How many can you manage?

[haffyj]

i have 5 buns (maybe, maybe soon to be 6 :wink: ) 2 guinea pigs 1 tortoise and 1 water dragon (who lives at my boyfriends house)

every morning at 6.30 i go straight outside to feed the zoo, (i always do it the same way every day!!) guineas first then Smokey the Sugar and Amber, Pebbles and Crystal. Every sunday they get cleaned out throughly and scrubbed, whilst taking it in turns in the garden (guineas have their own run now) guinea pigs get both their hutches cleaned out twice a week as they are so filthy!!! :lol: i get home from work about 5.45 every night they all take turns to have a run in the garden (Even if its just for 25 mins).

If it got to the stage when you have no time for any of your pets or the things you would normally do for them really starts to lack the more pets you get then you know you have taken to much on, if i didn't have my babies who the hell would i spend my money on?!?!? i am not used to buying loads of stuff for me, i am always forever buying all sorts of stuff for my buns!!! i haven't even treated myself to a hair cut in ages!!! i am starting to replace hutches as now Amber has fully grown, her and Sugar are hugh and the hutch now is half eaten :roll:

 

[Adele]

Hiya, I dont think there is an easy answer to what is the limit to the number of bunnies an individual can care for.
I think it depends on what facilities, time and financial input you can give to the bunnies.
Every circumstance is unique.
I like Jay, do not compromise on giving bunnies daily cuddles and cleaning them out etc, just because we have more than the average.
I have the philosophy that 38 bunnies should be as well cared for as one individual bunny, and we keep bunnies in groups which does make things a lot easier.
I guess the answer to the question is...what you feel comfortable with, I would not choose to have anymore bunnies than we have now, as I feel all the hours in the day are used up! :roll: :lol: So unless I want to be up all night too, I need to limit it !! :roll: :lol:
We are not taking in any more bunnies now, and allowing the number to naturally fall to around 25, which is likely as many bunnies are now over 6

 

[donna-arc]

All rabbits and guineas here are allowed out for a run everyday. I change their trays and sweep while they are out. They are given a scrub out when I think they need it (usually once a week - some more often some less). They all get stroked and spoken to every day but not for as long as I would like. I have to tell myself that they are only here temporarily and will get more attention when they go to their proper homes.

I have been dealing with 15 double hutches through the summer and have found this a bit too much - not just because they are all let out and cleaned each day - but because I also have to deal with an excess of 50 emails and phone calls each day.

There are also lots of vet visits to be done, often medicines to be given, supplies to organise for fosterers, bills to pay, paper work to be kept up to date, trustee meetings to attend, AGM to organise, newspaper/newsletter articles to write, prospective owners to be shown around, pairings up to be done, fundraising events to attend etc etc
Not forgetting 3 very neglected children and 1 even more neglected husband!

 

[janice]

Donna has not added that she also works and has 2 dogs and 3 cats which is why poor Tony is neglected :lol: :lol:

As for me I have 5 double hutches and officially 12 lots of guinea pig hutches the number of which frequently increased to accomodate any influx which may come in. I usually have around 30 piggies which frequently goes up to around 50 and occassionally up to mid 60's in numbers and around 6 bunnies at one time. I additionally have 2 piggies of our own, pond fish and tropical fish and not forgetting my 2 kids. My animals get cleaned out usually alternative days and are usually out most days (dependent on piggie numbers at the time).

I work most days of the week including alternative weekends, for me 5 rabbits and 20 piggies is a comfortable number to work with .......... above that I have to admit they don't always get the handling each day that they need. Like Donna I have to remember that many of these animals are only here for a short while and whilst I don't like not being able to handle all of them for the time they need each day at least they are safe.

Janice

 

[elve]

hi

OK I admit it - I'm feeble! No full time job and only one child and I'm drowning in chores :roll:

 

[5cutebunnies]

awww elve you are not feeble and never put yourself, I think you are a star taking on the girls then all those piggies

 

[elve]

hi

aww thanks - I think the problem with my situation is it's happened so fast I haven't had time to get it running smoothly and get organised - I had no pets at all in February! :shock:

Might get it all sorted by Christmas - I washed the dishes today

 

[Bionic Bunny]

I part loan a horse and have to muck him out at half past five in the morning 4 days a week! After that looking after furries is an easy job!

 

[janice]

I don't think you a feeble elve, anything but. You have suddenly found yourself with lots of animals recently. As you say a lot is about being organised, ARC this year invested in a shed for me for the piggies, which now means they are protected from the elements and I have everything in it for feeding them and cleaning them out. This has made it so much easier, quicker and nicer for me to care for them even on the wetest, coldest day.

I certainly don't think any of the people involved with rescue would have the numbers we do if we had any choice over the matter. It is more that if you have a hutch empty and are asked to rescue something from appalling conditions, even if you know you are breaking point you just find room for it. For us it just means that that you often are outside feeding or cleaning out either very early in the moring or very late at night. You compromise on your lifestyle to work around the animals.

Janice

 

[bunnymadhouse]

i ll second that janice. so many times i empty my emergancy hutch(i hate the thing cos its too small) and i say thats it im not using it again we need to get the numbers of bunnies down... and guess what .. the phone rings and often the emergancy hutch is filled and i end up with one in my kitchen too.
i always think at least what they get here is better than theyve had.
Angie

 

[aliceechamberlain]

My aim is to clean them all out every other day. I have 39 rabbits, 30 plus guinea pigs, (actually currently 40 plus), a rather largish house, 2 elderly living parents, a 3 day week stepson, 5 cats , 3 dogs, and my husband is a bad diabetic.

Please come on peeps, I do not always meet my aims because there are so many other things going on in life. Provided those small furries are better off with you, s'okay.

alice