Hello from a lurker & experienced bun parent

[mango]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been a lurker for a long time and finally decided to sign up, so I just thought I’d drop in here to introduce myself first.

I once had a beautiful brown Netherland Dwarf named Peter – ok, predictable name but he just *looked* like a Peter. He looked just like a little wild bunny. I got him from a pet store before I knew better and learned a lot from House Rabbit Society and other resources. I got him neutered at a great vet. I gave him free run of the house, after a training period & rabbit-proofing, and altered a large closet (doors removed) as his personal space. He matured into a confident king of his castle, healthy, well-adjusted, mischievous & very affectionate. He would approach guests for pets and liked to cuddle with me. He would go crazy trying to get up on the coffee table to get at my aromatic teas. It was like catnip to him. So I would occasionally treat him by opening up my tea bags (herbal, unsweetened, approved by vet) for him after I finished drinking.

Unfortunately, I was only renting that apt and circumstances required me to move when he was 4 years old. The move was stressful for him. I saw his personality change. He became very withdrawn & depressed. I thought he just needed to get used to the change but he never adjusted to the new home in spite of all my best efforts, following advice from HRS, vet, and other resources. Then I noticed he seemed to be developing unexplained respiratory issues. (A year later, I also developed mild respiratory issues and was surprised to discover a problem with the air quality in that old apt and moved out.)

I took him to a different vet closer to my new home, who supposedly had experience with rabbits and had good reviews. But I saw them mishandle Peter – he was thrashing around and they were unable to hold him securely like his other vet could – and cause him undue stress. I was not happy and planned not to return there after that, but I never imagined they would soon kill him. They recommended 2 options: a wait-and-see simple home treatment based on guesswork about the problem vs invasive diagnostic procedures (lots of needles, etc). They pushed for the latter, emphasizing the urgency of determining the exact problem because rabbits’ health can take a severe turn for the worse on a dime. In panic, I chose the latter. In retrospect, I don’t think they should have done this with his system so compromised when there were gentler options (even if the outcome of that would be uncertain), and I don’t think his other vet would have done so. They took him into another room without me. They came out an hour later to tell me he suffered a heart attack, basically from the fear & stress of the procedures. He was gone.

I was angry. I was devastated. And I vowed to (1) never get another rabbit until I owned my own home, and (2) never take another rabbit to any vet except the one I had good experiences with for 4 years, in spite of the inconvenient location.

Now, I finally have my own home and I’m considering adopting. I haven’t committed to the idea yet because my condo design & furnishings are not going to be easy to adapt to a rabbit’s needs compared to Peter’s first home, so I need to plan & think carefully about this. I also still feel the pain of that loss and wonder if I can ever have such an amazing bond like that again with another rabbit.

I will be lurking, researching, posting questions & seeking feedback as I weigh this decision.

[Bam]

Wellcome!

I’m sorry your Peter had to go through all that.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Big Welcome to BB!!!

[mango]

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 7/05/2015 7:36 PM
Big Welcome to BB!!!

Thanks!

Posted By bam on 7/04/2015 12:55 AM
Wellcome!

I’m sorry your Peter had to go through all that.

Yeah. The apt was old, had a beautiful exposed brick wall but it was constantly spreading thick dust everywhere. I couldn’t stay on top of it, even vacuuming daily. Apparently some ppl regularly *vacuum their brick walls*. So looking back, I’m quite sure that was the source of the respiratory issues.

[Author]

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