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The definition of a horrible rabbit owner being punished

Whitelighter

Warren Scout
Me.

From perhaps the age of 9 to the age of 14 I was the definition of a horrid rabbit owner :(

I had three in total, all kept outside in a sub standard hutch, fed on muesli and lived on their own. We did have a big run in the garden but it wasn't attached so often they were dumped out in the morning and left all day.

It's surprising that they all made it passed a year looking back. I think the oldest was 4 when he died, the youngest maybe 3. The last rabbit faired better as I got older but no-where near the standard that was acceptable. I suppose they were all loved - I never wanted any harm to come to them but I can't honestly say they had a decent life.

Since having rabbits in adulthood I've tried to give them the lives they deserve. My fist bun in adult hood was Bubbles. Bought from a pet shop but I didn't know about rescues. She lived outside in a big hutch/run combo but was fed on muesli and not much hay. A fox got her and I was devastated.

Now we have poppy and I'm determined to get it right. Big cage indoors with permanent free range of the ground floor. Feeding limited top quality pellets and (as of today) a mixed hay menu from hayexperts. I provide toys and stimulation, and spend a lot of time with her so I get licks and grooming.

So here's the punishment - why is this bun, the cosseted one, the most poorly? It seems we are in and out of the vets at the moment when with the other buns they only seemed to go "at the end". It doesn't matter, Poppy is going to have the best life I can give. Hopefully we can get her a husbun once neutered (I am hoping to get smokey from the school but so far they want to keep him) but right now it's been a roller later of not eating the right things and being a fussy sickly little madam.

Rabbits eh...
 
I'm so sorry. How stressful for you. :( I only have one rabbit right now, who apart from niggles with his tooth roots is exceptionally healthy (he's 10 years old!). I do know how you feel though as we've had 4 dogs who've all seemed to have constant health problems. It's such a miserable thing when all you want to do is love them well again. I think to a great extent it is luck of the draw,and there's nothing you can do but plough onwards.

Look at it this way. If you hadn't had her, someone less caring may have done, and would they have given her all the love and care that she needs? Maybe you were 'meant' to be there for her? I don't know.
 
Rabbits are just so fragile.. Seems to me like even the most loved bunnies are likely to get sick..

I hope things improve...

Fee x
 
I totally sympathise. I too, have had bunnies from the age of 9 (now 34!) and although my childhood buns all had big hutches with attached runs, plenty of hay and loads of attention, they were rarely at the vets. I think now it must be just because we didn't recognise signs of illness then - a lot more is known about rabbit health these days. So now, if a bun doesn't want their breakfast, I won't just think oh they're not hungry this morning! I will know there's a real problem and whisk them off to the vets x
 
Don't blame yourself.... it's the way it goes sometimes.

When I was a chuild, I had two that lived in a small hutch and free ranged in the garden all day every day... they lived on muesli and didn't have hay at all (I know :( ) One of them lived to 4 (ate something poisonous) one to two (escaped) and one lived to ten! :shock:

But now that I do absolutely everything right.... I lost Big after just 2 years. :cry:

Sometimes I think there are breeding fault that we just can't control how ever much we love them.... some buns are sickly.... some are hard as nails (look at little eating all that Bombay mix!)

PS. Deviation but nice none the less.... the one that escaped was a very feisty unneutered rex buck called Toby.... he was otter but almost all plain black. In the years since, the black wild rabbit population where my parents live exploded...they're still there to this day! :lol:
 
PPS. If you're talking about cr**py rabbit husbandry, hows this.... when I was a kid we didn't vax our buns (didn't know about such things) even though they free ranged right in the heart of Myxie country! They never got it though, thankfully.
 
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