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U/D post 19 I have a hard decision to make, advice please

nessar

Warren Veteran
I need to decide whether to keep my bunny, or start looking for a home for him. Would really appreciate some advice and your opinions on this, as everyone I've asked either doesnt understand why Im hesitating giving him up or isnt realistic.

Sorry, this might be long, will try to keep it brief as I can. This is the situation...

I was asked to take on a homeless rabbit by a friend who's gf works at P@H. He was brought in and they had no room (as he is large) and I had 2 days to decide or he was going to Cardiff P@H where he could have been sold to anyone and most likely in a tiny hutch :(

I reasoned with myself that as my landlord allowed pets I could keep him and if I couldnt find pet-friendly accommodation next year I could rehome him myself and home-check etc. I know it was ill-considered and a rash decision. Finding accommodation was harder than first thought, as we couldnt stay with our current estate agent as he had no 2 beds, but I found somewhere, purely by luck and signing an agreement with a disreputable firm that means my deposit will be taken if the flat smells of rabbit/is damaged.

This is the difficult bit. Im at uni, although I dont actually live with my parents in the holidays or anything, I moved out before uni (long story) so going back after uni is not an option. I am sorted accomodation-wise till the last year of my degree, but after that I want to do a teaching course, but back in England (in Wales now). I really dont want to stay in North Wales as teaching oppurtunities for non-welsh-speaking primary school teachers arent plentiful and (please no offense meant at all) I have experienced prejudice towards the English here occasionally and dont feel like I belong. My tenancy agreement will run out at the end of June, then I will have to find rabbit-friendly student-friendly accomodation near a uni I dont know whether Ive been accepted to yet, nor know the area of. Most people go back to live with parents for the summer, then move into post-graduate uni halls (no pets allowed). I cant do this though. A rabbit isnt exactly easy to hide. I will be keeping my hamster as she is, was in halls with her before.

The course I want to do will be work-based, so I will be working in a school as well as studying, this way if you are any good you often get offered a job by that school, so I will be staying in the same area as I did my course.

I see these options (please if you see any others tell me!:() :
1. I rehome Barney myself, get post grad accomodation.
2. I keep Barney, I do my course here, giving me the time to find accomodation for next year (I will have to start looking next November) but meaning that I have to stay here. I dont know if this is an option yet, no idea if my uni does it.
3. I keep Barney, take a gap year and work in Currys, staying here another year then go to another uni to do teaching course. This gives me time to find accomodation at that uni, but means I spend yet another year not on the career ladder and not earning.
4. I keep Barney, and risk not finding anywhere rabbit-friendly and having to give him up on short notice :cry:

The reason I have finally made myself stop ignoring this situation is because I am fully aware that I need to make a decision fairly soon. The reason is this: in between my tenancy agreement now and my next one, there is a month where I will have to stay at friends houses etc, most of whose parents will not allow a rabbit to come with me. So Barney will most likely be in boarding or with a friend of mine. Because this will not be nice for Barney, I want him to be bonded by then so he has some comfort/normality. I am fully aware that bonded buns take a lot longer to rehome than single buns. So if I need to rehome him I need to start looking soon, so he doesnt spend that month alone and single. But if I am going to keep him then I can start looking for a wife for him in January as he will be infertile from his recent neuter soon. Getting a wifey soon also means I can upgrade his cage sooner, as I want to wait so it can be new and neutral to put them both in before I get him a bigger one.

I know my decision to take him on was not a well thought-out one but I do still think it was the right one. I just dont know if it will be best for him to keep him, as much as I want to, as I cannot offer him complete stability. I really would hate to rehome him as I dont really trust anyone to look after him as I would do. I know it sounds silly :oops: but everyone I know thinks I'm barking for having a house rabbit and silly for wanting a friend for him and worrying so much about this because 'its just a rabbit' :(

Please share your thoughts on my situation?
 
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I see these options (please if you see any others tell me!:() :
1. I rehome Barney myself, get post grad accomodation.
2. I keep Barney, I do my course here, giving me the time to find accomodation for next year (I will have to start looking next November) but meaning that I have to stay here. I dont know if this is an option yet, no idea if my uni does it.
3. I keep Barney, take a gap year and work in Currys, staying here another year then go to another uni to do teaching course. This gives me time to find accomodation at that uni, but means I spend yet another year not on the career ladder and not earning.
4. I keep Barney, and risk not finding anywhere rabbit-friendly and having to give him up on short notice :cry:

Please share your thoughts on my situation?

I know he cant go outside now but could Barney be an outside bunny eventually with a friend? This would open up your accomodation opportunities as most landlords would be happy with outside buns.

I agree with you re what you said about North Wales they can be intimidating to say the least. How far into Wales are you? Could you stay where you are and look for something this side of the border? Chester/ Liverpool way?
 
Another option might be to find someone who would be willing and able to foster if you need them to?
 
I know he cant go outside now but could Barney be an outside bunny eventually with a friend? This would open up your accomodation opportunities as most landlords would be happy with outside buns.

I agree with you re what you said about North Wales they can be intimidating to say the least. How far into Wales are you? Could you stay where you are and look for something this side of the border? Chester/ Liverpool way?

I think Im technically north-west wales, Aberystwyth, so nowhere near a border unfortunately :(

And I've thought about that but no other estate agents I've spoken to would consider it for some reason:?, plus I will have to look for a one or maybe two bed if I can find someone, so most likely no garden :(

Its so frustrating :(
 
I think Im technically north-west wales, Aberystwyth, so nowhere near a border unfortunately :(

And I've thought about that but no other estate agents I've spoken to would consider it for some reason:?, plus I will have to look for a one or maybe two bed if I can find someone, so most likely no garden :(

Its so frustrating :(

Ah right yes you are a good way away and not loads of schools there I suppose. I think thats a fairly posh area of N Wales which probably doesnt help
 
Another option might be to find someone who would be willing and able to foster if you need them to?

Do you mean like a long-term boarding sort of thing? I don't know if I'd want to do that, as it would be for a year and to have him all settled in somewhere else and then uproot him all over again just so I can have him back seems unfair. It could work for the month though...

ETA: or did you mean do option 4 and have someone kind of 'on standby' to take him if need be and rehome him and his friend?
 
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More personal than boarding, but essentially yes, someone looking after him on your behalf. It could give you maybe enough time to go and find the right accommodation, and know he is safe and looked after, and remove some of the pressure.
 
More personal than boarding, but essentially yes, someone looking after him on your behalf. It could give you maybe enough time to go and find the right accommodation, and know he is safe and looked after, and remove some of the pressure.

Sorry edited my last post at the same time as you replied. Yes I guess if I could find only a few months tenancy agreement (do they exist?) I could then look for and move to an animal-friendly place?
 
Ah right yes you are a good way away and not loads of schools there I suppose. I think thats a fairly posh area of N Wales which probably doesnt help

Dont know whether its posh or not really, but its very remote and not rough at all so I guess so, and youre right hardly any schools. I know someone who applied to train to be a primary teacher and was told that they had to have a qualification in Welsh as they are starting teaching at primary level now. So I'd have to do a welsh course too, which would be so hard as I cant pronounce anything.
 
Didn't want to read and run, but I hope you can work out something that's right for both you and Barney as it seems he has become very special to you. I do agree that you made the right decision in taking him on, as you have looked after him well and if you do have to give him up will make sure that he goes somewhere he'll be well cared for. Good luck.
 
Thank you for everyones help, its helped me thinking it over but I still cant make a decision :( I'd still appreciate more help if anyone has any to give or any ideas! :wave: dont be shy!
 
Maybe contact a rescue and ask if any of those who foster for the rescue might be willing to foster Barney for a couple of months while you get accommodation sorted?

Also Welsh is easy to pronounce once you've learned the letters of the alphabet as its phonetic.

I have heard the North Welsh are less friendly than the South Welsh(?), so if true, maybe there would be more opportunities for you in South Wales? Also you may find they are not as insistent on you speaking Welsh in the South?

Perhaps you could do a thread asking for any Welsh speaking RU-ers to help you?

sue:wave:
 
Maybe contact a rescue and ask if any of those who foster for the rescue might be willing to foster Barney for a couple of months while you get accommodation sorted?

Also Welsh is easy to pronounce once you've learned the letters of the alphabet as its phonetic.

I have heard the North Welsh are less friendly than the South Welsh(?), so if true, maybe there would be more opportunities for you in South Wales? Also you may find they are not as insistent on you speaking Welsh in the South?

Perhaps you could do a thread asking for any Welsh speaking RU-ers to help you?

sue:wave:

Yes it looks like getting a fosterer for Barney might be my only option if I am to keep him, which opens up my options a bit.

I'm really no good with languages, cant pick up the grammar rules :oops: and I'd rather move away from Wales completely to be honest. I didnt realise I would feel like so much of an outsider here. I also think the amount of Welsh-speaking schools are being increased so my job oppurtunities will be cut drastically. Even if I did learn welsh there's no way I'd become fluent enough to teach in welsh. Thank you for the advice, if I do have to stay in Wales I think I will move down south.
 
im sorry i have no advice, but from reading your options it seems the whole idea of rehoming your little man is breaking your heart into zillions of pieces so i just want to send virtual hugs and hope you find a solution that suits you both xxx
 
I know I keep asking for loads of advice, I do apologise ! But I was just /wondering how stressful does everyone think fostering would be for Barney for a few months, possibly more depending on what minimum contract I can manage to get.

He would have his bonded friend and hopefully his cage, accessories etc all the same.

My sister has said she will do it, Barney loves her after only a week of her staying here but she is only 15 and it all depends on whether my mother/step father would allow it, given that I dont speak to them. My stepdad used to leave the stairgate open, allowing my dog to follow him the stairs, despite the fact it made his arthiritus worse, he often fell and the vet reccommended not letting him go upstairs as it was so bad. He used to do it as he knew it annoyed me and that it was me who begged them to get the stairgate in the first place. My sister thinks he would never harm Barney but I cant help thinking that he might try and make life difficult, so I dont know whether that would be a good option.
 
im sorry i have no advice, but from reading your options it seems the whole idea of rehoming your little man is breaking your heart into zillions of pieces so i just want to send virtual hugs and hope you find a solution that suits you both xxx

Thank you, I feel so soppy now as that actually brought tears into my eyes :oops: I sound so cheesy now. But thank you :)
 
I know I keep asking for loads of advice, I do apologise ! But I was just /wondering how stressful does everyone think fostering would be for Barney for a few months, possibly more depending on what minimum contract I can manage to get.

He would have his bonded friend and hopefully his cage, accessories etc all the same.

My sister has said she will do it, Barney loves her after only a week of her staying here but she is only 15 and it all depends on whether my mother/step father would allow it, given that I dont speak to them. My stepdad used to leave the stairgate open, allowing my dog to follow him the stairs, despite the fact it made his arthiritus worse, he often fell and the vet reccommended not letting him go upstairs as it was so bad. He used to do it as he knew it annoyed me and that it was me who begged them to get the stairgate in the first place. My sister thinks he would never harm Barney but I cant help thinking that he might try and make life difficult, so I dont know whether that would be a good option.

my pair was with my mom for a week, all their stuff was the same, she kept the routine they was used to and the little sods didnt miss me one little bit!!!!

long as they are fed and loved buns dont seem to care what human slave the keep :wave:
 
my pair was with my mom for a week, all their stuff was the same, she kept the routine they was used to and the little sods didnt miss me one little bit!!!!

long as they are fed and loved buns dont seem to care what human slave the keep :wave:

Ah well hopefully he wont mind too much then, he did take a couple of weeks to settle in here (was rather grumpy/snappy) when I first got him but then he had just moved home twice in a week and I guess I have no idea what conditions he came from. I'm hoping having a friend will ease it.

Im just worried that Im trying to keep him because its what I want, rather than what is right for him. I dont even know if a rescue would rehome a rabbit to me given my circumstances....?

He's eating in his dream right now :roll: can see him chomping away.
 
UPDATE:

Youre probs sick of this by now :lol: but thought Id tell you there has been 2 new developments...
BAD/GOOD (depends how you look at it):
1. I have researched teacher training centres more and back home there is one that is top of everything with 100% newly qualified teachers in work, they do however only take on 25 a year so competition is tough. I preferably need a 2:1 and lots of experience in teaching. I cant find Aberystwyth on these tables (only looked at the best ones) so its likely its not as good. Will be making an appointment with the careers advisors soon I think.

GOOD:
I was talking to a friend of mine and he has decided that he will be doing a masters degree in Aber, and he said he will live with me :) so that would potentially sort out my housing problem for another year and give me more time and most importantly the landlord allows Barney + 1 (I've already gotten the go ahead for another rabbit) and I could stay in the same flat as my 3rd year. The bad side of this is Aber doesnt look to be great for teaching. However it is also much more financially viable for me to stay in Aber as in this 2 bed with my friend I will be paying around 300/350 a month, whereas back home Im looking at minimum £600 for a 1 bed.

So we may have a solution :mrgreen: provided aber isnt too bad for teaching. I would still move back after becoming a NQT (newly qualified teacher) but hopefully I will move more or less straight into a job of £20,000 a year allowing me to have more choice of (rabbit friendly) housing, or something with a garden.

Do you guys think this could work?
 
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