to find someone to adopt him knowing that ongoing teeth maintenance is needed. But you have to be honest with the potential adopter so Toby can be sure to get the care he needs with someone that is ready to take it on.

So here are my suggestions: Contact the local House Rabbit Society — there is one just 30 minutes away from Atlanta. https://www.houserabbitga.com/

Rabbit Rescues rarely take in bunnies from people – they take in 11th hour bunnies (bunnies that are at risk for being euthanized) from city shelters. However, being that your bunny would be considered a “special needs” due to malocclusion and your parents refusal to pay for the dental care (and most likely this dental issue will be ongoing — not just a one time trim), they may take him in.   If they say they are over-crowded, you could see if you become a “Foster” and foster him while they find a suitable home for him.   And even if you find someone, as you foster, HRS would still be in charge of the adoption process, screening and would receive the adoption fee. This way, they take care of the medical bills, but they don’t have to spend money on housing him.   You couldn’t keep him forever as a Foster, otherwise, they are just paying for your animal companion – so he would have to be adopted out and you have to be actively helping with that. I think if you approach them with that attitude and goal in mind, they MIGHT be able to take him on to find a new home. It’s worth a try.

In the meantime — Whatever you do, if you do this on your own, do not put an ad for him as “free” even though he has tooth issues. People looking for snake food look for “Free” rabbits.

Also, if the HRS there can’t help and you do have to do this on your own, it will take time for you to find the right new owner that will care about your bunny as much as you do. So are there any odd jobs, for neighbors, school –  bake sales, weeding, errands whatever that you can do to earn extra $$ to pay for his tooth trim so he could be comfortable now (and adopter doesn’t have to do it right away and doesn’t have to worry about tummy issues from the start). —

Maybe, if you tell your parents your plan to find a new home, they will at least pay for the tooth trim to make him more adoptable (but be sure to be honest about the tooth issues with the potential adopter — the fact they are trimmed is not to fool anyone, but just to give you more time to find the right person).

Once your bunny has the right home, if you still want to be around bunnies and have access to transportation or someone driving you, maybe you can volunteer at a local Rabbit Rescue like the GA HRS. That way you can be around many bunnies that could benefit from your amazing self and you could help bunnies in honor of your Toby.

I am so sorry you are going through all of this. I know this is and will be hard.

And I couldn’t have said this any better – G&J quote: When you are on your own and have the means, you will no doubt be one of the best bunny parents ever because of your first hand experience. There are some buns in the future that have no idea how lucky they will be.

I’d just like to clarify that I agree with the others – you are a great owner and when you are old enough to have your own finances, it is clear you’d be able to give a bunny a very loving, wonderful home. But you don’t have the means to do that now (not your fault at all) so do what is best for Toby.

I really feel for you and your situation. But I think, like the others, you should try to rehome him. I would def do as BB suggests about contacting HRS. You don’t want to wait until he needs emergency vet care and you are unable to provide it. All bunnies will need emerg care at some point. If you can’t convince your parents to let you take better care of him, the responsible and loving thing to do is find someone who can.

I’m sorry to hear your parents haven’t come around . I know how much you love Toby and how much he loves you in return. I wish they would see/understand that. If there’s no way to convince them to pay for his immediate medical needs, finding him a new home sounds like the only option. I’m so sad that it has come to this, but you have tried so hard and as others have said it’s even harder when things are out of your control (ie. living under your parent’s roof).

The fact that you post every single day shows how much Toby is loved and cared for. I’m sorry it has come to this, and the others couldn’t have said it better. It’s a sticky situation and you tried your best. There are so many things to prepare both mentally and financially before getting a bunny (my hubs even set aside a yearly budget just for bunny expenses), and obviously your parents did not expect this. I wish you all the best in this situation and hopefully Toby gets to find a new loving home.

I’m sorry to hear about your situation. It’s really heartbreaking to think about rehoming a pet. I wish you and Toby all the best.

It also seems like the vet you called is at least knowledgeable about rabbit tooth trims, (and that is a good sign), so you could ask to speak to the vet and tell him/her your predicament. Ask the VET to call you back. They may be helpful. They might be able to put a flyer up for you to find a new adopter and the vet might even know someone interested and/or help you work out a payment plan. It doesn’t hurt to try. They may not be helpful – (not fault of their own – just busy and get many similar cases to have to turn away) but even if that happens — The worst case scenario is you are just back where you started, right?

That’s great that you can have him in a room with you but that still doesn’t solve the issue of your parents being too cheap to provide proper vet care.

May 15th is over 3 weeks and this potential dental issue has already been going on too long. Either get him to a vet NOW or rehome him. There are NO excuses whatsoever to delay seeking vet care.

Unless your parents decide that, actually they should be responsible for the life of an animal THEY bought/allowed to come into their home, Toby is better off elsewhere.

Hello,
I am familier wit your situation. I’m glad you talked to your parents about it. I have a couple things to recommend:
First thing first, I don’t know your bunny’s exact health situation, but if he is not ill, waiting for the vet may be a valid option. Again, I don’t know the situation, definitely consider rehoming if he needs immediate attention.

Secondly, don’t be too hard on your parents. Try to look at it from their perspective, not everyone has the same background with pets. It’s frustrating they won’t pay for things for the bunny, but remember they care about you!

I think it’s great you have worked things out to give it a try! Just don’t delay if you think rehoming is the best option.

I kind of have to agree with Sarah. As awesome as it is that Toby finally has the room he needed, he still isnt getting the proper health care. He needs to see a vet asap and theres a chance a lot more money will have to go into him/his health in a quick amount of time. Your parents are still not willing to do that (as shown by forcing you and Toby to wait until mid May or later for much needed vet care). Even if they pay for the check up, they wont pay for a tooth trim. Teeth very overgrown can cause pain (sometimes extreme amounts for the bun) and can cause stasis if the rabbit stops eating. An emergency vet + stasis care + tooth trimming is much more expensive than the ~231$ your parents are refusing to pay for right now. A shelter will be able to give him the immediate care he likely needs.

Remember, rehoming is done out of love and care for the animal.

Is he still eating OK? From my understanding, you don’t know if he really has a tooth issue or not. I guess I should find the thread where you’re talking about it.

Hmm I’ve always had the impression that the main issue was that your parents aren’t willing to pay for important rabbit expenses…which means having an extra room doesn’t help the situation?

I find it’s really better to rehome him now rather than later. You mentioned you are still in middle school, which means it will be quite a number of years until you are able to be financially independent or have a place of your own. Discuss with your parents if they are willing and ready to pay for Toby’s expenses until then – if they aren’t willing, then prolonging the rehoming really doesn’t do much.

If you really insist on waiting, then I’d say wait till he gets to the vet. If he has teeth issues or any other health issues, I doubt you’ll be able to keep him for another 2-3 months anyway because your parents would be unwilling to pay for his long term care.

You’re in a terrible position, in that any informed decision you make in the care of Toby is controlled by your parents, who can immediately gainsay whatever you do.

It’s an untenable situation, and in the end Toby is going to suffer for it. The best thing you can do is find him a loving home, get him into it, and put off rabbit ownership until you’re in control of your own money and environment.

Heartbreaking for you, to be sure, but its what’s best for Toby.

i think it would be okay if he sayed by himself, as I have a bunny that lives by herself. you just need to make stre you play with him alot. Absolute minimun I would say let him out and play with him 1h + per day. that’s about how long i play with my little bun.
Hope I helped

I think it’s better for a bunny to be kept solitary if you can’t afford to have another one. The vet bills and overall costs will automatically double and by the looks of it, one is more than enough for your parents.

They don’t normally 100% NEED another partner, but it’s always good to have one. The bonding process will take some time too so if you don’t have enough time to spend on bonding + money for two, then it’s better to scrap the idea instead of having to rehome two bunnies later on.

You also need to be very careful when you discuss these things with your parents. I’m not sure how your discussions go, but try to avoid strongly persuading (i.e. “forcing”) them to do things your way. Make sure they are actually understanding it and doing it willingly rather than just “giving in” because you have been pestering them so much about it. I say this because a lot of times when the parents just give in and issues start to pop up later, you may have to go through this whole “arguing with parents” process again.

Buns are very social so they do great in pairs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be happy as a single . All buns need mental stimulation/environmental enrichment, cage-free time, etc. This is even more so when a bun is going to be a single because he won’t have another bun to interact with. He will need loads of time with you and/or other animals. I believe the recommended minimum is 3 hours a day? So, if everything with your parents works out and Toby gets moved upstairs so you can let him out/spend more time with him, then it’s ok if he stays a single as long as he shows he is happy being a single.

You shouldn’t even be thinking about another rabbit when your parents don’t care about the one bunny you have. The minimum outside of cage time is 4 to 6 hours. Even that I personally don’t consider ‘good enough’ when you think that there’s 24 hours in a day…That still leaves a long time for bun to be cooped up and if he’s lonely too…Just breaks my heart.

If you* can’t give your rabbit an adequate amount of time out because you don’t consider it a priority, you shouldn’t have a rabbit. It’s that simple. People need to stop getting rabbits simply because they want one when they know they can’t provide it with what it needs. Who suffers? The rabbit…

*I’m speaking generally here, not actually aiming this at you  The out of cage time is more important for the poor bunnies that live in pet shop cages

If you’ll be in the same room with him when you are studying, maybe you could let him be out of his cage the whole time you’re in the room since he’ll be supervised (assuming the room will be bunny-proofed)? You could also take 15 minute breaks and spend some floor-time with him . On days when I work remote, I usually take a few breaks to give Luna some undivided attention…especially when those breaks are prompted by her jumping on my lap .

I feel bad for you. I have a bit of a similar situation. My parents have the “they are only pet” sorta attitude. “School is more important than the animals” ummmm no! My bunny got GI Stasis, “Dad, she needs a vet!” “We will see how she goes” is similar to what I get. So can I just say something, it isn’t really on topic, but I am shocked that you didn’t understand the fact I didn’t have much time with my bun when you have a similar situation that is worse? I know you love your bun, I reckon see how everything goes and decide from there. If Toby is still unwell, then it is probably best to let him go  I am so sorry about your situation, I would be so devastated. I really do hope it all works out for you!

Sending my prayers,

Bree

Oh, and also, I am also told I worry about my bun too much. I know how you feel. It sucks 

About your bunny only allowed 30 minutes a day out of the cage, I was wondering if your parents would let him have an X-Pen, if he is in there you won’t have to bunny proof the home, but bunny proofing a home does not always look ugly, if you and your parents think an X-Pen would be a good idea maybe if your birthday is coming up you could ask them to buy one instead of whatever you usually get for your birthday, or they buy you one and take your pocket money each week until its paid off, or find a weekend job, maybe you could ask your parents if you could help an elderly or disabled neighbour sort out their garden or do some ironing and save that money for your rabbit, but if you wanted to do that you MUST talk with your parents first, so they know the person you are working for is a good person and not dangerous, sometimes carers are looking for people to help do little jobs, like someone may have a disabled son or daughter, or even partner and might like someone to go round at the weekends to clean the kitchen, or maybe an old lady might like someone to go and get her newspaper and bread, whatever money you earn you can put it in your moneybox or in a savings account at your bank, its just an idea, but I’m the sort of person where an animal is for life, bunnies are like children, we have to do what is right for them, last weekend I was ill, I had to take Olly to the vets, but I really wanted to sleep, if I had gone to sleep he could have died or got worse, but as I say animals are for life, like having a child, you can’t just give them away, but that’s me, I would have a chat with Mum and Dad see what they say about a weekend job to pay for what your bunny needs, I do hope everything works out well for you and Toby.