need some tough rabbit parenting advice

[hawktalon555]

hi friends! freaking out and need some advice. I have three rabbits- one who I raised myself from a baby, and two that I adopted to be her friends after I started working too much to be with them. Adopting two bunnies instead of one is a huge regret, as much as I love all three of my buns. It was a dumb impulse at the rabbit date- the rescue offered to let me date my bun with the bonded pairs, just to see if my bun would react differently.

Spoilers, she did, and then I brought home a pair.

I was not prepared for the extra work load, and expenses. I was young and dumb enough that I wasn’t really planning ahead into the next few years. Mental Illness and covid made it hard to see a future. I still am young and dumb- but now I AM planning and trying to be a functional adult. This week I started taking an honest look into the future and the rest of my 20’s and what money looks like, realistically. And I am freaking myself out.

I’ve had the trio for about a year, and with how busy I am now, they are becoming too much and I am stressing myself into circles thinking about what to do with three rabbits I barely see.

I should’ve been a lot more deliberate with my choices, I know. I think my family always took in animals fairly casually, in a way I’m starting to look back on and regret. Cats and dogs of course, but also a few exotics. And if they had needs more complex than a cat or do… well, we did not take great care of them! They were fed and watered and that was kind of it. Enclosures were boring and lame and the bare minimum was done. Zero enrichment or care.

But now, my best friend lives with my family and has a single leopard gecko- and she spends SO much time making sure his enclosure is perfect and that he is the correct weight, is showing healthy signs, is eating a variety of bugs- etc.

Those poor lizards I had as a kid with one hide and a crappy heat lamp! They were probably miserable!

I realize that, after seeing her example and me doing some research over the past year and being in rabbit groups on facebook… if I want to be a good rabbit parent I need to be able to afford regular vet care for all three and, of course, be prepared for emergencies! I was ready to take them to the vet if I saw signs of anything wrong, of course, but not prepared for regular check ups you know? And they need a lot more attention to diet and care than I’ve been giving! I feel like I could provide that for one bun, but I’ve stretched myself too thin and let myself become a bad parent for all three.

Rabbits are safe, happy, roomed and fed right now. I just don’t know how realistic this is going to be when there starts to be vet visits and aging and whatnot. And I’ll be moving out of my parents house with my best friend soon- that’s one of the reasons I’m getting a better grip on finances. What happens when I’m moving three whole bunnies?

Sorry about the text dump. I have been spiraling since late last night. I love them a crapton and don’t want to do this lightly. but also, is this realistic? Would they be better off somewhere else with someone more deliberate about their care? But how do you rehome THREE rabbits?? Definitely not separating them! How much does pet insurance cost? I need an adultier adult to weigh in with some advice please.

thank you for reading, I needed to get this one out of my head

 

[Blue eyes]

Take a breath and relax. Don't overstress. It's good that you are considering costs and care and are willing to re-assess and make changes where they may be needed. The example of your friend has inspired you and that is a good thing. Having a successfully bonded trio is also a good thing and you are right to not want to separate them.

There are options for you that don't necessarily lead to rehoming. You've already taken the first steps simply by re-evaluating their current care. It doesn't have to cost much to care for them properly.

You mentioned vet visits and that you're already prepared to bring them in if a medical concern arises. As for regular checkups, I personally do not think they are necessary. If you keep an eye on their eating habits (notice any changes in habits or any sudden refusal to eat something they normally eat) and on their poos (regular size and quantity) and on their overall behavior, then you will know if something needs to be addressed. For all the years I've had rabbits, it was rare that a vet was ever needed. I did not take them in for checkups since I monitored as mentioned. (Just a side note for future reference, if ever one does need a vet, be sure to bring all 3 rabbits together. They should not be separated -- especially on a vet visit -- or their bond could break from the one coming home with different scents and odors. )

As for costs, it sounds like that is a concern for you. Rabbits can be expensive to feed properly... but they don't have to be. There are ways to cut costs. Buying hay in bulk, for example, can save a whole ton of money. A huge bale of hay is only about $16 and should last 6 months easily with 3 rabbits. ---super cheap!!!

Growing an herb garden is another way to save. Using wood pellets for litter (as opposed to pet store litter) can also save a huge amount. Check here for more detail on cutting costs.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/costs.html
Once you've learned about any diet changes that may need to be made, and once you've discovered ways to cut costs as per above, the care for the three rabbits should really be no more than the care for one. They'll all get the same diet, same litter, same hay, etc. So having three should not be more effort than one. The exception would be the cleaning of the litterbox. If you have more than one box, then they won't need to be cleaned out as often. If you have one large box, (such a box is shown on the site linked), I'd imagine it would have to be dumped every 3rd day to keep the area odor free. Here is some more on that
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/odor-free-home.html
So to sum things up, by checking out the tips on ways to greatly reduce the costs of caring for the rabbits (even while still improving their diet/housing if needed), you just may find that their care and costs don't have to be overwhelming.

The research you do (use that site above for other tips as well!) will help you to get a better handle on what is (and what isn't) needed to care for your rabbits. Life can get busy, but once you've established routines and habits regarding the rabbits' care, it quickly becomes quite manageable. You can tie certain tasks to other routine tasks. For example, when I'd prepare to make dinner, I'd go in the kitchen and that would be when I'd grab some greens and feed them to the rabbits. The two tasks became linked as habit (making dinner for my family and feeding the greens to the rabbits).

Perhaps taking some time to do the research, affecting any changes, and establishing new routines will help you to not only manage the rabbits, but enjoy doing so as well. Then you may just find that they really are a pleasure (and not just a chore) to have and enjoy.

 

[Diane R]

Great advice above. Get pet insurance and start saving so you won't be as worried about the financial burden of vet visits when they are needed. You can do this!