Am I crazy?

[angoralvr]

I was at the local mom and pop pet store yesterday when I decided to check out the small animal room. BIG MISTAKE! They had two cages of rabbits. In one cage was about seven or eight baby dutch bunnies. They were adorable but VERY skittish. Then in the cage next to them is a GORGEOUS grey mini rex. They have them in some of the larger bunny cages with solid floors which is good but they are using wood shavings for the bedding. I asked the women back there what kind it was and I don’t remember the name of it but it is not one of the bunny safe ones, just plain cedar shavings. The poor rex is such a sweet bunny too. He came right over to the side, he assumed the pet me position right away and even chinned me! I wanted to take him home right then and there and had he been a she I would have had another bunny! He has been there for several months now and even though he was only born in July, he is getting passed up for the babies, She said they are going to "get rid" of him if he doesn’t find a home soon. I don’t even want to think about what that means! Would I be completely insane if I went back and saved this bunny? I have enough room that I could have him separated from Henri. I know a male to male bond is harder but I am willing to give it a go. Would I just be supporting the stores selling bunnies? I really don’t know what the right thing to do here is.

[Sarita]

This is a difficult question.

Doing rescue work, I always want people to adopt a rescued rabbit first but I also want people who purchase pets to make a wise decision and not end up purchasing a pet on impulse and then regret it – which is the reason so many animals end up at shelters.

That being said, would you be getting this rabbit for the right reason? Had you had intentions to get another rabbit (you certainly know how to care for a rabbit and you know what to expect with rabbits having one currently so that’s not an issue). You have to be careful that you don’t let your emotions get in the way and it’s possible the petstore owner was playing on your emotions by telling you they would have to "get rid" of this rabbit if he isn’t purchased.

Would you be insane to get this bunny – not at all, he would have a good home but I think you need to really think if this would be the right thing to do for Henri and for yourself. After all even rescuers cannot save every animal and have to know their limits too.

[angoralvr]

I was already planning on getting another bunny yes. But I was intending on getting a female for Henri. I wasn’t thinking about getting another bunny for me really I just think Henri might be happier if he had a bunny friend to run around with. That being said, there is no way I could know for sure that Henri would bond with this bunny but can I garauntee that with any bunny?

[Sarita]

No there are never any guarantees with bonding – males and females usually are the easiest but males and males can happen too and do quite frequently. The nice thing about rescues is that you can bring Henri in for “dates” which you cannot do with this rabbit so that is something to consider too in your decision.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Angora, I really admire the big heart you have for thinking about bringing in another animal out of the goodness of your own heart.  Did the owner say what she meant by "get rid" of the animal?  Maybe she intends to just give him away to a friend or family member.  Sarita made some very good points and it very well could have been a way to get you to buy him. That aside however, ideally I too really like for people to adopt their animals and "bunny date" at a shelter for pairing.

What are the reasons you want the rex?  Is it because you really love him?  (I think the resounding answer is yes.) Is it because of the guilt trip the gal at the store is giving you? You might want to write down the reasons and compare them. As for "rescuing" him, that could be a yes or a no. He could be headed to a shelter to begin with but on the other hand, yes you are helping her "business" of selling rabbits and pet overpopulation.

I too would love to take in every bun that I see, and would like to rescue them all.  However there are some other things to think about: Would you be prepared to keep him for life in a separate cage and area from Henri if it does not work out? Are you financially able to take care of him, especially if he gets or is sick? Are you able to afford to have him neutered right now? Do you have the room for another cage?  Is there anyone else in the house that needs to be part of the decision? From what I recall you have quite a few cats. How will they react to another animal in the house? The addition of this guy would mean another litter box and a cage to clean and it may stay that way if he doesn’t bond with Henri. Are you able to handle that possibility? Bonding can be very long and very frustrating, are you mentally prepared and have the time for it?  Do you have a neutral place try bonding? Do you have a set up for it?  Do you have the means to do so?

To answer your question no, there is no guarantee that Henri will bond with anyone but the chances are much higher if you take him to a shelter.  There would be a variety of personalities to try him with, not to mention the bunnies there would already be fixed, litter trained and ready to go.  Whereas you’ll need to wait to try him with Henri.

I know I haven’t given any yes or no answers because this is a decision that you need to make on your own and take some time to really think about all the "what if" scenarios and if you are willing and able to accept any possibility that comes up and have the means to do so and not resent or regret the decision of getting him and bringing him home and finding out the hard way it wasn’t such a good thing.  But on the other hand, it could all go well too.  I like to advocate preparing for the worst and if things are better, great!

Anyway, I hope this helps you make the right decision for yourself and please let us know what you decide!

[Gravehearted]

I would echo the same advice shared by Sarita and Scarlet_Rose. At every adoption show we work, I fall in love and have a hard time not wanting to adopt at least one bunny. There are some bunnies that just really get to our heart and I could see how that could happen with this poor pet store cast off bunny. But obviously, we can’t take in every bunny that pulls at our heartstrings or else we’d have 50 bunnies by now! I think you haver to really consider if bringing home this bunny is the right decision for you and Henri. It may well be that they will be able to bond, but it is likely to be hard work. One thing to consider is if they won’t bond are you willing to house them separately? My bunny Hareiette simply will not bond with anyone, so she lives by herself. I think it’s just going to have to be a decision that you’re really going to have to take some time to think about.

[angoralvr]

Alright. I know you guys are right. I shouldn’t jump into getting another bunny. I do want Henri to have a friend but that is really the only reason I was even considering another bunny. I should wait until Henri is fixed (should be getting done next month) and then take him to the shelters with me so that he can help pick out his new bunny. I think that part of the reason I was so gung-ho about this little boy is because he was so sweet. I am sure there are plenty of sweet girl bunnies out there that would love to have a fluff ball of a husbun though.

Is there anything that I can do about the conditions for the bunnies in the store? I have my packet of information from the House Rabbit Society, maybe if nothing else they would make the fliers available to people wanting to buy one of their bunnies.

[Gravehearted]

I’ve found some pet stores are very open to rescue groups and posting of literature.
Others, however care more about the all mighty dollar then treating the animals well 🙁 It can’t hurt to talk with them, since it may help.

[MooBunnay]

Hello I know – its very tough to pass up the bunnies in the pet stores. My boyfriend has to always go into petstores first and if he sees any bunnies he herds me through the petstore in a path that will prevent me from seeing them or else I start crying! I think you made the right decision though, it would be much less stressful for you AND henri if you can take him on some dates and make sure that you can get him a companion. Having unbonded male bunnies is very tough because it often causes an eternal poop war (trust me, I have unbonded male bunnies ) and then they BOTH will be living without a companion. Also, in addition to searching for girl buns at rescues, you can look for girl buns at the city pounds, these buns are often really at their last chance as I have found that often bunnies are not treated equally with dogs and cats at city pounds and are not given as much time to get adopted, so there is that route as well. I know how hard it is to pass up ANY bunny, but it really will be a good thing for you and Henri to find him someone he really cares for, especially a rescue or shelter bunny!

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