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House bun questions - I'm new to this.

Jenova

Jenova

Wise Old Thumper
I've always had my rabbits outside all year round but the house we have now doesn't have a garden, only a yard, and also because Grimlock is quite ill I want to make him a house bunny. He's litter trained and spends about 12 - 14 hours a day in the house anyway, but if we go out or go to bed he's always put back in his hutch so we can lock up.

I'm probably going to get a 36" dog crate which will give him room to lie down as well as a litter tray and two bowls. I'll also put a shelf in there for a bit of extra room and fun. Now the question I have is can I leave the cage door open 24/7? Due to his abscess Grimlock no longer has any front teeth :)() which means I have no worries about bunny proofing, so can I just let him have free run of the house all the time as long as I make sure nothing's going to fall on him etc?

Ideally I'd like to have his cage in the bedroom, but that's where I keep the chinchillas and as they need low temperatures I have to keep the window open which is fairly low down. Therefore I always keep the bedroom door shut so my bun is safe. I'd like to keep him out at all times, and he would only be alone for a max of 5 hours a day or while we were asleep, but if not is 36" cage big enough?

Thanks :)
 
If there's nothing he can damage or that can harm him, why not leave him out? Is he litter trained? You might need to keep his space reduced at first (a folding indoor pen??) until you're sure he's using his litter tray reliably.
 
I have a toothless house bunny and he lives completly free range, he has a dog crate for his litter tray and bowls etc and so he has his own little area. Its the best - I love coming home and seeing him on the sofa! I think he sees the house as his giant run!
 
Awesome! I can't wait. I'm getting the dog crate soon so he can get used to it during the day and have his hutch at night, then it won't be so weird for him when he's in overnight.
 
my two are house buns and have almost free run.......they have a cage that has the litter tray, water and hay in (it helps to keep the mess from the hay down!) in my study and they are free in here 24/7. I close the door on them at night just in case....otherwise they have the run of the house and the garden. they love it! :love:
 
Jenova said:
I've always had my rabbits outside all year round but the house we have now doesn't have a garden, only a yard, and also because Grimlock is quite ill I want to make him a house bunny. He's litter trained and spends about 12 - 14 hours a day in the house anyway, but if we go out or go to bed he's always put back in his hutch so we can lock up.

I'm probably going to get a 36" dog crate which will give him room to lie down as well as a litter tray and two bowls. I'll also put a shelf in there for a bit of extra room and fun. Now the question I have is can I leave the cage door open 24/7? Due to his abscess Grimlock no longer has any front teeth :)() which means I have no worries about bunny proofing, so can I just let him have free run of the house all the time as long as I make sure nothing's going to fall on him etc?

Ideally I'd like to have his cage in the bedroom, but that's where I keep the chinchillas and as they need low temperatures I have to keep the window open which is fairly low down. Therefore I always keep the bedroom door shut so my bun is safe. I'd like to keep him out at all times, and he would only be alone for a max of 5 hours a day or while we were asleep, but if not is 36" cage big enough?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

I appreciate he can't chew cables....but you will still need to make sure that 'other bunny proofing' is taken care of before he has free run. This means all house plants, edibles, candles and bottles of cleaning fluid out of reach. I would also watch what you put in the bins in the rooms he has access to. Low windows can also be a risk of bunny jumping out/falling out.
 
Ginger and Spice were going to be housed in a des res shed..however I decided to keep them ad house buns because i would miss them if they were outside and their contact with the human world would be reduced especially in the winter or even when it rains as it does.. at times a lot..so now they live in the kitchen..at one end i have the base of their cage where i have put 2 litter trays..and then food and water is next to that on the floor..the idea trying to keep the mess at one end of the kitchen..still need to find a playpen or something to put them in so that I can wash the floor and do other un-bunny stuff etc etc. it seems to work although when i have done the decorating to the rest of the downstairs and the study is available, I might move them there so the kitchen will be bun free. Undecided about that for now.

They are great fun to have around and fascinating to sit with them and watch them do bun things...w:wave:ell worth the mess and extra cleaning jobs!!!!
 
prettylupin said:
I appreciate he can't chew cables....but you will still need to make sure that 'other bunny proofing' is taken care of before he has free run. This means all house plants, edibles, candles and bottles of cleaning fluid out of reach. I would also watch what you put in the bins in the rooms he has access to. Low windows can also be a risk of bunny jumping out/falling out.
Click to expand...

That's all taken care of anyway as he comes inside most days anyway. I feel like I have a toddler running around lol, but it's worth it. :love:

My only problem is the bedroom window which I need open for the chinchillas, but I make sure the door is closed and the window is closed when we leave the house.

Thanks for the advice.
 
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