Contingency Plans....What will you do if the worst happens?

Something I was pondering earlier today.

I really havn't had a lot of luck with my rabbits over the past three years, I have adopted or rescued 12 in that time and promptly lost half of them, some within just a few weeks of me taking them on. I have decided now that with the exception of fostering I am not going to take on anymore even though OH did give me his permission to adopt another one I was very taken with.

This means that I will have to juggle the bonds between my remaining six until such time as I only have 3 and will then take on another, so I have all these plans in my mind about who can be bonded with who if the worst happens to their partner! I just wondered if anyone else thinks this far ahead or if I am obsessing about no-bun ending up alone if at all possible?

I think the only rabbit I would be happy to have single again is Lexie for health reasons because she has deteriorated since being bonded.

We've been doing this lately as some of our buns had been single for a long time and we thought it was so unfair. Sadly though, it makes it more difficult for us to rehome them as not so many people are looking for a bonded pair, more for a partner for their own bun.

You're not obsessing, sounds to me like you have the buns best interests at heart.

We have to feed some of the bondeds separately for health reasons too, which is a bit time consuming but at least they have the company of another bun for the rest of the time. It's all very complicated but it works for us.

I have two pairs of rabbits.. but have become very ill over the last few months and they have become increasingly hard work... I am not saying I dont love them as much, or want to not have them... but I can see that as I get older and if I continue to be ill then the rabbits will have to naturally decline... I will not have any more I do not think and will savour the ones that I have now. If I end up with a bunny that is on their own I will bring him/her in.

I can understand where you're coming from. When Clover died in March, I never thought I'd had another 6 months with a lone bunny. Although she was inside and got loads of attention, it really wasn't the same for her and I used to feel so guilty about her being without a friend. Was probably worrying unnecessarily though.

Lynda wrote:

We have to feed some of the bondeds separately for health reasons too, which is a bit time consuming but at least they have the company of another bun for the rest of the time. It's all very complicated but it works for us.

This is what I have to do with Lexie, she has to have meals away from Mack and until recently they were fine spending time apart. He now goves her grief when I pop them back together but as he no longer has teeth it isn't too bad and stops quite quickly but I just feel she is enduring undue stress because of it. That's why I wouldn't rebond her, but the odds are very strongly in favour of Mack being the widower.

He is such a bossy character I have no idea who I would bond him up with after that, he is not a trio/group rabbit at all.

Its kind of like how I was getting real worried about ending up with a lone rat again Since Finn died it was just always on my mind that something would happen to Flip or Wyatt before I could make it to England again with my car, its why I brought my babies from a pet shop as soon as I found out they had some here Even though I know its wrong I still think I have done what I can for my boys to ensure they won't be left alone if the worst happens

I worry about the rabbits quite a lot, but I have two single buns now anyways. Im more concerned about what choices im going to make about these two than buns ending up alone. Im frightened to adopt another bun incase I can't bond them either, I can just about fit in time with the two single ones as it is there is no way I would have time for a third single bunny if it didn't work But then its like im just saying well they will have to just stay single which I really don't want

If anything was to happen to Trip or Scarlett I think I would attempt bonding the remaining bun with either Buu or Beau

I don't know about future buns, I think I would try to adopt a pair in future but you don't get that option very often at out rescue so you have to bond yourself which I obviously can't do very well

Ohh, Something really close to my heart at the moment. Unless you plan to keep bunnies forever, I dont think theres a real answer to it

oh I don't know what I would do if anything happened to one of my two, they fall out and have their tiffs but you always see them snuggling up together. I suppose I would try and bond another bun with who ever was left so they had the company. This is a hard one as I always said I would love a solo house bun (Big Bob) but now is that fair on him to be lumbered with me and my lot when he could be with another bun for company. I know I couldn't afford to keep him with a partner as I have Dixie and Lupin they are my babies. So what to do

I 'decided' earlier this year that I would have two pairs for as long as I was physically/financially capable of keeping that up. Every time one gets sick though I wonder how much I can put myself through emotionally, but, on a rational level if I lost one I know my priority would be to seek out a companion for the widowed bun. Having already lost 2 this year I really hope I don't have to use my 'plan' for some time to come.

I put in my original post having trouble over the past 3 years (the lenght of time I have kept rabbits as an adult) but actually, a year running 25 November to the 25 November is the period I have lost all 6 in. Two were just 10 days apart.

It's been an awful year.

I have to admit, I DO think in terms of these 'what ifs' sometimes, too. Atr the moment, I would probably try to bond a bereaved bun into another group instead of bringing another in.....though would probably do so if they would NOT bond into any of my existing groups.

The thing that I REALLY dwell on sometimes is how I will cope when Timmy's time is up. I don't think I have ever had a rabbit that I have loved so intensely or been as close to 24/7 as him. I dote on him to a ridiculous degree, and even THINKING about being without him makes my eyes tear up. Last year when he went into stasis I was at the vets with him every single day for over a week. I was almost bordering on hysteria every time I looked at him, and drove my OH to distraction with my constant crying, as there was nothing that he could do or say to make me feel any better. So that makes me REALLY worry about how I will cope when I lose him. I realise that you will all well and truly think that I am certifiable now.....but I can't help it!!!

I haven't planned to have any more than two buns at a time, as i dont really have the money. But if anything was to happen to one of them, i will try and bond them with another. Now they are used to having a friend, i'd hate them to be alone again

If I lost a bunny it would depend which one it was to if I would get another bun or not, I think Dumpling would be happy as a lone house bunny but I don't think any of the others would be, so would get them a friend.

Our contingency plan is more about if something happens to us. We have a wonderful friend who would care for them and rehome if necessary (bear in mind we have 10 buns and she has a similar number already). We have also made funds available for each bunny for medical bills. Our families have her contact details should they be needed and she has a key. Having made these arrangements both Neil and I feel confident that we have done all we can.

Whilst we are still alive and have buns we will always do what we believe is in the best interest of the bunny. This last year has been hard for us as we have had at least one bunny with an ongoing medical problem, on daily medication and frequent vets trips for over 12 months. We have lost 2 very special buns and the others are of course all getting older. I think we plan to reduce our numbers (as nature dictates, not by re-homing) rather than replacing any we lose. The exception would be if a bun was left alone and would not bond to an existing bun.

I have 2 French Lop bucks who are bonded - one is 17 months, the other is almost 6 years. They are totally inseperable, joined at the hip. I did not intend to bond them initially ( partly because of the age difference ), but they had other ideas when they met. It was literally love at first site With the age difference in mind I got a young doe to join them - thinking that when the time comes I wouldn't be left with a grieving, lone bun. However, Ella then decided that she prefered to live with Theo, so that was the end of that.

So, I am now back to square one again. There is no way I can bond Lucius in with any of my other groups in the future ..... they all hate him with a passion, even the does. Possibly its because he is gay Having 9 houserabbits already I really didn't want to increase numbers, but I think I will have to when Wiggy is no longer with us. I don't think Lucius would be happy as al one bun, not even with lots of attention from me.

I quickly read the title as continency plans Was going to say it's difficult to exercise when you're older!

We originally got Wolfgang for our first bunny, Holly, who died a year after we got her (she was over 4 when she arrived). Wolfgang really missed her and started to sleep in his hutch during the day which was very unusual and really sad. That was why we got Gloria. However, we made sure to get a bun who was a little older than him so we didn't keep leapfrogging ages. Don't know what we will do if one of them dies, as I can't have them inside as husband is allergic to animals. Spose will just have to deal with it when it happens.