Had to move our bunnies into temporary foster, my landlord is awful :(

[DanaNM]

So, this is a very complicated situation that has built up over the course of the whole time we’ve lived here, but the summary version is that our landlord is actually crazy (like some type of serious mental illness, she already told us she had PTSD) and freaked out about some damage from the buns (some surface cosmetic damage to some baseboards and a built-in shelf). The rabbits are all in the lease but she is completely paranoid. She has been threatening and harassing us (she did 3 inspections in the last 2 weeks) and basically forced us to move the rabbits out of the house otherwise she would likely try to evict us over other minor issues. Normally we wouldn’t just cave to her, but we talked to an attorney and our lease super favors her, so if she did kick us out we’d have to pay all the remaining months rent and her legal fees, and even if she wasn’t successful in trying to evict us we’d still have to pay for her legal fees. 🙁

 

We were able to get in touch with the House Rabbit Network here, and they had some fosters that were able to take the buns temporarily. It kills me to have them not here, especially Bun Jovi. But, the foster who has Bun Jovi and Myra is wonderful at least. She has 4 rabbits of her own, is a vet tech, and has BJ and Myra is their own room. The situation for Cooper and Bonnie is less ideal, they are with one of the leads who already has about 15 rabbits at her house, so they are basically just in an x-pen and not getting very much attention. (I’m still very thankful for her though, because I was emailing late at night freaking out that we were going to need to go stay in a hotel with them). She tells me they have been bickering a lot and might need to be separated. UGH. 🙁 At least I know that if we have to leave in a hurry they are safe, because there was a minute where we thought we might have to stay in a hotel because we were afraid for our safety.

 

Anyway, this all pushed us to never want to rent again, so the good news is that is we are buying a house. We signed the purchase and sale agreement on Friday and can move in early January. So now we are just trying to lay low and get through the next few weeks. I will probably go visit Bun Jovi and Myra in a few weeks, but I just feel horrible being away from them. Bun Jovi has been doing great, but he’s also almost 13 so I feel like any day he could just drop dead. The foster is only an hour away so I told her to call me if anything ever seems even a little off with them.

 

This is all just one big UGHHHHHHHHH.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Susanne]

Oh my, that is just awful. It’s an absolute worst nightmare and so sorry you have to go through it. It sounds like she is just finding a reason to be in conflict, or just got one thing stuck in her head like you said and got too paranoid to handle it correctly/ logically. And dealing with someone with mental illness is frustrating since you can’t use normal reasoning.

I’m glad you found them a temporary foster, even though it’s far from ideal. If I was in the area I’d definitely help out. I’m so glad you have a date to get out, and get them back in the not-too far future!

[DanaNM]

Thank you <3

Yeah not being able to reason with her has been really hard. Every time I’ve tried to talk to her she’s accused me of being “hostile”. We knew things were really bad when she spent a whole day sending my husband pages and pages of texts about how she moved out here because her last neighbor tried to kill her son and that she thinks the neighbor is putting pine needles on the driveway (there are pine trees surrounding the driveway….). So now we don’t know what to believe. In the past I was thinking she was trying to harass us to the point of getting us to break out lease because she wants to sell the house (or just wants us to have to pay rent but not have to pay the heating bill). But then when all of this happened it made that less clear. In any case it sucks.

I do wish I could find a better situation for Cooper and Bonnie (I’m in Massachusetts for everyone’s reference). Cooper is used to having a lot of space to run so I’m sure them being cooped up (no pun intended haha) is not helping things with Bonnie. I told the foster to do what she felt best in terms of separating them if needed. I worry about Bonnie especially, she’s been through so much. 🙁

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bam]

That is a wonderful rabbit network to have, in this very stressful and totally unfair situation.

It sounds like the buns will be fine, and it’s great that you don’t have to worry about getting them out if things get even worse.

 

[DanaNM]

A crazy coincidence about the HRN here is that I’ve been reading their articles for years and never knew they were based in New England. AND, the lady who is taking care of Coop and Bonnie (who is a lead of the organization) actually advised me on bonding Bunston and Bertha about 10 years ago, before I was a member here. I had been having a heck of a time bonding them and someone on a yahoo group gave me her contact info. Such a small world huh?

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Susanne]

That is a funny coincidence!

I’m very far in Cincinnati, unfortunately. Poor Cooper and Bonnie..I know what you mean about how they get used to the space they have. Try to keep reminding yourself it’s very temporary and you’ll make it up to them!

[DanaNM]

Very true, I have the “it’s temporary” mantra pretty much on repeat in my head at this point!

And I will definitely make it up to them in our new place!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[GlennTheLionhead]

Aww no! Sorry to hear that, what a horrible situation to be put in!

It seems very  unfair about your landlord. That sort of thing is not often heard of in the UK if you go through a letting agency here the tenants is much more favoured and the landlord can actually get in a lot of trouble if they breach the clause of ‘You must leave your tenants to quite enjoyment of the property’ which is written into all tenancy contracts here, even if there is some minor cosmetic damage it still applies. So it is quite distressing to hear you’ve had to deal with that!

On the bright side what a lovely house rabbit culture there is in your area! Very lucky to have places that can take them in for you and keep them indoors safe and warm for you 😊 that’s one thing we definitely don’t have in the UK unfortunately.

Congrats on getting a house! It’s not too long now, the month will fly by and your will have a lovely new home for you and all your floofs with you. It will be hard with missing them but it will fly by! 😊 xx

[DanaNM]

We also have the “quiet enjoyment” clause here, we are definitely planning to take some action once we move out… the trouble is just that clause in our lease that gives the landlord power to just end the lease over whatever she wants basically. The attorney we talked to was like “you never should have signed this lease”. We had seen that section and thought, “we always pay our rent so what could be a problem?”. Boy were we wrong about that…. lesson learned!

And yes I am incredibly thankful for the network here, I don’t really know what we would have done without it. The only family we have in the area is my husband’s sister and she’s really allergic to rabbits so we couldn’t have gone there.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Susanne]

I would also assume someone wouldn’t literally use a clause like that for no good reason. If I end up renting again (which now I’m thinking never..) this is good information. I would have thought a landlord can’t legally do what she is doing.

It does just suck and is not fair. I don’t know all the paranoid disorders but almost sounds schizophrenic.

[ParsleyBun]

Ahhhhh….. sounds AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!! My advice: just repeat this inside your head over and over: What don’t kill you makes you stronger, I can survive a few more weeks. I honestly don’t think I could deal with that, but I’m sure you’re stronger than me!

[LBJ10]

Yes, it’s only temporary! I know it seems like a long time, but things will be OK. And I’m sure Cooper will get over it… although I know it’s hard when they are accustomed to certain things and then that has to change suddenly.

[DanaNM]

Thanks everyone!

And yes, for any of your renters out there, read lease agreements carefully and trust your spidey sense, even if you’re desperate to find a place like we were. When in doubt, have an attorney read over it before you sign anything!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[prince dorian the bun]

Ugh, that sounds awful!! I am so sorry, sucky landlords well suck. I am glad it sounds like you are soon going to have your own place and all be re-united. Hope that happens soon.

I also thought anything that was against rental laws was automatically invalid even if you do sign the lease, but there is so much that is by area so that makes it a mess.

[BZOO]

So sorry for your troubles.

About 7 years ago, we had to immediately move due to Mom, then Stepdad dying without wills.  We were supposed to be able to live there as long as we wanted.

Well, of course his felon children had the legal rights to everything.  He didn’t even like his daughter, called me his true daughter.

Anyhow, had to get out quick, so with a lot of critters, no where to go.

Ended up in a motor home parked at our friends and critters scattered everywhere, only two dogs with us.

All worked out, but that was a LONG four months.

The best part of it, a complete stranger agreed to watch my Aussie, Sara, no charge, and was close enough to visit often.  I now have a new friend.

Give your crew extra kissess when you next see them.

[DanaNM]

Thanks for sharing @BZOO , that sounds soooo incredibly stressful!

Thankfully I’ve gotten updates that all the buns are doing well. Cooper and Bonnie were bickering a bit at first but she says they’ve calmed down now. Bun Jovi and Myra are also doing great and I’ll probably go visit them in a week or two (and bring over a bale of hay).

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[BZOO]

Glad to hear they are doing well.

Stressful doesn’t begin to describe it.  Many break downs thinking I was going to have to give critters up!

Hey, maybe we should start a data base of members that would be able to help in similar situations?  Location and what critters we could care for??

[Susanne]

Glad to hear the buns are doing good in the temporary placements! It’s also great Cooper and Bonnie stopped bickering.

[DanaNM]

That’s a really great idea BZOO! I think we used to have a database of rescues as well, but a lot of the links aren’t valid anymore.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[prince dorian the bun]

Hope you and your buns are hanging in there @DanaNM!

[DanaNM]

Thank you! So far things are going fine. I’m hoping to go visit Bun Jovi and Myra soon. I miss them so much!

Everything is moving forward with our house! We are now “cleared to close”, so we are all set to sign the paperwork. Less than a month to go!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[prince dorian the bun]

So happy, a month is doable! I bet you miss them all so!

[Maria2022]

That is a great news DanaNM!! I did not realize you are going through this 🙁 , still you are helping other people.

Hoping your bunnies gotta see their mom soon 🙂

[DanaNM]

Thank you! I’m planning to go visit them in the next couple days!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Azerane]

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I can imagine how stressful it must be for you, not just for the rabbits but to not feel safe in your own home is a terrible feeling.

At least you have not long to go and you have a way out 🙂 I am so done with renting and want nothing more than to purchase a home so that we can have whatever pets we want without trouble, but we just haven’t been able to get ahead with a decent deposit. Especially in the current housing market.

[DanaNM]

Thanks Azerane <3 I’m definitely counting down the days.

Yeah we only had enough for a 5% downpayment, but with how low the interest rates are it worked out OK.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Holy Moly, what a horrible situation! I’m so happy to hear that you were able to buy a house and get out of that hellhole. It’s beyond cruel to tell people to get rid of their pets. I guess that it’s counting down the weeks now, but it sounds so stressful. I’m hoping that 2022 will be a much better year for you and yours!

[DanaNM]

Thank you Ellie!

I’m so incredibly thankful for the House Rabbit Network here, they really saved us and our bunnies!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bam]

Just weeks now, Dana 😀 So happy for you!

[DanaNM]

Went and visited BJ and Myra today! They seem to be doing well and of course were cuddling when we got there. 🙂 She said BJ has had some days where his arthritis has seemed worse but overall they are doing really well.

I’m pretty sure everything is fine, but I’m super paranoid though because before Bertha died her arthritis got bad… and she died on Christmas Eve 2019. 🙁

Anyway, here are some pics, once they realized we weren’t about to scoop them up and put them back in carriers they seemed happy to see us and get some pets: <3

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Susanne]

Aww look at those cuties! I think I’d like to have a Californian at some point.. Seems like all is going well with the temporary foster. I get being paranoid, and that was BJs partner?  I think BJ will be OK while there though… Not much longer now!

Sorry that you had to go through a loss on a holiday. That would be especially hard.

[Sonn]

I am so sorry you are going through this! I too have an insane landlord (not literally) but luckily she was terrible at writing a lease and court sided with me and now she is not allowed near my house for any reason without a 30 day notice or me personally asking her in writing to come here.

I can’t wait until you get your babies back!

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

They look adorable! They must be so well-cared for, those people really are amazing! It’s wonderful having such a group around ^_^

It’s logical to get such a feeling, our brains like to see the world in patterns. Our fears too, especially when something very bad happened, and you fear for someone that you hold dear.

Those are the primal instincts that kept us alive in the times when we were not at the top of the food chain. Nowadays these instincts don’t have much to do, so they come out as terrible anxiety.

That feeling also came over me. When Owen went for his neuter the only thing I could think of was “I’ve just killed him…”. The nasty surprise with the vet dabbling in shady therapies, the memories of bringing Breintje to the vet for the last time… I couldn’t eat anything until he was home safely again.

As a counter to those awful thoughts: every life is so different that the chances of him passing away exactly like her are very very slim.

[DanaNM]

@Suzanne Yeah, Bertha was BJ’s past partner, before Myra. And yep we think Myra is Californian, maybe crossed with a Florida white, because she isn’t quite as big as a pure Californian. She definitely has the “meat” and “fur” breed genes though, her coat is sooooo soft and dense, and she tends to put on weight really easily. One thing I didn’t know about the breed until I got her is that their coloration changes with the seasons, so their markings get lighter when it warms up and darker when it’s cold! In the summer her feet were almost white! She is really a lovely rabbit, she is so sweet to Bun Jovi and has a very gentle temperament.

@Sonn thank you! And I’m glad you hear you were able to handle your crazy landlord situation!

And thanks @Ellie, you are so right about looking for patterns. I’ve had a bad trend of rabbits dying on holidays. Bunston was on Valentine’s Day, Moose was New Years Day, and then most recently Bertha was Christmas Eve. Can’t catch a break apparently! And I totally get being nervous about neutering. I was really nervous when Cooper was neutered (he was still at the shelter at the time but I was volunteering). I was so relieved to see him after.

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Susanne]

I’ve seen a few threads here where a Californian was being bonded and I think they all had easy times, so makes me think the gentle temperament is typical for them, awwww. I think Ruby has Florida white in her too. That is interesting and too cute about the color changes, I had no idea!

[DanaNM]

That’s interesting! She was very easy to bond with Bun Jovi, and when I was trying for a quad she also immediately got along with Cooper. But, she did NOT get a long with Bonnie right away. I did eventually make some progress with them but it was going to take a lot more work to get them to really like each other.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LBJ10]

Girls can be hard in general, so don’t feel too bad. Bun Jovi and Myra look so cute together! Hopefully they just think they are on a little vacation. 😉

[Bladesmith]

Wow, what a nightmare scenario!  I’m sorry you and the buns are going through this.  I’m also going to go and hug my landlady, who in addition to being an animal lover, loves my rabbits and even offered to pet sit if I ever have to leave for any reason.

Congrats on your upcoming home, and the kids are going to have so much fun exploring their new domain!

[DanaNM]

Thank you Bladesmith!

And also wanted to update everyone that WE HAVE THEM ALL BACK!

We moved into our new place about 2 weeks ago, and to say we are relieved is a huge understatement. The buns are all doing great and see very happy to be home (but it is also obvious they were very well cared for). Just revamped their pens and am spending lots of time cuddling them and spoiling them.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bladesmith]

YAY!!!  Free all teh Bunnehs!!!!

Congrats on your furever home!

[LBJ10]

Where’s Bonnie? Is she hiding?

[GlennTheLionhead]

Awww how lovely! Home at last! 😀

[DanaNM]

@LBJ10 Bonnie was sleeping in her mini haven! She’s actually been quite social and confident, especially considering everything (and her and Cooper are doing great), but does enjoy her quiet time. 🙂

Here they are in their pen before I finished the set up and added the second level:

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LBJ10]

Aww, there’s Bonnie!

[BZOO]

Congrats on your new home and having your kids home!!

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

They have such a beautiful space now! Congratulations on having the family together again at last! ^_^

I’ll leave you to your busy schedule of catching up with all the cuddles 😉

[DanaNM]

Thanks everyone!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Azerane]

Absolutely wonderful news, and congrats on your new home 🙂

[DanaNM]

Thanks Az!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Moonlightbunny66]

I’m glad everything is better now, your bunnies are so lucky to have you! Sorry, I’m late to this.

[Cinnamon Bun]

I’m sorry, I’ve been following this thread but haven’t replied. THE WITTLE SMOOSHIES ARE HOME! ;3 ♡

Argghh! I was going to ask where Bonnie was, but people beat me to it.

[Susanne]

Congrats Dana!

[jerseygirl]

Have been waiting for that happy update! So grateful you have them back home and no more landlord to deal with. 🎉

Congratulations on the new home, Dana 😊

ps. Also grateful for HRN. I’m happy to hear they are still active organisation. Their website was one I frequented a lot years ago. The bonding guide is a favourite and the one I used way back when introduced Jersey and Rumball xx

[DanaNM]

Thank you!

And yes the HRN is amazing!!

 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[RabbitMom2020]

I am so happy you have your buns home!!  I wish I would have been on here back when you started having issues – I live in NH so I am not a terrible distance from Mass.  Oh well – all things worked out well!

Mango and Kiwi

[DanaNM]

Thank you! Everyone has been so supportive, rabbit owners are the best! <3

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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