Need some advice about my buns - about rehoming

[Mubunny]

Well guys here is the deal. Once my schooling is over with I will be off to China so I thought I should check and see how to bring my buns with me. Unfortunately there is absolutely no way to bring them along, rabbits can't be brought into the country. Though this is still a few years away I have a big decision to make. I will HAVE to rehome these rabbits sometime in the future but am not sure to do it now or later. Here are my thoughts
Keeping:
Pros: I will be happy and spend as much time as possible with them.
Cons: By the time I leave they will be quite old. It might be harder to rehome and older bunny because of health issues and age. I wouldn't want to surrender them to live in a shelter.

Rehome now:
Pros: I will be able to find them a good place for them to stay and whoever has them can enjoy their company for many years. I won't have to worry about what the future might hold for them.
Cons: I will be really sad. I'll feel like a pretty irresponsible pet owner for not checking these things sooner (this is also for keeping).

I thought it might be a bit greedy for me to keep them, because it isn't really in their best interest per say. I was thinking maybe I could find someone on RO or somewhere similar who would be ok with sending me pictures and updates every so often. I don't want to be seen as someone who thinks rabbits are a throw away pet but to me it seems finding them a home sooner rather then later would be best for them. I am really torn up about this because Winny and Pop are my little men. Either way this is going to hurt me a lot. What do you all think is best for my buns?
(also I really don't want to consider keeping them because they might pass on before I go. It's such a horrible thought for me, and I would feel like I am 'hoping' for them to go before I leave)

 

[JadeIcing]

I think you should start looking from now. I have seen people wait till closer to the date and than run put of time. If you start now you have more time to search.

 

[luvthempigs]

I agree, I think you should start to look now. That way you won't be so stressed to find a home for them. And it will give you time to find the perfect new owner(s) for them.

Sorry you have to re-home them

 

[Mubunny]

I pretty much knew that's what I should do. It's just so hard to let the little guys go. Especially since they are adopted, I feel so guilty. I guess I'd feel more guilty about holding on till the last minute and have to shuffle them to some random place.

 

[kirbyultra]

So sorry you ultimately have to make this decision. I agree, the best thing to do is to start looking now. It doesn't mean you have to rehome them now. But it will give the buns the best chance at finding a suitable home, hopefully someone you like who will give you updates.

I didn't know China didn't allow buns in. I suspected as much but thanks for sharing that.

 

[luvthempigs]

I know it's hard :hug1I had to re-home a few animals when I was first going through my divorce and it just about killed me. I still feel bad/guilty to this day

Where did you adopt them from? If it was a rescue or shelter they may want them back.

 

[Mubunny]

It was the local spca. I will have to look at the website again but I'm pretty sure they don't want them back.

 

[luvthempigs]

Where are you located? Do you have pictures of your bunnies?

 

[Mubunny]

I am in Alberta. I have two pictures of my buns. I don't have a camera so I only have the ones from the spca.

 

[luvthempigs]

Well maybe you can write up a description of each of them (don't forget to add your location in the title) and post an ad in the Rescue Me section of the forum?

It will help a lot if you can get updated photos of them to add to your thread. Maybe tell about each of their personalities too.

Good luck!

 

[SOOOSKA]

Hi Mubunny, exactly when are you moving? If it's not for years I don't know why you would think of finding them a home so soon. How long have you had them?

This is just my opinion and I am not saying it is right, I'm just curious. Thanks.

Susan:?

 

[JadeIcing]

Soooska the reason for so soon is more because all to often the closer it gets the harder it gets to find the right home. If they start now they have time to find the perfect home.

 

[Mubunny]

I will be moving permanently in about 3 years but spending the summer in 1. I have had them for about 6 months.
It is not really the time that worries me, obviously that is a lot of time to find a home. But as time goes by the bunnies are going to get older. So far they are healthy and happy but in one year or two will they still have a clean bill of health?
This is my real problem. WHEN to do it. How long to I wait? I'm not sure if I want to risk something happening (head tilt, etc). Right now there is literally no reason not to want these bunnies.
It's like this imminent deadline, I know they can't stay with me. I know they need to leave eventually. It has been very stressful for me and either way it's going to be painful.
How do I know when is the right time?

 

[kirbyultra]

Well, what makes you think that they won't be healthy in a year or two? There's always the risk something'll happen with a pet, but if you're doing the best you can for them then there's not anything you can reasonably predict will happen, least of all headtilt...

At the 6 month mark, if they are young, they're hitting maturity so they get rather difficult to deal with as it is. If you get them fixed (if they're not already) by a year old they will be little angels, and then who wouldn't want them? :hearts If you decide to keep them unfixed, it may be a hard sell if the develop behavioral difficulties... that would be more of a problem I think than future medical issues that have not materialized.

BTW, are your buns bonded? If you plan to adopt them out together as a must, bonded or not, it WILL be harder to find them a home. If you are willing to rehome them one at a time, it will be easier to find individual homes. It's not uncommon for bunnies to be in foster for months before finding a home. You have 3 years -- it's up to you...

 

[Mubunny]

@kirbyultra
I didn't check because I knew dogs and cats could go and I have friends in China who have rabbits (all bought there I now know). I forgot that rabbits are rodents and considered pests when not pets. It makes sense since if people released rabbits it wouldn't be good, I wish I thought of that.

And I'm sorry if I seem panicky or like I'm trying to get rid of them really soon or whatever. It's just I've gotten so attached to them in such a short amount of time. I wake up and we have our morning salads together, I know all their little quirks. I'm just not sure if I should draw things out longer or do this like a bandied.
Or pass them off as a very weird cat somehow.

 

[Mubunny]

Oh no they are older bunnies. They are in the 5-6 year range (so teens?)and they are both fixed. They are just as sweet as can be and are well behaved.
They are not bonded, just kind of acquaintances and I would be fine with them finding individual homes as long as they are happy.

 

[kirbyultra]

Did you adopt them? If you've only had them 6 months, it might be ok to return them to the shelter where you got them and explain the situation, but for a 5-6 year old pair of bunnies, it would be tough as people usually want younger bunnies to adopt. I don't know, but I just feel like if you keep them another 2-3 years then rehomed them, it would be tougher on the buns since they are accustomed to "home" already. And by then they'll be 6-9 years old, which is getting up there in age for a rabbit. That's just my opinion. The flip side is, you know for 2-3 more years they'll be in the best care and there's no guarantee what the future holds.

 

[Mubunny]

That is why I didn't want to keep them longer, because they would be older and be used to my home. It's really hard dealing with the fact that essentially the only good reason to keep them with me is because it would make me happy.
I guess when you love somebunny you've got to put them first even when it hurts. I'll talk to the shelter but I feels so bad. My Winny would be going back for the third time and Pop had been there for many many months

 

[NorthernAutumn]

With absolutely no offence meant, I think that is likely that somebunny or two somebunnies will have passed on within the next 3 years. It seems to me that many rabbits pass between 7-9 years of age. 10-12 seems to be a more unusual number.
Just my opinion... You may not feel it is an appropriate risk to take, and in that case, I think that you should rehome them now.

Do you have a good friend or parents there that would consider taking on your golden oldies?

I agree with the comment that it will be very hard for a shelter to place older rabbits. I think you'd be better off screening adopters yourself, if that is what you choose.
Would it be possible to be their "foster" home until a place can be found through the shelter? That way, the shleter isn't incurring any more cost or losing cage space.

Is the China move set in stone?

Big hugs to you :hug:. I am sad that you and yours are dealing with this.

 

[Mubunny]

The idea of them dying is pretty terrifying for me but so is the idea of them living (only in this case though... if I had it my way they'd be around forever). There is no way to predict if they'll be around. Since they are adopted their age is up in the air. Pop is listed as a young adult and I believe Winston was just adult (I cannot find his papers, my boyfriend must have moved his folder). I am going to email the shelter and see if I could foster because that really would be the best of both worlds. China is absolutely set in stone, it's what I am studying for and I essentially have things lined up.
I am going to have to talk to my boyfriend about it. I am going to take a while to think about it.
I can see if any of my friends are secret bunny fanciers but I know my parents would not be a good place for them.
I just am not sure if I should take the risk of having to rehome to geriatric rabbits. It wouldn't be fair to them. I'll go through the paper again and double check if it mentions a more exact age.