Rehoming Rabbits

[Bunny Buddy]

I was waiting for someone to ask ................
...........

I'm a coward, as I was decribing failing health I did wonder if you were asking for a real reason rather than hyperthetical.

Anyone who judges your situation frankly isn't worth taking any notice of anyway :evil: If the worst does happen then I'm making a guess that the proportion that go back to ARC would free you up to be capable of looking after the rest, I don't know their ages hopefully the timescales would fit each other, ie your health v age of bunnies. I dread to think what it would do psychologically as I know what it would do to me and I don't have underlying PTSD etc ... but ... although I really hope it doesn't come to it be assured that the VAST majority on here will support you and I'm sure take care of your bunnies, give you updates, involve you in decision etc. If I was to take a bunny off someone in your situation I would regard myself as a long-term fosterer and involve the previous owner as much as possible - because that is the best I could hope for if anyone had to take my bunnies.

I really hope your health doesn't deteriorate so quickly, but you are being very brave planning what to do

 

[Michelleox]

How very sad Jane

 

[Azraelm]

I used to be one of those people who would say never rehome, but as most of you know I had to rehome my beloved Audrey when I broke up with my ex nearly 3 years ago now as I had to move from owning my own house into a house share and there was no way it would be possible to have a house rabbit and my cat under those circumstances. I couldn't ever have an outside rabbit because of foxes. I also had decided some time before not to have any more rabbits after Audrey's partner died and I felt it wouldn't be fair for her to be alone forever.

It really broke my heart to.let her go as she meant so much to me but it was best for me and Audrey. I think about her often, I was looking at photos of her this morning actually.

To answer the question, I initially tried to bond her with my sisters rabbit but they hated each other, so she went to an RU member who I knew was looking for a partner for her rabbit she had adopted from the rescue I helped at.

 

[Azraelm]

I was waiting for someone to ask ................

Well as some of you know I have a degenerative condition meaning that I am very likely to become seriously disabled. I had not anticipated that the degeneration would occur so soon or so fast. At the moment I am able to maintain the standard of care I feel my Rabbits deserve even though I am in alot of pain most of the time and on some days that pain makes me faint.

My Rabbits are my life. I have no family and only a handful of friends. Arrangements are in place for the care of my Rabbits should I die. ARC will inherit my house and they will also take on the responsibility of my Rabbits. The ARC Trustees have a copy of my Will.

However, to not be dead but profoundly disabled is another thing. I have arrangements in place for some Rabbits and obviously those from ARC (and their now bonded friends) would go back to ARC.
There are a few Rabbits whom I would hope to be able to home via RR/RU.

Obviously I am just trying to have a plan in hand for 'worst case scenario'.
I have no life without my Rabbits but if I am too disabled to care for all of them how could I keep them and allow them to suffer ?

In an ideal world no, I would NEVER rehome. But over the last 12 months it has become apparent to me that no-one can ever say 'never'............

I hope that should the worst happen I could ask for help on here without being judged. But I accept that may not be the case as in the past I have 'judged' and what goes around comes around...............

I hope it won't come to that Jane, but if it does I would try to home the majority through rr and ru so they can go straight to a forever home rather rescue then home, and it puts less burden on the rescue. I'm sure people would help with homechecks and bunny runs.

I hope you are doing ok.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

I hope it won't come to that Jane, but if it does I would try to home the majority through rr and ru so they can go straight to a forever home rather rescue then home, and it puts less burden on the rescue. I'm sure people would help with homechecks and bunny runs.

I hope you are doing ok.

Thanks Mandy. The only reason the ARC Buns would go back to ARC is because that is what the Adoption Contract I signed states must happen.

xx

 

[KarenM]

I don't think anybody can say for definite that they would never rehome an animal. Most of us I think would do everything in our power to make sure that it didn't happen but, when you're contemplating these things, it's impossible to think of every single eventuality & life itself is very unpredicatable.

As Liz said very early on, sometimes we are in situations where we have to put the animal's needs first too.

Jane, I think you're very brave to be considering your future and I know that any decision you made (if/when the time comes) would be in the interest of your bunnies and they always come first. If anybody judges you for that, well then their opinion isn't worth anything in my view. Hopefully that would be in a very long time in the future though.

As for me, if I truly had to rehome (after exhausting any possibilites to keep them) then it would be just on here or RR.

 

[Mackers]

I see what you mean but, I would pay for boarding/fostering even, I would seriously never rehome my animals there would always be an alternative. They go where I go, together forever till death us do part.

I totally agree with you BUT let's just say you had no money whatsoever, were living on the streets and begging for food? OK, so you MAY be able to keep a dog or dogs with you but what on earth would you do with your rabbits?

Believe me, I'm the LAST person who would ever contemplate rehoming any of my pets. Like you say, where you go, they go too. BUT (and I'm playing Devil's advocate here), just supposing the above situation happened. Then what would you do?

 

[Mackers]

I think there are situations where rehoming is the best possible thing to do for a pet, and can mean you are being completely selfless by putting the animals needs first, if you realise you are no longer in a position to provide everything your pet needs.

There are definately people out their who love their pets but through no fault of their own realise they can no longer give the care, time or have the finaces needed to look after their pet adequate. Surely it is better in this situation to realise rehoming will be the best option than to keep hold of the animal at all costs and let them suffer. :?

I agree with Liz on this one. We're both like-minded people and rehoming would be absolutely and totally a last dreadful resort BUT if you're totally honest with yourself, then there MIGHT, just might, be a situation where you have no family to help, no friends to help, no money, no home etc where rehoming IS the kindest option for the pets, however hard it is for you. I say I'd NEVER rehome my animals as they are my everything, but I'm not kidding myself that there may be a situation over which I have little or no control whereby I'm forced to rehome them as it's the kindest option for them, not for me.

 

[LoopyLouie]

I haven't voted because I would never advertise any of my animals anywhere, but I did rehome 2 of my rabbits to a close friend when i had serious fighting. It was the best choice for all my bunnies at the time and they love all the space they have now and I see them regularly.

 

[Hugo's There]

I know there may be a time when my ME is so bad that I will need to cut back the number of rabbits we have here But as most of them are elderly or sick we will probably be able to reduce numbers quite quickly through natural means But if Steve ever left me there is no way I could carry on looking after any of them, physically or financially.

One possibility I thought of was to see if reputable rabbit rescues would help, not by taking the rabbits in but by having a list of rabbits that needed rehoming. If someone came to the rescue looking for a bunny and there was nothing suitable then maybe one on your list would be better suited and could be rehomed directly from you via the rescue. The rescue could still home check and get the adoption fee and hopefully that way everyone would come out on top. The bunny wouldn't need to go into rescue first, the rescue would get an adoption fee and the owner would know they have gone to a rescue approved home

 

[Candiflare]

My vet has suggested that I rehome my foster bun buzz to her if my OH won't let me get another rabbit to bond with him. I'd definitely trust a vet with an interest in rabbits to keep him well, happy, loved and stimulated, and to not allow him to suffer when the time comes.

But aside from a vet who loved rabbits, it would only be RU or RR

 

[oscarbunny]

I would have liked to have checked the last box which said under no circumstances, but I didn't because I thought... what if I died and there was no one to look after them correctly? I would hope that whoever was responsible for rehoming by rabbits if I died would advertise them on here or contact a rescue on here, give a whopping donation and homecheck.

I am obviously taking this to the extreme...

 

[VickiP]

I totally agree with you BUT let's just say you had no money whatsoever, were living on the streets and begging for food? OK, so you MAY be able to keep a dog or dogs with you but what on earth would you do with your rabbits?

Believe me, I'm the LAST person who would ever contemplate rehoming any of my pets. Like you say, where you go, they go too. BUT (and I'm playing Devil's advocate here), just supposing the above situation happened. Then what would you do?

:wave: I can see what your saying but, I really don't think that's likely to happen and I would put them in boarding or foster homes if I had to, of course their welfare would be a priority over just keeping them with me but, the example your using is completely far fetched, fortunately for me. I suppose it depends on your circumstances in life really doesn't it. I do take your point and understand what your saying and I am only saying what I feel about my life and my situation.

 

[Hugo's There]

Awful as it sounds there is the potential for every pet owner to become seriously ill or disabled leaving them unable to care for their pets.

 

[Sparkle x]

I think there are situations where rehoming is the best possible thing to do for a pet, and can mean you are being completely selfless by putting the animals needs first, if you realise you are no longer in a position to provide everything your pet needs.

There are definately people out their who love their pets but through no fault of their own realise they can no longer give the care, time or have the finaces needed to look after their pet adequate. Surely it is better in this situation to realise rehoming will be the best option than to keep hold of the animal at all costs and let them suffer. :?

You have put that really well Liz.

I have been in a situation before where unfortunately i had to rehome, i was fortunate in a sense, that these were mostly rescue buns and the rescues took them back along with there partners.

It was the most heartbreaking decision i have ever had to make, but i unfortunately had no choice. Its never an easy decision, and i will never forget any of them. But as said sometimes things are out of our control and we have to do right by the animals, realising that and doing that is a big step in itself.

The absolute heartbreaker is handing them over

However I now live in comfort that they are all in great homes

 

[Kylie541]

Awful as it sounds there is the potential for every pet owner to become seriously ill or disabled leaving them unable to care for their pets.

I got ill at 21, had my first stroke at 22 and my second at 24 Buster has been with my parents ever since. No one can say they will never rehome their pets.

 

[hurricanhoney]

If I got ill my parents should be able to manage them if not they would go back to the rescues I got them from.

 

[clutterydrawer]

To echo what some others have already said - no can ever say they'd never rehome. You just don't know what life will throw at you, however unlikely. think of all the people on here who thought their lives were stable and then had some horrible change of circumstance which meant they had to rehome - none of them saw it coming.

If something happened which meant I couldn't look after my rabbits I have arrangements in place for them to be fostered long term. But if I was unable to ever have them back, they would go back to the rescue they came from.

I can't imagine why I would ever end up advertising them myself, but if I did have to, it would be on RabbitRehome only - I just think that if people have found their way there than perhaps they are more genuinely interested in animal welfare the problem of the amount of unwanted pets. There's no knowing for sure though.

 

[HS]

If anything happened so that neither I nor the o/h could look after the buns, they wouldn't go to family as our families don't have an in depth knowledge of bunnies.
I would have to return Salt and Pepper to Honeybunny's and Angie and Jill would have to fight it out between Daisy-Boo and Pippin!
I would only rehome Squidgy through this forum, although I don't think there would be any circumstances by which we couldn't keep him.
I really hope that you are able to get some relief from medication Jane.

 

[donnamt]

lol ok you lot win... should i also get pregnant tomorrow and when ive had my triplets become disabled, lose Ste and my home as well as my mom and two bros getting homeless too.. then maybe just maybe id rehome the kids and the pets so they can all have better lives

never say never