Leaving my bun for 4 weeks

[toki]

Unfortunately I have to go away for 4 weeks on the 5th of July (UK to US). Right now I live with my brother and mother, who will be looking after Toki while I am away. Toki will still be staying in my room as usual, so there will be no new environment for him to be anxious about.

Just wondering if other people have left their bunny for a long time? How did they seem after you got back? Is Toki likely to forget his litter training because I’m not around, and new humans are checking in on him? Will he remember me when I get home or could he be afraid all over again?

Since I won’t be around 24/7, I’m wondering if there is anything I might have forgotten to tell my family about looking after him. I made several charts and lists for them, and pinned them to my wall, including Daily Tasks, Vet Info, “How To’s” and Things to Remember – everything from how to feed Toki and when, how to check Toki’s eyes for stray bits of hay, and signs of illness to look for every day (ie limping, sneezing, hunching over). Also I will be giving my brother full responsibility of Toki for the 4 days prior to my departure, so that I can observe his methods and see where he goes wrong, if at all.

Anyone have experience on leaving their bun?

[Sunny]

i personally haven’t had to leave my rabbit Sienna for extended periods of time, but it sounds to me like you’re preparing for it REALLY well. if you’ve had Toki for at least a little while and you’ve been working on his litter training for a decent amount of time, i think he’ll be just fine when you get back. even if you haven’t i think it’s highly unlikely that he’ll forget who you are and what he’s learned. rabbits are very smart, after all.

[toki]

Thanks Sunny I was hoping so. He was actually litter trained before I adopted him (in March). However when I had a guest over for 2 weeks recently (who was basically with Toki 24/7), he was leaving little poops around almost every day. Maybe it was a territory thing? After said guest left, he returned to normal about 2 days later. I’d just feel quite bad if he started pooping everywhere while I was gone, since I tell my family how clean he is all the time, and they’d think it was the last thing they signed up for. Hehe.

[Sunny]

it’s no problem. i see why you’d be concerned. i can also totally see how your family would be confused. does your family see Toki often? i’d imagine he’d be less territorial if that was the case.

[noodlebeer]

I left my boy Gus for 5 weeks earlier this year while I went for an overseas holiday. My housemates looked after him, so he was still in his territory. I left a page of basic instructions but nothing too detailed (my housemates could always contact me online if they had questions).

Gus didn’t like my housemates much so I was worried he would become super shy or anxious while I was away, but he actually became more social and friendly (I think, once he realized he can get pets from people who aren’t me, lol). I was also concerned he would forget me or treat me differently, but honestly it was like I never left – he was immediately pawing at my legs for cuddles and snacks, and following me around like usual.

[toki]

Thank you both! My family see Toki quite rarely as he isn’t good with new people in general. You can tell he gets a bit anxious when they come into the room (my bunny-proofed bedroom, where Toki stays under my supervision almost all the time). I occasionally let them feed him his breakfast and his greens, but outside of that they don’t see him much at all. However when I had my fiance visit in May, Toki got used to him quite quickly (nudging him, asking for pets, jumping on him, etc), but then again he was around him constantly for 2 weeks.

That experience is really helpful noodlebeer! I’m so glad Toki will (hopefully) remember me. That really eases my anxiety a lot.

[Sunny]

hopefully Toki will be at least somewhat like Gus! my Sienna doesn’t tend to be shy when my family comes in my room to see her. she hops on over and checks them out. she accepts pets, too. luckily i haven’t had to leave my family to care for her, though, because they probably wouldn’t do a very good job. lol.

[Author]

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