Frustrated

I'm so frustrated! :X I love my bunny, Nugget, to pieces, and nobody seems to understand that. When she broke her leg, Itook her to the emergency clinic in the middle of the night because I was so scared for her.The vet therecouldn't do anything for her so the next day, I had to takeNuggetto a familyvet.Her bills totalled $600, ahuge amount of money for me(I'm a full-time university student working a part-time job). When my family and friends found out, their reaction was "Why'd you pay so much? She's just a bunny! Just buy a new one, they're $50 at the pet store!" Hello, insensitive much? :cry2

Another frustration:my mom refuses to let Nugget roam around inside the house.Not the kitchen, notthe living room, not my bedroom.(Nugget use to run around on our large balcony during the day). She claims that
-Nugget's poop and pee is "toxic" to the air we breathe
- Nugget smells (she doesn't)
- Nugget's dirty because she cleans herself with her own saliva (what??!)
and other excuses that don't make any sense. Fall and cold weatheraren't too far away .. and I'm worried about my mom's attitude.

How can I convinceher that Nugget does not deserve to be locked up in a cage all day? (She currently isn't. I let her roam around the living room when my mom's at work She's got excellent litter-box habits so I don't worry). Do your friends think you're crazy for treating your buns like babies?

Try to pity those who don't understand how special bunnies are, because, at the end of the day, it is them who miss out.

Why don't you print out info from the forum about the issues she is raising, or else invite her to join the forum and post her concerns.

Would your mum be happy if you used a puppy pen to keep Nugget contained in?

I think I'm going to move this to the RO forum bit because its about bunnies

I know the feeling. When my Toby had some tummy issues and was very lethargic, I missed a family get-together because I had to take him to the closest animal emergency room that took rabbits (almost an hour away). It wouldn't have been a big deal, but one of my sisters was in from out of town and she visits only 2-3 times per year. I caught crap from that for over three months. My other sister thinks I'm nuts. I just deal with it and keep telling them that my bunnies are my babies, so they just have to put up with having a "crazy bunny lady" for a sister. They back off when I mention the crazy bunny lady thing! I would try printing info for your mom, or have her sit with you and Nugget during a play time. My mum didn't like Toby at first, other than saying he was cute, but she now realizes how intelligent and fun they are.

Fortuantly, my parents understand rabbits and don't really think of them as replacable, I have never had to bring my rabbits to the vet, but I know if my rabbit was sick my parents would let me bring it. I do have other family and friends though who would think I'm crazy for spending money on things for my rabbits.

Unfortunately, not a lot of people understand. I have three rabbits, one of whom I've spent over $4000 in vet bills, and all of my friends think I'm a basket case. They think I'm an idiot and that I've "wasted valuable time and money" on rodents. :grumpy: But my rabbits are my life and I don't let their negativity get me down. I agree that maybe having your mom sit down with you and Nugget during play time is a good idea. Maybe if she interacts with Nugget more, she'll see just how special she is.

Flashy wrote:

Try to pity those who don't understand how special bunnies are, because, at the end of the day, it is them who miss out.

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AMEN to that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've called into work before when one of my rabbits was sick. I didn't fib either. I told my boss I had a sick rabbit that needed to go to the vet. I'm sure he thought I was nuts.

slavetoabunny wrote:

I've called into work before when one of my rabbits was sick. I didn't fib either. I told my boss I had a sick rabbit that needed to go to the vet. I'm sure he thought I was nuts.

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I've canceled doctors appointments to take Belle to the vet many times. Doctors don't like when you do that.

My friends don't think I'm crazy for treating my bunnies like babies. I don't treat them like babies a lot, but I do love them all unconditionally. All my friends have animals, whether it be a horse, dog, etc. So we're just a big bunch of animal lovers. A few of my friends either have or had rabbits in the past and so they understand.

I hope everything works out for you and that your mom will let Nugget come out to play.

As for your friends, do they have pets of their own? If so, just tell them that loving a bunny as your pet is just like loving a dog as a pet. Something along those lines.

Emily

ChandieLee wrote:

slavetoabunny wrote:

I've called into work before when one of my rabbits was sick. I didn't fib either. I told my boss I had a sick rabbit that needed to go to the vet. I'm sure he thought I was nuts.

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I've canceled doctors appointments to take Belle to the vet many times. Doctors don't like when you do that.

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I've missed school to stay home and take care of sick bunnies. Everytime I stayed home after that one day, one of my teachers would always ask "Sick bunny?" haha.

Emily

i stayed home from school once to bury my bunny and have a memorial service for him with my dog and cat. i got in lots of trouble though cause i kinda just...didnt go and didnt call in.

some people dont understand hwo so much can be spent on a rabbit, but yet thier willing to spend that much on a dog. really...whats the difference? i dont see any anymore, cept dogs you have to take out to go to the bathroom and they need lots of attention

BlueSkyAcresRabbitry wrote:

ChandieLee wrote:

slavetoabunny wrote:

I've called into work before when one of my rabbits was sick. I didn't fib either. I told my boss I had a sick rabbit that needed to go to the vet. I'm sure he thought I was nuts.

Click to expand...

I've canceled doctors appointments to take Belle to the vet many times. Doctors don't like when you do that.

Click to expand...

I've missed school to stay home and take care of sick bunnies. Everytime I stayed home after that one day, one of my teachers would always ask "Sick bunny?" haha.

Emily

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LOL!!! I had to take an afternoon off to transport a bunny recently. I requested time off for "personal reasons". My boss immediately called me and asked "are you interviewing for another job?". I told him I had a 3 hour bunny transport and he replied, just tell me that and don't give me a heart attack!

I think people can figure out that I am a bunny person when they reach my cell phone voice-mail: It says, "Hi! You've reached Kelly, Will, and the bunnies..." lol

kherrmann3 wrote:

I think people can figure out that I am a bunny person when they reach my cell phone voice-mail: It says, "Hi! You've reached Kelly, Will, and the bunnies..." lol

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OMG, I LOVE it . I'm now gonna have to get John to change ours :biggrin2:

Jan

Yeah... Will wasn't too thrilled with that at first. Now that he has "his" bunny, he's a little more OK with it!

People will rag on you for spending $500 on vet bills for a pet, but they will go into debt for a giant, flat screen TV or some other stupid thing. Somehow it is acceptable to go into debt for a electronics, but not to spend money you have on a pet. Just because there are rabbits at a pet store for $20, doesn't mean that your pet shouldn't get the care it needs at the vet.


I would suggest that you print off some info on house rabbits for your mom. Try to get some specific stuff that related to her worries. Offer to get some play mats or to put down some plastic so any poop or pee doesn't ruin the carpet/floor, even if the litter box habits are great, it can help you mom feel better.

ChandieLee wrote:

slavetoabunny wrote:

I've called into work before when one of my rabbits was sick. I didn't fib either. I told my boss I had a sick rabbit that needed to go to the vet. I'm sure he thought I was nuts.

Click to expand...

I've canceled doctors appointments to take Belle to the vet many times. Doctors don't like when you do that.

Click to expand...

LOL! I've left early from work, and taken long lunches, when one of my bunnies was sick. I also flat out told my boss why I was leaving. *shrug* Other people leave early when their kids are sick, it's the same thing.

I also switched dentists once because of my bunnies. I had an appointment scheduled for six weeks in advance, had taken the afternoon off work for it, then added a vet checkup later the same afternoon. The day before the appointment, the dentist called and told me they were switching my appointment time to 3 hours later, which happened to be right when the bunnies were supposed to be getting their checkup. So I yelled at the poor scheduling boy, told him what he could do with his rescheduled time, and switched to a different dentist.

My whole family thought I was nuts when I said that I was getting house rabbits. Because like your mom they beleived that they smell/are dirty.

But they all kinda dropped it when they realized that really the buns are cleaner than my cats.

It does get old though getting looks like im insane when I talk about Bubble Gum and Sparrow away from the forum. Alot of people don't realize how bonded you can be to a rabbit.

Too bad for them . We're the lucky ones

I've been late to work for bunny vet appointments before and there were no issues with my boss, I also did not go to work the day Pepper was put to sleep which was a friday so I had the whole weekend after that...

You know, I've been through the "its' just a rabbit or rat or baby goat" thing.... and I always respond with "So, if your horse, dog, cat, were sick you'd let them suffer or put them down?" I love when they give the "You can get another one for $30" comment..... I say "Yeah, kittens are free, puppies are free, there are tons of rescue animals out there needing homes....."

I have a family member who couldn't see money being spent on my bunny going to the vet...... yet spent around $10,000 on a horse who didn't have much of a chance of surviving cancer..... and it didn't. I always use that and they say it's not the same and I say "oh really? How? because my bunny isn't worth more? what? are you going to sell your horse?"