taking care of rabbits while dealing with mental health

[Out of this world bunnies]

I haven't been active here in years. Hi, I'm back now. This is gonna be kind of a sad post so I'm sorry in advance (TW: depression)
So I love my rabbits so so so much and they know this, but I, unfortunately, suffer from pretty severe depression and ADHD. It's sometimes hard to get out of bed and take care of myself, let alone the two rabbits I own. Which doesn't feel great. It's not like I want to struggle to clean cages or get water but it just happens and it makes me feel awful. I've considered rehoming because I truly want only the best for my babies but I just love them so much that I can't stand the thought of never seeing them again.
Does anyone PLEASE anyone have any tips to help me? I don't know how anyone could but I feel so awful about this and I just want my bunnies and me to be happy again.

 

[Space Monkey]

I struggle with crippling depression at times. What gets me motivated to care for my rabbit on time, every time, without fail, is reminding myself how unfair it would be to her to give her any less. Sometimes I don't want to do her box every 2 days, but how would it be fair to her to make her live next to her own foul waste and to step all over in it just to pee? Sometimes I don't feel like making a salad every day, but how would it be fair to her to fail to meet her dietary needs? And then when I see how happy she is to have a fresh box or how happy she is to get a salad, it brightens my day. I know it's easier said than done, but the doing is also easy: just get up.

 

[Hermelin]

I’ve been struggling with depression for many years and what I use as a motivations to get up are my bunnies. I always make sure to fill their food, give them cuddles and water. Because they depend on me and I don’t want to drag them down.

The first thing I do when waking up are to take care of my bunnies and last thing I do before going to sleep are checking if my bunnies need something. I can neglect myself but that would never happen to my bunnies because they mean the world to me. I’ve just created a routine I can easily follow. Even though it can take a few hrs to get up from the bed, when I do it the first one to be taken care of are the bunnies.

So try to make a routine that you can easily follow. My partner who have ADHD have routines which make things easier for him to handle his day. If we skip his routine everything will be chaos. At least I hope you manage to find what works for you and your bunnies. I’ve told myself if I get so bad I no longer can take care of my bunnies, I will rehome them but even when I mostly slept through the days and barely ate for a few months. My bunnies was still taken care of and my boy Odin always stayed close during my worse periods. He would cuddle up and give me kisses as a way to comfort. Now when I’m at a manageable level of depression where I’m staying a float, my boy only cuddles with me occasionally.

So I understand how crippling depression can be. I hope you will feel better soon.

 

[Out of this world bunnies]

I’ve been struggling with depression for many years and what I use as a motivations to get up are my bunnies. I always make sure to fill their food, give them cuddles and water. Because they depend on me and I don’t want to drag them down.

The first thing I do when waking up are to take care of my bunnies and last thing I do before going to sleep are checking if my bunnies need something. I can neglect myself but that would never happen to my bunnies because they mean the world to me. I’ve just created a routine I can easily follow. Even though it can take a few hrs to get up from the bed, when I do it the first one to be taken care of are the bunnies.

So try to make a routine that you can easily follow. My partner who have ADHD have routines which make things easier for him to handle his day. If we skip his routine everything will be chaos. At least I hope you manage to find what works for you and your bunnies. I’ve told myself if I get so bad I no longer can take care of my bunnies, I will rehome them but even when I mostly slept through the days and barely ate for a few months. My bunnies was still taken care of and my boy Odin always stayed close during my worse periods. He would cuddle up and give me kisses as a way to comfort. Now when I’m at a manageable level of depression where I’m staying a float, my boy only cuddles with me occasionally.

So I understand how crippling depression can be. I hope you will feel better soon.

thank you so much. i will keep that all in mind

 

[gmajane]

I also struggle with depression and my Yorkie and my granddaughters rabbit help me a lot. My granddaughter does the feeding of the rabbit and there is a grate over the litter pan, so I don't have to change it daily. If I am depressed, the smell will get me motivated.....LOL! If you can make yourself do their basic care, you should keep the bunnies.

 

[Emmi]

I haven't been active here in years. Hi, I'm back now. This is gonna be kind of a sad post so I'm sorry in advance (TW: depression)
So I love my rabbits so so so much and they know this, but I, unfortunately, suffer from pretty severe depression and ADHD. It's sometimes hard to get out of bed and take care of myself, let alone the two rabbits I own. Which doesn't feel great. It's not like I want to struggle to clean cages or get water but it just happens and it makes me feel awful. I've considered rehoming because I truly want only the best for my babies but I just love them so much that I can't stand the thought of never seeing them again.
Does anyone PLEASE anyone have any tips to help me? I don't know how anyone could but I feel so awful about this and I just want my bunnies and me to be happy again.

Hi, just want to say I’m here if you need to talk. Just send me a message. My buns can tell when I’m depressed, they will run up and lay be me. They just seem to know.

 

[TammyP]

"Does anyone PLEASE anyone have any tips to help me? I don't know how anyone could..."

First of all, you should be proud of yourself for reaching out. There are many who suffer in silence!

I too have severe depression much like you describe. Last year, I got my bunny on March 19th. She was 4 weeks old. (I had no idea that was too young for her to leave her mom.) My husband didn't want a rabbit, but he fell in love instantly! I was sick (Crohns) at the time and my son bought her to cheer me up. A week later my father died. Then a week after he passed, my mother died. I was so crippled with grief, I could barely function. A lot of other things happened that year that made last year, the worst year of my life. But that little bunny was the one thing that kept me going. We have a very special bond. Yes, there were days I didn't feel like cleaning her box or taking care of her, but she depended on me, so I forced myself to get up and do it. One day you are going to look back at this time and see how those bunnies saved you, so keep on keeping on my friend...and know you are not alone! A big bunny hug to you!

 

[skipidragon]

I haven't been active here in years. Hi, I'm back now. This is gonna be kind of a sad post so I'm sorry in advance (TW: depression)
So I love my rabbits so so so much and they know this, but I, unfortunately, suffer from pretty severe depression and ADHD. It's sometimes hard to get out of bed and take care of myself, let alone the two rabbits I own. Which doesn't feel great. It's not like I want to struggle to clean cages or get water but it just happens and it makes me feel awful. I've considered rehoming because I truly want only the best for my babies but I just love them so much that I can't stand the thought of never seeing them again.
Does anyone PLEASE anyone have any tips to help me? I don't know how anyone could but I feel so awful about this and I just want my bunnies and me to be happy again.

Can you get an income support person? Mine helps with my bun. Sometimes she's the only reason I get up. Ask your medical person for a referral.