Honey08
Waffled a lot!
Long story - background..
Six years ago we took a dog and a bunny for a family going into a domestic abuse refuge. It was meant to be a foster, but they never took them back. I think they knew the animals were safe, and they had bigger fish to fry. We got the bunny a companion, and they lived happily in a lovely set up for years. Unfortunately two years ago he got a head wobble and a kidney stone. We spent a small fortune on him and got him better, but six months later he got sick again and the vet advised pts. We got the female bunny another companion, and after all the palaver of neutering and bonding they adored each other. Unfortunately he went lame, and on x raying him it was found that he’d broken and dislocated his hip (absolutely no idea how, he was in a stable full of straw, but a rat had gone in, so possibly he took fright?). Anyway he had to be pts too. We took on a third male bunny. Bonding them was tough as he was a little thug, but she eventually put him in his place! Things were fine all summer, then last week we found him a little slow and not eating. Another vets visit and tests showed gut statis, quite bad, that would require hospitalisation and had a low chance of recovery, so again we opted for pts.
So yet again we are left with our sole female bunny, who is now seven years old. She loved her first companion, adored her second companion and was fine with her third, but didn’t spend much time with him. He slept upstairs, she slept downstairs unless they were cold! Now he’s gone, she seems fine after the first day. Still eating well, bouncing around her outside enclosure etc. We put her a heat pad in at night, and extra straw.
My question is, do we try again? We don’t really want more rabbits after her, and money is very tight at the moment until we get our house sold. Plus I’m sad about putting her through the hassle of bonding again, or the stress of possibly losing another. The vet thought to leave her solo if she copes well alone, which she does, as she’s getting old, but she could also live a good few years, and it might be a sad existence. I’m keeping an eye out for anyone looking for a companion for an elderly male rabbit, but it would have to be a five star home.
What would you do?
(Thanks for listening!)
Six years ago we took a dog and a bunny for a family going into a domestic abuse refuge. It was meant to be a foster, but they never took them back. I think they knew the animals were safe, and they had bigger fish to fry. We got the bunny a companion, and they lived happily in a lovely set up for years. Unfortunately two years ago he got a head wobble and a kidney stone. We spent a small fortune on him and got him better, but six months later he got sick again and the vet advised pts. We got the female bunny another companion, and after all the palaver of neutering and bonding they adored each other. Unfortunately he went lame, and on x raying him it was found that he’d broken and dislocated his hip (absolutely no idea how, he was in a stable full of straw, but a rat had gone in, so possibly he took fright?). Anyway he had to be pts too. We took on a third male bunny. Bonding them was tough as he was a little thug, but she eventually put him in his place! Things were fine all summer, then last week we found him a little slow and not eating. Another vets visit and tests showed gut statis, quite bad, that would require hospitalisation and had a low chance of recovery, so again we opted for pts.
So yet again we are left with our sole female bunny, who is now seven years old. She loved her first companion, adored her second companion and was fine with her third, but didn’t spend much time with him. He slept upstairs, she slept downstairs unless they were cold! Now he’s gone, she seems fine after the first day. Still eating well, bouncing around her outside enclosure etc. We put her a heat pad in at night, and extra straw.
My question is, do we try again? We don’t really want more rabbits after her, and money is very tight at the moment until we get our house sold. Plus I’m sad about putting her through the hassle of bonding again, or the stress of possibly losing another. The vet thought to leave her solo if she copes well alone, which she does, as she’s getting old, but she could also live a good few years, and it might be a sad existence. I’m keeping an eye out for anyone looking for a companion for an elderly male rabbit, but it would have to be a five star home.
What would you do?
(Thanks for listening!)
.
