• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Old rabbit with hutch issues

Bindi

Warren Scout
(note: the rabbits have an outdoor shed and run, but at the moment they are indoors in two double decker hutches joined together- it's this that I have the issue with currently).

Bandit is nearly 8 years old now and isn't as agile and flexible as she used to be. She's had some traction issues recently (slipping on the wood), can't turn as well on the spot (so gets stuck in smaller spaces) and is having a bit of trouble going down her ramp with any kind of elegance. Anyway, today I heard this racket and turned around to find her upside down on the ramp, flapping about like a fish, and had to jump in and rescue her. I'm aware that the hutches are no longer adequate for her current needs but I'm not sure what to do about it. If I get a single, not only will it cost a bomb but it would restrict the area she and Oren have and be too small to house both of them... When Sealy was alive, he had problems with the ramp in his hutch (they were separate prior to Bandit's bond with Oren) and to stop him nosediving down it I put a block of wood along the side so he had to go down the ramp directly rather than trying to jump on sideways, if you know what I mean. That worked. I might try to do that with Bandit's old hutch, which has no safety railing yet, and hope that helps stop her falling down or else trying to tackle the ramp at an angle she can no longer cope with. But then I noticed she has turning issues with the other adaptation because she can't easily turn in the space between the door and the wood block (she can do it, just not elegantly) but if she learns to go in the bedroom at the end, turn around and come back out, I'd still rather she have to learn that than to fall down the ramp. And then the traction issues... I'm not sure how to tackle that unless I somehow carve grooves in the wood to help her, but the wood is pretty thin... And what about the future? She could live years yet and the vets say they won't treat her for arthritis yet because the negatives (affecting the thingies in the gut etc) outweigh her need at the moment. What about when it gets worse? I'm not sure what to do.
 
Hi, Hmm, sounds like she needs a bungalow like the one my Mum has moved into :)

I know its hard to know what to do when space is an issue, I guess you can only make it as safe as possible for her until she really cant do it any more I hope you find a way.
 
I don't really have much to suggest i'm afraid, although I have an idea for more traction on the ramp. I wouldn't carve grooves into it because it would effect its strength, but you could put some wire mesh over it. My neighbour was having problems with her guinea pigs sliding down their ramp so I gave them a bit of mesh I had lying around and they find it much easier to climb up and down now. You'd need to be careful about sharp edges though. Maybe put a strip of wood down each side to cover the edges over. Might be worth a try. :)
 
The only thing I can think of is putting thin battons on the ramp, width ways so they are like little steps. You can get the batton pretty cheap at DIY shops. Think they call it dowling. I did it for my old rabbit and he seemed fine with this. Hope I Helped xxx
 
Sorry, I think I confused people. The ramp does have slats on it, she's not slipping on that, she just runs down it like a sack of potatoes. It's the top level floor that she's slipping on :)

I'm going to put the wood railing in when I get a chance to and I'm looking around DIY shops for anything that looks useful for the traction on the top floors. She has fallen over a few times (yesterdays incident was the worst yet, that's why I'm giving it proper consideration) but it's not too frequent at the moment so I think I can make adjustments to help her and have the new hutch on a slightly more long term plan.

Thanks all :)
 
Traction issue

I bought a rat hammock, I think it was called, from my local Wyevale Pet Section though they are available at most pet shops. It's like loads of willow sticks side by side and fixed together. I bought two and tied them together using twine. They have proved invaluable in preventing slipping down the ramp. Also they could be trimmed a bit if need be. Only about £1.99 each. Hope this helps.:wave:
 
Susie, I think I know what you mean and maybe I could do that, although I'm not sure at the moment how I'd go about fixing it to the floor. Will look into that. :)
 
Hutch

Hi there Steve here from Run-Rabbit-Runs we can help you out with a new hutch for your rabbit at a low price to help you let me know if you are interested many thanks from steve.
 
Back
Top