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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A boarding bunny at vet vs. staying home

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    • Adalaide
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        So I’ve been planning a trip to visit my family in PA for a while now. We’re going to go next summer and I decided it’s finally time to nail down a list of airlines I can take Freya on with me in the cabin. I ended up finding out that regardless of what airline allows rabbits, the size kennel you have to havee them in is 17″ L x 12.5″ W x 8″ H. I was thinking that sounds kind of small so I measured Freya, well as much as I could considering she was trying to eat my tape measure. She’s 14″ long, 7″ wide and 7″ tall standing with her front legs straight but on the floor. OMG she’s only 6 months old, she will not come close to fitting under an airplaine seat next summer. I suppose she’ll be boarded at the vet’s office for a week. She’s going to hate me.

        I discussed my husband’s mother taking care of her for a week but I’m very opposed to the idea. Her family had rabbits when she was growing up, but they were for food. She has also talked about being worried about my husband’s health due to the fact the Freya will leave a few poops around one particular corner of the room right in front of a door, just to mark it as hers. She acts like Freya is some disease ridden beast when she doesn’t complain about the cat that vomits all over the living room carpet and leaves clumps of fur everywhere. I am not ok with leaving Freya with her. What if she gets upset while we’re gone and eats less or poops less or something goes wrong. She doesn’t know a thing about rabbits and after all this time still doesn’t understand that she’s as much a beloved pet as someone’s cat or dog may be. Am I over reacting or would she really be better of at the vet’s office where people who know about rabbits will care for her. Either way she’ll be cooped up for the whole week in a cage so that’s not a consideration one way or the other.


      • MimzMum
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          Isn’t there anyone else who could sit for her? And I’m sure it’s not appealing to have her in a pen at the vet’s, but it does sound preferable to your mum-in-law.
          Want to leave her with me and Mimzy while you’re gone?

          ‘Course you might have a little trouble getting her back.


        • Adalaide
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            Let me count my friends… 1… uh, yep, that’s it. I have exactly 1 friend and she’s allergic to bunnies and lives 30 minutes away and has a child. I certainly don’t want a child near my baby. She’s never been around children and this particular 5 year old hasn’t been around animals enough to know how to treat them. I don’t want her locked up in a little pen but if she gets depressed or misses us or has health problems at least the vet can properly care for her. I’m just scared of coming home from vacation exausted but excited to see her and my mother-in-law picking us up at the airport and saying “oh, by the way, Freya died. I didn’t want to ruin your vacation so I just thought I’d wait to tell you.” I know that it’s not rational to think she’ll die just because I leave her for a week but I’m a worrier and always think about worst case scenarios.


          • Jenna, Chubs & Comet
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              Ugh, I sympathize with your situation! I am leaving tomorrow afternoon until Sunday night and I’m petrified of leaving them! My friend is coming over Fri night, Sat morning, Sat night and Sun morning to feed them/check on them and give them some attention. She has a bunny too and I know she’ll take good care of them, but I have still made a list for her that’s a page long and full of details, for 2 1/2 days! Haha. I’m a total spaz, I know. I left Chubs with my boyfriend for 3 weeks this summer (he lives with me and co-owns and cares for them) and I was still nervous. I understand feeling worried that someone won’t take as good of care of her as you do!

              Personally, I would not even consider leaving her with your mother in law…the vet would be better than that for sure, even though it’s not ideal. I have a few ideas, one is to contact any humane societies/rabbit rescues in your area to see if they use foster homes? If they do, you might be able to board her with a bunny foster home for a couple weeks. Secondly, you could ask your vet for ideas on people who may sit for bunnies. Thirdly, you could place an ad for a sitter (like on craigslist). Fourthly, you could see if any of our binky members live in close proximity to you, so one of us could keep her for you? Mimzy’s idea isn’t so bad if any of us lived near enough to you. I’m not sure where you’re from? I’m in Minnesota.


            • Adalaide
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                I’m in Utah. Those are great ideas, thanks! I’ll certainly look into all of those options. I will certainly contact a lawyer and have legal papers drawn up and signed by the sitter if she stays with anyone but the vet, even if it’s a foster home. Am I over protective? Of course, but I will not come home and end up in some legal battle over my bunnykins. The only idea I outright am dismissing is craigslist. Some of the ads I’ve seen on that site make me shudder and I just don’t believe I’ll find a trustworthy person there to care for her. We’ve also considered driving to PA from here. It would be 30 hours of driving so it would be 2 days in a car and one in a hotel. I just don’t think that would thrill her, even if we were super careful with AC and all that. She’s really pissy about car rides unless we let her be in a box on a lap so she can look out the window.


              • MimzMum
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                  I’ve seen posts about people who travel with their bunnies, but these are buns who are used to traveling and have done a lot of it. I don’t think I could submit my own bunnies to road trips…it just wouldn’t be fair to them unless I could, I don’t know, rent them a 30 foot motorhome to romp in on the way!
                  I also think not using craigs or any other list is a good idea. That’s just a trash heap when it comes to some of the human beings on that thing, imo.

                  Sorry I’m not closer, I would love to sit Freya for you. But perhaps there is someone onboard who might be able to.
                  I also think the vet is the best possible solution. You might even be able to find a way for one of the assistants to give Freya some run time in an approved space if possible. Especially if it’s a vet you trust.
                  TOTALLY understand about your feelings for her. I read your post where you had said she was like a child to you. I’m sure a lot of us feel that way here about our bunnies, and I also have lost a child before and all my furbabies are as good as children in my eyes. It’s normal therefore to feel this kind of trepidation over leaving Freya, but try not to telegraph any worry to her so she doesn’t feel extra dismay at your absence. (Although if she’s anything like Mimz, she’ll whip up enough disapproval on her own…but they do come back to you when you return. It just takes LOTS of spoiling!)


                • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                    How long is the flight? Six to eight months is when they are about done growing. So although it’s not an ideal size luxury condo, if she can fit into the carrier they specify-and it’s only a few hours-I would think she would be fine. She’ll likely be in a tight tucked bunny ball from all the strange noises anyways.

                    I would think, other then in takeoff and landing-you could have the carrier in your lap and if you asked for a blanky probably open the carrier and pet her during the flight, maybe let her stretch a bit.

                    The other thing you could do is start screening pet sitters. Find one who pet sits in your house or in there’s depending on what you prefer. Try kijiji.com for listings


                  • Karla
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                      We went on holiday for 1 week this summer and left Karl with my parents. I was really worried and it really sounded like my parents would either A)Keep him in a pen in the garden day and night or B) have him inside in a tiny cage most of the time. I was so worried, but when I came back he had been living life. My mum had spent hours with him on her lap every day, and he had had ultimate freedom, spending the night inside and being outside at day.

                      So, basically…they might just surprise you.

                      But how about contacting a breeder? They might take in holiday bunnies. Some shelters might as well.

                      Here we have a website where people can volunteer to babysit or request a babysitter, while they are away. It works really well, and it is for free. That way you can make sure as well that they have bunnies on their own and that they have a genuine interest in looking after Freya.


                    • Adalaide
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                        Last time I flew home for a weekend it was 12 hours from the time I checked in at the airport til my dad picked me up. I also have a one hour drive to the airport and to the farm after I land. The airline said flat out that she absoultely can not, under and circumstances ever ever ever come out. She isn’t a fan of being held so I wouldn’t trust her anyway. I certainly wouldn’t break a single rule for two reasons. First, I wouldn’t want to be banned from bringing her home on the plane. Second, I wouldn’t want to be the cause of rules being changed and ruin other people’s experiences. I’m gonna just shop for a sitter.


                      • Adalaide
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                          I forgot to add… the cost of flying is about $1600 and it’s an extra $250 to bring Freya. I have started to consider how I could turn the back of the car into a bunny safe condo for her and drive. It would be cheaper. Bad mommy, bad. Just stop.


                        • Beeslee
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                            Have you tried asking some vet techs who work where you buns goes for a checkup if any of them are interested in bun sitting at your house. I know at my vets some of the techs take little jobs like this to earn extra $$. They may even bun sit at there homes also.


                          • Adalaide
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                              I’m asking that when we go in to get her spayed soon Beeslee. I am also going to make sure everything in the house is great for buns, will have a spare enclosure I don’t use for Freya and am going to make sure the vet has me listed as available to bunny-sit. I definately want to be able to help people in my situation so it can be less stressful. Freya would just have to share her space and spend a bit of time every day hanging out in her condo if I was sitting at my place.


                            • Beeslee
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                                That sounds great that you will also bun sit for others. Maybe this will bring others out also who were hesitant to ask. I’m sure some techs would def be interested in bun sitting for you. Good luck and keep us posted.


                              • Elrohwen
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                                  I hope you can find a bunny sitter! I know you said you don’t want to leave her with a friend, but I’ve found this to be the best solution for me. I do have a wonderful pet sitter, but at $35 a day, she’s really too expensive for more than a weekend (the vet charges the same). I’ve had different friends look after Otto and overall it’s been a good experience. One couple wasn’t able to give him much interaction, but I’m sure he was fine in his pen for a week. Tthe other couple ended up really loving him and spending tons of time with him (they even called him “very social” in their emails, and Otto isn’t the most social bun much of the time!) so you never know! You said she has a young child; does she have a spare room where Freya could stay un-molested by the kid? My friends had a dog, but we were able to put Otto in their finished basement and the dog didn’t even know he was there.

                                  If you really can’t leave her with your friend, I would absolutely go with the vet. Like others have said, hopefully someone there would even pet sit in your home or their own home. Or they might know of pet sitters (my sitter is a certified vet tech and was even offered a job by my vet; I didn’t find her through them, but I’m sure if I had asked they could have recommended her; would’ve been easier than doing a Google search and calling people anyway).

                                  It’s tough leaving our little guys for any amount of time, but after leaving Otto at least 4 times now for varying lengths, it really doesn’t bother me anymore. I know our sitter is great and my friends, while not rabbit people, are very responsible adults who I trust to look out for signs like not eating, etc. Once you find someone you trust to watch your bun, the anxiety will lessen considerably. Heck, I think Otto had so much fun being watched by our last friends that I think he wishes he were back in their house 😉 And I think the friends are even seriously considering a bun of their own now.

                                  Good luck!


                                • Adalaide
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                                    My friend really wouldnt’ work out. She would absolutely have to come here to care for Freya because there is nowhere in her apartment Freya could stay where she’d be safe from the little boy. My friend is also allergic to bunnies. I really don’t have any other friends, just her. I know lots of people but in Utah they all have about a billion kids, half as many dogs or cats and I don’t know them very well. Maybe I just need to go make new friends before I go next summer.


                                  • KatnipCrzy
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                                      If your vet has a place that is suitable for bunnies and it is affordable- I would definitely consider it. OR you can actually ask your vet if there is an employee that petsits.  Often vet employees are great with animals and can detect any signs of illness or distress unlike an unexperienced bunny person.  Even if they don’t own bunnies themselves that could be a great option- and technically might be better if they do not own rabbits as there is no risk of illness, etc.

                                      My friend is a vet where I work and we petsit each others pets when we are on vacation- the bunnies stay here since I have 3 now- and they don’t get out as much as if I was home- but I am OK with that.  And I think a little less exercise for a couple of days, etc is worth letting them stay home.  But if I only had one bunny and someone that could really interact/play with them then I would consider letting the bunny go to someone else’s home- but I cannot imagine transporting 3 bunnies and all their stuff!

                                      The only thing I would recommend is that if someone is petsitting your bunny OUTSIDE of your home is to use a cage with an enclosed top or use a dog crate as a temp cage.  I know I would feel better if my bunnies absolutely could not escape if they were somewhere other than at home- and I would know that another pet could not get in with them.

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                                  Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A boarding bunny at vet vs. staying home