advice needed

[jakep]

being a student, having a part time job and having a social life has really taken the time out i get to spend with baxter. he lives out sidde in our garage and hes still well taken care of but he doesnt get the time out of his cage he needs because i am always so busy. my parents used to let him like 6 hours a day and have free run of the house but he has recenty being distructive and he chewed a nice big hole in their carpet so hes only aloud in my room and im rarely home so i barely do that. so i need some advice. what do you do in these situations? would it be the right thing to do if i gave him up to some one resposible with more time ? i just dont know what to do .

[Monkeybun]

Sounds like he’s bored. Distract him with toys, phone books, boxes to play in, stuff he enjoys besides chewing holes in carpet.

[Karla]

Having a pet should never involve feelings of guilt or lack of time to take care of it. Having a pet should be fun and giving, and should be something you prioritize to have the time for. If you don’t find you have the time now, you won’t find the time for him either once you are finished with school and off to a full-time job and perhaps a family. It is a sad situation for you, and a sad situation for Baxter, who is lonely and bored.

If you know that you can find a good home for him somewhere else, I think you should try to do that. But make sure it really is a good home. There is no shame in giving up a pet, if you no longer feel that you can take care of it the way it was intended. I actually think it is so much better when people realize this and in return give the pet a much better life.

I was just wondering – is he neutered? And how old is he?

If you would like to keep him and you know for sure that you can take him with you once you move out and you really want to do so, I would suggest that you find a friend for him and provide him with a bigger area in the garage, so that he can have fun on his own, lots of exercise and no more alone-time.

Also, does he have any toys and cardboard boxes – both in the garage and in the house? It is natural for him to have the urge to chew and dig, so if the carpet is the only thing that he can destroy, then that is why he does it. So, find something else for him to chew.

[Sarita]

Can you bring him inside? He must be lonely out in the garage.

[Beka27]

If he was in your room, you’d at least be able to let him out in the morning while you were getting ready, and in the evening when you were relaxing or doing homework. Sometimes the issue with having bunnies in the garage or basement is “out of sight, out of mind”. If you saw him in your room everyday, it would be a reminder that he has to come out for some exercise, even if it’s limited.

[Andi]

I’m with Beka.
Yes you have a busy life, everyone does, but sometimes we have to make priorities to the lives we decided to take on. Try new toys, and/or a new location to house him, where he can see people and what’s going on everyday. That may help him feel less lonely, and hopefully when he is out stop him from being distructive.

If you’re thought of finding a home is in giving him up to a shelter, I want to just make a comment on that (If it’s not, then this does not apply). I volunteer with a rescue group, and have found that people who say they don’t have enough time for their pets seem to think Volunteers at a shelter do, honest truth, shelter animals probably get even less attention then one in a home with a busy owner.
If you can find a loving home on ur own, then that may be the way to go, but these homes and far and few between, any shelter will give him food/shelter/medical attention, but most likely not excersise or regular one on one attention.

It may take some time to work with your schedule, but there are ways to let your bunny get some excersize while you are home, even if it’s just an hour or so. I let a pet out when i am cooking/eat dinner, or watching some TV. If I am outside doing yard work, i also let mine out then too (in a pen). It’s not everyday, but whenever I can.
Now if i can just move my computer out of my office and into the bunny room, i’d be set :p

[HatterBunny]

Also, if he is in your room, you could let him out for exercise while you are doing your school work. That way you are spending time with him while still doing the work you need to do.

[Monkeybun]

And me the bunny addict would say that you could take an hour out of your social life now and then to play with your bun too

[Sarita]

I totally agree with Andi about shelters and rescues – they won’t get any more attention there and it will probably be less.

Hopefully you will consider bringing him inside and remember you schedule will not always be so hectic.

[FenFen]

I know where you are coming from as I am a senior in college and am in the lab recording at night. I have to second what HatterBunny suggested and have him in your room so he can play in the morning while your getting ready if your able to. Also a little bit of your social life can be diverted to the bunny. Bring people over and hang out while he plays. My one friend loves watching FenFen play and spoils her rotten.

[jakep]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I try to get him out of his cage as often as I can but I find it hard to get the time and that’s the reality.he Is neutered he’s 3 years old. Giving him up would be a total last resort cause I do care very much for him but it’s not like I can just drop everything foe him, you know what I mean. It just sucks for him cause he does get lonely. I put boxes and news papers and toys on his cage to brighten him up a bit but he only really enjoys exploring the house but he blew that by chewing the big hole in the carpet.

[BinkyBunny]

I think the fact you care about the emotional well-being of your bunny is very telling. He is lucky to have someone that cares about his welfare and wants him to be happy. So I bet you could still make a wonderful bunny companion if you are able to switch some things around. I know that the college schedule, plus work and social can get nutty, and that’s exactly what we always warn people about when they are thinking about getting a bunny prior to college —-as it is up there on on the list as to why bunnies are given up (actually not uncommon on the surrender sheet at shelters).  So I think Beka’s idea of bringing him inside to live in your room may help with making sure he gets the kind of care you want him to have.

And just echoing what others are saying–A lot of people are working, go to school, have kids, and/or are busy with many things. We can go through periods in our life where it’s just plain chaotic! But rabbits have a pretty long-life span and so normally for 10 years we won’t be fully crazy busy that whole time, and so during the most busy times we can give them toys and things to entertain themselves with some love sprinkled in every day. Lately I am having a very hard time just finding a moment to grab a meal! I clean the bunny area every morning which actually helps with time, because by taking 15 minutes to do it everyday, it saves me time in the long run (otherwise, playing catchup can take even longer in the long run). I then hurry and get their food and provide clean water, give ’em scratch on the head and am off and running until I can relax more in the evenings and spend time with them….even if I am busy working on stuff then. Though lately, I’ve been working until very late too.

At least you could give it a try, and if it doesn’t work out then you could go through with your “last resort” plan”

Note: If you do bring him into your room, you may want to get an xpen so he can have more exercise and yet your room can be protected. Some sheet vinyl flooring underneath the pen can prevent damage from carpet chewing and litter box mistakes.

Anyway, just some things to consider.

Good Luck and keep us updated.

[Author]

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