Should I Foster?

[Glorylocks]

So remember how my parents a-okayed for me to get another rabbit? And I was going to get a spayed female and then get Clyde neutered and try to bond them and yada yada? Well..my parents seem to LOVE to change their minds. They don't want another "for whole life commitment". I have no clue why but they don't. Like I mentioned in my other posts I REALLY want another rabbit. Once you have one, its like you can't just have one. Like potato chips!
Anyways..I begged them and I begged them to change their minds, to reconsider, I tried everything to convince them. The only good thing that came out of my begging is that they are going to neuter Clyde for my birthday in April. So..no new Bunny.
However..they did say I could foster a rabbit. They would be willing to do that because it isn't guaranteed to be a lifetime commitment like it would be if I got another rabbit for myself. I've made them aware that I would be caring for the rabbit until it got adopted and that that could take awhile. They are fine with that. *I don't really know what the difference is to them between keeping a rabbit thats mine for its whole life, or keeping a foster for its whole life because no one wants to adopt it!* But hey, my parents brains work differently then mine sometimes.
So, I know there are a few people on here who have fostered buns, what is it like? I want to know what I would be getting myself into if I was fostering a rabbit. I turned an application in online today so I'm waiting for a reply back from the rescue. I just would like to know a general ups and downs kind of thing. It obviously isn't going to be easy and I realize that.
Basically, I just need someone to either talk me into fostering a rabbit, or talk me out of fostering a rabbit.
*I am under 18 so my Mother would *technically* be the foster parent but of course I would be doing the majority of the work with it.*

 

[LakeCondo]

I have not fostered, but I think the hardest part would be giving the fosterling enough attention without getting too attached.

 

[Hyatt101]

I have not fostered, but I think the hardest part would be giving the fosterling enough attention without getting too attached.

I agree, I know that for me, If I fostered, I would get too attached to the rabbit to let it go. If you know for sure that you won't get too attached (although no one really knows for sure) then I think fostering is a great idea!

 

[PaGal]

I think fostering is a wonderful thing but only you and your parents can decide if it the right thing to do.

As far as your parents being o.k. with foster and not owning it could be a number of factors. If for some reason after starting to foster you just absolutely could no longer foster then the shelter or rescue group should take the animal back. With all of the rescues I have researched that have fostering, it is your responsibility to take the animal to the vet but the rescue covers the cost. Also, I would imagine (maybe not so much with a bun) if things were just not working out between your pet and the foster (such as two dogs fighting) then I would assume the rescue would take the foster back and possibly find another animal for you to foster. Plus if the foster has issues that are hard to deal with for your family, with fostering you may only have to deal with that situation for a short time while the animal is in your care versus having to deal with the issues for say ten years.

 

[Glorylocks]

I have not fostered, but I think the hardest part would be giving the fosterling enough attention without getting too attached.

Yeah, I was kind of worried about getting too attached, but if I KNOW they are going to a good home I think it will be a lot easier for me.

 

[Glorylocks]

I think fostering is a wonderful thing but only you and your parents can decide if it the right thing to do.

As far as your parents being o.k. with foster and not owning it could be a number of factors. If for some reason after starting to foster you just absolutely could no longer foster then the shelter or rescue group should take the animal back. With all of the rescues I have researched that have fostering, it is your responsibility to take the animal to the vet but the rescue covers the cost. Also, I would imagine (maybe not so much with a bun) if things were just not working out between your pet and the foster (such as two dogs fighting) then I would assume the rescue would take the foster back and possibly find another animal for you to foster. Plus if the foster has issues that are hard to deal with for your family, with fostering you may only have to deal with that situation for a short time while the animal is in your care versus having to deal with the issues for say ten years.

That actually probably is their reasoning. After you explained it its make a lot more sense to me..I think I am going to foster, I think it would be quite the experience. Not to mention I'd be helping give a rabbit another chance.

 

[Ape337]

I wish more people would consider fostering, and good for you for wanting to help an animal in need

Really, the only big question I would ask myself is, "where will I be in 5 years". I know it sounds strange because no one has a crystal ball, and i realize that most animals live longer than 5 years, but I ask myself that question whenever I want to get another pet of any type. For me the answer gets easier the older I get, but when I was around your age that question was much harder for me to answer. Mostly because i had college plans, and some of the colleges i wanted to go to were out of state. Could your parents possibly be thinking along these lines? Just throwing it out there.

Good luck :bunny24

 

[Glorylocks]

I wish more people would consider fostering, and good for you for wanting to help an animal in need

Really, the only big question I would ask myself is, "where will I be in 5 years". I know it sounds strange because no one has a crystal ball, and i realize that most animals live longer than 5 years, but I ask myself that question whenever I want to get another pet of any type. For me the answer gets easier the older I get, but when I was around your age that question was much harder for me to answer. Mostly because i had college plans, and some of the colleges i wanted to go to were out of state. Could your parents possibly be thinking along these lines? Just throwing it out there.

Good luck :bunny24

Where will I be in 5 years..that is a very good question! As far as I know..I will still be here! =) Probably not in this house, but still in the general area! lol I'm going to a Career Technical Center and studying Medical Office Management so that I can get a job as soon as I graduate. So I shouldn't have to worry about going to a University that won't let me have animals. I also try not to be an impulse buyer when it comes to animals..but..we all fail at that sometimes right? Clyde was an impulse buy. I literally just said "I want a rabbit" and I had a rabbit the same day..