Fostering bunny - torn about adopting her myself

[pinupchick]

Hi everyone, I could use some objective advice on this situation. My own bunny Ula died in the summer due to old age and many separate but interrelated issues that started to manifest in her elderbun years.

After a good chunk of time mourning her, we decided to foster a bunny through a local rescue. We now have in our care a young, active, super friendly bunny who seems to enjoy it here for the most part (she binkies often) and we quite enjoy having her around too. But she seems bored. I've given her a ton of toys (balls, wood chews, paper towel rolls, hay cubes, you name it) tunnels, new areas in the house to explore (she's housed in an x-pen at night and then let out for most of the day into a larger area) but she is still destructive and chews the carpet and just seems like she wants more.

Someone applied to adopt her, and it would be in hopes of bonding her to their own rabbit. I've said early on since fostering her that she'd benefit from having a constant companion to play and snuggle with (she's a snuggler - will flop in front of me for belly rubs). So this is an ideal situation. But I'm having a hard time dealing with the thought of letting her go. I can't have a second rabbit in my home, so if I adopt her myself, it will just be human friends.

Any advice on this? It's hard for me to be objective because I'm so close to her and the situation. I know in my heart a friend would be better, but I'd also like to be that friend.

Thanks.

 

[Watermelons]

Sounds like the person who applied to adopt has what she could need.

 

[Ivythelionhead]

There's a good chance that the bonding might not go well and she could end up back with you in the end anyway. So maybe for The sake of the rabbit you should let the women try bonding her with her own rabbit and then if it doesn't work out you could adopt her yourself, I know it's a lot of maybes but you never know.

 

[pinupchick]

The bonding process is done through the rescue and if it doesn't go well, she will end up back with me and I would just adopt her.

There is also another bun at the rescue in the running and basically whichever girl bun works out with the potential adopter's boy bun would go home with that family.

So I'm being selfish to not even give her a chance to find bun-love, right?

 

[stevesmum]

Don't you think this might happen to you with every rabbit you volunteer to foster in your home? It's why I could never do it; I'd want to keep them all. So my objective advice is to decide if you're looking to adopt a rabbit or help pets have temporary homes on their way to a forever home. if you're going to be a foster home then you'll have to harden your heart a little. Good luck, they're all special in their own way.

 

[RavenousDragon]

I am a foster failure myself, but just know that if you give her up for adoption, you have done her a WORLD of good (as you would if you adopted her). I would say since she is your first (I'm assuming), I would give her up and continue to foster for a while! After a time, often people know which animals they simply MUST keep, and those which need to go to a different home.

(Granted, I'm the worst to ask this advice, as I'm literally snuggling with one of my foster failure cats as I type this. And I still cry the night before I have to give up any foster- cuz I'm a sap).

 

[pinupchick]

She is my first foster bunny, after having adopted Ula and having her for 8 years. I was open to adopting or fostering, although my financial position right now is precarious and fostering was attractive because all expenses are covered. I feel like my ability to let go would depend on the rabbit...this bun reminds me a lot of Ula and has a lot of her personality traits, without all the sass and aggression. So I find her very endearing. But Ula wasn't so needy and demanding and that's my concern. This bun is less than a year and requires constant attention and entertaining otherwise she gets agitated and destructive. It seems logical to me that having a friend would make her less destructive and bored, but I've also never had bonded rabbits and don't know if that's actually true. I think fostering might have not been the greatest idea after losing Ula since I'd be saying goodbye two times in a row and have an empty house each time, even though the foster would be going to a good home. I also sincerely want to do what's best for this bun because that's what fosters and good animal stewards are supposed to do. I don't know if being bonded is better for her than simply staying with me permanently. I'm so torn.

 

[Ivythelionhead]

It's defiantly I hard decision to make, but the fact that you are having such trouble with this means your trying to do what's best for bunny, I also had a bunny I was fostering and I ended up adopting her myself. You'll make the right decision.

 

[katiecrna]

But if you are fostering because of Financial situations, then it might be best for you to let someone adopt her. Especially because she is so young and like you said your already considering her needing a bun-friend... that can get costly.
Do what you think is best for the bun