Bunny Obsession

[careleaversdoomorfate]

Hello everyone.

I hope that you will all be a lit bit easy on me after this post as I don't my opinions but nothing abusive please.

So, I'm 19 years old and I currently have three rabbits. One was a gift six years ago. The other two I had rescued and I've had them both for just under six months. However, I'm wanting more bunnies again. Idk what it is about them that I love so much, maybe because they are so smart, different personalities and very affectionate, idk. Some of my friends have told me that although I look after my pets properly they are worried because for years I used to severely hoard. I used to hoard so bad that I physically could only access a small part of my room at one stage. With therapy this is luckily no longer the case at all. So, they are worried that I may be trying to do the same thing with pets. I mean their living conditions are perfect (I hoover twice a day, I clean their 6ft wide and 6ft hutched weekly (three a week atm) and they get a lot of attention but AIBU to be wanting another two? I can afford them although rabbits aren't cheap at £60 a month (pet insurance is part of the cost) per rabbit but if I'm being honest as much as I love rabbits. I know that I do this because I lost many people whom I loved dearly to suicide and it leaves a hole that can never be filled. I even lost a parent to suicide as well. So, idk if I'm just crazy but I'd never let my pets suffer and I would like to stop at 7 pets which would be £420 a month.

Your friends clearly care about you very much which is great. Do you still have access to therapy? It may be worth talking this through. And how will you fund £420 a month, do you work?

@Aquicknamechange2019 Hello. No. They stopped it unfortunately due to funding and yes I am able to fund it of my own back. It is a lot of money but I do love those pets. Ofcourse I did it slowly. I wouldn't get another pet if I felt like I was struggling at all but I just feel ready for a fourth one.

@Handsoffisback Hello. No. I don't keep them locked up in their hutches which are massive 24/7. They are only in them when I'm cooking, cleaning, showering or when I'm out, as soon as I'm home they are out and running around or just following me around the house as I try carefully not to accidentally tried on them. They are very social and friendly. One shares my bedroom with me. Two have the tiniest room in the house and as for the others that I would like then they would be in different parts of the house but never outside as I don't like rabbits being in hutches outside. In fact, a rabbit who has been domesticated should never be put in the wild. Wild rabbits, fair enough but never domesticated rabbits as they will be easy prey and die of starvation and thirst as they expect you to give them food.

@Handsoffisback If you would really like to know then yes I do put them inside their hutches when I'm out or not able to have them out if I'm cooking etc but a lot of the time they go back into their hutches by themselves. Their hutches were all done DIY style. When I said 'buy' I didn't mean go to the pet store and get one although my first one was done that way as I was a child. When you rescue or adopt you have to pay a fee, so in essence you are buying the rabbit or rabbits. I rescue. I would love to adopt in the next couple of years but yes, I wouldn't feel guilty about buying without adopting or rescuing if I saw a rare rabbit that I liked such as a rare cross as I'd love to give a rabbit a beautiful start to life and although my two rescues are adorably sweet, due to having had 4 homes by the age of 6 months old they are very detached from me. They are just starting to let me kiss them and sometimes cuddle them. Whereas my first has never had these issues because she was loved and spoilt right from the beginning. So, rescued rabbits and adopted rabbits are a blessing but bought rabbits as babies are great to. All of my rabbits are spayed and neutered and I am going to be looking at adopting or rescuing 4+ year olds in a years time but for now I would like another baby. I'm able to enjoy the baby stage but after two years I will have to have bonded adult rabbits rather than babies as the babies demand a lot of time and attention and they aren't in hutches until they are 9 months old. They are let out for 70% of the day and at night apart from the doe in my room, the bucks hutch is opened so that they can go in and out as they please at night but not the doe as my room has my stuff in it which she loves to chew as well as her endless chew toys.

Don’t get any more. You will gave less time to devote to the ones you have, you risk stepping on them more, or one being ill and having to pay vet bills.( I know they’re insured, but you’d still have excess to pay) or of getting one that doesn’t get on with the others, so you’d have to keep separate groups.

I think some of the comments have been harsh. You said you rescued your latest two rabbits do not sure how you are feeding into the breeder and pet business

It sounds like you love your rabbits and they free roam the house much of the time?

I have three at the moment and I understand wanting more as it's so exciting to bring a new pet home but personally I feel I have my hands full with three. It is harder to give them attention and space, the more you have, plus they expense is high. What would you do if you has a touch month or were out of work? You would struggle to feed and insure them.

I think you should be happy with the bunnies you have. Some bunnies like human contact more than others but they will become more comfortable around you the longer you have them.

@Handsoffisback Thank you for your comment although I am an amazing pet owner as many people have told me including the vets. I would love to share some news with you. I'm having my third next week who btw will be well loved and cared for. Yes, I'm buying him and I dont suppose I will get your blessings or well wishes.

@Swiftnicola Hey. I don't think that I'd step on them but thanks for your concern. I can manage excess fees as I have a large sum saved up. So, don't worry. I've had to pay for 1.5k of surgery with no issue for one of the bunnies before.

Your third? Don't you mean your fourth? You need to stop now.

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion Yes. Sorry. I wrote the wrong number. I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon no matter what mumsnet says. As long as they are all happy, well-fed, loved, taken care of at the vets properly (i go once a month) then all is well. I'm a good bunny mum and Idc what others think in regards to my finances or skills.

That’s fine, but don’t get annoyed with the other posters -they were just answering your AIBU. If you were so sure then you really didn’t need to ask the question.

Why bother asking then? You must have plenty of disposable income for a 29 year old!

Sorry, 19!

My initial comment was relatively supportive OP but you've shown yourself up a bit with the attitude tbh

When you've had a long and hard day and you can't think properly, so you make a couple of typos. It doesn't mean that you are lying. Yes. I do have a lot of disposable income and how that is the case is nobody's business. I understand that many of you who are on minimum wage jobs could never afford this but not everyone else is from the same background as you guys. Anyway, I'm getting another one but I won't be expecting any blessings from any of you guys at all as I'm sure that I'll be cursed more than anything. I won't be stopping until I've got 7/10 pets and as long as I'm funding it with a bit of help from some relatives then I couldn't care less what all of you guys think. This will be my last comment on here and I won't be looking at any responses. So, feel free to all comment and respond to each other. I accept that therapy may be needed as I do agree that I'm filling a void in my life after going through so many traumatic events but as long as my pets are safe, happy and healthy etc and they are at the vets frequently enough then that's all that matters. It's easy for people who can't see their living conditions to sit and judge but if there were any problems I'm sure someone in my personal life would have said something about them by now. The issue my friends have with me is that they feel that I need therapy over many reasons but part of it is that they feel that these bunnies are just filling some emotional void of mine (they are, I love them but I'm always looking for unconditional love due to being orphaned as a little girl, it sticks with you) and they are worried that I am potentially using these animals as a hoarding situation. I see their concern but I'd never hoard pets and I have worked through getting rid of so much of my stuff that was painful to get rid of due to the sentimentalness of them all but for the recovery I had to do that.

@BunnyLovesBananas Hello

I'm sorry that I've come across that way. I have a lot going on right now. Sometimes I can't even think straight. It's slightly about the excitement of a new one to. I won't lie. Financially I'm fine. As for if anything went bad I do have a lot of savings and I do have extra help in case of that. I wouldn't want more than 7 at the most tbh (not just yet) 7 by 1.5 years. I can give them enough attention. I may sound naive but I've worked with animals before and I actually grew up in a home with 18 pets (not bio parents without going into too much) and 14 people. I went from that to being on my own (my own place) and I lose a lot of people at once due to my mental health and sometimes their mental health. I think that's what caused me to lose it really and to give up on reality a lil bit and ppl whilst I just focused on pets. I find waking up everyday painful but because I have the pets I have motivation if I didn't have them as they all came into my life at special times and their have names with special meanings then believe me I wouldn't be here today. Animals make me happy and I see them as my babies and my only family. Whereas adults have let me down my entire life and I just associate people with conditional love, pain and using me and then discarding me. I accept I have a problem and I want to work on it but the waiting list is so long ie 1 year to 1.5 years. I could afford therapy at £50 a week per session but I'd much rather focus that money on pets or saving it for them in case of a rainy day.

The more you get, the less love and attention you can give them, no matter what you think.

So stick to your 4 (2 x pairs) and spend your time and money making their lives as happy and loved as possible.
Spend your time looking up rabbit enrichment ideas and making their home fun to play in, teach them tricks etc.

@RunningFromInsanity

Hello

I think that I'm going to get this other one and then I'm going to speak to my GP about going on the waiting list. I will always take care of them as I love them dearly but your right, maybe I can give them everything but I may slightly lack in attention giving if I have more. I will take your advice on board xxx

OP seek help if you need it. That should be your priority.

I do understand. My pets fill in a gap too after I lost my child but you need to look after yourself and while getting a new pet is lovely, wanting another and then another doesn't necessarily help you in the long term x