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Free range house bunnies?

What sort of house bunny do you have?

  • Caged when unsupervised or in a bunny room?

    Votes: 45 84.9%
  • Free range 24/7?

    Votes: 8 15.1%

  • Total voters
    53

Stralachlan

Warren Scout
My two boys Hazel & Acorn are currently garden bunnies but I normally let them in the house in the evenings. Over the fireworks weekend I kept them in all night, and they seemed quite happy and werent (too) destructive. Now the evenings are dark it also gives me more time with them. But if I was to keep them in over the winter I dont really want to restrict them to a dog crate as they currently have a large hutch&run combo so it feels unfair. I know some people have free range house rabbits, but how many people do, and what is the downside?

If I do move them in, I could probably foster a pair til the spring.
 
Mine have all lived free range in the house before with no problems :D Scarlett was the only one who annoyed me but she was in my room and spent all night climbing on me :lol:

As long as the house is bunny proof it shouldnt be a problem :D Mine have all been free range in the whole house when someone is home, but at night they were restricted to just one room because I have a cat :D Usually the living room, they had a bit of vetbed in the corner with their litter tray and hay anf toys. And the rest of the room for them to do whatever they want :lol:
 
I didn't vote cos I think they should be either free range 24/7 or have the run of a bunny room. If they're used to the space it would be pretty restrictive for them to belocked in a cage for a majority of their time. I have two free range house bunnies and the downside is I have to follow Shayla round with a hoover cos she poops everywhere and Max eats any cables I forget to put high up :rolleyes:
 
Great thread! Have just been debating this with OH!! At the mo, mine are in their crate when unsupervised, the rest of the time they are limited to the lounge, they are too naughty and this isn't our house! They may be free range when we move soon, but this thread will prob help decide that! :D
 
Thanks for the replies so far. To add a bit more info, my downstairs is totally open plan - kitchen, lounge and dining room. I've already bunny proofed so I can let them in in the evenings which means its me who sits in a crate around my computer desk, and I've fenced off the TV/stereo area with a hole cut for the TV screen!! The floorings all laminate so cleaning up if they do have an accident is easy.

I suppose what I'm concerned about is destruction of my sofa, or trying to climb something and getting hurt. I could use the fireguard (currently around my computer desk) to block them into the dining room/kitchen end which limits their options. They have a litter tray & hay in the dining room already.

I fell asleep on the sofa last night watching TV and was woken up at 1am by both of them jumping on me, so they may have some uses being free range :lol:
 
Alvin has a crate with a pen attached.... hes out well over 16 hrs a day because i work days and the fella works evenings so Alvin dont get put to bed until 4am!!... id like him free range but hes a toddler/teen and very norty so he cant be trusted yet....lol
 
mine we free range until last week when the cut off the phone and internet and ate holes in the sofa all in the same day. :shock: :shock: They now have a dog cage when i am at work and have a run to attach arriving any time now.
 
My two boys Hazel & Acorn are currently garden bunnies but I normally let them in the house in the evenings. Over the fireworks weekend I kept them in all night, and they seemed quite happy and werent (too) destructive. Now the evenings are dark it also gives me more time with them. But if I was to keep them in over the winter I dont really want to restrict them to a dog crate as they currently have a large hutch&run combo so it feels unfair. I know some people have free range house rabbits, but how many people do, and what is the downside?

If I do move them in, I could probably foster a pair til the spring.

I think it depends on the rabbits. Wobbles was free range and din't do anything bad apart from 2 wees on the sofa - sounds like yours would be fine. Or you could get a run to attach to the dog cage like lots of people have as per pics on this thread:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=107447
 
I'd love to be able to leave Piper free range 24/7 but I wouldn't have any carpet or baseboards left if i did... :shock: She has a dog crate and a sectioned off space in her bunny room at night and when I'm at work. Then when I get home I let her out free range so long as I can watch her at least a little bit. If I'm cooking or doing something where I can't keep an eye on her I only let her out in her bunny room. I'm hoping she'll calm down a little as she gets older, but who knows... :rolleyes:
 
2 of mine are free range in my bedroom all the time, most they time it works out fine for us, but I really wouldn't recomend it to many people. Mine jump all over me at 5 am thinking it breakfast time, and they chew the carpet and they make mess most days, it hard work, but when they do stuff they shouldn't I laugh!
 
Amber has free range of the flat 24/7! She jumps over me when I am asleep, gets on to the sofa etc. I do have a baby gate which I only use while im vacuuming the other rooms as she gets scared of the noise so feels safe in her bedroom complete with king size bed! She does what she wants when she wants to! Never chewed any wires and is fully litter trained. Perfect bunny girl!!! x x x x x
 
our giant bunny lola has free range of the downstairs of our house when we are in and she stays in the kitchen over night as i would just worry constantly about wires etc (even tho they are boarded off i would be paranoid) - she has chewed the tassles on our sofa but i wanted a new one anyway/:lol: she is litter trained and has a little comfy house and toys put out on a night to keep her busy. she has a run around the garden for an hour or so with constant supervision.
 
Bobbin has free range of downstairs all evening, if I have to pop upstairs I just make sure he's in his room with the door shut, I have visions of going back down to find him having destroyed the entire bottom floor, where as his room is completely safe and I know he can't get into trouble.

Ideally I would love him to have complete free range and just be confined to his room at night, but at the moment the house isn't suitable for this, hopefully in a new home this will happen.
 
mine have a bunny room with hard floor and no cables & free range of most of downstairs & upstairs hallway in the evening if they want. Ideal I would like to let them be free range but as a rented house we cannot completely bunny prrof and they are very fond of eating carpet. Also sooty has started weeing when excitited so I don't really want a 4:00 am where's my breakfast mum shower.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. To add a bit more info, my downstairs is totally open plan - kitchen, lounge and dining room. I've already bunny proofed so I can let them in in the evenings which means its me who sits in a crate around my computer desk, and I've fenced off the TV/stereo area with a hole cut for the TV screen!! The floorings all laminate so cleaning up if they do have an accident is easy.

I suppose what I'm concerned about is destruction of my sofa, or trying to climb something and getting hurt. I could use the fireguard (currently around my computer desk) to block them into the dining room/kitchen end which limits their options. They have a litter tray & hay in the dining room already.

I fell asleep on the sofa last night watching TV and was woken up at 1am by both of them jumping on me, so they may have some uses being free range :lol:


Our solution:
IMGP1485.jpg

IMGP1457.jpg


Just to visualise how it looks like. We don't have open space, but not enough room, so during the day and at night they spend their time in there. When I am home, they get free run of the appartment.
I have the house bunnyprofed, but mine tend to pee on the couch and more impotantly destroy everything that comes in their way. This is what they did with our kitchen windows, when we were on a holiday and I didn't want te leave them only the hall, but added the kitchen:

IMGP1671-1.jpg


So no running around unsupervised for my builders :lol:

But with those fences you get lots of possibilities ,even if you have an open plan.
 
Lily used to be free range before we got carpet but she chewed a bit hole in a brand new carpet (before we knew she had a tasting for it :lol:

Now we have a lamintated hallway and she lives there when we're a t work and when we're home she's free range and loves it.

I cant imagine her being in a hutch I think sh'e'd do nutty! she's so spoilt!:lol:
 
Amber has free range of the flat 24/7! She jumps over me when I am asleep, gets on to the sofa etc. I do have a baby gate which I only use while im vacuuming the other rooms as she gets scared of the noise so feels safe in her bedroom complete with king size bed! She does what she wants when she wants to! Never chewed any wires and is fully litter trained. Perfect bunny girl!!! x x x x x

wow she doesnt chew?
Ive got a friend whose bunny sleeps on her bed at night- i dont know how she does it!
If i let lily sleep on the bed i'd wkae up with no hair ekk:lol:
 
Mine are in a dog crate, with run till about 2pm, the my O/H gets home and they have run of the flat. Weekends there out all day! When we move to a bigger place (we only have one bedroom flat) they are getting there own bunny room. As people have said before, wish i could leave them free range but i wouldn't have any carpet/sofa/wallpaper or skirting boards left!
 
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