I need to decide whether to keep my bunny, or start looking for a home for him. Would really appreciate some advice and your opinions on this, as everyone I've asked either doesnt understand why Im hesitating giving him up or isnt realistic.
Sorry, this might be long, will try to keep it brief as I can. This is the situation...
I was asked to take on a homeless rabbit by a friend who's gf works at P@H. He was brought in and they had no room (as he is large) and I had 2 days to decide or he was going to Cardiff P@H where he could have been sold to anyone and most likely in a tiny hutch
I reasoned with myself that as my landlord allowed pets I could keep him and if I couldnt find pet-friendly accommodation next year I could rehome him myself and home-check etc. I know it was ill-considered and a rash decision. Finding accommodation was harder than first thought, as we couldnt stay with our current estate agent as he had no 2 beds, but I found somewhere, purely by luck and signing an agreement with a disreputable firm that means my deposit will be taken if the flat smells of rabbit/is damaged.
This is the difficult bit. Im at uni, although I dont actually live with my parents in the holidays or anything, I moved out before uni (long story) so going back after uni is not an option. I am sorted accomodation-wise till the last year of my degree, but after that I want to do a teaching course, but back in England (in Wales now). I really dont want to stay in North Wales as teaching oppurtunities for non-welsh-speaking primary school teachers arent plentiful and (please no offense meant at all) I have experienced prejudice towards the English here occasionally and dont feel like I belong. My tenancy agreement will run out at the end of June, then I will have to find rabbit-friendly student-friendly accomodation near a uni I dont know whether Ive been accepted to yet, nor know the area of. Most people go back to live with parents for the summer, then move into post-graduate uni halls (no pets allowed). I cant do this though. A rabbit isnt exactly easy to hide. I will be keeping my hamster as she is, was in halls with her before.
The course I want to do will be work-based, so I will be working in a school as well as studying, this way if you are any good you often get offered a job by that school, so I will be staying in the same area as I did my course.
I see these options (please if you see any others tell me!) :
1. I rehome Barney myself, get post grad accomodation.
2. I keep Barney, I do my course here, giving me the time to find accomodation for next year (I will have to start looking next November) but meaning that I have to stay here. I dont know if this is an option yet, no idea if my uni does it.
3. I keep Barney, take a gap year and work in Currys, staying here another year then go to another uni to do teaching course. This gives me time to find accomodation at that uni, but means I spend yet another year not on the career ladder and not earning.
4. I keep Barney, and risk not finding anywhere rabbit-friendly and having to give him up on short notice
The reason I have finally made myself stop ignoring this situation is because I am fully aware that I need to make a decision fairly soon. The reason is this: in between my tenancy agreement now and my next one, there is a month where I will have to stay at friends houses etc, most of whose parents will not allow a rabbit to come with me. So Barney will most likely be in boarding or with a friend of mine. Because this will not be nice for Barney, I want him to be bonded by then so he has some comfort/normality. I am fully aware that bonded buns take a lot longer to rehome than single buns. So if I need to rehome him I need to start looking soon, so he doesnt spend that month alone and single. But if I am going to keep him then I can start looking for a wife for him in January as he will be infertile from his recent neuter soon. Getting a wifey soon also means I can upgrade his cage sooner, as I want to wait so it can be new and neutral to put them both in before I get him a bigger one.
I know my decision to take him on was not a well thought-out one but I do still think it was the right one. I just dont know if it will be best for him to keep him, as much as I want to, as I cannot offer him complete stability. I really would hate to rehome him as I dont really trust anyone to look after him as I would do. I know it sounds silly but everyone I know thinks I'm barking for having a house rabbit and silly for wanting a friend for him and worrying so much about this because 'its just a rabbit'
Please share your thoughts on my situation?
Sorry, this might be long, will try to keep it brief as I can. This is the situation...
I was asked to take on a homeless rabbit by a friend who's gf works at P@H. He was brought in and they had no room (as he is large) and I had 2 days to decide or he was going to Cardiff P@H where he could have been sold to anyone and most likely in a tiny hutch
I reasoned with myself that as my landlord allowed pets I could keep him and if I couldnt find pet-friendly accommodation next year I could rehome him myself and home-check etc. I know it was ill-considered and a rash decision. Finding accommodation was harder than first thought, as we couldnt stay with our current estate agent as he had no 2 beds, but I found somewhere, purely by luck and signing an agreement with a disreputable firm that means my deposit will be taken if the flat smells of rabbit/is damaged.
This is the difficult bit. Im at uni, although I dont actually live with my parents in the holidays or anything, I moved out before uni (long story) so going back after uni is not an option. I am sorted accomodation-wise till the last year of my degree, but after that I want to do a teaching course, but back in England (in Wales now). I really dont want to stay in North Wales as teaching oppurtunities for non-welsh-speaking primary school teachers arent plentiful and (please no offense meant at all) I have experienced prejudice towards the English here occasionally and dont feel like I belong. My tenancy agreement will run out at the end of June, then I will have to find rabbit-friendly student-friendly accomodation near a uni I dont know whether Ive been accepted to yet, nor know the area of. Most people go back to live with parents for the summer, then move into post-graduate uni halls (no pets allowed). I cant do this though. A rabbit isnt exactly easy to hide. I will be keeping my hamster as she is, was in halls with her before.
The course I want to do will be work-based, so I will be working in a school as well as studying, this way if you are any good you often get offered a job by that school, so I will be staying in the same area as I did my course.
I see these options (please if you see any others tell me!) :
1. I rehome Barney myself, get post grad accomodation.
2. I keep Barney, I do my course here, giving me the time to find accomodation for next year (I will have to start looking next November) but meaning that I have to stay here. I dont know if this is an option yet, no idea if my uni does it.
3. I keep Barney, take a gap year and work in Currys, staying here another year then go to another uni to do teaching course. This gives me time to find accomodation at that uni, but means I spend yet another year not on the career ladder and not earning.
4. I keep Barney, and risk not finding anywhere rabbit-friendly and having to give him up on short notice
The reason I have finally made myself stop ignoring this situation is because I am fully aware that I need to make a decision fairly soon. The reason is this: in between my tenancy agreement now and my next one, there is a month where I will have to stay at friends houses etc, most of whose parents will not allow a rabbit to come with me. So Barney will most likely be in boarding or with a friend of mine. Because this will not be nice for Barney, I want him to be bonded by then so he has some comfort/normality. I am fully aware that bonded buns take a lot longer to rehome than single buns. So if I need to rehome him I need to start looking soon, so he doesnt spend that month alone and single. But if I am going to keep him then I can start looking for a wife for him in January as he will be infertile from his recent neuter soon. Getting a wifey soon also means I can upgrade his cage sooner, as I want to wait so it can be new and neutral to put them both in before I get him a bigger one.
I know my decision to take him on was not a well thought-out one but I do still think it was the right one. I just dont know if it will be best for him to keep him, as much as I want to, as I cannot offer him complete stability. I really would hate to rehome him as I dont really trust anyone to look after him as I would do. I know it sounds silly but everyone I know thinks I'm barking for having a house rabbit and silly for wanting a friend for him and worrying so much about this because 'its just a rabbit'
Please share your thoughts on my situation?
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