Is it ever ok to rehome? Posted for Bunbuns by Bam

[Bam]

Posted for Bunbuns by Bam:

I also am wondering about that question…I will sound selfish or like a horrible person but before I do please hear me out. I love my bunny, even though I have my 2 year old bunny for a month. But I took him, the person was giving him away because she had no time and if no one took him she would give him away to a pet store, me thinking impulsivley and without reading about bunny needs I decided to take him. I could not let the bunny go back to a petstore..I have a very hyper dog. I thought I would able t calm him but no..the bunny is too scared to come out. I close the door sometimes so he will hop around but my room is smaller …the bunny has no space to run around, the dog makes his poor little heart scared. I also have school and right now I indeed have time but next year I will have a lot of homework and work, my dog is a big responsibility but the bunny is as big or even more as my dog. I am 16 going on 17 this year. I actually want to cry on the thought of even thinking about giving the bunny away to a trusted person and never ever to a petstore. But my heart hurts of the thought…..I have depression aswell making me unmotivated sometimes and I can’t get out of bed I just feel like I can’t. Everyday I wake up I always have plans I want to pratise that, I will clean the cage, I will clean my room, do my homework. But the motivations fades quickly making me tired and coming from school and nothing. With no one knowing, I appear as lazy, while I was lazy before being depressed I was able to be more active. I know, I will get a lot of hate, and not the best comments back. But I want to know, the the bunny will be able to take it, will he be super upset…if, I have gave him to a better home? I would love an answer back. Sorry for coming here, with it not being even my forum, but I don’t know how to make a forum…sorry for that.

[Sirius&Luna]

It’s not selfish to think about what’s best for your pet – it’s kind and thoughtful. Sometimes people realise that a bunny is much more work than they were expecting, and it’s responsible to acknowledge that. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is find a home for your pet where they can get what they need.

It sounds like you have a lot of other commitments, and if you think your bunny would be happier elsewhere, then we can help give you some suggestions to help find the best home for him.

But also, you haven’t had him for very long, so if you want to work on improving his life with you, we can help with that too! Once you’ve settled into having him a bit more, he’ll likely calm down and become more friendly, and you can get into more of a routine with him.

The first step is to recognise that something needs to change, so it’s great that you’ve done that.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Hello Bunbuns, I really understand your situation. It was super kind of you to rescue that rabbit from a life at a pet store. However, many people don’t know what to expect when getting a rabbit, and they are usually in over their head by the time they find out what a bunny really needs. People think along the lines of “hamster”, but it’s more akin to adopting a dog. This is one of the many cases that we see where people take on a rabbit out of the kindness of their hearts, to find that they can’t provide for it after all.

My next-door neighbours once found a very scared abandoned bunny in a busy parking lot on the city centre. They took him in immediately, but were shocked by how much care a rabbit really needs. They both had very busy jobs and couldn’t give him enough attention. This made him frustrated and destructive. They re-homed him to one of their family members, and that was a way better match. Lucky is a very lucky bunny now

You mentioned that your dog is scaring your rabbit. You’re right to worry about that, because rabbits are highly sensitive to stress. Rabbits are known to get heart attacks when they’re approached by overly enthousiastic cats or dogs. So yes, this is one reason to re-home.

I’m sorry to hear about your condition, and I hope you can get help with that. Please don’t ever think that a depression is related to laziness, a depression often is the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. It’s as much a real physical illness as diabetes. Hopefully you can get the right help from a professional who can support you

Back to the bun: I really think it’s kindest to re-home him. A rabbit owner needs a lot of time, a quiet safe space for the rabbit to roam, and money set aside for vet bills. At this point I get the idea that you can’t provide all three of these for your rabbit. Rabbits can become very costly pets, because they need special exotic vets and vet bills are high. Sadly we see a lot of unintentional animal cruelty by people who took in a rabbit and are now facing huge vet bills which they can’t afford.

Another reason to re-home is the incompatibility with your dog. I fear your dog may one day scare him too much. You also have so many responsibilities at this moment that I fear you don’t have enough time to spend with your rabbit. Solo rabbits need even more attention than couples.

It won’t be an easy decision, but I think it’s in the best interest of your rabbit. Try to find a good shelter or a good owner, and inform the new owner about rabbit needs as much as you can. You can give the rabbit an even better life by educating others.
I wish you all the best, and if you have more questions feel free to post!

[Lopnamedflea]

It’s not selfish or anything to worry about at all! Sometimes people don’t realize the amount of work an animal may be, and it’s a much better decision to give them away to a good home, as opposed to just leaving them in the corner.
I’m very similar to you- I’m 17, I’ve got severe anxiety, ADHD, and a bit of depression. I truly find that the animals are the one and only thing, that actually helps my anxiety (which is the worst)
I feel it a possible for you, I truly would recommend keeping your rabbit. If possible, try and move the rabbit to another room where he can’t see the dog. You could even attach a pen to his cage so that he’s got more room to move around.
If it’s not possible to move him, then he will get used to the dogs just make sure if you have a smaller dog like I’m assuming you have, if they’re biting at the cage or deliberately trying to scare your bun, tell them off. They’ll get it in a while, and it’ll save your bunny some fear. Even having a nice hut where he can hide in when you’re not home to stop the dog scaring him is perfect!
I personally have five dogs, two buns, a horse, and a goat, and it’s the absolute best medication ever. I give out to the barn, and I feel amazing. At home, I only havetwo dogs and my bunny, Flea, and he helps me tremendously. I really really really would recommend you keeping your little guy if you can!
Maybe try giving it a little bit more time, try finding some more time to spend with him (even if it’s just 10 minutes before bed!)
Animals in my eyes, are the absolute best medication. My xanax goes out the window when I’m with my little farm family ❤️

Good luck, I really do hope you keep him!
Though if you find you do need to rehome him because it just can’t work, then don’t feel bad! I’ve rehomed tons of animals, sometimes you just don’t work out!
No need to worry about it too much, it’s just something that happens Although if you do decide to rehome him, I personally would put a price on him, especially if advertising on things such as Facebook. Putting a small fee of even $20/30 will detour any meat buyers, as they can find them free.
I do really wish you luck!!

[sarahthegemini]

It’s a big step admitting that you are struggling to care for your animal and it’s brave to acknowledge it out loud and seek help Everyone else has given great advice so I won’t repeat but I wanted to reiterate that it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. You are looking out for your rabbit and that’s the most important thing

[Mikey]

Rehoming is done out of love and care for the animal. It takes great understanding to know you took on something bigger than you could handle, and to admit that takes great maturity. Good on you Bunbuns, for knowing your rabbits needs more than you can offer and for being willing give him the best even if it means rehoming him

[Binky Member P]

Hey everyone, I’m P.

I’m in a similar situation to Bunbuns.

I adopted a male bunny after seeing a post saying that his owner loved him, but she no longer had the space/time for him after a couple months, and that she would send him to a shelter is he wasn’t adopted. I adopted him to provide the little on with a loving home. Everything was okay, and I was researching adequate care for a bunny so that I could provide him for what he needed. After noticing that he was lonely, I adopted a little friend of the same breed for him and they seemed to get along well when they played in my backyard. However, after homing them together, I noticed the first bun was quite territorial over food, and my second on would cry around him. So, I seperated them. I was able to let them excersize frequently in my backyard, but the weather is much colder where I live now so they can’t play outside. On top of that, I’ve started studying, so the time I was able to squeeze in to make sure they had enough time with me prior, is now gone. I haven’t been able to interact with them much, and now they bother seem not to enjoy human company anymore. To top it all off, I sustained an injury to my leg so I haven’t been able to walk much. In my current situation, they are housed together, but seperated if I notice any naughty behavior. My mother feeds them, but they can’t get any excersize due to the lack of space inside my house. I’ve had the precious fur babies for a couple months now, and I’m seriously considering rehoming them, for their wellbeing. They’re definitely irritated and sad in this situation, and it shows! They’re only happy when I feed them. Other than that, they are always laying down/sleeping. I understand how bad this is for them, but with my injury and lack of time/space/help, there’s nothing I can do in my household for them.

My heart breaks over the thought of parting with the little ones.. Does anyone with experience have a recommendation for my position? Sorry for such a long post! This is my first time using this cite.. Thanks for you forthcoming responses.

Sincerely,

A troubled fur baby mama.

[LBJ10]

Hi P! Welcome to BB! Just so you know, this is an old thread so people may be confused if they click on the topic and see the original post is from 2018. Therefore, you may not get any replies. I’m going to lock this thread and create a new one for you so people will see it.

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