Daenerys's Bunny Blog, Reptile House

TF - thank you for such an informative and helpful post.

That's too bad that you've decided to get rid of them. I hope you're able to find them a great new home. Good luck with everything.

I'd just like to inform everyone that both rabbits have gone to good new homes. Basil went the Thursday before I went to NY and Parsley (previously known as Genevieve) went to his new home today. Both were rehomed via Craigslist, and I approved both placements before selling. I also sent them both with food, hay, and a care sheet. Basil also took his cage, toys, litter box, and leash/harness but Parsley went to a home where they had kept rabbits before so they already had the cage and whatnot.

I am very happy for you!!!!!

I'm glad you going them both homes.

Me too. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find decent homes, because I got a lot of people saying "Oh I'll take it for free if nobody else wants them" but I did...I would have never given them away, who knows what would have happened to them if I did that. But they both got nice pet homes, Basil gets some kids to play with him and Parsley gets a nice, rabbit-savvy family to care for him. I'm sure they will both be quite happy in their new homes.

Also, it was really cute when Parsley met his new owners because he had been running laps in my room up until they arrived so he kind of wore himself out and then melted in their arms XD It was an "awww!!" moment.

Congrats on finding them homes you feel good about.

Thank you

Daenerys wrote:

Money is tight, and I doubt anyone on here wants to buy my bunnies. I do love them but I have other priorities right now in my life that, I'm sorry to say, take precedence over the bunnies. This is the first time I have ever seriously considered selling any of my pets. I wish I could keep them but the cleaning and constant supervision outside the cage they need is just getting to be too much. Turn my back for an instant and they're trying to chew things they ought not be chewing. They've started trying to fight through their cages too, and they smell so strongly you can smell it through the closed door. I clean them daily and it doesn't seem to do any good. Its just too much. I didn't realize how bad their habits would get after maturity, but you live and you learn I suppose. I wont be getting any more bunnies after this, that's for sure. They're just not the pet for me.

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I am glad you found new good homes.

I just want to say -in no negative tone- that the reasons you listed for rehoming your rabbits are common in teenage rabbits. I understand Guinevere was a present, but you probably should have never got him in the first place w/o nuetering Basil first, or keeping Basil for awhile, and after the baby phase. Obviously they would have either bred (If she was a female) or fight. This is typical knowledge that comes with researching. All those "maturity" problems will subside, even without nueteriing (Although it won't get as good with nuetring)

I think this is a good example of researching before you buy, as reptile people I think we both understand that. A lot of people want burmese pythons, but how many of them can handle them or do research before buying? Or a monitor..or a gecko they think they can hold all the time?Again, not to attack on you, but I think it was a mistake.

I will tell you where the anger came from. First off, you said "Getting Rid" a couple of times. You don't "Get rid" of an animal. They are not disposible. A lot of people are sensative (Including me) to that. Second, your selling them. In your above post you say "buy them"

Selling an animal-a mammal-that isn't like rehoming a snake your breed. You shouldn't "sell" your animal. You should be rehoming, esp since it seems they were loved pets by you. Its fine you found someone to spend $50 on your rabbit, but honestly I would have said they would have to buy a nueter voucher.

It isn't that you took bad care of them; you didn't. It is the fact that a lot of people think you handled the situation wrong by your wording, and the fact your giving up on them before they got through thier teenage phase..it often happens.

Reptiles and Mammals are very different...that is why often there isn't many owners who "cross the border" into the other. You are def a great reptile owner, and you have seen its probably better that way

I am hopeful their new owners will give them forever homes

Well, I did research rabbits before I bought them. I thought, through my research, that rabbits would be something I could care for and would enjoy. Its just sometimes there are certain things about an animal you just don't learn about through research...some things you have to learn through experience before you know and understand. After actually caring for them I discovered they're just not the right pet for me, we're not a good match. There is actually a post in a topic on another forum I read that really sums this up quite nicely, Its about reptiles but I still think it fits:

I have at this point read carefully everyone's stances on the original question. I also posted my own opinion. One question I have is this-- if you've ever sold an animal you no longer wanted, desired, or felt you could care for, then do you have a right to comment about others selling? Regardless the reason? It's drawing lines... and where do you stop? If it's okay to sell your snakes because a bad break up has put the financial stress on you then is it also okay to sell your snakes because of a marriage to a person who doesn't like them? Is it okay to sell them because you want a jet ski or a more expensive car? What if you just found out your wife is pregnant-- with twins??? What if you lose your job? What if you want to take a job that is lower pay, voluntarily? With regards to the "herp of the moment," well... I bought a crested gecko pair in December of 2007. I enjoy them and have used them in educational situations. I hope at some point to breed them. They are well cared for and live in an appropriate cage. So what if they are the "herp of the moment?" If I can care for them well, then does it really matter? I guess my point is that each of us has our own reasons for getting into the hobby, and many got into it at an early age. It appears that many of us have once or twice purchased an animal only to find out that it did not meet our needs, goals, or expectations, and have then sold it to a different owner. We each have our own ideas about what is the right or wrong reason to sell an animal. It doesn't mean one is better than the other... just different. Tara and I debtated this the other day. She made a comment about a person that had put their collection up for sale for a reason she found ridiculous and stupid. I mentioned to her that she had sold a snake once because it was a biter, and yet I have three biters living under my roof who I can't and won't sell because I'm far too attached-- to me, selling a biter is like putting up for adoption the child that wets the bed at night. I may not agree with her decision, but I don't judge Tara for that, and I won't judge anyone else. If you're doing what's right by the animal, that's really all we can ask.

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I do agree with you that it was a mistake to get Genevieve/Parsley, but a mistake is a mistake, I've learned my lesson and I wont make that mistake again. I am sticking to reptiles, and one cat and one dog at a time. No multiple cats or dogs....just one of each. And nothing else.

And as for the "getting rid" thing....I never meant to make it seem like I think of them as disposable, I just picked that up from my mom when she had to rehome some of our cats. She always said "get rid of the cats"....she didn't think of them as disposable either, but she wasn't too careful with her words. I realized that people were picking up on that as meaning I was trying to "dispose" of them and I fixed it, started saying "rehome". My apologies for the misunderstanding and insensitive wording.

Now as for selling, when people "adopt" animals they have to pay an "adoption fee"....I see that as no different than selling, really. No matter what you call it, you have to exchange money for animal. Heck, you have to pay money to adopt children. A lot of money. I see selling my pets as ensuring that the person really does want the animal. If I were to just give them away, they could have ended up as food, or neglected by someone who took them on impulse, or something else terrible. I had many people offer to take my rabbits for free if nobody else bought them, but I would never have given them to those people...

You say I was just giving up on them, but if caring for any pet just becomes a chore and not something that is enjoyed, then it becomes more likely that that care may begin to decline in quality....I started to find caring for the rabbits a chore, and I didn't like that one bit. I loved those rabbits and even though I was glad to find them new owners, my heart was heavy waiting for those new owners to come pick them up. I played with Parsley for 2 hours before they came and got him because I felt such guilt that I had to rehome him in the first place. I really wish I didn't have to, but rabbits are just not the pets for me...

As far as mammals and reptiles being very different, I knew that before. I started out with cats, moved to dogs, then moved to reptiles. But rabbits are very different from all of those, and even though I researched it, it just wasn't the same as actually taking care of them to know that they weren't the pets for me.

I don't see a point in bringing up the past. What is done is done and I for one am very happy to hear that they have gone to good homes. I have faced the whole 'You're a terrible person because you rehomed your rabbit!' thing in the past and quite frankly, it really irked me. My reasons were certainly different since it was health-related but some argued that surely I MUST have known. Well no, in fact I didn't and I had to learn it the hard way.

If it makes a difference, I think you made a difference for those buns while you had them. Okay, rehoming probably wasn't the best ending of the story for anyone but hold on to the thought that, while you had them, they were safe and well-taken care of. They could have ended up in a bad place instead of being with you. Now, hopefully, they have gone into their forever homes and will live very happily there.

Us rabbit owners always say 'bunnies aren't for everyone' and I think it's okay that you've come to realize that. I'd have been more concerned if you'd 'gotten rid of them' to go and get more :expressionless But you didn't. You stated you wouldn't get any others because they aren't your thing. You did the right thing by rehoming them, especially rehoming them yourself.

Unlike what most people think and say (and I'll probably take a beating for this later) I think it was very wise of you to rehome them when you did. I have seen and heard of so many people who 'lost interest' and the rabbits' care declined so much that those rabbits were really not living in the right conditions. I think it was quite humble of you to realize that you weren't being the 'bunny mom' you would have liked to be.

I, myself, would like to thank you for having cared enough to not have made this situation any worse by keeping them or simply disposing them.

I guess no matter how hard you try, you can't force yourself to 'want' and be passionate about a certain breed of animal. Like I can't 'force' myself to believe in God. I want to so badly, but the truth is I just can't make myself feel a certain way. Despite the research you can put in beforehand, you can never be certain that that pet is for you. Generally it doesn't matter, especially if you are an animaly person- get any pet and it will probably be for you. But sometimes a pet just doesn't 'click' with your lifestyle, or just you.

You made the right decision in giving them lovely new homes . If you don't want an animal- will you really put in an hour of cleaning a day, money every week, 3 or 4 hours exercise time, and most importantly lots and lots of love, affection and attention? etc. etc. Either you don't, and the rabbit suffers, or you unwillingly force yourself to, and the rabbit probably still suffers a little, or you do the best thing for the rabbit, and give it to someone who will love to do these things for it. Which you did! Which is fabulous.

The only point here where I would get...irritated...would be a point Nela brought up- if in a few weeks time you bought a new rabbit! But no-one can judge you for what you are doing now, as rabbits just aren't for you, like you said, and I totally understand your situation. And they are not for everyone, and it doesn't make you a bad person for that at all.

It's unfortunate that someone gave you another bunny gift- it's not like you got another one voluntarily, especially when you were probably thinking perhaps rabbits weren't for you at the time anyway.

I wish you good luck with everything, and for all your other animals . I hope you stay here and update your blog every now and then, and check in with us from time to time.

Jen

Question what is the size of a full length corn snake?

Thanks guys, for understanding

And corn snakes generally get between 3 and 5 feet, averaging around the high end of 3 to 4. Feed more often or larger food, you get closer to 5. Feed less often or smaller food, closer to 3. Its easier to get a smaller, 3 foot size than a larger, close to 5 foot size though. Its rare that corn snakes make it to 5 feet.

Thanks a friend was intrested but I'm not sure it's the right animal for her.

Well they are super easy to care for so it all depends on if she is okay with snakes and feeding them frozen/thawed mice lol

I can't see her feeding them easily. Which is why I want to research and make sure she knows everything.

Well, if she's not completely grossed out or against the idea of feeding the snakes, there is still hope for her. I never had a problem with feeding f/t...live is another story...but its something you get used to, as I've known people who were iffy about it but are now not at all affected. And as far as corn snake care, all they need is a 20gal tank (minimum size as adults, bigger is okay) and aspen bedding, depending on the room temperature they may need a heat pad on one side with a light dimmer to help control the temperature so that the tank has a temperature gradient of no higher than 85 on the warm side and no cooler than 70 on the cool side (70 is kind of pushing it). There needs to be a hide on both sides, and a water dish big enough for the snake to soak in during shed. Feeding rule is the food shouldn't exceed a width of 1.5 times the widest part of the snake. That's about it. They're really easy pets.

site?

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums

Thats where I get all of my information