Want a new bunny, parents recently rehomed last one

[Niki]

Alright, I assume that I can infer what you’re thinking as you click on this post.

“She wants another rabbit just a few months after getting rid of her last one?! What a selfish brat, obviously if she couldn’t handle her last one, she doesn’t deserve to get a new rabbit! Sheesh, the short attention span of kids these days… They shouldn’t own pets if they aren’t willing to make a lifelong commitment to them!”

Pretty accurate, right?

Well, I’m not going to argue with you, although I’ll give you a bit of a background on my family’s past pets so that you can hopefully continue reading this post with an open mind.

When I was about eleven or twelve, I got a Holland Lop named Bugs for my birthday. As a young girl, I absolutely adored him. I spent countless hours playing with him, petting him, and caring for him. To my delight, he actually didn’t mind being held so I made a habit of watching TV with him sitting on my lap every night. Fast forward a few months, (at least I think it was a few months, maybe a year or so) I decided to take him outside. This was during the summer, and in all of my childlike naivety I didn’t once think about the thick layer of fur he had that was akin to wearing a humongous mink coat while sitting in a sauna. And so, being the absolute idiot that I was, I played with him outside for about two to three hours. This is just a rough estimate, it could have been much longer than that. We lived in a very kid oriented neighborhood, and I had many friends that I hung out with year round. Everyone was very interested in my rabbit, and I decided to take him along with us to another kids house. The boy that lived there happened to have a trampoline, and there were about five of us there. You probably already have a pretty good idea of what happened next. Adding to the stupidity that I had already displayed on that day, I decided it would be a great idea, not to mention loads of fun, to take him on the trampoline with us. This is where it gets extremely difficult to write this, as I’m ashamed and embarrassed of my actions. So, we took him on the trampoline and as can already be inferred, he did not like it. He was most likely extremely scared and stressed out, and he even jumped off of the trampoline and onto the grass, which probably did a great deal of damage to his bones and inner organs. Now, of course I didn’t pay any attention to this, and neither did the other kids. It makes me sick to remember this, and I feel like an animal abuser. We got him home, and I have a feeling he was suffering from heat stroke, as we placed a cold water bottle next to him and he limply laid next to it, panting. As a young kid, I obviously didn’t realize the affect my action had had on him, and my older sister and mom did a good job of making sure I felt reasonably guilty for oh, a good five or six years after that. I can remember them telling me that I was an idiot, I should have known better, I abused him, basically things along that line. We took him to a vet that night and they took him in, and seemed to be doing well. However, the next day my mom told me that he had passed away. I felt absolute and utter guilt, and so immature for years afterward.

When I was about thirteen(ish) we got a rabbit for Easter, named Oreo. I do not know what breed he was, and we had him for about a year until he passed away. We still aren’t sure why he died. He was definitely not my favorite out of the ones that we had, as he got very cage aggressive and also didn’t want to be picked up; so he would nip a lot. Not understanding that rabbits get afraid when they are lifted off the ground due to being animals of prey, my sisters and I wrote it off as being mean, and none of us really wanted to play with him anymore because we didn’t enjoy getting bitten. However, we did like having him around and enjoyed him for around a year, and then we moved houses. Shortly after that he died, and I’m wondering if the stress from switching environments was too much for him to handle.

Fast forward a bit, and I was about fourteen. We were in a pet store, and happened to see a female Lionhead. Never having experienced seeing that type of breed, we were overcome with cuteness and begged my mother to buy it. She didn’t take much convincing as she thought it was equally as adorable, and we took it home that night. We named her Poppy, and had her for a couple of months until she had to be put down due to cancer. She was such a sweet little girl, and my younger sister and I were very sad when she passed.

When I was around fifteen, my younger sister who was eleven at the time, decided she wanted a rabbit for Christmas. She did a load of research, and found the Netherland Dwarf breed. My grandma got in contact with a breeder, and took me, my mom, and my sister all to this mans house. We got to experience the commotion and noise of hundreds of rabbits in a breeding facility, and it was all pretty overwhelming. She picked out a male kit and we took him home. She named him Amigo, and spent a great deal of time with him for about a year. She entered him in 4H, and tried to train him, and things of that nature. After a year or so she got more attached to horse back riding, which she had been doing on and off. She would go to the barn with my older sister, and they’d spend most of their time up there. She slowly disconnected from her rabbit, decided to quit showing it, and as this often happens with young kids who lose interest in their pets, my mom was given the joy of being its primary caretaker. This was a job she was not enthusiastic about, although valiantly cleaned the cage each week, and made sure he had ample food and water every day. I had a feeling that she wasn’t taking care of her rabbit at all, and other than my mom socializing him, which consisted of a few pets and maybe a treat or two for a few minutes every day when she would give him food or water, no one was really taking care of him. I tried to go downstairs and see him, although every time I would go to pick him up he would run back into his house, and wouldn’t come out into the open part of his hutch. With bad memories from Oreo, I wasn’t about to try and force him into letting me hold him, as I was not crazy about getting bitten or scratched. From a realistic point of view he slowly became somewhat neglected, and would pee out of his cage, shed a ton of hair which we hadn’t experienced with our past rabbits, his nails grew to the point where we could hear them when he hopped on a flat surface, and was never taken out of his cage to run around. This made me feel sick, because I knew we weren’t treating him well. I know I should have tried to make a difference in his life, and this sounds like a terrible excuse… I really didn’t find him cute at all, as I’m not a fan of his breed. This sounds terrible, as he was a living breathing being with feelings, not some stuffed animal that I can cast aside for the cuter one. So, I pushed to try and find a new home for him as my younger sister obviously didn’t care about him anymore. We found an elderly couple who had owned rabbits for a better part of their lives, and they came to meet him and took him home. In the end, it was the right decision as he now has a loving home where he has free reign to hop around as much as he likes.

When I was sixteen owned a hamster for about three years, and he died of natural causes about a year and a half ago. I was surprised by how much his death affected me, and I still miss him. Going into owning him, I never thought I would become as attached to him as I did, (he was a Christmas gift) but nevertheless I was delighted by how sweet and friendly he was. He never bit, and I could hold him without him as well as pet him, or let him scurry around a flat surface

So, now that I’ve bared my past experiences to all of you and been completely honest despite it being difficult, I was to ask a favor of you guys. Is it selfish of me to want another one? Is it even fair to the rabbit? How would I go about proving to my parents that I’m capable of taking full responsibility of having one? With our past rabbits I think I got a bit bored of them, as my mom didn’t like to let us have them roam around the house. We had to keep them in a pen, and I didn’t know how to play with them. Are there things to do with them other than sit there and watch them hop around?

Do you think I’m even responsible enough to own one?

[Sarita]

Hi Niki and welcome – I read your very long and honest post and don’t think bad about you at all…and no one else will either.

I will tell you though that I can understand your wanting another rabbit but honestly I think you should wait until you are on your own and have your own money instead of trying to convince your parents of anything.

I also think that by your post you are still living at home and possibly will be going onto college soon and you just won’t have the time for a rabbit as this is the time to be living your life and working hard to get through college with as little responsibilities as possible because honestly those responsibilities will come fast once you graduate and get a job…do that first and consider a pet of any kind later.

[Niki]

I’m not sure if I’d really have to convince them, as my mom is actually willing to buy me a pet. I would just have to prove that I’m responsible enough to take care of an animal on my own.

I am actually going to live at home.

[Sarita]

I approved your last post but deleted your age and I stand by what I said – just wait until you are older….you have the rest of your life to get another pet or rabbit…don’t be in such a hurry.

[Sindri]

I am not sure if its my place to say anything but if you are dead set on getting another rabbit I hope you realize that it needs to be taken care of differently than the other rabbits you have had in the past. The first thing that comes to my mind is spaying and neutering of the rabbit. It would have to be done to be healthy and happy and that can be pretty expensive. Spaying prevents cancer and neutering and spaying helps with bad behavior that occur do to hormones. Vet bills are expensive. My last yearly check up was almost $150. That is something to think of. That is something you would need to discuss with your mom. That’s a big reason to wait until you are older like Sarita suggested.

[JackRabbit]

Barring unforeseen illness, well cared for bunnies can live 10 to 12 years. At your age, can you realistically commit to properly care for a bunny, including giving it plenty of out of cage exercise time, providing for vet care, ensuring that it has fresh water, good quality unlimited hay, pellets, fresh veggies, etc.? Is your mother willing to take on all of it for 10 to 12 years if you don’t? I know that sounds harsh, but that’s the reality of having a pet bunny, and I’m speaking as the parent of a 21 year old who got a pet bunny that is now mine.

My advice? Skip getting a pet bunny and enjoy your teen and early adult years! Life at that age has a way of throwing an awful lot new responsibilities at you as well as fun things to do. I’m going to agree with Sarita. Wait until you are out on your own and settled in some and then see if you still want another bunny and if you are able to make such a long term committment.

[aBeautifulHope]

I agree with everyone else, but I do have a few other things to say

I’m 19, live at home, but after taking a gap year am starting training for becoming a Paramedic, and then going on to Pre-Med and then Med school…which was NOT in the plan as of 6 months ago. I have 6 (one is old and most likely not going to make it much longer, and two are my little sister’s responsibility riding wise, I am just responsible for their over all care and she helps with that, but I am still the one paying the bills and staying on her case and overseeing everything) horses, 4 dogs (again, one of which is old but may stick around for a while because he’s a tough, stubborn bugger), and two bunnies. Now out of all of these animals, only 2 horses (+ a pony), 1-2 dogs (one is COMPLETELY mine, the other is a livestock dog, and while mine, would only ever move with me if I was to buy property of my own), and one of the bunnies is mine. Do I sometimes wish that I had the freedom other people have to just go on a trip without having to find at LEAST two pet sitters? Heck yes. Is it going to be a pain if/when I have to find an apartment soon/in the new year (depends on what happens with my parents and my mom’s rental…they’re split and we don’t live on property so if she moves more towards civilization I would have to get an apartment here)? You betcha. Do I have a few regrets? Yeah, I wish I had never gotten my second horse if we’re being honest. She’s stunning and a sweetheart, but she’s an unbacked 14 year old. And I just don’t have the time to put on her…well, I could make time and now that the horse I pony off of is sound I can start the next phase of training, but I still wish I hadn’t bought her (she was originally my mom’s until she discovered she can not ride due to a hemangioma on her liver).  And once she’s at least green broke, my thoughts on her will probably change…it’s just hard starting from scratch with an older horse which means I have to move my time frames forwards QUITE drastically (my horses normally have a good 4-5 years of ground work on them before I start riding them).  Do I regret my dog (a high energy BC…great idea when I was working on a ranch, but not so great idea now that I’m going back to school)? No. Do I regret my pony or my main horse? Nope (and I wouldn’t regret my second horse if I lived on property…which once I get my Paramedics certification and have some money saved up I’m going to put either a barn with an apartment, a yurt, or a small modular home up). Do I regret the bunny? Not even a little.

Even though there are MOMENTS when I want to scream because I can’t do certain things and am tied down, I wouldn’t trade my horse, my dog, or my bunny to have those things because those animals are my stress relief. When I am doing homework, it’s a nice distraction every hour or so to get down and play with the bunny hopping about my feet, or throw the ball for the dog annoying the BEJEEZERS out of me by dropping the ball/frisbee in my lap every five minutes, or heading out late at night after doing homework, exhausted, to go and ride my horses and then totally forget every bit of exhaustion and stress I left at home. I also find a lot of joy and relaxation in the routine of taking care of the animals….But that’s not everyone. So, while everyone’s advice is spot on, only you know what YOU truly want and what YOU can truly handle. Would I suggest my sister Hailey to get a dog, a bunny, or another horse? No, because in four years she’s DEFINITELY going to go off to college and bring her horse along with her, but she would board that horse and live in a dorm…where she could not bring a bunny, or a dog, or even a cat. Would I suggest one of my other sisters, Lexi, to get a pet? Nope. She would play with it for a week or two (if that) and then grow board of it and would neglect it until I noticed and took it into my care (as recently happened with a bunny she bought when I bought mine). Bunnies are great pets, and compared to my horse, or even my dog (who is EXTREMELY high maintenance for a dog thanks to his breed and herding drive) are low maintenance since (mine at least) they don’t need constant attention or to be walked or whatnot…I just let mine out while doing schoolwork, give them nose rubs and treats if they come over to snuggle, and leave MY girl out most of the day since she is super well behaved and doesn’t chew the baseboard or rip at the carpet (knock on wood). For most people they’re not cheap, but to someone who’s used to $1,100 vet bills twice a year, emergency bills STARTING at $500, and a feed bill that makes its home at a very uncomfortable number during the summer months, they’re not horribly expensive, and a student could probably support one and be able to afford vet bills if they stretch themselves and budget/deny buying THEMSELVES things and make a savings account for the bunny where they put every spare cent they get.

Only you can make this decision Truly think it over and don’t rush into it, it’s an 8-10 year commitment, and you just have to know that this is TRULY what you want and would enrich your life the ENTIRE span of the animal’s life Don’t buy it because it’s cute, buy it because it would make your life a little happier, and make sure you would even LIKE taking care of it. My cousin recently bought a rabbit, and it was a GREAT idea for her. She needed a creature she could play around with and snuggle with (she really lucked out on her bunny…he LOVES her to death), who would make her get up in the morning to take care of, and who could help her keep her anxiety and her depression in check. So for her, even though she is nearing an age wear she will most likely be moving out in the next 2-3 years, it was a good decision. So evaluate your life and your real motives for getting a bunny And don’t depend on your parents for taking it over if you grow tired of it/have an opportunity come up where the rabbit would not be welcome. You are old enough to make a wise decision and suffer the consequences yourself, you sound like you are close to being an adult, and that means that a decision like this has NOTHING to do with whether or not your parents are ok with it, but whether or not YOU are ok with it/understand that now you have something tying you to the US (no studying abroad most likely), and making random, spur of the moment trips almost impossible (if you can’t tell, those are the two things that make me grind my teeth about having so many animals with no one to help me take care of them! Still don’t regret getting them tho) It would also make finding an apartment a little harder and more expensive, but not impossible. I’m just going to restate my main thought, this is your decision. Not ours. Yours. And everyone is different, what’s right for me, or my sibling, or my friend, is not necessarily what’s right for you Only YOU can make the decision

[Elliriyanna]

My eyes are getting tired so I only skimmed, But it seems you are still living at home, Most likely you will be going to school in a few years possibly having to go away for that. I don’t think right now is the time for such a long lived animal. You did say you like hamsters. have you considered another hamster? They are friendly and not as long lived. though you will still want to have a vet.

I don’t think you should never get a pet rabbit, but I think you should wait until you can get one and do things right and the way you want to. 

[HereComesTheBun]

First of all, I certainly don’t blame you for your experience with your previous rabbits. We all make mistakes as kids, and things happen even under the best of circumstances.

I feel a little strange responding to this, because it relates to me in a very personal way, and I’m a pretty private person. I’m twenty-one, and in my case, my rabbit is a registered emotional support animal, because I suffer from depression and anxiety. I’m honestly about as far from the stereotypical college student as you can imagine, as I’m a total homebody and am practically allergic to parties (I hate this stereotype, as college students come in different shapes and sizes, but I digress). My rabbit, Hugo, has made such a difference in my life, and he will always be part of my future plans. I know that a lot of people would feel weighed down by that, but because of my challenges, I feel so much stronger about facing the world with Hugo besides me. My parents were also a part of the decision, and they have agreed to look after him for short periods of time.

Having said that, I’m not sure that I could have handled taking on a pet before now. Even if you’re living at home, you do a lot of growing up in your first years of college and gain a better understanding of what adulthood entails. I also now have a better understanding of what college is like and how I can arrange my schedule around my pet. But it all depends on the circumstances, really. Abeautifulhope, you sound like an absolutely incredible pet owner, and I know that college won’t change the devotion you have for your pets. On the other hand, I do know people who had pets when they lived at home at the beginning of college and ended up leaving them behind when they moved out. Even though their parents were okay with that, I feel very bad for their pets.

I won’t discourage you, because I don’t know you personally, and it sounds like you’ve done some great self-reflection on why things didn’t work out with your previous rabbits and have become more responsible through owning your hamster. But I would just think very hard about the longterm effects of having a rabbit, why you want a rabbit, and what you’re willing to sacrifice for it. 

[aBeautifulHope]

HereComesTheBun, your points are spot on. You said what I was trying to say but in a way that was much more easily comprehended. Owning an animal requires a TON of sacrifice regardless of what it is. Sacrifice of finances (I look at clothes or even nicer shampoo that I want to buy and have to think about the fact that the $10 that I could spend on that would also be 3/4-half a bag of feed, or a half a bale of hay), time (I have to pay attention when I’m out as to what time it is to make sure I get home with enough time to feed everything AND get some sleep), sleep (I can’t count the number of nights I have spent wide awake with a 10 shot espresso in my hand nursing sick animals through the night…some bouts have lasted weeks), and countless others. I was also lucky in the fact that I HAVE grown up on a farm and from the time I was 10 have learned to work my life around my animals, verses the other way around. I’ve grown up with the mindset of ‘the animals come first’, but for some people that’s a bit of an adjustment, and it can be a bit difficult to get used to. But if it’s something you truly want and something that would make your life sweeter, even if it means you lose a little sleep and your pocket’s a little bit (or a lot ) flatter than it used to be, then go for it, but don’t do it because it’s a passing fad, do it because it will continue to benefit you in the future, even if you have to give up a few opportunities you wouldn’t have had to give up if you hadn’t had this little creature hanging out with you

Oh, HereComesTheBun, I totally know what you mean about the ‘allergy to parties’…I have it as well! They are just sensory over load!!!

[Author]

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