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My bun is now on his own-what should i do?

Tina D

Warren Scout
If anyone can advise me on what to do, i would be most grateful. My girl bun died on Sunday (it was very traumatic and makes me cry everytime it think about it) and my boy bun is now on his own. He is 4/5 years old and is partially/completely blind thanks to his start in life (i took them both off of my cousin nearly a year ago as he had the most horrific eye infection that was being left untreated and they were both stuck in a tiny cage 24/7 and were completely ignored). They were brother and sister and had always lived together. I am really worried about him and have been advised that he should have a new bunny friend sooner rather than later and that a laid back, calm girl bun would be best for him.

I have a couple of additional problems in that the nice lady i spoke to from a rescue charity said that my hutch is too small for two buns, it is a Thistle hall from p@h, 4ft double story but he is only in it at night, the rest of the tgime he has free rein in our enclosed garden. I am also having treatment for cancer at the moment so i don't think i have the energy to get another hutch and make it "homely"-the one that i have at the moment has carpet on the upper level, lino/foam tiles on the lower level and i have insulated it inside and out so that it is warm. I also don't have the facility or energy to bond him with a new rabbit by myself-although i was told that any good rescue would do that for you?

What should i do? I am really at my wits end. I have tried so hard for these rabbits this year. it has taken me so long to get rid of his eye infection and to get them both to have some sort of quality of life. I was just starting to get somewhere and was starting to feel that they were both ok and now this. I feel so sad for him. I am trying so hard to give him the best retirement as he had such a rotten life so far and now i don't know what to do. It breaks my heart everytime i look at him in his hutch on his own

Please advise me if you can
 
the reason that most rescues wont rehome to your hutch accomodation is because they reccomend a 6x2x2ft hutch ideally. even if only for night time... i think it would be worth ringing round rescues to see if you had a run attatched permenantly to the hutch if they would let you rehome then?(so 24/7 acess to run) this might mean theywould more likely go for it alternativly you could try bringin bun in to be an indors bun with free range of house? this may be a cheaper and easier solution to you provided the room (or several) the buns have access to are bunny proofed ie no wires available to chew. you could bring in the male for company with you for now if you wanted too. well done on getting him back to a decent health for now, i think the best way to proceed is to speak to a few rescues and see what they can suggest to adapt the existing accomodation to make it more suitable,

a good rescue its true will bond the buns for you as this is no mean feat(tho some are love at first sight) you may be best giving the remaining bunny time to greive they are all different some need a freind straight aaway others need one later rather than sooner...as with people.
 
Firstly I am so sorry for the loss of your girl Bunny.
Would having your remaining Bun as a House Rabbit be a possibility in the short term. Whilst you are poorly it might be taking on too much to get another Rabbit. Having your Bun as a House Rabbit would be of benefit to both of you as you get to know a Bun so much more when they are indoors with you.

I see you are in London. ARC are a Twickenham based Rescue and they set their rehoming criteria on a case by case basis. They also do bondings if required. So if you feel that obtaining another Bun is a better option than having your boy as a House Rabbit then I would contact ARC

http://www.animalrescueandcare.org.uk/

I would suggest you try to speak with Donna, a lovely lady who will give you very good advice.
Very best wishes for your treatment

:)
 
I agree with Jack's-Jane. Dona at Arc is WONDERFUL and will answer any questions you may have. I have adopted from her and help with fostering etc and Donna wants all her bunnies to go to homes where they will be loved and cherished for the rest of their lives...it sounds like you can do this! :)

Good luck. x
 
Thank you to everyone for your advice, i really do apreciate any help. I have contacted ARC and am waiting for Donna to call me back. Karen at ARC suggested that Pancake might make a good friend for my Phillip. I am just in a bit of a tizz really. I spoke to the vet who told me that buns can go downhill very quickly when they lose their companions -he said it can happen in a matter of days so i am finding myself obsessively watching Phillip to make sure that he is ok. He was laying on his side earlier and i couldn't see if he was breathing or not (i know it sounds really silly). I am not sure how soon he needs to have another friend or whether he needs time by himself to get over her death

I did think about bringing him inside but he hates it. Even when he was really poorly he always much preferred to be outside. I think he finds the house too noisy and it panics him. He always seems to be more relaxed when he is outside.

We also did try and have a run attached to the hutch at night but i kept finding some of the bigger neighbourhood cats sitting on top of the run and trying to get in (our cats keep them out of our garden in the daytime but they are kept in at night) and it used to panic the buns a bit, they would thump a lot and run upstairs in the hutch to get away from them
 
Thank you to everyone for your advice, i really do apreciate any help. I have contacted ARC and am waiting for Donna to call me back. Karen at ARC suggested that Pancake might make a good friend for my Phillip. I am just in a bit of a tizz really. I spoke to the vet who told me that buns can go downhill very quickly when they lose their companions -he said it can happen in a matter of days so i am finding myself obsessively watching Phillip to make sure that he is ok. He was laying on his side earlier and i couldn't see if he was breathing or not (i know it sounds really silly). I am not sure how soon he needs to have another friend or whether he needs time by himself to get over her death

I did think about bringing him inside but he hates it. Even when he was really poorly he always much preferred to be outside. I think he finds the house too noisy and it panics him. He always seems to be more relaxed when he is outside.

We also did try and have a run attached to the hutch at night but i kept finding some of the bigger neighbourhood cats sitting on top of the run and trying to get in (our cats keep them out of our garden in the daytime but they are kept in at night) and it used to panic the buns a bit, they would thump a lot and run upstairs in the hutch to get away from them

Donna is a member on here so try PMing her. She may see a PM before she see's her emails/picks up answerphone messages. Her username on here is donna-arc
 
Thank you to everyone for your advice, i really do apreciate any help. I have contacted ARC and am waiting for Donna to call me back. Karen at ARC suggested that Pancake might make a good friend for my Phillip. I am just in a bit of a tizz really. I spoke to the vet who told me that buns can go downhill very quickly when they lose their companions -he said it can happen in a matter of days so i am finding myself obsessively watching Phillip to make sure that he is ok. He was laying on his side earlier and i couldn't see if he was breathing or not (i know it sounds really silly). I am not sure how soon he needs to have another friend or whether he needs time by himself to get over her death

I did think about bringing him inside but he hates it. Even when he was really poorly he always much preferred to be outside. I think he finds the house too noisy and it panics him. He always seems to be more relaxed when he is outside.

We also did try and have a run attached to the hutch at night but i kept finding some of the bigger neighbourhood cats sitting on top of the run and trying to get in (our cats keep them out of our garden in the daytime but they are kept in at night) and it used to panic the buns a bit, they would thump a lot and run upstairs in the hutch to get away from them

I am fostering Pancake at the mo. She does seem limke a laid back bunny. She is around 3.5-4 years old. I have contacted Donna for you also. x
 
Thank you Jack's Jane. I have pmd Donna. and thank you buuny_friend, fingers crossed that it might work out for Pancake and Phillip.

I have been reading back over what i have wrote and am not sure if i sound like a heartless person looking for another bun so soon. I am crying everytime i write about my poor buns and i am so so sorry that just as they were begining to get some quality of life, this happens. I am just so scared that Phillip will take it badly and it will affect his health. He had such a rubbish start to his life, i just really want the best for him-he is such a sweet lovely boy too
 
Thank you Jack's Jane. I have pmd Donna. and thank you buuny_friend, fingers crossed that it might work out for Pancake and Phillip.

I have been reading back over what i have wrote and am not sure if i sound like a heartless person looking for another bun so soon. I am crying everytime i write about my poor buns and i am so so sorry that just as they were begining to get some quality of life, this happens. I am just so scared that Phillip will take it badly and it will affect his health. He had such a rubbish start to his life, i just really want the best for him-he is such a sweet lovely boy too

Nobody would think that...you obviuosly want what is best for Phillip.

x
 
i hope you find a new friend for Phillip, and i'm sorry for your loss. It's heartbreaking when you lose a pet, especially when you just nurse them into health and have spent time and money to get the best out of their lives...then sods law strikes

I have lost 2 of my rabbits, each time leaving a rabbit without a partner. My first rabbit was with his brother, and 1 passed away. However the other brother is kept as a lone rabbit as he wont take to anyone else.

My other pair -one boy and a girl were inseparable. However in march i lost the girl and the male has been alone ever since. I was asked to take on a bunny last week from a lady who had lost one and didnt want to replace it, but at the same time didnt want her bunny to be alone. Now these two are completely different- Henry is a very large, dominant and stubborn 1 year old and Bunty (the one ive taken) is a tiny little mini lop, who's nearly 5. But you know what? I didnt even have to bond them, they just clicked automatically.

This proves there is always hope to find a new partner for your friend. Best of luck xx
 
Tina.

Donna is having problems with her emails and I knwo has been working lots of late nights recently. If you can pm me your contact details I will ensure that she gets them to her so that she can communicate with you.
 
Thank you all very much for you kind words. I am trying to stay positive that it will all be ok for Phillip. I am over-compensating a bit and keep feeding him nice things to try and make him happy!!

jrn1310: I have pmd you my details x
 
Thank you all very much for you kind words. I am trying to stay positive that it will all be ok for Phillip. I am over-compensating a bit and keep feeding him nice things to try and make him happy!!

jrn1310: I have pmd you my details x

I have sent these to Donna

Janice
 
I have been reading back over what i have wrote and am not sure if i sound like a heartless person looking for another bun so soon.

Tina, it doesn't sound like that at all. :) I'm sorry for your loss. :(You sound like somebody who loves your bunny very much and is trying to do your best to make sure that Phillip is happy. Good luck with your search for a friend for him. xx :)
 
I am very sorry for your loss. You sound to me like someone who cares very much about the welfare of your bunnies. You are right to keep a close eye on Philip, just in case he shows any signs of illness due to the stress of losing his partner - it is never easy.

I hope that you can find a new partner for Philip soon, meanwhile try to spend some time with him as it will comfort both of you.

Thinking of you.
 
I think bringng him in the house is a good idea as he will be getting more company, even if you are not directly giving him attention.
 
i know what you mean about worrying about people thinking you are heartless beleive you me they dont. when dora lost snowy.... she stopped eating adn dramatically lost wieght so much so that i thought i would lose her she just point blank refused food... i showed her pics of other buns rescues had available to no avail until one desperate attempt with a picture(all blown up to full size bunnys) of a rabbit who was in dire need on free ads which she immediatly sat by and started eating next to the picture...i had to try it..i went and got him he had had an awful life and wasnt yet neuterd...(luckily dora was) i wasnt planning to let them be together till after the nueter but he managed to jump the 3ft run fence and i found them sat together eating.... he has since been neutered to stop the humping.... adn she immediatly started eating again. everyone on here was very supportive as they always are and managed to help me come to terms with everything. i hope phillip and pancake work out and i erally hope donna can help you iv not met her yet but through all correspondance in the past she seems very caring!!! xx
 
I am also having treatment for cancer at the moment so i don't think i have the energy to get another hutch and make it "homely"-the one that i have at the moment has carpet on the upper level,

You're so brave to spend the time to take care of your bun while you have cancer. My bridge bun Goofball had bone cancer, I successfully either remove or dormant the cancer cell via blackberry treatment (Please read the last part of this thread)

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=91411

I done the above based on Dr. Gary Stoner research, among many thousands of MD who uses blackberries to treat cancer. I hope the info in the link can be useful to you

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-05/osu-bra050102.php
 
Thank you very much for that info Happy Hopping (Jason?) I will certainly look into that. I had heard some good stuff about tomatoes helping fight cancer but have never heard anything about blackberries. Goofball was very beautiful, by the way.

I suppose you don't stop worrying about your animals, even when you are poorly yourself. My Phillip just looks so small and lonely now, it just breaks my heart. One of my cats went and sat with him in his hutch yesterday which was very sweet though
 
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