• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

The frustration of success

Sky-O

Wise Old Thumper
Last July a litter of babies arrived at the rescue, 6 boys, one girl. It was my last day there for many months.

When I went back many months later (end of October, I think?), the girl had sadly died and three of the boys were not thriving. those three were half the size of the others, not developing, not growing. They were stunted and looked pretty rough.

I was worried for them. After talking to some people and explaining how ill and stunted these bunnies were, I found them a place somewhere 'in due course' and intended to take the rabbit's on as fosters.

They came home in mid November.

The night they arrived they weighed 576g, 718g, and 842g, respectively, at 6-7 months old, and some sort of lionhead (possibly with some sort of lop in there too). Their siblings were over twice their size by this point.

Overnight they gained weight to 715, 900g, and 1055g, which makes me think they couldn't use the water bottle.

They were ill when they arrived. Their guts were nasty and felt wrong to my vet, and two had dental issues, one more so than the other. They all drink like a horse.

Overtime, they have grown, dropped their bits and been neutered and gotten healthier and healthier and don't 'qualify' for the places they originally were going to (well, hopefully one does, but the other two do not, if I am honest).

One will be rehomable through normal procedures, which is fine.

The other creates a problem. the dental issues mean he is not deemed as rehomable, but that also I don't have enough space or money to have him myself.

Its so frustrating. I did my best for them. I kept them alive, when they would surely have died at the rescue, I made them better, I fixed them, and I made them too well. Now I have created my own problem. I'm glad for those bunnies they are in a much better state, but its so frustrating now fostering a bunny who is unlikely to be allowed to be rehomed and who I feel unable to keep.

Its heartbreaking and its difficult.

And I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now.

The frustration of success.
 
Wow that's very difficult and I feel your frustration.

Great that you did keep him alive but the answer to the quandry relies on somebody else coming along who has the same love and nurturing spirit that you do and we all know those people are few and far between :?
 
That is a touching, heartwarming story about three bunnies for whom you have clearly cared for so much and given them all the TLC and attention they needed to thrive. It sounds like you have a done a great job. I am glad that two of them are 'sorted' in terms of finding suitable homes, which is great as well.

The one that is left.....is there any chance of fostering him short term and rehoming him privately? I'm guessing that he officially belongs to the rescue, but can you persuade them, given everything you have done for them?

ETA: or could someone else with bunny experience long-term foster?
 
What an awful situation :( I hope you find a solution. Perhaps someone on here wouldn't mind taking him?
 
It;s also why I have so much admiration for the sanctuaries on here.

It's all very well for people to rescue a bunny from abuse/neglect as a lot of the pay off is in the feelings you get from rescuing and success and treatment, but then once the drama wears off, you are left with a disabled bunny who needs lots of veterinary care and attention and that's when the longterm, self-sacrificing love comes in,.
 
So is the middle one too well to come here now? I thought he was being rebonded to the little one so they were coming together. In fact I didn't realise they had been separated until your last email.

If they can find a "normal" home rather than coming here then I feel that is always the best option as they would get more one to one care than a home with over 30 rabbits :) But if they have on going health problems then they are still on the waiting list when the right place come up :)
 
No worries. I just presumed you had read it, but maybe not (this thread may have come as a surprise then). Sorry!
 
I just feel very much like I've let them down by doing my best, messed Liz around, all be it not intentionally, scared that Liz might end up with some bunny she feels doesn't meet her criteria, and that these lovely bunnies are going to suffer all because I did my best. How messed up is that!

If Liz feels that only one meets her criteria (which is what I feel, but obviously I'm not Liz) then the Hay Monster can be rehomed as per normal, but Butterfly is going to be the problematical one, but he's the most luscious and is like a puppy, running, jumping, binkying, getting into places he shouldn't, loving cuddles and strokes, he stamps for attention, makes a huge racket whatever he does and is simply delightful. Over Christmas he lived in my room and really looked like he felt he belonged there. I wish he did belong there. His teeth are not bad, 'just' that he will be a dental bunny, but nothing, as far as we can tell, particularly nasty.
 
Rolands gnashers were bad,Sky-O but hes only had one dental in a year.:D
How often would you say your man needs dentals???
 
I just feel very much like I've let them down by doing my best, messed Liz around, all be it not intentionally, scared that Liz might end up with some bunny she feels doesn't meet her criteria, and that these lovely bunnies are going to suffer all because I did my best. How messed up is that!

If Liz feels that only one meets her criteria (which is what I feel, but obviously I'm not Liz) then the Hay Monster can be rehomed as per normal, but Butterfly is going to be the problematical one, but he's the most luscious and is like a puppy, running, jumping, binkying, getting into places he shouldn't, loving cuddles and strokes, he stamps for attention, makes a huge racket whatever he does and is simply delightful. Over Christmas he lived in my room and really looked like he felt he belonged there. I wish he did belong there. His teeth are not bad, 'just' that he will be a dental bunny, but nothing, as far as we can tell, particularly nasty.


But the one thing that everyone wants for all bunnies is that they are as healthy as can be. And you have helped them to live to their potential by giving them the best place to start from. You should be really proud of yourself for helping them so much.

There are people who are willing to take on dental bunnies - and if they are under 5 they can be insured too, and so any GA for dentals will be covered by that. Or some people know vets who will do conscious dentals (although I know its controversial and not always ideal).

So if you can find a home that is experienced with dental bunnies, who has a good vet and is willing to take a dental bunny on (and who you trust to look after his tooths), then there is no reason why he cant go on to have a loving forever home....unless I am missing something? :oops:
 
Rolands gnashers were bad,Sky-O but hes only had one dental in a year.:D
How often would you say your man needs dentals???

I have no idea. He's not needed one yet- he's now 8 months old, I think, but the vets have said he is 'brewing' so I can only imagine he has some small spurs. He may never need one if he can be controlled properly, but any dental issue deems him unadoptable unless I can find a good owner and convince said Rescue that this owner will ensure he gets all his needs met. I've done this before, and this is the case with Little, going to Liz. If I trust the person then I would fight for them, but I'd have to really know them well as an animal owner, or else be able to get an excellent recommendation from a different course on someone.
 
But the one thing that everyone wants for all bunnies is that they are as healthy as can be. And you have helped them to live to their potential by giving them the best place to start from. You should be really proud of yourself for helping them so much.

There are people who are willing to take on dental bunnies - and if they are under 5 they can be insured too, and so any GA for dentals will be covered by that. Or some people know vets who will do conscious dentals (although I know its controversial and not always ideal).

So if you can find a home that is experienced with dental bunnies, who has a good vet and is willing to take a dental bunny on (and who you trust to look after his tooths), then there is no reason why he cant go on to have a loving forever home....unless I am missing something? :oops:

All true. Very, very true.

The missing bit may be that it all falls into the hands of those running the rescue and whether or not they agree with any plan I can get into place and pull into action.
 
Back
Top