I really hate my mom right now.

[CookieNCream]

okay, so i came home tonight, looking forward tocleaning cookie/cream's cage. we had not touched the cage for a littleless than a week, as to not give them too much stress. also, i had readfrom somewhere that it should be cleaned every week.

since my mom gave me this thing to work on (for her purposes), i saidquickly that 'mom, i'm gonna clean the cage and then goupstairs to work on it'. and she started screaming at me abouthow the cage made the whole house smell in the morning, blah blah blah.

then even when i was cleaning it she said stuff about how she shouldn't have bought the rabbits!

the only reason she bought them was because she knows i'm crazy foranimals and they were cheap. they were ten dollars each! i paidfor everything else (about $150 so far) with the money i EARNED. andwhat? shouldn't have bought them?

im upstairs right now, not watching the movie we rented so that i couldwork on her stuff. i just had to come here to say that im really,really angry. :*( she wasn't as unsupportive when i had dogs and stuff,but that was when i wasn't seriously helping her work/ in academics.

seriously, she has no idea how hard i try to show that rabbits are NOTtaking all of my time. i could only mumble about spay/neuter, and forhay i could only say a word or two. i'm just so....ugh!!!!!!

at least you guys here understand me. she has no idea what they mean tome. she's acting as if she's willing to throw them out if she thinksthey are taking my time.

i

 

[JadeIcing]

Oh man. Vent here all you need. No snapping atmom. Than she isless likely tohelp. Maybe take abreak from mentioning things for a few days. I had to bite my tongue atime or two with my mom too. Which I guess I shouldn't be saying sincemy mom just joined. :shock:

Once you have what you need, things will be alittle easier. We are all here to help you as much as we can.

Alicia and the zoo crew

 

[Spring]

I really feel so bad for you.

You are so special. You really care deeply about these guys, andeveryone here can tell you love them both so much. You are trying to dowhat's best for them too, and it's just so nice to hear about someoneso responsible as you. I just don't understand why you're moms reactingthis way.

Hopefully your mom will ease up a bit and maybe even start to like the rabbits as much as you do. Everything will work out.

Feel free to vent any time you like. Everyone needs to let off some steam once and awhile.

:hug2:You are doing such a great job!

 

[TinysMom]

Hi! First of all, could your mom be feelingeither left out or maybe just frustrated about other thingsand taking it out on this?

If you can buy a bottle of vanilla extract (imitation works too) - justbut a bit in their water bottle - that will cut down on the urinesmell. Also...maybe try to clean out the cage a bit more often orswitch to something like Woody Pet or Equine Fresh (pelleted wood chipstuff) might help.

You know - you mom might have bought them for you not realizing thatthere would be an odor - or that you couldn't breed them (maybe shethought you could breed them and make some money off them)?

I'm not trying to take your mom's side here....but it can be toughsometimes to be a mom to a teenager. You want to see them independentand making some of their own decisions...and yet...its hard becausesometimes they need you to do something (like run them to the store)and it isn't convenient for you...or it feels like they're nagging (myson was great about this).

Here are my suggestions - as a mom...

a. Make sure to hug your mom and thank her for letting youget the rabbits and even for suggesting them. (Find a GOOD time to dothis).

b. Make sure your schoolwork gets done before playing with bunnies.

c. Make sure your household chores get done beforeplaying with bunnies. (b & c are the things moms are mostlikely to see as reasons to complain)

d. Maybe clean their cage a bit more often...if you can.

e. This is going to sound strange...but maybe even pick upanother chore - something you can do around your mom and just happen totalk about the bunnies -maybe "neat" things you're learning - not somuch to "educate' her - but to share...like "Did you know when theyjump like that - its a binky!" and "Did you know when a rabbit is madat you...it gives you the butt?" and share stuff like this.

Some ideas are - maybe help with putting away dishes or just keep momcompany while she's cooking....but make it a fun thing - like you wanther to share in the FUN things you're learning about the rabbits.

While you're angry at your mom - please understand something. Shedoesn't understand much of what you're learning. She came from adifferent culture and has a different mindset. So she needs you to bepatient with her and continue to act loving with her even if you wantto strangle her (my kids had to do that with me at times).

Finally - give your mom kudos for the fact that if it hadn't of beenfor her....you wouldn't have those adorable bunnies....so really -while things may not be the best right now....it is because of her thatyou do have them.

We're hear for you - feel free to vent at us....ok? It may take time to win your mom over - but we know you can do it!

Peg

 

[CookieNCream]

thank you all so much!

although i am not bragging or anything, i am considered quiteresponsible, etc. i do a lot of work at my parents' workplace, likeanswering phones, tutoring, designing stuff, etc. i know that sheappreciates it, but sometimes it feels as if she forgets about all ofthat stuff.

 

[pamnock]

I don't think there's any way around the factthat rabbits can really smell. Try putting a little litterbox in one corner for easier cleaning. Newspaper under thewoodchips will absorb urine and make clean-up easier (as long as thebunns aren't digging it up).

And most importantly - start cleaning the cage daily. Once aweek isn't enough for an indoor rabbit. You can use a littledeoderizer spray in the rabbit area (spray first - then put the rabbitsback in the room - don't spray over the rabbits).

I would also start saving for a neuter surgery in case one of the bunnsis a buck and one is a doe. The buck's neuter will be thecheaper option for preventing pregnancy.

I think you're doing an excellent job with your new babies! Keep up the good work!

Pam

 

[JimD]

Hi,

First off, I'd like to tell you that your sense of responsibility ismuch admired by me and several other members. Not just asbunnie-huggers, but as peers and parents.
You're doing a great job, so don't give up now.....or ever for that matter.

You've already gotten GREAT advice from the others.

I take care of the 8 housebuns at our place.
I know how much extra work they can be. Especially when you add everything else you have to do.
By doing a few things you may be able to make this job a bit easier.

IMO...the #1 (and easiest) thing to complain about is bunnie aroma.(Personally it doesn't bother me unless it's overdue for attention.)
If you walk into our home you can't tell I've got eight bunnies just down the hall.

What kind of cages do you have....wire bottom or solid?
Mine are wire bottom with drop pans underneath.

Are you litter training them?
If so...what kind of litter do you use?
I highly recommend a wood pellet litter to help control odor.

Do you use bedding in the cages? What kind?

We clean our cages every week....sometimes two. But all of our buns arelitter trained. The cages stay pretty clean and only need tidying up.It's mostly loose hay and fur...oh, and a few poops .
I use a vacuum,a couple of times a week, to clean up the loose fur and errant debris around and in the cages.
Wedon't use bedding because the cages have wire bottoms. The buns have blankies, boxes, and boards to rest on.
I use a wood pellet litter (Woody Pet) in the litter pans....all 8 of them.
Litter pans are cleaned every other day.
Using a 50/50 mix of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle worksreally well to deodorize and sanitize pans, bowls, cages, &just about everything. The vinegar smell will go away if you rinsethroughly. ...however....
I also follow up with a good washing with Dawn dishsoap and another through rinsing.

Hang in there....you've got a lot of people pulling for you!

~Jim

 

[Michaela]

When I first got a rabbit, my mum was a bit likethat too. I think she regretted allowing me. But she gradually came tolove bunnies as much as me, she wouldn't be without now! She isalmost as upset as I am that we lost Berri.

Though now we're having a bit of an argument about what kind to getnext- she wants a big lop and I want 2 smaller ones (lionhead or nethie)

Anyway, I hope your mum comes around like mine did! I would definitelyclean it out more, I would hate to think what my girls litter traywould smell like if left for a week!:shock:

And I know how easy it is to get into big fights with your mum when your a teenager

 

[CookieNCream]

Thanks to all that replied!

I do not think the bunnies smell at all; if you clean the cage, you can smell NOTHING from the buns themselves.

I'm using this white bedding instead of wood shavings because they areyoung, and as for the cage, I took out the mending because a Petsmartguy told us that little babies' feet might get stuck there.

I'm not "litter" training them; for poop they poop everywhere, but forpeeing they always go to a corner. (And there's more poop there) We puta small circular plate thing there, and it seems to be working prettywell.

If I see brownish pee there, does that mean poop+urine mix, or can it mean anything bad?

The rabbits refused to come out of the box I made for them today. Iactually thought Cream was dead when I saw his feet sticking out:shock:I desperately took out the little cereal-looking thingfrom the pellets and managed to get him out. But after finishing it hewent back in, and Cookie, who doesn't really like that treat, stayedin.

I bet that Cream's feet won't get stuck, but I'm just a bit worriedabout Cookie. After Cookie grows a little I will put back the mending,and it will be a lot easier for clean up. =)

 

[Starina]

Bunnies have weird colored pee, so don't panic.

If you want to save yourself some trouble, buy a corner litterbox andput it in their pee spot. The poos are not really smelly, and then youcan change the litterbox more often. That will get rid of the bunny peesmell. Just put some of the soiled bedding in the litterbox to givethem a hint about what to do in it.

Good Luck. Don't let your mom get you down.



~Star~

 

[Aina]

Being a teenager with parents who don't reallylike my animals, I can say I know how you feel. We can ranttogether, heheh.

My rabbit Sky is in my small room that doesn't have enough cerculationto begin with and it got pretty smelly in there before I started doingsome things.
As the others have said, get a little box where the pee isand change that often because then you don't have to change the rest ofthe stuff as much. Sky is not really litter trained rightnow, but she goes pee the same place every single time and it reallyhelps with the smell to have a litter box. Get a wood pellet litter. Ican not tell you how much of a diference it made in the smell. I hadsome other stuff it it, but that did not work nearly as well as thepine litter. I still have to pick up poops, but the pee wasthe big smelly issue. I can say that viniger works well,though it does make things smell like a salad.

 

[katt]

has your mom spent anytime with them?

my dad hated the idea of rabbits in the house (this was back when i hadmy first rabbit, trixie), but my mom loved them! we had a kiddy poopwith bedding in it down in our living room. . .it was for trixie toplay in while i was down there. . .my dad would first walk by,pretending to not even notice trix, then he would stop and pet trixieonce in a while, and before long i would walk in to him giving her afull body rub. . .with trixie on her back in complete love with him. . .

he still isn't head over heals in love with house rabbits, but he deals with them. . .

i might suggest walking around with one of the buns, then come up withan excuse so that you need to pass the rabbit off to your mom. . .lether hold one of them for a little bit (say you have to run to thebathroom for a second)

sometimes people just need to see that rabbits are similar to dogs andcats and that they are worth the time and money. . . and no better waythen holding a cute little baby. . .

good luck, and keep trying. . .