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Thinking of 'fostering' rabbits

14 replies

Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 09:48

Please excuse the terminology but we are thinking of 'fostering' rabbits.

Our adopted ds has been home a year almost. Any thoughts on whether this would be harmful or difficult for him?

He is not really interested in pets and the idea is for my rabbit mad dd who is 10. We could buy or rehome but the problem is they live about 8 years and she will be 18 by then and I fear it will fall to me to care for them.

I just need a language to talk about this without the word fostering in it! Ds was fostered by fabulous family so it is difficult to talk about it for rabbits when knows it for humans!

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Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 09:48

Thank you. Grin

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tabulahrasa · 27/03/2015 09:55

I'm not an adoptive parent, so I could be wrong, I'd have thought barring any issues around him being fostered it would actually be pretty straightforward?

As in, it's very much the same idea - you look after rabbits when their family can't, until they go to live with their forever family.

Or you just substitute the word foster with look after...so you will be looking after rabbits until they get owners.

Chev123 · 27/03/2015 11:13

Could you get an older rescue rabbit who is already a couple of years. Mine all lived about 5 years. I think it would be quite hard if they kept coming and going. They're not very hard to look after though. Easily done by a youngster! (With a bit of parental prompts!) xx

Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 11:24

Thanks tabulahrasa and Chev123.

Do either of you have rabbits?

I think we are inventing a new name for 'fostering' of rabbits!

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Chev123 · 27/03/2015 11:36

I did have up until a couple of years ago. First when I was about 10 then through uni days and up to a few years ago. The uni one was very well trained, more of a house rabbit. They're a bit like cats in their varying personalities. Some love a cuddle, some hate it!

tabulahrasa · 27/03/2015 11:41

I babysit a friend's rabbits...they're great wee things, harder work than I'd have thought though, and need a lot more space than they're traditionally kept in.

But they do have very strong personalities and are great fun, not always cuddly, but you can do things like clicker train them to do tricks.

Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 16:17

Thanks again Chev123 and tabulahrasa and anyone else who reads this, any thoughts, please?

We saw the rabbits today and talked about fostering. I do feel for my dd it is a good way forward. She is very focused on animals and wants to run a rescue centre when she is older! So looking after pets and then letting them go is essential!

I think I just have to keep explaining to my son that it is different with pets!

An example would be my dd said "If we really like one we can keep it." I said no, if it is right to keep one we may do so but it's not about if we like it! Because ds was loved dearly by the lady who fostered him but adopting him was not right for her or fer family or for ds. More complicated with people!

DS likes kittens so may get a cat and that would be a pet for whole family who does not move on!

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tabulahrasa · 27/03/2015 17:39

Again not with an adopted DC, but just fostering animals in general...(I know a couple of people that have done it)

DC often get attached to fostered pets and want to keep them, so the emphasis is on getting the pets a home other than yours , because if they stay at your home, there isn't room for new ones so while the rabbit you have is ok, you can't then take the next one who isn't.

mytartanscarf · 27/03/2015 18:18

Italian, why not just buy a couple of bunnies for DD if you're worried about fostering being an issue? Yes, they may live eight years but in all likelihood they won't and they are very no trouble pets!

Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 20:21

Thanks mytartanscarf have you got rabbits?

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mytartanscarf · 27/03/2015 22:58

I had four, as a teenager - Watership Down is still one of my favourite books! They were called Juliet, Rosalind, Ophelia and Miranda. I was going through a Shakespeare stage Blush

Rescue centres are FULL of bunnies needing new homes. If you get a couple of adult females (bucks tend to fight Hmm) you'll be doing them a huge favour and your DD will love them. In my experience, males of the family tend to moan and groan about furry creatures until the day you come in to find them cuddled up together! Grin

I can't have rabbits now as I live on a boat but as soon as I move back into my house I will have more. I love rabbits so much!

Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 23:11

mytartanscarf thank you.

I can't believe four were that easy!

I really feel fostering of rabbits will be doing my bit, (for animals) and giving my dd the chance to care for a variety of rabbits. She is a massive animal fan and wants to run a rescue centre one day, so she does need to learn to let them go.

The idea is a cat will be our constant family pet and rabbits will come and go as we are needed.

I am afraid the thought of having them for the next 8 years really does fill me with dread and the idea of being 'stuck' with them is not a good feeling. It does seem unwise to make a commitment to two bunnies if I am not able to, and as DD is only 10 it would be that commitment for me rather than her. I guess I feel to take two and end up needing to rehome them would make me unhelpful but if I were actually providing a service to the local rescue centre I feel better about it.

My son really is not that keen on animals but I know he liked stroking them today.

We shall see.

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serin · 27/03/2015 23:20

You could say you are "sheltering" them, or "rescuing" them until permanent homes can be found.

Italiangreyhound · 27/03/2015 23:22

Oh I do like that, rescue, shelter.... my son said care and share and love!

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