rabbits + stressful lifestyle!

[applekidcookie]

hello! i have concerns relating to my bunnies + me. I am going through a tough time with my bunnies D: i am totally open to any suggestions + support & i can always ask my parents if something is possible or not.

I have 2 rabbits, their names are Abra & Cadabra. both of them are female and are from the same litter. I got them as a present for doing well in school, and i love them very much, so i would prefer keeping them instead of getting them new homes, but they stress me out quite a bit …

the reason for my stress is that i feel very discouraged taking care of them because of their behavior towards me & each other.. when i go to pick them up out of their cage they run, kick, honk really loud, & sometimes even bite me! Not only that but whenever i get near them, Cadabra will attempt to hump Abra (who is REALLY not fond of this :[ ) & sometimes attack her(?) by biting her and ripping her fur off!! i would get Cadabra spayed, but my family just cant afford it 

they used to sleep in the play place i have up in my room for them, but their noise kept me up on school nights & my parents kinda complained about the noise too.. their cage is no longer in my room and is now located downstairs in my living room..which is pretty far away from where the play place is, so the bunnies don’t like being picked up to go there..so they have been in their cage for a few weeks now..D:

i feed them hay , hay pellets & water regularly, and i sometimes let them out onto my couch to roam around for a while..but i still feel bad that they cant be in their play place anymore ;_; …i can put them back in my room but i would have to sacrifice some space in my bedroom along with how well i sleep.. but if thats the best thing to do i can change my sleep schedule for them and put them back up there.

i just need some support + again, i am open to any suggestions!! please help, i love my rabbits & would love any help i can get ^_^

[Mikey]

Here are things you need to do. If you cannot do these things, you need to rehome them for their safety. You are not providing a safe home, fault mainly on your parents for giving you high maintenance pets as gifts when you nor they can afford to properly care for those pets.

Your rabbits need to be kept separate.
> They are attacking one another. Rabbits will fight to the death.
> They are humping each other. It is hard to tell the sex of a rabbit, you have a very high chance of having kits soon. Assuming they dont kill one another first.

You need to have them fixed.
> Around 80percent of female rabbits will develop uterine cancer by age 3. The only way around this is to have them spayed early. Cancer treatments are a lot worse and much more expensive than a spay.
> You cannot keep two hormonal rabbits together. If you plan for them to bond in the future, you need to have them both fixed. Hormonal rabbits, are you are seeing, only have two modes: fight and breed.

You need to give each of them more room, in their respective areas (because you will separate them).
> Each rabbit needs a minimum of 18sqft cage or pen. This is so they get proper exercise. Anything less and you are risking their health and well being.
> Each rabbit needs a minimum of 7 hours outside of their 18sqft cage/pen. They need time out to explore and get proper exercise. Letting them out, even if they just nap, is also better for their mental health. Again, let them out separate from one another.

Im not trying to be harsh, because again, this is really on your parents, but your situation right now has a very high chance to end horrible. Either with kits or dead rabbits. Youre not caring for them properly at all, and this will likely end their life earlier than expected because they are not even getting the bare minimums for their needs.

If your family cannot afford to vet your rabbits properly (including spay/neuter) and your home doesnt have the proper room to house two rabbits separate, then you need to rehome your rabbits. Rehoming a pet because you cannot properly care for it is a loving thing to do. You rehome them out of love, because you know you cannot provide for them the way they need and deserve to be cared for.

[applekidcookie]

OH MY..thank you so much for ur support, i will show this to my parents asap . sadly i think i will have to get them new homes, because i know for sure my mom is really against getting them spayed because of money troubles…. thank u again!! ^_^

[Deleted User]

Just to second what Mikey said, they should both be spayed before being allowed together. They could potentially kill each other in the current situation you have them in. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that rabbits are complex pets and and require a great deal to live fulfilling lives. My rabbit is litter box trained, spayed and very happy to live cage free and roam around my apartment. Most people are shocked when I tell them this, but it really is entirely possible to have a rabbit use a litter box and live free roaming (you have to take precautions of course, such as bunny proofing, so that they do not harm themselves on wires and stuff like that).

I’m sorry to say this, but if they won’t get them spayed then you need to rehome them. They will need separate cages (which will cost $$) and the bonding process is long and stressful. To be honest, they may never bond and may hate each other since they fight often. They have probably learned that they cannot trust the other rabbit, so I would advise you not to even try bonding them even if you are able to get them spayed.

It’s good that you want to look out for them. And it’s going to be a hard decision for you to make, but your rabbits are really in danger by being unspayed and living together. You could come home to one of them dead, because rabbits can and will fight to the death if they are threatened.

[sarahthegemini]

They need to be rehomed to someone that can actually provide them with everything. Currently, they’re not even getting the bare minimum.

They need seperation. At the moment both buns are likely living in fear of the other. They both need spaying. They both need plenty of room to exercise and play. They cannot just be left in their cage for weeks on end.

It’s a shame that your parents were so irresponsible. Getting a pair of rabbits when you’re not prepared to pay for spaying is ludicrous.

[Mikey]

Thank you for understanding that I wasnt trying to be harsh, only informative. Rabbits are very high maintenance pets that shouldnt be bought unless a lot of research goes into rabbit care, before buying them. None of this is really your fault as they were gifts to you, so its just a crappy situation youve been thrusted into. But, its awesome you are willing to rehome them if your parents wont help! No matter what people might say in the future, rehoming is a sign of love and care for the animals you rehome because you cannot properly care for them. Youre doing the right thing.

[sarahthegemini]

Yep I agree with Mikey. It’s far better to admit that you can’t look after them and try to rehome them. It shows you care about them enough to sacrifice (because even tho you love them, you know they deserve more) It’s very unfair that you’ve been backed into a corner really. Although perhaps this will start a love for rabbits that will carry through to when you’re older and have your own place

[applekidcookie]

yes ^_^ i hope in the future one day i will be able to properly care for pet rabbits, but today is not that day :[

i talked to my parents about getting them new homes, but my mom kinda blew up and told me im lying .. my dad on the other hand told me its a good idea to get them new homes. but..how do i make sure these bunnies dont become snake food or dinner!? 

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By applekidcookie on 12/16/2017 2:41 PM

yes ^_^ i hope in the future one day i will be able to properly care for pet rabbits, but today is not that day :[

i talked to my parents about getting them new homes, but my mom kinda blew up and told me im lying .. my dad on the other hand told me its a good idea to get them new homes. but..how do i make sure these bunnies dont become snake food or dinner!? 

If you take them to a no kill shelter, any potential owners should be properly checked out

[applekidcookie]

ok! thanks :]

[sarahthegemini]

You sound very responsible so I’m sure in the future, you’ll be a great bun-parent

[Mikey]

I agree completely! You sound like an awesome caring person. Hopefully in the future youll return to bunnies.

I think taking them to a no kill shelter that accepts rabbits, or a rabbit sanctuary would be good. If you cant find any online, you can call a rabbit certified vet in your area and ask them if they know of any.

[LBJ10]

I have another option. If you cannot afford both, maybe you could rehome one of them. And then save your money to have the other one spayed. It might be less stressful for you to just have one that you can focus all of your attention and efforts on.

[applekidcookie]

oh! thanks for the suggestion, but i think rehoming them is my best option, my mom seems very against getting either of them spayed D:

[applekidcookie]

aww u are both very nice

i talked to my parents again, they found a no kill shelter, theres a fee but im willing to pay it with my own money if i need to !
 i think we will take them there tomorrow or very soon this next week

[Mikey]

Please do keep us updated when you do! Its great your parents are understanding of the situation now

[LittlePuffyTail]

Best of luck to you and your bunnies!

[Deleted User]

I agree with the others, I think it’s very responsible of you to acknowledge that neither party is currently content with how it’s going (you or bunnies) and that something has to give.

I like LBJs suggestion, but the fact is that if your parents aren’t willing to spay even just one, then it’s best that she get rehomed to someone who may have the capability to care for them properly.

I had rabbits as a young child. Unfortunately, I was only 6-7 years old so I didn’t have any clue about how to care for them. My parents set them in a wire cage outside and I don’t remember feeding them hay, just picking grass and giving them carrots and lettuce occasionally. I feel terrible now that I know what I do, but I understand that it was my parent’s fault, not mine. How could I have known all the intricacies of rabbit care at that age? And back in the early 2000’s, we weren’t allowed internet access like children today!

But, when considering a pet as an adult my mind kept gravitating toward a rabbit. I personally don’t care much for cats and I’m quite allergic anyway. I’m a bit of a neat freak and dogs were just too much mess/work and I live in an apartment and am gone most of the day, so that wasn’t a good choice. I kept going back to rabbits but I didn’t want to have the same experience I did as a child. So I did a lot of research and was pleasantly surprised to find that a lot of people had success with free roaming house bunnies. I’m so glad that I chose to make the leap and do it, but you really have to be totally ready for the commitment. Most people don’t think of bunnies as long term pets, but they can live for 8-10 years easily with proper care! I’ll probably never NOT have bunnies as long as I live hahaha.

Basically what I’m saying is, take this as a learning experience and don’t assume that any bunnies you have in the future will be the same experience. Make sure that you’re well informed and that you have the means before you make an adoption, because they are not the kind of pet that you want to buy on a whim. But they are soooo rewarding, loving and faithful as pets. If you treat them well they will be happy and will treat you well

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

I’m so sorry to read that your parents didn’t inform themselves about proper rabbit care before they got them for you. Rabbits are often given impulsively, but when it turns out that they’re high-maintenance pets you’ll end up in the situation you’re in now.

You sound a lot more responsible than your parents, and I think you’ll be a great rabbit owner one day. But sadly, as long as your parents control the finances and living space, your family can’t give the rabbits what they need. It is a really hard decision, but please re-home them for their own sake. Not having the money for all the necessary treatments can lead to horrible cruelty cases, and nobody wants that.
I can understand that your parents find it difficult to admit that they made a mistake in buying them without doing their homework, but I hope they’ll realise that it’s better to admit your mistake and take responsibility than to let the animals suffer for it.

Hopefully you’ll end up in a situation one day where you have the space and the finances to get some amazing rabbits. It sounds like a rabbit would love to have you as his/her owner!

[Author]

Messages