For the last 3 weeks I have been keeping a secret . . .

Well actually it felt more like living a lie to be honest.

Its a long story (but an old one). Many of you know we have an unneuetered male (Parsley) who will remain unneutered for a variety of reasons but mainly due to initial diagnosis of a heart problem - though he has since had to have numerous ops for other things we would really never ever ever forgive ourselves if something snapped during a measly neuter op. after all he has been through.

What nobody knew (including us) was that we also had an unneutered female. We had been told she was neutered when we rescued her, and that she had been living with a male (who was not neutered) with no babies resulting - we didn't believe it of course and were planning to have an op done even if it was just to double check - and we would have neutered if we had found she wasn't. But as she was too underweight for an op. when we got her we just kept her separate and then over time as she showed no signs of hormones at all and got on very well in her group of neutered males and females with no aggression or phantom pregnancies etc we decided she must be neutered after all . . .

Keeping 21 buns in their appropriate groups is usually fine . . and after all with only Parsley unneuetered (as we thought) there is never an issue even if there is a slip and someone escapes onto the lawn when another group s there. . .

Well I guess you all know what is coming . . . and I have to thank Angie65 and Ali (RubyTed) and Vicki for their huge support at what was a very difficult time as neither I nor Steve knew what on earth to do (I have never even had my own babies let along bunny babies . . I had NO idea blood was involved:mrgreen::shock. They have also kept my guilty secret whilst I plucked up courage to confess

Its taken me almost 4 weeks to own up to this and I feel very very silly. The mum will be booked in to have a spay as soon as she gets the vets all clear and the babies are weaned etc.

We have thought long and hard about what to do with the babies (6 of them) and have decided that as they are our fault we cannot possibly try and rehome them as that would mean taking possible homes away from deserving rescue rabbits - so we will keep them all (and before anyone says that that takes up space a rescue rabbit could have had I can assure you there is NO WAY we were planning to increase our 21!!!).

If anyone would like to see them they are on:
http://www.bunspace.com/blog_view?bunid=2205

http://www.bunspace.com/blog_view?bunid=2205

My partner writes the Bunspace blog and it is rather more lighthearted about the situation than it deserves - but bear with it as he writes in the character of Parsley (the father0. Those who know Bunspace will know what I mean. . .

So there it is . . . . in the words of the classics 'Even Homer Nods'. (google it if needs be!)

a very red faced parsnibun

True accidental litters DO happen. I think its clear that is the case.

Oh bless you

Massive Hugs xxx

It's such a shame you felt you couldn't 'confess' this earlier!! I udnerstand how you felt but its still a shame nevertheless.

It was an accident so I'm sure no one is going to judge your for it

I'm just going to have a look at the piccies on bunspace. Good luck with your increased furry family! :wave:

Now, now! Dont blame yourself. You HAVE to trust people, even though they prove time and time again that humans are rubbish

I love their names.

I feel a little sad that you felt the need to keep it quiet for so long; it was an accidental litter in every sense of the word and you are being very responsible about the whole thing - that's a positive story that should be shared, so I'm glad you now feel able to.

I wish them all well and look forward to regular updates.

Sky-O said:

True accidental litters DO happen. I think its clear that is the case.

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Thank you - but in retrospect I personally feel we should have been more proactive in getting her checked - we did once have a Blue Cross bun who i was convinced wasn't neutered from her behaviour even though records said she was . . and my vet even got as far as shaving her in readiness for the op I insisted she should have, when she found the scar of the previous op!!!

I have also now discovered that you can pay for hormone testing (as I have a foster here who is suspected of having a small bit of testicular tissue left and I have been offered this) - so this would also be an option in future. Its £60 for a male and I guess about the same for a female??

Certainly an option for thise tricky situations in the future.

We could also have had an emergency spay done when we first started to suspect ( she greeted me with a mouthful of straw one morning about a week after the slip up). . but we simply did not have the heart to do that.

I do feel by keeping them all we are at least ameliorating the harm.

Sky-O said:

True accidental litters DO happen. I think its clear that is the case.

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Agreed

Oh they're sooooo cute, I love the hopping video, BABY BINKIES!! :lol:

You shouldnt feel embarrassed atall, it was a genuine accident and you are even keeping the kits. Nobunny has suffered and they are going to have a wonderful life

I understand why you kept it a secret, tho' wish you could have shared, but i am glad that the babies are happy and healthy and that you are gonna keep them.

parsnipbun said:

Thank you - but in retrospect I personally feel we should have been more proactive in getting her checked - we did once have a Blue Cross bun who i was convinced wasn't neutered from her behaviour even though records said she was . . and my vet even got as far as shaving her in readiness for the op I insisted she should have, when she found the scar of the previous op!!!

I have also now discovered that you can pay for hormone testing (as I have a foster here who is suspected of having a small bit of testicular tissue left and I have been offered this) - so this would also be an option in future. Its £60 for a male and I guess about the same for a female??

Certainly an option for thise tricky situations in the future.

I do feel by keeping them all we are at least ameliorating the harm.

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I think that the best you can do is to learn from something like this, which you clearly already have.

With checking a girl, yes, maybe you should have checked, but equally, you couldn't have done it instantly, and also, there has to be some trust there (depending on where she came from). In addition to that, shaving doesn't always reveal a scar, so she may also potentially had to have been reopened, so its not basic and easy.

Mistakes happen, and all you can do is learn from them.

And enjoy any positive outcomes of these accidents, because all too often accidents have tragic consequences.

Can I have one?

accidents happen hun
believe me i know :wave:
theyre cute

I'm sorry but I am very annoyed by this....











You should of showed us pictures earlier!

parsnipbun said:

Thank you - but in retrospect I personally feel we should have been more proactive in getting her checked - we did once have a Blue Cross bun who i was convinced wasn't neutered from her behaviour even though records said she was . . and my vet even got as far as shaving her in readiness for the op I insisted she should have, when she found the scar of the previous op!!!

I have also now discovered that you can pay for hormone testing (as I have a foster here who is suspected of having a small bit of testicular tissue left and I have been offered this) - so this would also be an option in future. Its £60 for a male and I guess about the same for a female??
Certainly an option for thise tricky situations in the future.

We could also have had an emergency spay done when we first started to suspect ( she greeted me with a mouthful of straw one morning about a week after the slip up). . but we simply did not have the heart to do that.

I do feel by keeping them all we are at least ameliorating the harm.

Click to expand...

I'd be interested to know more about possibilities of hormone testing. When I asked FHB about blood tests for a doe I've been told was spayed (Erin) she said they would be ridiculously expensive and not reliable. The only reliable thing to do would be open her up to check and if I felt confident enough in the previous owner's word to just accept it. Erin doesn't behave hormonal but I'd really like absolute confirmation and would be happy to pay for it.

Them bubbas are beautiful and whilst you don't condone breeding I can see why you didn't have the heart to do emergency spay. They are a gift, new and beautiful life.

Amy104 said:

I'm sorry but I am very annoyed by this....











You should of showed us pictures earlier!

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Seconded!!

Sky-O said:

True accidental litters DO happen. I think its clear that is the case.

Click to expand...

Yes. And can happen to the best "rabbity" people. Hope you feel much better now its not a secret!

Are you going to keep them all together as a group?


Am going off to look at all the cute baby pics....I may be a while....

Bunny Buddy said:

I'd be interested to know more about possibilities of hormone testing. When I asked FHB about blood tests for a doe I've been told was spayed (Erin) she said they would be ridiculously expensive and not reliable. The only reliable thing to do would be open her up to check and if I felt confident enough in the previous owner's word to just accept it. Erin doesn't behave hormonal but I'd really like absolute confirmation and would be happy to pay for it.

Them bubbas are beautiful and whilst you don't condone breeding I can see why you didn't have the heart to do emergency spay. They are a gift, new and beautiful life.

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Well my vet offerred it for the male we are concerned about (he is very frustrated and humps ALL the time NON STOP). We are awaiting the results now. I was going to ask about females as well when I got the result for the male just in case I ever feel I need confirmation again. I have also been told that a scan might pick things up - which again is expensive but less traumatic for the bun than being opened up!!

parsnipbun said:

Thank you - but in retrospect I personally feel we should have been more proactive in getting her checked - we did once have a Blue Cross bun who i was convinced wasn't neutered from her behaviour even though records said she was . . and my vet even got as far as shaving her in readiness for the op I insisted she should have, when she found the scar of the previous op!!!

I have also now discovered that you can pay for hormone testing (as I have a foster here who is suspected of having a small bit of testicular tissue left and I have been offered this) - so this would also be an option in future. Its £60 for a male and I guess about the same for a female??

Certainly an option for thise tricky situations in the future.

We could also have had an emergency spay done when we first started to suspect ( she greeted me with a mouthful of straw one morning about a week after the slip up). . but we simply did not have the heart to do that.

I do feel by keeping them all we are at least ameliorating the harm.

Click to expand...

Is it possible that psychologically you had this in mind (ie that it was the truth the time before, that the bun was spayed), and also decided to trust firstly what the person said and secondly your own observations? ie dont beat yourself up.

I am glad you felt able to share with us and personally dont think you have anything to feel bad about at all, since it was a genuine accident, but a happy one in that you now have 6 gorgeous bunnies who will live happy lives with their very responsible owner.