Decisin to be made. HELP please

My OH and I are supposed to make a decision. I'll try to explain as much as I can the situation. We have spent hours and hours thinking and discussing about it and we are very worried about the decision.
I hope ARC members don't mind I post this thread and I hope they give us their opinion as well.
Our firs rabbit is Fanta, a fawn minilop. We thought she was a disaster as a house rabbit (but now we know she's not). We kept her for one year in our kitchen/living room in a nero 3 cage (I've been told of already because it's small, please don't do it again). From october she was free range 24/7, using her cage as her refuge but with the door open.
We decide to giver her a boyfriend and we adopt George from ARC the 7th of december. We knew already he was a difficult boy, growling and biting a bit but we weren't worried about that. We were worried about their relationship and how good he could be as a housebunny, even if George was littertrained.
ARC, very kindly, organized the bonding.
From the first day George was quite nice with Fanta and not horrible with us, but awfully destructive. He's a very very active lad who is able to destroy furniture in few seconds. He wees and poes all over the place and when he gets excited about food, etc, he starts biting Fanta (maybe this is normal but we are worried about her)
The situation now is the following: After a month and a half we can not keep Fanta free range anymore. We keep then closed in the cage and we try to let them run in the garden in the afternoon under supervision. It's really cold and we dont know how bad it can be for them (as well for us..., after five minutes we are desperate!).
Options:
-Keeping them both inside closed in a small cage (no chances of upgrading due to small apartment)
-Keeping them both outside in a hutch, loosing contact with Fanta. I dont know how much time you spend with your outsiders but I dont think I can spend a lot with this cold.
- Keeping George outside and Fanta inside. Then, going back to the initial problem of having a lonely rabbit, now we would have to lonely rabbits. We dont know if we can keep then together part of the day or if they would fight if they dont spend all the day together.
- Sending back George. My other half doesnt mind but I dont want to because I feel we are failing him. Apart fromt he fact that he is like terminator I love him. But maybe if he goes back he can find a better home.

Please dont think we are irresponsible because as I told you before we have spent a lot of time worrying about the situation.
Any advice???
Thanks in advance

Could you maybe try attaching a pen to the inside cage? Then they could have their area and you could make it very rabbit proof (like lino on the floor, which is easy to clean) but also gives them space.

I don't think keeping them both in that cage is appropriate, but I can definitely see your dilemma.

We tried doing that but they were very dirty on the pen side and the kitchen/living room is all the space available in the house so it takes so much space. Buying a bigger cage is not possible for the same reason.

I feel so sorry for you - I know you have been struggling with this for some time.
Don't feel you have failed George by sending him back - you have given him longer than most people would have. The only reason I can see not to send him back is if Fanta loves him (despite him biting her) It would be unkind to break a good bond, but if they are indifferent then she would have a far better life with someone else - and having her freedom back.
Only you can make this decision, I'm afraid, and I'm sure you'll get lots of different opinions posted, just to confuse you even more!
We (ARC) certainly won't blame you x

What about a shed outside with an attached run,you can then spend time with them in the shed like i do with my lot

What a horrible situation to be in.

have you phoned ARC for help? they maybe able to give you some advice

I would agree with sky-o could you not put up a run of some sort, I know some people keep their rabbits in the bathroom. I have mine in the hallway, you could run some sort of panels around the perimetre of a small room.

Could you seperate at feeding time, if that is when he is getting too excited.

Do they get seperate run time?

I think you need to go with your heart and do what you truly think is in the best interests of both bunnies.

If ARC were to have him back, would there be a possibility of looking for a different bun for her?

I dont think we are ready to go through all this again...

confusedman said:

-Keeping them both inside closed in a small cage (no chances of upgrading due to small apartment)
-Keeping them both outside in a hutch, loosing contact with Fanta. I dont know how much time you spend with your outsiders but I dont think I can spend a lot with this cold.
- Keeping George outside and Fanta inside. Then, going back to the initial problem of having a lonely rabbit, now we would have to lonely rabbits. We dont know if we can keep then together part of the day or if they would fight if they dont spend all the day together.
- Sending back George. My other half doesnt mind but I dont want to because I feel we are failing him. Apart fromt he fact that he is like terminator I love him. But maybe if he goes back he can find a better home.

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It's a tricky one...to be honest I would straight away rule out 1) and 3) as it's not fair to keep bunnies permanently in a small cage, and it's also not fair to keep a lone rabbit outside - with the best will in the world you will only be able to spend between a few minutes and a couple of hours each day with him, leaving him alone for 22+ hours a day. At least a lone indoor bun will have various comings and goings and be able to interact when you are doing other things around and about.

So that leaves options 2 and 4. I think you need to balance up whether Fanta actually prefers your company, or his company, and how much company you can offer her. For example, if you work all day and can only spend a few hours each evening with her, then she too would be alone for 15+ hours each day. Would she mourn the loss of a constant friend if you went for this option?

Or if you put them outside (you'd still need to wait a while longer as they won't have thick winter coats at the moment) then would Fanta really miss your company, or does she prefer his?

If Fanta is a typical bunny, happy with her companion and enjoying spending time with him, I would be inclined to go with option 2. My buns are all outdoors in pairs and I spend virtually no time with them. They have each other and are very happy with that. I enjoy watching them and knowing that they are happy and enjoying their lives.

But if Fanta is more of a 'people' bunny and is tolerating rather than loving George, and you can give lots of time to her as a housebunny, I would go with option 4. You could always give a bonding another go later in the year once things have settled down if you feel able. It sounds as if you've had a tricky one...they don't all work out like that, honest!

I don't envy you trying to work out what it's best to do!

is George neuter?

Happy Hopping said:

is George neuter?

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Yes, ARC neuter all their bunnies.

Yes, both of them

Honestly, based on everything you've said, I think the best option may be to return him. In your position I'm not sure I could go through with that but it is a very difficult situation.

Would it be realistic for him to get a new partner and live outside, and Fanta to stay in and possibly get a more suitable partner at some stage? obviously you'd then have 3/4 bunnies to care for and pay for, which wasn't what you set out to achieve I know.

I hope you can come to the right decision for you and for these two x

As Im Spanish and this house is not mine I dont know whether would be fine for us to keep for rabbits.

What a tough decision you have to make. As Donna has said only you can make the decision and at least you have kept in touch with ARC about the problems so it won't come as a blow to them if you do decide to hand George back. George may not like living inside and this is why he is so destructive he could well be a different bunny being outside (not on his own though). If both buns seem to have a strong bond then it may mean putting them both outside but you have to do what you think is right for the buns and yourselves
I really hope you can make this really hard decision and really feel for you as I would hate to be in this situation:?
Good luck

kayj said:

What a tough decision you have to make. As Donna has said only you can make the decision and at least you have kept in touch with ARC about the problems so it won't come as a blow to them if you do decide to hand George back. George may not like living inside and this is why he is so destructive he could well be a different bunny being outside (not on his own though). If both buns seem to have a strong bond then it may mean putting them both outside but you have to do what you think is right for the buns and yourselves
I really hope you can make this really hard decision and really feel for you as I would hate to be in this situation:?
Good luck

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I think this is very true - perhaps George doesn't like living indoors - when he was outside he was very clean and not at all destructive. We wouldn't want him moved out alone and would either have him back here or find him a new partner to live with outside at yours (I like this idea!). You know Fanta best and you would have to decide whether she would like a new friend - I personally think she is alone too long not to have one. You need to think of her and not be put off by this experience x