Please try not to worry.

When corn kernels become popcorn,  the corn kernels burst because the starchy contents expand when heated. A bun will survive eating pop corns. It’s not an ideal food for buns, but its not outright lethal. It’s very wise to avoid feeding rabbits whole dried corn kernels, but I have a bun who lived on rabbit muesli mix with, among other things, dried corn kernels, for several years before he came to me.

It is very difficult to have high anxiety. If its at all possible for you to see a councellor about this, I think you should. If you give up your rabbit, your anxiety may be relieved for a short period of time -but it will most likely return, just regarding something else.

I’m not qualified to give mental health advice, but I think you should try and talk to a professional about this.

It’s very natural to have mixed feelings about things — she helps your anxiety when you watch her binky and hold her, and at the same time, she seems to be a big source of anxiety right now. There’s a lot that goes into taking care of a pet rabbit, and if you feel you may not be able to take care of her right now, I would recommend rehoming her. That being said, not being able to take care of a rabbit right now does not mean you are a bad person, an incapable person, or anything like that — it’s simple valuing and respecting yourself and your current situation and experiences, if re-homing her is what you feel is wise to do. There are many ways you can rehome to ensure your rabbit is going to a good home. Communicating with your local HRS (house rabbit society) chapter can be a great way to connect to rabbit-experienced folks who can provide guidance and support, if you choose to give your rabbit a different home. As a volunteer for my local HRS chapter, I know first-hand that wonderful people need to rehome their rabbits for reasons that do not make us judge them in a negative way.

I also recommend taking time to get support for yourself, outside of rabbit advice. If you’re in the US, psychologytoday.com has resources to find professionals near you, if you feel you’d like that support. Anxiety can impact a lot of things in our lives, and if you feel it’s interfering with your ability to live a good life, getting support can be a really great next step.

You’d be very surprised how hardy rabbits can be! My rabbit Bunty almost devoured whole brushes that were made of rubber! I was so sick with worry but her behavior, appetite and poops hadn’t changed and she turned out fine. Our newest addition to our home has fur mites and it’s caused so much anxiety for me. But I always think of what I can do to help my rabbits and do my best to keep them healthy. Speaking as a bunny parent, we try our best to provide the best care to our bunnies but sometimes things happen that are out of our control. As long as you’re taking the proper precautions and are aware of potential dangers then that’s all we can really do! If you notice anything strange, or out of character for your bun, it’s best to take her to the vet. But if you’re worried about something she ate, just examine her poop (which is weird to say but definitely helps). If it’s changed in texture (diarrhea) or she doesn’t poop at all within 4 hours of ingesting the popcorn, then I would take her to the vet for a scan.

Do examine the poop! It’s actually not weird at all for bun owners 😀 We’re all pretty much obsessed with bun poop!

If there is no poop for 6-12 hours (during the day, when most buns aren’t very active, there may not be any poop because the bun system is in resting-mode, which is completely normal), it’s time to contact a vet. You seem well aware of what to do in a situation like this – extra hay, fresh greens, fresh water. You can serve the greens freshly rinsed and dripping wet, and if she eats more hay if you hand feed it, do hand feed it.

There is no way to bunny proof a room to 100%. This is true, but it is also true for pretty much everything in life. The control we humans have is limited. All we really can do is do our best, and the rest is out of our hands.

It is very difficult to lose a pet. I’d say it makes most of us feel guilty, feel we could have done more, that we dropped the ball and maybe caused our pet to die. This is however how our brains work, regardless of whether we are at fault or not. You seem like a loving and highly concientious pet owner. That is what a bun needs. They really don’t ask for anything else.

Bunnies are tricky little creatures, because they can be quite fragile in some ways, but they are also incredibly resilient and adaptable. It is very hard not to feel guilty when a rabbit passes, but try not to beat yourself up. Rabbits can die suddenly and young for many reasons, through no fault of the owner.

One thing that might help your anxiety is to have a really good bunny first-aid kit, and have a check-up with your vet to go over her health (that way you will be in their system in case she gets sick and needs to be seen). It could include things like simethicone, critical care, syringes, a thermometer, and fluids (could be pedialyte or there are some products just for rabbits now). Your vet might even be able to prescribe some metacam to have on hand in case of emergencies. This will help you feel more prepared in case something happens.

Whenever I think something might be up with a bunny, first I do the treat test (I offer some food, starting with fresh hay, then a fav green, and then if they don’t eat those, I offer a favorite treat to see if they take it). If they take the food (esp the hay) I know all is well. If they turn down favorite foods, especially the treat, I will give a tummy rub and simethicone. Depending on how they handle that and how long it’s been, I might syringe some fluids or some watery critical care. Sometimes they just uncomfortable from a bit of gas or maybe are molting, and a little extra help can prevent stasis. When they eat something weird (like a popcorn kernel for example), encouraging hay and water is the best thing to do.

As for bunny proofing, it’s hard to do everything 100%, but the best thing to do is supervise when you allow her into a new space. You can do a sweep before letting her own, where you check to see what’s on the floor that she might be able to get to. Some bunnies always need supervision because they are constantly finding new things to chew, others settle down and are fine to have unsupervised free-roam.

As others have said, there is no shame in rehoming, but it also sounds like you really love her. I think looking for some support from a local HRS chapter would be nice as well.