Big Problem...

[Nadezhda]

I have two neutered male bunnies. They don't like eachother, and I have to keep them in seperate cages. It's a lot to clean, especially since they're big NIC cages, that need to be cleaned everyday, since both bunnies trash their cages.

Zorro has been spraying the walls, and I can't get him to stop.

Fred has suddenly become agressive to Hunter, the dog.

My mom is sick. She's on partial chemo indefinatly, and even though the cancer has gone away, she's still on two drugs that make her tired, so I have to do a lot of stuff for her.

I'm also sick. I've been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and it's pretty severe. When I'm not doing stuff for mom or around the house, I'm sleeping. The only real time I spend with the bunnies is when I clean and feed them at night, and when I'm switching them between their cages and the running pen.

Some of you may remember I was here in Feburary because my Oreo was acting sick, after her surgury and the amoxycillan that followed. She died, and I printed out sheets on amoxycillan and other dangerous drugs for bunnies and gave them to my vet. Even though his 'contact from some Saskatchewan University' said that amoxycillan was fine for bunnies, he felt really guilty. The next time one of the local pet stores had bunnies in, he got me to go down there and pick one out. I guess it was too soon, because even though I love my new bunnies, they aren't Oreo, and I rarely spend time with them. I think he wanted to get me new bunnies as soon as possible to keep me from sueing or something. They were friends at the store, but became agressive very soon after being brought home.

I barely have the energy to clean up after them and vacuum every night, and I don't think it's fair for the bunnies. On a bad day, I might even forget to let them run around, or let one run for a longer time period than the other. I think the bunnies should have someone who has time to properly care for them, and spend time with them. I know the owners of both pet shops in town, and I have friends who donate their time to the animal shelter here, and they've told me that the animal shelter makes sure it has knowledgable owners before selling them one of the animals there.

My mom says that she thinks I should give up the bunnies. This isn't a one night thing, this is something that I've been thinking about for over a week. Mom wants to do it Monday. It's 4 am Sunday now, and I haven't been able to sleep. I love these bunnies and want to keep them, but I also want them to have a happy life. I don't think I was ready for new bunnies, and I keep comparing them to Oreo. Zorro has spunk and attitude like Oreo. Fred likes cuddles like Oreo did. Zorro sprays the walls and pees where I've sprayed vinegar to try to get him not to pee there, which Oreo never did. Fred flips his litter dish, which Oreo never did.

What do you guys think? Am I making a mature, or a selfish decision?

 

[Dribbles]

i surport you on giving them up if you are having to look after your mum and yourself its not realy fair on the bunnys but it sounds like your a animal lover and its your decision.


Hope this helps

 

[sheridan]

I think you are NOT selfish. I think you are coping really really well in a very difficult situation!!! I honestly dont know what you should do. I know you love your bunnies a lot but you have so much to cope with and you know they are not getting the best attention.

Would you be able to give them more time(from your list of duties I would think not)

 

[Dribbles]

why not ask a friend if they would like them at least you would still see them?

 

[Nadezhda]

None of my friends are 'rabbit people', except for one aquaintence whom I purposly don't spend time with. She used to have chickens, but she left them out one day and they were eating by a hawk or eagle or something.
After seeing my Oreo, she made her parents get her a bunny that she named 'fudgio'. Fudgio was left outside one day and is suspected to have run away, if he wasn't eaten by a cat.
I wouldn't torture Zorro or Fred and offer them to her.

 

[Dribbles]

thats a shame wat about the rescue bit on here you never no look wat happened with the littlespecial needsrabbit

 

[Dribbles]

go onto off topic then click rabbit chatroom the click the link and register it might help to ask people there

 

[Bassetluv]

Wow Nadezhda...I'm so sorry you have been faced with all of this. When I was reading through your post the first thing that struck me was, you had answered your own question about the rabbits. But then I read the end of your post and realized just how much you really want to keep them.

I don't know if this would help, but I was wondering if you would qualify to have help come in to your home? I'm including a link to the VON if you are interested; they usually come into a person's home to help with health issues (for instance, when I was going through chemo a few years ago I had a VON nurse come to my house once a week to change the bandages on my PICC line), but apparently they can also arrange for volunteers to come in and help with some household things. If both you and your mom are facing health issues, there is a chance you might qualify. And if so, that could help alleviate the stress which has been put upon you, and give you a chance to keep your bunnies. I do hope all works out for you...my heart goes out to you for having to face such challenges.

Bunny hugs to you and your mom...:bunnyheart

http://www.von.ca/programs_support_01.html

 

[KayT]

i once was in a similar situation as yourself but i had roborovski hamsters. i gave mine up and have never regretted it. they're now with someone who cares for them and can spend time with them, and i dont have the stress of looking after them. it sounds to me as you have a lot on your plate and also considering you have hunter your dog to care for, maybe the only thing to do is to be cruel to be kind :?

very sorry about your mother

 

[JimD]

Ultimately the decision will be yours.

I, myself, don't think I could give up any of my bunnies. Half of them were rescues and have special needs in the health and socialization areas. These could very well end up in the same shelters they came from.A new owner might tire of caring for them with very little in return from the bunnie.

Last November I was considering rehome a few. I had a severe back condition that had progreessed to the point that I could hardly take a shower, let alone take care of all of the bunnies. I could only do a little work at a time and needed help with anything that needed lifting or required bending. The cages on the floor seemed MILES away. I was lucky that my wife and kids were willing to help out as much as they did.

My wife talked me out of giving up the bunnies, I ended up having back surgery in March, and I'm making very good progress with my recovery. I now take care of almost everything to do with the bunnies again, except the lifting stuff. ANd by the time I finish with the work, I'm usually too tired to play with them. But I still feel they have a good life with me, at least better than the one they might have had.

All-in-all this probably doesn't help you too much. I'm just glad I didn't give my buns up.

Maybe you could find some bunnie-people that would be willing to help you out. Maybe some 4H members? Girlscouts (that's who took care of my buns during vacation)? Or maybe a foster organization could make arraingments to foster them for a while.

In any event, good luck. Prayers and good thoughts sent your way!!

 

[Nadezhda]

Thanks for all the replies.

It was a rollercoaster yesterday, with mom convincing me first to give up both bunnies, then just Fred, and so on... Today she expected that I would bring just Fred in, but... I couldn't. I love both bunnies too much. We're going to go downtown today and look for some better litter-boxes.

I just couldn't give up my fur-babies.

 

[JimD]

Nadezhda wrote:

I just couldn't give up my fur-babies.

If need be, you can still make this decision in the future.
Once you give them up....well....they're just gone.

 

[maherwoman]

Quick question: are your buns neutered? I don't know your situation completely, so excuse my question if you've answered it before.

As far as everything, I'm so sorry you have to be going through all this. It's so hard, and I hope you can find someone soon that can help you out around the house, like bassetluv was mentioning. It would help so much to have someone else there helping, what with what you're going through yourself physically. Do you have any friends, at least, that could help you out around the house, so you can have more time with the buns?

Hugs to you and yours! :sunshine::bouquet::group

 

[jordiwes]

Where abouts are you in BC? There's a great organization called Small Animal Rescue Society of BC. I'm glad that you decided to keep your bunnies. Perhaps you could post on their board asking for some helping bonding your bunnies or just someone to help out with the bunnies once in a while. I would if you were on the island!

 

[BACI]

I am glad you have decided to keep your furry friends. I have to ask... are you taking medication for the hypothyroidism? Since you obviously use the internet I am sure you have done the research.. is there any diet change etc that helps the condition.

As far as the bunnies: There is a plastic that you can surround the part of the cage by the wall where your bunny sprays -hopefully that would lessen your cleaning some. You could use plexiglass or the soft plastic that comes on rolls and attach it to the wall if you have to. Is he/she spraying at the other bunny or are the cages in separate rooms?

My other thought is that even if you miss a day letting them out of their cages you are still letting them out to play most nights.That is better than nothing. I miss some days myself due to chronic pain from a back injury but I still love them. They keep me going and decrease BP, pain and stress so they can be good medicine. Have you posted an ad anywhere... sometimes kids in the neighborhood that cannot have animals because their parents won't allow it would love to come play with your rabbits. When my mom was ill one of the neighbor kids cut her lawn and walked her dog. She paid him for the lawn but the dog he considered a plus. Just a thought

Have you researched the bonding links in the resource center? I found them helpful.

Good luck to you, and congrats on deciding to keep your friends. It is hard to replace any pet you have lost. I had a horse die and years later replaced her and really had a hard time bonding with the next one.... that was hard for me because I had never had that problem with other animals. I love all animals and miss the ones that die but can usually adopt another to ease the pain. again good luck and remember you can always get support here. :bunnydance:

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

BACI wrote:

I have to ask... are you taking medication for the hypothyroidism? Since you obviously use the internet I am sure you have done the research.. is there any diet change etc that helps the condition.

I agree with that for one main reason -- I suffer from hypothyroidism and know how much it can drain you. My doctor was rather amazed at how bad mine was but since taking the medication regularily, I have much more energy. Otherwise between work/school and the bunnies, I would be dead tired all the time.

I'm glad you kept the bunnies but if things get to be so severe that you cannot care for them, there are many BC owners on here that may help you find a good rescue or perhaps temporaily take them in but I can't guarantee they would.

 

[ec]

Nadezhda, I can understand why you kept your buns - but I also know what it's like to be caring for an ill relative and being ill yourself. I've been there.

As suggested, I would try to see if you can get some caregiver relief for yourself. And I second the advice about medicine - usually thyroid problems are quite manageable if the proper dose of medication is prescribed and taken on a regular basis.

I have Hashimoto's Disease (an autoimmune problem that requires thyroid replacement) as well as some other chronic health issues that cause fatigue. and I understand what it's like to be exhausted from caring for someone; also from stress.

You really need to take care of yourself first. If that ultimately means needing to give up your bunnies, please do not feel gulity. I know it's a very difficult choice, but you need to reduce the stress on yourself. Some stressors can be controlled, some can't.

OTOH, if the bunnies are stress *relief* for you - well, I understand that, too. I recently adopted a small Dutch (my 1st pet after many, many years of apartment living) and am finding that her playfulness and love of life is a real pick-me-up.

Only you can decide, but if you do choose to give up the bunnies to be rehomed, it will be because you are making the right choice for them - and yourself.

 

[Nadezhda]

Yes, my buns are both neutered. Fred, the youngest one, has been neutered for... just over a month, I think.

I'm taking hypothyroid medication, but it takes a while. Blood tests for thyroid problems should be at intervals of six weeks or longer, in order for all the hormone levels to balance. When I was diagnosed, my levels were at about 7.4, then they went up, up, then back down to 8.9 . It's long and trying, and I'll likely end up on a 125 dosage.

I've gone vegan in response to some health problems the hypothyroidism has created, and it's helped a lot.

We have someone coming everyday for a little while now. Mainly they've been vacuuming and doing dished, and I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be with strange people being in my room bothering my bunnies.

I have a cardboard edge around their cages, and we were thinking of replacing hat with coroplast. I went downstairs and found some old cardboard-backed posters that will be perfect to protect the walls if Zorro sprays again.

One of the reasons mom agreed to get me new bunnies was that they are a stress relief for me. I was bored and listless the months after Oreo died, but the bunnies I have now make me happy, except when they pee outside their litter boxes... Zorro loves attention, and sucks it up as often as he can. Fred likes attention, but he's doing his teenager thing and only wanting it occasionally.

I talked to mom, and she agreed to help me with the bunnies bonding...

I think I'm so worried about their dates cause last time Fred mounted Zorro's head, and Zorro bit him....

Any friends of mine who I would trust to take the bunnies in already have either cats or dogs, and since I only have one large cage, I wouldn't know where to keep the other one.

I'm sorry that I'm answering these questions out of order... Thanks for all your support, and I'm going to go re-check all the bonding links to see if there's any hints there that I previously missed.

 

[ec]

Ah - it sounds like you'll be feeling better, but also that it will take some time, and that your buns are really good company for you. I wish you all the best for the bonding process - and the very best to you, your mom, and your buns! (Wish I could help with some ideas on bonding, but I've never done it...)

But I do know that it takes a lot more patience than we sometimes have to get through these things (family illness, etc.). Hang in there, OK?

 

[Maureen Las]

If you can wait until the correct dosage is determined for your hypothroidism I think that the medication should eliminate the fatigue. If you no longer feel as tired you may be able to do the bunnies and help with other things too. Sorry that you've had to go through so much.