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Advice needed... thinking of giving away bunnies...:-(

Latte Lover

Young Bun
Hello all,
I hope someone can give me some advice. I have two beautiful bunnies, one Mini-lop called Tally (boy) and one lionhead called Latte (girl). I adore them both, and they have been spayed/neutered and all vaccinations are up to date, and I get them checked out by the vet regularly too. They are friendly, non-aggressive, and always run out to greet me the minute I go up to the hutch (or sometimes the minute they hear the back door opening!) I do not find them expensive to keep (very cheap in fact), and I don't have any trouble getting them fed and watered if away cos have a wonderful neighbour. So why on earth would I want to find them a new home?

The fact of the matter is that I have had to start working in London, so my days are now 4 hours longer than they were. This means that all I seem to have time to do is feed them and clean them out each day when I get in from work and just don't have the time to give them the attention they deserve. If they were house bunnies it would be different as they would be in with me in the evenings, but they are outdoor bunnies (no chance of bringing them indoors as hubbie not keen). They have a huge 6x4x4 hutch with 6x4x4 run attached but I feel that that is all their life is these days. just waiting in the hutch or run until its tea time!

I have had pets of some sort all my life and have never given any away, I have always had them their whole life until they passed away of old age so I feel really cr@p for thinking about it but I feel they would be happier with someone who can give them the attention they deserve.

I would be grateful for others comments and thoughts as I just don't know what to do...
 
If the have a huge hutch and run..each other for company..are well fed..clean and safe..visit a vet when needed...with toys to keep them occupied..don't worry..they have all a bun could wish for:D
You sound as if you look after them very well and I'm sure they are happy bunsters:D
 
Thanks Honeybunny. Its just that although I don't post comments on here often, I do read them alot, and sometimes feel that I don't do enough for them. Although they are not aggressive, they hate being picked up, so i have given up putting them in the garden at the weekend for example as catching them again can be a nightmare!!

I just wonder if they'd be better with someone who has the time to sit in with them more (I did start to do that but the weather here has been dreadful for over a month now and their run is constantly soggy), or has the patience to try and get them used to being picked up...
 
Buns generally don't "like" being picked up, as prey animals being picked up usually signals the end of life...

Some will tolerate it, eventually, though.

They sound like very happy bunnies though, and it would be a big thing to uproot them when (from my point of view) there seems little point.

So long as you keep taking care of them like you do, I see no reason to give them away.
 
I think you're being a bit hard on yourself, to be honest. Your bunnies have each other for company, and you sound like you are doing everything that they need you to do for them. :)
 
Your rabbits' lives sound pretty much the same as mine. I sometimes read the threads on here and think it would be lovely to spend that much time with them, but fact is I don't due to the many other bits and bobs going on in my life. However they live in pairs in a large hutch and run, they're happy, well fed and vaccinated. Compared to the majority of bunnies in the UK mine and yours have a fantastic life, so don't be so hard on yourself. We can always improve our care but it sounds to me as if you're doing more than the basics in the first place :)
 
I agree with the others, they are well looked after buns and don't feel so guilty :)

How about buying some treat balls to fill with herbs and diced vegetables (not pellets or sticky treats as they will get fat! I wash treat balls and bottles out by using sterilising tabs in the sink and just leave them to soak then there is no worries of mouldy bits getting stuck in the balls)
and put say four in the run before work each morning to give them something to occupy their minds? Also some hanging apple branches etc and herbs from the roof of the run is a good way to entertain them, they have to work at getting the herbs or gnawing the branches :D you can peg them on from the outside or tie a small piece of natural string. not long bits though, just enough to hold them in place.
 
If the have a huge hutch and run..each other for company..are well fed..clean and safe..visit a vet when needed...with toys to keep them occupied..don't worry..they have all a bun could wish for:D
You sound as if you look after them very well and I'm sure they are happy bunsters:D

I agree :D I'm sure your bunnies are very content with life as they have company, plenty of space and good food - and a caring, responsible owner!
 
I agree with the others, they are well looked after buns and don't feel so guilty :)

How about buying some treat balls to fill with herbs and diced vegetables (not pellets or sticky treats as they will get fat! I wash treat balls and bottles out by using sterilising tabs in the sink and just leave them to soak then there is no worries of mouldy bits getting stuck in the balls)
and put say four in the run before work each morning to give them something to occupy their minds? Also some hanging apple branches etc and herbs from the roof of the run is a good way to entertain them, they have to work at getting the herbs or gnawing the branches :D you can peg them on from the outside or tie a small piece of natural string. not long bits though, just enough to hold them in place.

They're good ideas, thanks, as I do worry that they are bored. I hid their pellets today in the run, tunnels etc but that's the first time I thought about it :oops:
 
I agree, out of the four bunnies in my house, only one doesn't mind being picked up, and that is Poppet, Jessica and Fred hate it with a passion and I have no chance with Alice :D.

Your bunnies sound like they are quite happy and comfortable at home, I think like SarahP says you are being too hard on yourself. Your bunnies are not shut in a small hutch all day long, they can come and go as they please within their hutch and run.
 
If the have a huge hutch and run..each other for company..are well fed..clean and safe..visit a vet when needed...with toys to keep them occupied..don't worry..they have all a bun could wish for:D
You sound as if you look after them very well and I'm sure they are happy bunsters:D

Sounds perfectly fine to me too. My bunnies don't get too much individual attention either due to a busy life... that's why I have them in pairs and they are all perfectly happy. ---- And they have a better life than 95% of pet bunnies!

Vera
 
Sounds like a perfect life to me! Having quite a few animals they don't get as much one-on-one time with me as some but I'd rather they got the vet care, good size cage, correct diet, etc. with me than me rehome them and take up the home space that the person adopting them could offer to buns that are starved, kept in filthy hutches, etc :)
 
Thanks so much all, I think I just needed some reassurance as since my work location changed I feel that I have not 'seen' them some days. And sometimes the posts on here make me feel like I don't do as much as some. I feel much better now. Also, I have a day off today and just went out to clean them out, and they were so sweet sniffing around my legs, Tally even put his paws up on my leg! and just generally seemed pleased to see me!

Think maybe I am just being a bit silly, the weather lately has not helped as I don't think I've sat in my garden for over a month cos its just keeps pi55ng down!!!

They've got toys/tunnels etc, and I never buy the processed treats, just good old hay, water, and carrots/cabbage (they're quite fussy and that's all they seem to like (they love grapes, but because they are 'wet' they literally have one or two every now and then).

i feel much better now...maybe I've not such a bad bun mum afterall:lol:
 
To be honest I used to do everything and extra for the buns but since working more I just don't have the energy - they get baled hay and recently I got a Hay Experts sample pack to share between the two, and they get a bog standard selection of veg to share with my rats, plus time out in the run. I don't have the time (or money, given that most of it goes on my dog who's got hip dysplacia) to build them a bunny palace or feed them timothy hay daily like I used to, nor can they live inside like my old buns (my mum's allergic and stepdad doesn't like caged animals)
But they're certainly not suffering for it and I wouldn't say they need rehoming because I'm not worshipping them hand and foot!
 
Sounds like your buns are having a great life!!
I think most of us feel guilty about out rabbits in one way or another - don't spend enough time with them, wish they had a bigger enclosure, more time out etc etc. But I really think it sounds like you are doing a great job :D
 
I'm the same as you are - work in London, have two outdoor bunnies etc. I worry about them too during the day, but to be honest I think you have a wonderful set up for them and give them the best life ever. Think of it this way - at least you KNOW you are giving them a good life/diet/healthcare, but if you gave them away you'd miss them and you couldn't be sure as to how they were.
Don't worry about it - they have a lovely life.
 
I've recently started working in London too and I was worried that my bunnies would suffer as they weren't bonded at that point and I hadn't planned to bond them until my female was spayed [my male has been neutered for 3 months now though]. Even though they're house bunnies and I have the evenings to spend with them they aren't at the point where I can let them run around whilst I'm not there for long periods of time.

Now they are bonded they both seem much happier and spend much more time going about their bunny business instead of relying on me for company and I'm satisfied that they are ok with me being away during the day :)
 
I'm so glad you asked this questions as I feel exactly the same. Although I work locally the weather/busy life means I don't spend as much time with my buns as I would like.

But like yours mine are in a large hutch with permanent access to the run below. They have fresh hay, pellets and veg every evening. I keep changing toys, boxes, litter trays etc in their run to make a life a bit more interesting and they have access to a grass run for a few hours every weekend.

But they do seem really happy, still want nose rubs and have regular vet visits for vaccinations and nail clipping.

I think when one of them passes away I will have to re-think as would never keep one by themselves all day. But until then I think they are much better with me than stuck in a small hutch with no run/toys/good nutrition.
 
thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! I have been so worried that I was not giving them the best life they could have. Turns out I am! I knew that this was the best place to get advice. i didn't ever want to give them away, I just thought it might be best for them. But I couldn't bear it if they were split up for a start as they bonded well right from day one and snuggle up all the time.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reassure me. My bunnies are staying put!!!:D :D :D
 
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