Guilt!

[Fatfish]

Hi,

I'm now at the end of day 4 with my new girl Olive and am overloaded with guilt! I'm sure I am being very foolish but she's such a darling little thing and I want to give her the best, but these things take time! She's very, very friendly, if I spent all day everyday stroking her nose she'd get cross if I stopped for sleep. She's got loads of energy and wants to be out all the time but enjoys chewing carpets and cutains so needs supervision and I have a fiance, and a full time job and a part time university course and lots of other creatures - with the best will in the world she has to spend a fair chunk of time in her cage. She's booked in for The Op next week and after a couple of weeks I can begin to introduce her to the others and she can move to the much bigger hutch in the shed and get to run about in the garden but until then I feel so very guilty for her rather dull life.

She's sitting next to me on the sofa grooming the cushion - how do other people bare the guilt when they can't explain the plan to their buns?!

 

[Sky-O]

If you're worried about how being bored, could you maybe make an effort to work at stimulating her, say with food and hiding it and things like that?

Also, could you find a way to make a larger area secure for her so even if she has to be shut away she has a larger space than she currently has?

 

[Fatfish]

I wish there was somewhere larger to put her! I let her hop about the kitchen while I'm doing the dishes/cooking etc, she quite likes that. I've put lots of chew toys in her cage and have been introducing new peices of veg to treat her (the best was letting her share my bannana for breakfast one morning. She looked like all her Christmases had come at once!). I am doing all I can for her, just wish I could fast forward time to when she's bonded with bunny friends and living in the spacious bunny friendly shed (insultated, carpeted and stuffed full of hidey holes and treats!). She's got such a lovel life ahead of her, wish I could tell her that when I lock her in the cage for the night

 

[Sky-O]

I wish there was somewhere larger to put her! I let her hop about the kitchen while I'm doing the dishes/cooking etc, she quite likes that. I've put lots of chew toys in her cage and have been introducing new peices of veg to treat her (the best was letting her share my bannana for breakfast one morning. She looked like all her Christmases had come at once!). I am doing all I can for her, just wish I could fast forward time to when she's bonded with bunny friends and living in the spacious bunny friendly shed (insultated, carpeted and stuffed full of hidey holes and treats!). She's got such a lovel life ahead of her, wish I could tell her that when I lock her in the cage for the night

Then don't feel guilty It may not be the exact life you wanted for her and have planned for her, but this is hopefully short term, and chances are, it's better than what she has come from so she won't have any idea that it's not what you have planned or want for her.

 

[susie bun]

It sounds like you are doing the best you possibly can for her. Have you tried one of those chill-n-chew mats you can get from The Hay Experts? They are about the size of an A4 sheet of paper, so wuld fit easily in her cage and might keep her occupied.

 

[Fatfish]

Thank you! They look right up her alley - something to distroy! I've ordered her one for when she's feeling better, she's just been spayed and looks like she feels quite rubbish! Even more guilt with a side order of huge worry!