Bunnies Need a New Home

[eckbrat]

I didn’t know where else to turn to. It’s becoming more and more clear to me, that I need to give my bunnies away to someone who can care for them better than I can. I was hoping I could use this forum to see if anyone would be interested.

I have two bunnies. I have a boy Siamese Lionhead Dwarf named Sammy, and a girl Lop named Willoe. They are cagemates, and very much bonded, so I’d hate to separate them. They are also both fixed (spayed/neutered).

I suppose I’ll go ahead and give you the details on them.
Sammy is about 5 years old. He has a history of pasturella, and almost died from it. He had been very healthy until recently. He has stopped using the litterbox in the cage, and seems to just pee wherever he is. For this reason we started using pine bedding in the bottom of the cage. He still is very active, and binkies quite often when he is out of his cage. He’s also very docile, so I don’t think he’ll be a problem around other rabbits as far as temperment goes. We did have to separate him and Willoe while he was being treated for an intestinal infection, and he got very depressed. This is why I really don’t want to separate them.

Willoe is about 3 years old. She’s very nice to Sammy, but not so nice to anyone else. She hasn’t had any history of health problems, and also binkies quite often when outside her cage. She’s a happy bunny. She just doesn’t want anyone touching her stuff, including Sammy.

I really hate to have to give these two up. My husband and I moved to the big city from the country. It was fine having them out in the country, because they could run around outside. Now, they are pretty much just stuck inside the cage inside our apartment. My husband and I both work full time, and I’m attending college on top of that. There’s simply not enough time to spend with them anymore. We also added a puppy dog to our family and, while her and Sammy get along fine, Willoe is terrified. I just want a better life for them, and I want someone who is willing to take care of the burden of Sammy’s occasional illnesses. He’s a very good boy, and I love him to death. I don’t want someone to give up on him as long as he’s still showing signs of being happy. He’s fought too hard to just let go.

Please respond to this if you’re interested. You can even contact me via email at eckbrat@gmail.com. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio so I’m very close to Indiana and Kentucky. I’ll even be willing to meet someone half way.

Pictures:

Sammy

 

Willoe (a much younger Willoe)

[BinkyBunny]

OH, I am so sorry that you are having to give them up. Most of us do have house bunnies inside, as well as other pets etc. You will also find a few of us on here who have bunnies that have chronic illnesses too. There might be a way that people who have full lives could suggest a way for you to keep them and enjoy them. With bunnies that may be more messy – Xpens are also great way to limit their freedom while giving them exercise.

I know how hard it is when there is so much going on in our lives. I work so many hours, every single day, and even though it’s out of my home, I am working in the home office and/or our store a minimum of 12 hours a day. Now I know people think, well you work from home, you are right there with the bunnies. That’s true, but it’s not the same as giving them the attention they need. So I find ways to fit it in. In the evenings, I will turn the webcams off and just hang out in the bunnyroom and pet them. I have found it seems to help me slow down more than anything. If I really am frantically busy, then I will take my work into the bunnyroom, or if they have come out into the living room, I will take my evening work and sit on the floor there and pet them, while work.

On crazy crazy days, I give them things to play with and be distracted with. They have each other and so if their life can be enriched with fun stuff to do, then that will also be helpful.

Would there be any way you may reconsider giving them up? IF so, what would have to happen in order for you to keep them?

If you do decide that giving them up is the only route, then I wish you the best in finding a responsible caring owner who will take them on. I would absolutely refuse to separate them, as that can cause such depression in some bunnies they may go into stasis. It will already be hard for them to get used to change, but if they have each other, that will make the whole thing much easier. So I really encourage you to stick to your guns and keep them together no matter what.

[eckbrat]

My heart could handle it much better if we were to keep them. I’m so emotionally attached to Sammy. Maybe I’m jumping the gun, even though this thought has been going through my mind for some time. I’ve been through so much with Sammy. He was given a 50/50 shot at life not long after I got him because of his pasturella. It was a long 6 weeks of antibiotics and steriods to bring him back. I just can’t see someone else doing that for him if he happened to relapse. I just thought that if I were to find someone who would be willing to take them both on, and that I trusted them enough to fight along side Sammy, then I would go for it.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I think you should reconsider giving away your buns. Like Binky Bunny mentionned you could set them up an x-pen and they could get exercise and play when your busy/not home. These can be bought at petstores and are pretty affordable.

The problem with giving away bunnies is that you never know who’s hands they may end up in down the road.

[eckbrat]

I’ve wanted to get them a pen to hop around in for quite a while. We live in a rather small apartment, however, so there’s not really anywhere to put it.

My husband and I figure we’re probably going to end up just making do for the next 5 to 6 years, until we buy a house. Then we’re going to make them a nice outside area to hop around in, and maybe even devote a sunroom to them for the winter months.

I just hate when they’re all cooped up, and attention-giving time is limited. When I was still living in the country with my parents we could have them outside on long leashes to make sure they didn’t get near the road. They loved being outside. I just worry they miss it. I know I do.

 

[BinkyBunny]

Oh…Another thought! Since you have limited space – what about a creating a nic condo? Check out the Cool Habitats section and click on the cubes.

Rabbits by nature sleep and lounge during the day, and are active in the am and evening which really fits with people who work the 9 – 5 schedule, but if you find that the xpen really just gets in the way when you are there, you may just put it up while you are gone, so that they can play and get exercise and you are not having to squeeze around a pen. You can also put things to keep them busy – chew toys, tubes etc.  There is great stuff you can you can make – check out our toy test section with homemade toy ideas.

Note: I find xpens much easier to clean then condos, but there are many here that have tips and tricks for cleaning the condos.

I also know you are worried about your new puppy. They are alot of work! Here is a great link from the House Rabbit Society about how dogs and rabbits.   http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/dogs.html
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-7/power-plays.html

Now, I know that because you have a bunny who has ongoing problems due to pastuerella, it is important to keep the stress level down, so you just will have to feel your way with this.

Again, check out the cool habitats section and keep us updated.   Whatever you end up doing, we too want to support you in getting the best care for you bunnies.

[eckbrat]

We are fortunate that Sammy literally has no fear. Mollie (our puppy) is a corgi, and is a herding dog. She’s always trying to herd the bunnies when they are out. Sammy just ignores her and goes wherever he wants. Mollie will be up in his face bouncing around, because she’s excited the “fuzzy toys” are out of the cage, and Sammy will sit there and start cleaning. Poor guy wouldn’t make it a day out in the wild.

Willoe is the one who I think is going to have a heart attack if she has to deal with Mollie too much. For her sake, Mollie gets put in the bedroom when the cage is getting cleaned, so Willoe doesn’t spend all of her time running around the apartment and fighting Mollie. She just doesn’t understand that Mollie isn’t going to eat her. >.<

I’m sure as Mollie grows up, she’s 16 months old now, she’ll get better at understanding.

[MooBunnay]

I think she’ll start to follow Sammy’s example soon and learn that Mollie won’t hurt her. I currently have 7 bunnies in my apartment – and my husband and I both work full-time as well, and I am working on my CPA in addition, so I know what you mean about feeling guilty about not having enough time! However, I don’t know that re-homing is the best route, because it sounds like your bunnies have had a lot of opportunity to bond with you, and will probably have a difficult time adjusting to not being with you.

The NIC condos are a great idea, I use them for all my bunnies (all my bunnies are strictly indoor bunnies as well, so don’t feel guilty about not having somewhere outdoors for them to run!) And I set up an ex-pent for my bunnies to run around and play in.

Just remember that by providing your buns with a healthy life, by loving them, and by caring about them, you are providing them with a much better life than many many domestic buns get! I think it would be sad for them to lose their home with you since you clearly care about them and their well being.

[eckbrat]

Those NIC condos ARE cool. I want to go to Office Max RIGHT NOW.

I told my husband about it, because right now the bunnies are just in a cage with a plastic bottom. They chewed the plastic “upstairs floor” to pieces. Anyway, he just said that they are so lazy, they probably wouldn’t care.

He doesn’t love my bunnies as much as I do. He loves the puppy too much. I suppose that’s a guy thing.

[Beka27]

i would stick by your guns and make the NIC condo. they might just be lazy now b/c they aren’t being given the opportunity to play very much. they are 3 and 5, which is by no means old… they have many good years left, so you should try and make the most out of it. i think you’d be surprised how much energy they can regain with having a few levels to hop to, and some fun toys to play with. also, this might really help to renew your interest in them… they’ll be like all new bunnies! i will say that i’ve never found NIC grids at Office Max. i get mine at Target, also Wal-mart has them.

if they have a good home with you, i’d hate to see them go somewhere in which you’ll have no idea the kind of care they are receiving. unfortunately, i don’t think your husband’s attitude is a “guy thing”. it’s quite common for people to get a “real” pet (cat or dog) and promptly forget about their bunnies. so many rabbits are abandoned and that is a very real reason why. just b/c you have a puppy now, does not mean your bunnies are suddenly “lesser” pets. you need to make that clear to your husband. explain to him that yes, it would be easier to put all the time into the puppy, but that’s not fair to the animals we’ve already made a commitment to. and you can successfully have both.

welcome to the site, by the way. i do hope you’ll stick around!

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