Temporary (1 week or so) home for new bunny...

Hi Guys,

As you may or may not know, i am adopting Ginger from Starlights Rescue.

Once i bring her home, i'm going to need somewhere to keep her, close to but seperated from Biscuit and im thinking living room (i need to keep the space in my office free from bunnys as its the only neutral room left in my home, so need it for bonding!)

Here is an image of the living room as it is now with Biscuit in his 6x4x2.



How do i somehow get Ginger in there too? :? Sofa could be spun to face where the picture is being taken from, temporarily, so maybe a smallish pen there?

Awfully confused and gladly hoping that someone will come up with one of those cracking ideas you guys tend to have.

*gets ready with his 'Bringing Ginger Home' document to start copying / pasting*

I'll be getting a 3rd pen for them to run outside attached to existing one that i used outside, so hoping that can be used...

Thanks in advance from a crazy excited bunny guy!:wave:

How about the kitchen?

Also, when you have them together are they going to stay penned in the living room? Could you bunny proof the room and have them free range? Just thinking a bit more space for them and you!

It is only temporary so a smaller cage is fine. If you spun the couch around, then squished in a pen alongside Biscuits - couldn't you get anywhere from a 4x2 to a 6x2? Being next to each other will give them time to get to know each other. When I brought Noah home, I had to split Charlees pen in half - so each bun had a 2x3 section. Ridiculously small I know, but it was for 3 days and gave them a chance to really interact through the bars. Then I upgraded to the both of them in a 4x2 for bonding, once bonded we went to a 6x2.5 then finally they got free range of my room again.

Snowberry said:

How about the kitchen?

Also, when you have them together are they going to stay penned in the living room? Could you bunny proof the room and have them free range? Just thinking a bit more space for them and you!

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, our kitchen is about the size of a matchbox No space in there for me when im cooking, let alone a bunster

I do have a downstairs bathroom, which we very rarely use, could i perhaps use that? It's about 6ft x 3 ft but the problem is the door, and only has a tiny window, so would be quite dark

The longterm plan, is for the living room to be totally 100% bunny proofed, with pen panels protecting things that they shuoldnt be getting at, the 6x4 is literally for their own safety right now. I may work out a way to let them into the hall way and leave some rugs down, it's all kind of work in progress at the moment. I have ~ 2 months to plan for this, so plenty of time

Thanks though

pigsforlife said:

It is only temporary so a smaller cage is fine. If you spun the couch around, then squished in a pen alongside Biscuits - couldn't you get anywhere from a 4x2 to a 6x2? Being next to each other will give them time to get to know each other. When I brought Noah home, I had to split Charlees pen in half - so each bun had a 2x3 section. Ridiculously small I know, but it was for 3 days and gave them a chance to really interact through the bars. Then I upgraded to the both of them in a 4x2 for bonding, once bonded we went to a 6x2.5 then finally they got free range of my room again.

Click to expand...

That was kind of what i was thinking. It'd be a 6x2 in effect, the 2ft bit being in effect behind where the sofa is at the moment, leading up to the non-used fireplace, just out of picture on the far left behind the sofa.

Would a 4x2 or at a push 6x2 be alright for ~ 1 week or so? I know it doesnt meet the welfare regs, which im doing my best to sticking to, but my brains a bit messy!

GrahamL said:

Unfortunately, our kitchen is about the size of a matchbox No space in there for me when im cooking, let alone a bunster

I do have a downstairs bathroom, which we very rarely use, could i perhaps use that? It's about 6ft x 3 ft but the problem is the door, and only has a tiny window, so would be quite dark

The longterm plan, is for the living room to be totally 100% bunny proofed, with pen panels protecting things that they shuoldnt be getting at, the 6x4 is literally for their own safety right now. I may work out a way to let them into the hall way and leave some rugs down, it's all kind of work in progress at the moment. I have ~ 2 months to plan for this, so plenty of time

Thanks though

Click to expand...

I would use the bathroom but keep the light on. Apparently buns don't need natural light anyway as they get the vitamins from their food. I wouldnt do it long term but as a temporary measure it will be fine.

Is you hall way bunny proof? Would letting them free range in their when your out and then coming in the living room when you are in work? Bunnies dont need a penned area, as long as they have space and somewhere for their litter tray.

GrahamL said:

Unfortunately, our kitchen is about the size of a matchbox No space in there for me when im cooking, let alone a bunster

I do have a downstairs bathroom, which we very rarely use, could i perhaps use that? It's about 6ft x 3 ft but the problem is the door, and only has a tiny window, so would be quite dark

The longterm plan, is for the living room to be totally 100% bunny proofed, with pen panels protecting things that they shuoldnt be getting at, the 6x4 is literally for their own safety right now. I may work out a way to let them into the hall way and leave some rugs down, it's all kind of work in progress at the moment. I have ~ 2 months to plan for this, so plenty of time

Thanks though

Click to expand...

you could take the door off the bathroom temperaraly and put a stairgate in the doorway if the bun can fit though you could put abit of wire mesh or wood at the bottem so he/she cant get out

Snowberry said:

I would use the bathroom but keep the light on. Apparently buns don't need natural light anyway as they get the vitamins from their food. I wouldnt do it long term but as a temporary measure it will be fine.

Is you hall way bunny proof? Would letting them free range in their when your out and then coming in the living room when you are in work? Bunnies dont need a penned area, as long as they have space and somewhere for their litter tray.

Click to expand...

Actually, it is *fairly* if i shut the kitchen door and block the stairs somehow. Just have to put some rugs down to stop the slipping as its linoleum that looks like laminate!

GrahamL said:

Would a 4x2 or at a push 6x2 be alright for ~ 1 week or so? I know it doesnt meet the welfare regs, which im doing my best to sticking to, but my brains a bit messy!

Click to expand...

I dont see a problem with it. It is only temporary and really sort of part of the bonding process (in which smaller cages are used to force interaction).

When we were bonding Charlie and April we put a wire run against one wall attatched to her cage. As Charlire has free run of the front room it allowed him to sniff around her enclosed area and get a feel for another bun being there. He was very upset at first and threw a few hissy fits and tried to bite her through the bars, but after a week he got used to her being there. That's when we started the bonding (in the bathroom) and he just ignored her (which was a good sign seeing as at first he tried to attack her!)

Then we slowly let April out of the run for a few hours at a time... until we were completely comfortable with them being together

So in the picture you showed, putting the sofa in a different place and having their cages together seems a great idea (in my experience) they can get used to each others scent without being able to hurt each other... then when they;re comfortable, the bonding can begin !

Good luck !

I think I'd be tempted to pull the sofa forward and fit, say, a two foot wide pen behind that for her. If it's temporary, I don't see a problem with it being a little smaller.

If Biscuit and Ginger's bond goes anything like all of my male/female pairings then she'll only be in it for a day or two anyway

georgie_f said:

I think I'd be tempted to pull the sofa forward and fit, say, a two foot wide pen behind that for her. If it's temporary, I don't see a problem with it being a little smaller.

If Biscuit and Ginger's bond goes anything like all of my male/female pairings then she'll only be in it for a day or two anyway

Click to expand...

Georgie, now you've gone and tempted fate for me! :roll::lol:

I'm so scared, its untrue and i've still got ~6-7 weeks to wait for her to come here yet!

I did PM you to say thanks the other day, but not sure if you got it.

I'm gathering all the information i can so im hoping, well, more praying that it all goes well