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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum THE LOUNGE Have you reached that, “This HAS to be my last bunny” stage?

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    • MimzMum
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        I’m apprehensive about what kind of thread killer I could be launching here, but I’m trying to see if anyone else is coping with the same situation I am.

        I have to be honest with myself…I am nearing 50 and, in my opinion, getting too old and creaky to do the kind of heavy maintenance (and worrying during illnesses) that comes with keeping bunnies, much less other pets. Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE my dear ones and cannot imagine my life without them. They will be treated like the kings and queen they are as long as I draw breath. But someday they will cross the Bridge, as will all my pets, and I have to think ahead to how life will be without furbabies in it because I am not sure as I age that I will be able to continue giving them the quality of life they deserve. Also not quite sure what I WILL do with myself at that point but, keeping in mind that my youngest animals in my household are my three, 3 year old bunnies and the new dog (who has a projected 15 year lifespan), I am not entirely sure I’ll be here to worry about it anyway. Maybe I’m just sounding silly at this point, and not all of you will relate, but it’s not the first time this thought has crossed my mind.

        I’ve had to realize that I am certainly (if I’m smart) not going to bring any more into the mix now, I am having a hard enough time getting up the cajones to bond the three I have. Adding any new personalities will seriously shred any strategy I have for getting these three to get along. If they can’t manage as a threesome, they will live with whoever they DO bond with and the odd bun out will just have to settle with me as companion. (I have lots of hats with bunny ears on them.)

        Of course, it will be the hardest thing I will ever have to do, should a poor lost or abandoned bun arrive in my periphery in the future, but I will see seriously about rehoming it, not adding it to my brood. As great a pet as they are, I just do not want to make any further commitment in this direction. I’ve already taken on a Yorkshire Terrier that wasn’t supposed to be my responsibility, *pokes daughter* so I think my plate is sufficiently full. While my daughter and husband were in California, there were so many pets in the want ads and pet stores and of course she wanted to bring them all home.  I’ve already told her that when she moves out, please don’t get a bunny/cat/dog that I will only wind up having to take care of myself, because I just don’t think I can do it. And I shouldn’t have to either.

        I guess this post is generated by the news that I heard on the radio this week that, due to the bad economy, animals are being surrendered to shelters in droves previously unseen. It makes me sad to know that bunnies will be a large part of this population and, although I wish I could rescue them all, I have to tell myself that I’ve done my part for now.

        Have you gotten to this bend in the road in your own life, despite your age? Or are you still interested in fostering/keeping more bunnies in your lifetime? If so, how long do you think you will keep this mindset? I can see if you are a member who does nothing but foster and then send bunnies on to new homes, that would be something you could do as long as you have funds and the will to do so, in which case I applaud your efforts!

        I do hope though, even if I eventually do not have bunnies for companions, that I can always come here and ogle all of yours. BinkyBunny.com has become more to me than just a place to talk shop on bunnies…it’s a home filled with good times and even greater friends that are like family to me. ((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))


      • Deleted User
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          I liked how you put into words those sentiments. I would like to say something in this context. I worked at a shelter for a couple of years and there was an elderly couple who had adopted a litle dog from us. The next week they brought her back wiith tears in their eyes. They said that the husband of the two had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and so they felt they needed to surrender the dog because the wife alone didn’t feel up to it. It was a shrimp of a dog, too, and really nice. The dog ended up contracting kennel cough at our shelter and was euthanized. It was protocol to do that with the sick. I thought how crazy was that? She had a home but they surrendered her in apprehension of something that may or may not have ocurred.

          have you thought of the fact, that anybidy at any age could be faced with a situation seriously impeding the welfare of their pets?

          I agree, you have your hands full now but why worry about the future? Chances are a pet will always land in your lapp one way or another because you have the heart. And even if you were to pass away yourself leaving behind pets, at least they had a time with you.

          You worry too much.


        • MimzMum
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            lol…Thanks Petzy, yes I do worry too much. But I also know that I’m really uncomfortable (physically) with the work that goes into caring for the three buns right now. It is very hard to get up in the morning to do it, and be sure it’s done before bed; lots of bending, lifting, stretching and I come away with no less that five bruises on each arm from craning around the inside of the pens. Wears me out. But I do it, because it’s not about me, it’s about them.
            I guess this goes hand in hand with your thread about leaving your pets in your will. I have groomed my daughter to care for them in case anything happens to me, but it’s even a lot for her to do and she gets frustrated with it. I don’t like frustrated people taking care of my animals, even if it’s me, because then the pets wind up on the short end of the stick.

            However, I didn’t think I wanted another dog either. And Jenna has made such inroads on my heart that I can’t believe she is as dear to me now as she is. Still…this was supposed to be my daughter’s dog, and I insist she spend time with her too, so that Jenna won’t be devastated in the case of my death.
            Perhaps if I get my three bonded and in one communal area like yours are, the work will get easier. Right now I am cleaning three separate My First Home type Superpet pens twice a day each day and it’s still not enough for Mimzy, who starts throwing his litter box within four hours of his last cleaning because he’s soiled it already. >.<
            Setting up the xpen is even more fun, because it’s got to be cleaned/torn down each night. So they need a spot I can leave this stuff up permanently, and we don’t have that space right now. Working on it, though.
            I just want the bunnies to be the happiest they can be. And to do that, I’d like to be in top form myself. But yeah, they need to be all together as soon as possible, because they are a lot of work separately.

            Your story about the dog is so sad. My guess is, the woman didn’t want it in the first place, but perhaps the man did and this was an opportunity for her to rid herself of what she saw as a potential problem. Very sad. Because little dogs are a breeze.

            I am thrilled with how easy Jenna is to care for, she’s made having a canine in the house the most pleasant experience I’ve had to date. Of course, it’s still hard to think of something so little as a dog…lolz.


          • Deleted User
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              Then it will be a matter of keeping numbers of pets low and amking sure to have pets that can live in an easy-to-maintain setup.
              I would not have four bunnies right no now if they lived in separate cages. I am strong and younger than you but it would be too much for me daily. The goal of easier ‘bunny management’ was what drove me to get my bonds done even when it got tough.


            • MimzMum
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                I guess what stops me right now is the thought of them tearing into one another. Because I am more than ready for them to all be in one spot. Although I have the feeling that they would get along if just given the chance, but there might be a few squabbles for territory.
                Watch, I’ll get the shock of my life and they’ll bond instantly. And I’ll be scratching my head like, “Wait, what??”

                I’ve been passing Fiver’s banana plushie back and forth from his cage to Mimzy’s so they get each other’s scent more often (One of them sleeps with it one night, the other the next. They are both grooming it regularly now.) I think the two boys would be adorable buddies, but then, I can see either Mimzy & Pip back together or Fiver and Pip (maybe)…but all three without fighting? That’s not so easy to picture.


              • Beka27
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                  I understand what you’re saying, Mimz. I think, like Petzy said, the issue for you seems to be more of the number of bunnies and their set-up. Manufactured cages are a pain in the behind to keep clean. I could see you with one bunny in the future, with a nice, simple, “easy-to-sweep-up” xpen. No separate exercise times, brushing and nail trimming for one, not three. All the love of bunnies, with one-third of the work.

                  When faced with so many animals in need, it’s almost easier (mentally and emotionally) to take them in, than to just say NO, and turn them away. But you have to know your limit. I am constantly concerned when some members acquire bunny after bunny after bunny, because at some point, the day-to-day maintenance and financial obligation is going to catch up with them.

                  I can’t see you ever being without something furry. That might not be a bunny. But as long as you have something to love, it doesn’t matter the species.


                • GHbun
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                    I’m 50 now, too, and I thought we were out of the bun biz for good. My husband’s job requires a lot of travel to different congregations, and I used to go with him and enjoy all the fellowship and friendship of life as a preacher’s wife. Then the children came and I stayed home. It made sense to add pets at that time, and since I couldn’t travel anyway, I added a full-time job. But the bunnies died old, the kids are almost grown, and I’ve been laid off for 19 months. Looking forward to a future on the road again. But, surprise!, husband wants to take in a bunny that was dumped on a friend (800 miles away). We do have a reliable bun sitter, but even so, taking in a year-and-a-half old bunny can be a 10-year or more commitment. I love bunnies, but we must be insane.


                  • LittlePuffyTail
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                      Hugs to you to Mimzmum! I agree with Petzy, you do worry too much! Live in the now and enjoy every minute!

                      I’m still young enough at 28 but I will not take on anymore than 3 rabbits just because of the financial strain of vet bills and also because just caring for 3 unbonded rabbits takes up a lot of time and energy. And the stress of when they are sick as well is very tough. I hear ya there, it’s very difficult when they are sick. The more bunnies the more chance of illness and stress. It was very hard when I heard about the local seizure of 100 English Angora rabbits and I wanted one so bad but knew I just couldn’t. Not enough room, time or money. And it made it super hard because I’ve always wanted an English Angora!

                      As a person with an insane love of animals, I can’t imagine myself ever being without a pet in my life. I’ve had pets my whole life and the house would just be so empty and void of love without animals in it. I think people who love animals as much as we do will always have at least one pet. Somehow, at sometime, even if you are without one for a while, another one will fall into your lap and heart!


                    • MimzMum
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                        Well you see…Mimzy was SUPPOSED to be my ‘only bunny’. I had never thought of keeping one before (at the time we still had other cats and dogs) and didn’t even realize they lived happier in groups. He’s always seemed a little sad if he’s not around one of the other two…kinda Eeyore-ish in his moods. But yes, he would’ve been splendid as an only bun. Things just didn’t work out that way and I’m glad they didn’t…I do love Fiver and Pip dearly.
                        That would be one thing that would keep me from having just one, so I figure it would be better not to have any…I don’t want a single bunny pining for a love he would never have requited.
                        But for now, a conglomeration is necessary to keep my sanity. And theirs too, methinks.

                        GHBun your life sounds fascinating! It’s been a long time since I did any church work, and years ago it was singing ministry. Doubt I could carry a tune in a bucket for the Lord now, but I do remember the great joy it gave. Does your husband travel to other countries or is he only stateside in his efforts now, if you don’t mind my asking? (and going OT again…lol)
                        (BTW, pix of this new bunny are required, on virtual pain of poking sticks wielded by some of our more unruly members…lol)


                      • RabbitPam
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                          MM, somethings up with you and you’re projecting the worst. Deep breath time, methinks.

                          First, I think all this speculation will cease if you bite the bullet and start the serious bonding. Just do it. They have known each others’ smells in the house for more than a year now. They are more acquainted than you realize. I think you could make a plan for bonding step by step, and get it to happen as soon as possible. That way you will know if the three get along and if they can share habitat so you can make your set up a bit easier to maintain. I have a feeling that they will be fine together, and it will be a relief sooner rather than waiting much longer.

                          As for being 50, well hmmph. You know, Spockie died only about 3 weeks after my 50th birthday. The only reason I waited to get another bunny was I had to wait for a new job and an apartment to move into. I joined BB 2 months after my birthday as well. So basically, my 40s were spent with a single bunny in my life, and my 50s started my public internet life of bunnies. I’d say I’m getting started, not winding down. Got my baby Sammy about 2 weeks before I turned 51. So there you have it.

                          Now I do agree about the tiring aspect of cleaning. I never really liked the huge cage I have for Spockie/Sammy, especially where she doesn’t like heights. But I have to have one in an apartment, and I’ve learned to let her out for a much longer time daily. She’s roaming around the apt. somewhere now and I’m not at all concerned about where she is at the moment. I never rule out the possibility of getting another one for a friend for her, and I can’t imagine deciding now what I would want to do in 10 years if she lives a long and healthy life. I will decide when the time comes.

                          The best part about having her now is that I can afford her more on my salary and I move around less than I used to. So I like the pet part of my 50s.
                          You’re not going as soon as you think. So there.


                        • GHbun
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                            He’s a stateside missionary at this time, but he was in Egypt and Israel when I was pregnant with our youngest. (Try explaining to people why I was struggling with two toddlers and big belly by myself: “Oh, he’s in a pyramid today.”) He helps struggling congregations to build up and get back on their feet. As I mentioned to DallasDelight about her “Life Lessons Learned by a Rabbit,” (BTW, you go, girl!) it has been both a very rewarding and demanding life, and having furbabies was a comfort. Husband gets to name this new rabbit, and he will be bringing him home in August on the return trip from a 2-week long Bible study in Iowa, by way of Kansas (where our son gets to have a date with his girl, also an evangelist’s kid), then back to Michigan after swinging through Missouri to pick up bun. Yes, we’re the kind of family that thinks a thousand mile detour is no problem. Life was just seeming to settle into recognizable patterns, and we thought we knew where things were headed, but now we’re getting a bunny. At 50. (*sound of hysterical laughter*) Right now, we’re taking advantage of the lead time to find the perfect cage. Husband prefers a wire floor with a plastic pan and resting mats – he’s creeped out by the thought of bun sitting in waste – and our other buns did well and never had hock problems with such a set up, but one does have to take care. He’d like to get a really big cage so we can maybe get bun a friend down the road (there’s that hysterical laughter again). I’ll send along photos when bun arrives – and my kids show me how!


                          • MimzMum
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                              Well Pam…I suppose I am thinking about the five year anniversary. I’ve been cancer free for 5 years this last spring. (by the Grace of God) And although I STILL can’t find someone who’ll insure me so I can help get my piling medical bills paid, the doc is thinking of putting me on a different medication soon. (the adjuvant therapy we use now is working, I just wonder why we really have to mess with that…but apparently the next step is supposed to have less side effects…whatever) So I suppose I could be concerned about recurrence. Remotely.
                              And it didn’t help to feel kind of useless as my daughter went on her trip to CA…with the son talking about how ready he is to go back to college because things here are so BORING….I dunno. Maybe I’m just feeling like, hm…not too long before my human children will be up and out, and here I am still plugging away at keeping my disease at bay. Perhaps I’d like to make my own bucket list. Maybe I’m just equivocating again.

                              But yeah, definitely feeling more creaky than I think I should be at my age. I’m not winter friendly, so what little exercise I do in summer kind of gets cut off as snow flies…any change in temperature or barometric pressure is enough to send me racing for my pain killers…this morning I was supposed to go to town with my hubby and I could hardly get out of bed. Yeah…I guess I just feel…OLD.

                              In fact, I’m trying to get up the gumption to take the larger part of the xpen outside and hose it down…in this house the dust bunnies and animal fur sticks to it like glue and it’s the only way to remove it. Have to go poke my still sleeping son to get up and help me drag the thing out there. *sigh* I miss being able to do all this stuff by myself and have it not hurt.


                            • RabbitPam
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                                OK, so your doc is trying to mess with success. (scary)
                                Got empty nest syndrome. (inevitable)
                                Achy. (comes with age, not illness. Me too.)
                                Need help with chores. (who doesn’t?)

                                Yep, welcome to your 50s. Wait till the uncontrollable gas hits. They warn you about hot flashes, but not that.
                                Bunnies make it better. They never complain.
                                Get a white wine spritzer, a really good mystery, curl up and let the bunnies do what they do best. Nap.
                                It’s just the blues. *mwah* *blows a kiss*


                              • kralspace
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                                  aw Mimzmum,

                                  I’m sorry you’re having a down period, I know how you feel. I would have continued with separate condos for mine, but the discovery that a quartet might be possible was impossible to resist trying. And I’m so glad it looks like it will work eventually.

                                  I know the number age doesn’t always reflect how you feel (50 can feel like 80 some days) but I’m almost 58 and talk about creaky and decrepit, that’s me!  My 50-55 years were awful, losing my husband to a totally unnecessary mental illness and suicide, my parents dying of cancer, losing many of my closest friends to illness and trying to cope with the  epilepsy that struck my 14 yr old son.

                                   I was working 3 jobs to pay off the medical bills only to have the credit card companies decide I was paying them off TOO FAST and marked me as Risky, resulting in all my credit rates being raised from 2% to 30% and destroying my credit. I wound up filing bankruptcy because it would have taken 176 years to pay off the remaining amount with payments of $3000 per month. Nuts to that!

                                   I’m a faithful methodist, but damn, I thought God had it in for me. At 55 things began to settle down but I was sorta numb and lost, having been so busy caretaking and working and gaining 90 lbs from the stress. I was suffering PTSD from losing Jim and not even vaguely interested in what the future could possibly hold with him and all our plans gone. I functioned, but not much, worked all day came home and fed everyone and went to bed. I love my cats and dog, but honestly, I could spend 10 minutes a day taking care of them and they were fine.

                                  Then Michael decides he wants a baby rabbit for his 19th birthday. Damn, I thought, something else to take care of. Fine, whatever, after what he’s been through, he deserves whatever he wants.

                                  We get home with this tiny black/white fluffball and opened the cage. Pringles comes out, sniffs around and throws herself into the corner twitching and kicking on her back and we think she’s dying of a seizure or something. (binky and flop) She recovers, runs into the cage and begins bouncing off the walls and ceiling, I kid you not, it looked like she was trying to break her own neck. I was pretty terrified of her dying right in front of us.

                                  And that night was the first time in a long time I was interested in learning something new again. I began researching bunnies and their behavior, the Language of Langramorphs (sp) was a godsend and I found myself staying up at night surrounded by printouts, trying to “talk” to this little creature who had much to say. I found her feeding schedule required extra trips to the store for fresh greens, getting up when I didn’t really feel like it to keep her on schedule, etc she wasn’t a pet you could put on ‘auto’.

                                  Then we got Daisy because Pringles needed company, and they just kinda multiplied from there. But their needs and absolutely enchanting bunnyness brought me back out into the world. I met new people in online groups, the best being BB and I’m still learning how to be a good bunny mum and take a lot of joy in the fact that every now and then I’m not quite total bunnyscum   ;-).

                                  I began wanting to lose weight, not for my health, but soley because I wanted to have a lap again, to be able to trance them in my lap and do nails, grooming, and God help me, clean anal glands and give butt baths. My knees were in terrible shape from the excess weight and inactivity.  I started back with my yoga to gain strength, to be able to get down on the floor to play and be able to bend down to clean the condos. I recently started on the Atkins diet and my blood pressure has dropped back to normal and I felt even better, enough to attempt bonding my two couples.

                                  I love not having the condos. It is so much easier to clean an open floor without all the hair, hay and poop that would get trapped behind and underneath them. No more contortions trying to clean them and fit litter boxes through the openings. The vicious squabbling between my girls. The fun of sitting on the floor reading and having them come up to visit and flop beside me. they are so much more relaxed and easy to approach.

                                  I say Try It Mimzmum! If it works, it will be great. If not, you’ll be no worse off.

                                  We had the advantage of the bunnies living so close together for nearly 4 years and it might work for you too. Having the group also helps ease my fears about losing one and having the mate grieve so terribly as Hershey did.

                                  I had cancer in my mid thirties and i know that eventually it will surface somewhere else, but until then every day is mine. And I intend to fill it with my bunnies (but not more than I have right now!  lol) Because I am older I have talked to both my kids about what to do with them if something happens unexpectedly to me. I know you can’t help worrying about the future, Mimzmum, but once you’ve done whatever you can to prepare, then it’s out of your hands. And it will probably be fine. But whatever happens you know you have been tested before and you will be ok.

                                  PS, 2 of my cats are from my daughter too and I’ve told her the same thing. I have to confess I was very upset when those kids brought me Charlie, I didn’t want to take on another responsibility, but after a couple of days of looking for his owner I accepted that he was meant  to join our group, but he is the last until the number dwindles naturally.

                                  From my experience with Hershey I have thought I would love to give older buns who’ve not had a regular home a place to live out their lives, but i would have to learn to distance myself emotionally from them. Hershey was my soul bunny and while her passing brought a wonderful moment of connection with my late Jim, I would not want to go through that heartache again.

                                  Sorry to ramble on so long, I’ve never said that stuff to anyone but it just kinda came out, I hope I haven’t depressed you more, Mimzmum. My new ‘normal’ life isn’t what I would have chosen, but it is what it is and I’m very lucky to have my bunny friends (both 4 and 2 legged)  to keep me company.

                                  Sending you calming vibes and bunny hugs, Kathy and the furballs.


                                • MimzMum
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                                    Oh, Kathy, I didn’t realize how much you’ve been through! Thank you so much for sharing all that, and thank you for the encouragement.

                                    I do believe that my life will go as God wills it, not to sound preachy or anything, and that I could be here for years yet or go Home tomorrow…I have learned, through having cancer of all things, that I just have to place it all in His Hands. And I do…and then sometimes I’ll take it all back to look at it again…then have to give it back. lol….

                                    I guess, in thinking about how I want to spend what is left of my life, that I was trying to imagine taking care of bunnies in my 60’s, and I just couldn’t really see it. Simply because I know I am going to probably feel creaky like this the rest of my life and I’d like to be able to sleep in most mornings when Mimzy is already throwing his litter box in impatience for how slow I’m being to get it cleaned up. Even with all my lackadaisical attitude, I try to make sure the buns live well.

                                    Now I’m sure some of you are thinking…”Okay, your daughter helps you clean dirty bunny bums…why isn’t she taking a shift?” Well…she does assist with some of the cleanings and maintenance, but for the most part, being an insomniac, she is also still sleeping in the mornings while I am toting barge and lifting bale.
                                    My son is not an animal person anymore…we’ve lost too many and usually without telling him till it was over, to find any room left in his heart for them. Considering his growing inability to empathize with other living creatures much, I think this is for the best. He should not have, and does not want, pets, or responsibility for them.

                                    Another big consideration is, hubby doesn’t want any more pets either. It was hard enough convincing him we needed another dog. He is not happy that Jenna had bonded with me instead of my daughter. So really, if I have to point a finger, he has put the kibosh on more bunnies. Not sure if he doesn’t mind if we rescue and rehome, but he wants us to be a bunny-free zone eventually. (Despite telling me he would let me open my own rescue someday when we had the money.) I think he’s seen me freak out too much whenever the rabbits have a health issue, and he doesn’t deal well with the ensuing chaos.

                                    And yeah…money is a big problem. I keep some aside for pet care, but even so, I think by now we are on our vet’s Xmas card list. 0_o

                                    Again, thank you everyone for the kind words. Boy I opened a can here, didn’t I?


                                  • Monkeybun
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                                      Bah. 50 ain’t old! *poke*

                                      You still got plenty of time, and as my mom has always told me, life without pets just isn’t a life. They keep you company, give you happiness, keep you busy so you don’t get all bored and stuck to a couch… Don’t know what I’d do without mine! I’m not 50 yet, but I know once I get there, you can be dang sure I’ll still have fluffy little critters hopping around my living room.

                                      *hugs for all you half century old people *


                                    • BinkyBunny
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                                        Wow.. I am really amazed at the resilience of some of our wonderful members. Amazing people!

                                        I know for me, I have really had to learn the hard way how to set my own limits WITHOUT feeling guilt. It’s a struggle…A lifelong struggle. Comparing to what others do, should have no reflection on what I can or cannot do. What has helped me the most is being able to accept my own limitations without it affecting my self-esteem.

                                        We are not carbon copies of each other and so as we grow and find our own gifts, strengths and weaknesses, they will always be different than someone else’s.    If you are tired, and you are feeling worn out and down, it may mean that you are not taking enough time for yourself and/or you are putting everyone else’s needs and dreams first….and if you need time to get energy and positive emotion back, then you must allow yourself the permission to give yourself what  it is you need.    Ironically, taking the time to feel down about whatever it is that bothers you, can be healing too. A few days to just to feel..”Well, this just sucks and I feel like crap, and i don’t feel like putting on happy face and pretending”, sometimes that can do wonders!! Sometimes just allowing the “funk” for a couple of days actually helps!

                                        You have an extra challenge with the long hours of daylight– You’d think that would be a positive thing, but it can mess with moods too. I remember one time when I took Steve to visit Alaska in the summer, he said he felt ill and mentally worn because his body kept wanting to stay up to the long daylight hours, but his mind was “done”. It was a strange feeling for someone who wasn’t born and raised there.  And I remember my mother having sun lamps above the showers to allow for light in the darkest times of the year because moods could be effected then too.  It’s a trippy place to live.   I was born there and so I really was used to it and it didn’t bother me much, but I  know many others were challenged by the kooky Alaskan sun.  .    Do you feel effected at all by that? 

                                        On another note, a friend of mine, who fought a hard battle of cancer, attributed his cancer to all the stress he allowed in his life. (Whether that was actually true, I don’t know, but he felt in his gut it was, and he was a high stress person)

                                        I know for me, because I love bunnies so much, I will not burden more on myself than what I can handle, and so after Bailey passed away, I knew I would never have more than one or two bunnies and one other animal (like a cat or dog, or fish..LOL) And that’s just me…at THIS time…..that’s MY limitation. Someone else may say…”ONE” pet onlyr while someone else will be fine with a Zoo of animals. Both are fine as long as animals and human alike are living happy lives.

                                        If you decide that in your 60’s (or even earlier than that) you just can only handle one animal or even NO animals, and you decide to not get any more in the future, there is nothing wrong with that. Personally, I would find the situation you have with your animals a bit overwhelming, and bonding can be really stressful. So I get that. It’s sort of a damned if you do, and a damned if you don’t thing.

                                        Bottomline though— You are a wonderful generous person who thinks so much of others, and I just hate to see you feeling down about anything! HUGS to you!!! I’m sending you “peace and wellness” vibes.  

                                        Edited to Add: Just reread my post —Gosh…sure hope this doesn’t sound preachy.   I obviously can only offer advice about what has worked within my own experiences.  And from what I have learned so far about that….the learning process never stops.

                                        Oh…and by the way…you don’t have to have bunnies to post here.  You will always be welcome (though it is weird for me to think of BB in the future..  I just take it year by year) 


                                      • Sarita
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                                          MM, maybe you need some “me time”. I am at that point in my life where I want some “me time”. I love my rabbits to death and will care for them until they leave me…but once they leave me, I don’t want another rabbit or honestly any animal. It’s alot of money, time, and energy and while I’m not complaining about the past and present, I think in the future maybe I want a pet free life.

                                          This is why I don’t look at pet classified or shelters or anything else like that – I know there are rabbits out there needing help and I’ve helped plenty in the past so I really don’t need to be reminded.

                                          Maybe you should start thinking about yourself – it’s okay to do this you know :~)


                                        • Karla
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                                            Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well MM. I can imagine if it is hard getting out of bed some mornings due to pain that it is hard work to take care of lots of pets as well.

                                            At one point we all need to say “this is the final pet, I take in” and think of all the pets, we have helped or rescued through the years. I do sometimes think whether or not, I want bunnies for the rest of my life, and if so, when should I stop. I’m 31 and I love all the work connected with the bunnies and even vacum cleaning once a day. I am too stingy to spend money on myself, but I love spending my money on the bunnies. But they take up a lot of space and my boyfriend is not completely thrilled. And now with a dog in the house, it is so much more complicated seeing I have to keep them seperated. But I just love going into the bunny room and sit down – it is so relaxing and meditative to be around them. They definitely give me something that a dog cannot, although I do find bunnies much more hard work than cats or dogs.

                                            I hope you can make the practical arrangements regarding their housing, toilets et.c. easier so it won’t feel like such hard work.


                                          • MimzMum
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                                              BB, Sarita, Karla…THANK YOU! Oh you all put into words so much better what I was trying to say than I did! Bless you all!
                                              I wasn’t trying to make this a ‘poor me’ post, and I’m sorry if it came off that way. Yes, I worry inordinately about my health because I always have…but when your memory starts going and your eyesight with it and your back goes out more than you do, you begin to reassess your limits and yes…that’s what I was trying to ferret out. If anyone thought there was a good time to say, “Enough…I have done my bit. Time for me to relax and take a little stress off my plate.”

                                              This morning I was cleaning Mimzy’s pen…and since he could probably get out from his door area and get into stuff he shouldn’t (he is in my bedroom after all) I try to remember to close and lock the pen door every time I leave it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone off and done something else now that takes more than just a few seconds and come back to find to my horror that the door is standing open! (Luckily, Mimz is not THAT much of an explorer, but the danger is still there.) And this was one of those mornings. I’d been preoccupied with a phone call from my dad in Hawaii that I didn’t want to miss, and just couldn’t keep my priorities straight.
                                              I had an aunt die from Alzheimer’s and, while I don’t think I have it-certainly chemo brain is bad enough-I get very nervous when I find I’ve tripped up like this. What if one of them decides to make the grand leap during one of these stupid times that I screw up? I would never forgive myself.

                                              Obviously I can’t see well enough to find all the crap that keeps going up Mimzy’s nose either and nail trimming/gland cleaning is torture for both me and bunny because I have to wear coke-bottle glasses and a headlamp to see properly, even then I don’t guarantee an uneventful maintenance session.

                                              Yeah, the 24 hour daylight does mess with things, (Mimzy’s schedule worst of all), and the reverse in winter is terrible…but for the most part I am used to it now. While in California, my daughter was very flipped out by the ‘normal’ daylight. But at least it got her sleeping/waking schedule back to somewhat regular standards for awhile there. We’re trying really hard to keep it up so maybe she can sleep better.

                                              So yeah…it’s not that I wouldn’t love to have furry, wagging tails, wiggling noses and contented purring at my side for the rest of my life. I just have to know when it’s time to say no. Or at least just say, maybe just this one and no more. Because I think when I get to Paradise…Lord…could I just have a few acres of land and all the animals you can possibly give me to care for in Eternity? That would be Heaven to me.

                                              Yeah, I’ve waxed a bit too maudlin…but I have excuses…good ones. Anyway, thanks for all your great responses!

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                                          Forum THE LOUNGE Have you reached that, “This HAS to be my last bunny” stage?