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Just a query on rabbits being left alone.

B

BlackAngel

New Kit
Hi all.

I was just wondering if I could pick your knowlegable brains about something that's going on on another forum concerning a rabbit being left alone.

There's someone who has to go away for 3 nights. She's just moved and the only way to get to her garden where the rabbit is is through the house and she doesn't feel comfortable giving her neighbours the keys as she doesn't know them.

She wanted to know if it would be ok to leave the rabbit for that amount of time.

Someone else said that, although obviously it wasn't ideal, it would be ok, as long as the rabbit was in a shady spot and plenty of food and hay, some carrots etc. She recommended getting a second water bottle as well.

Now this person is being flamed quite badly and someone's said that leaving a rabbit for more than one day is 'causing uneccessary suffering'.
That sounded a little bit over the top to me, but I don't keep rabbits, so I don't really know who's right.

Obviously leaving any animal alone for long periods of time is not something anyone would do in a perfect world, but would it actually be 'cruel' ?

Could one of you kind people answer this query for me?

Please don't flame me, I'm not directly involved in this, I just wanted to get the expert's opinion on who's right and who's wrong!
 
Personally I'd rather get someone to check on mine (more in case of illness than anything) but if they were left them with an absolutely huge pile of hay and plenty of water I think they'd be ok - I certainly don't imagine most would miss the human company.
She's probably being flamed because they are other options like a house sitter or boarding, it's not like there's nothing she can do other than leave them.

edit: I'm no expert though.
 
Its hard to say without knowing what her set up is, how much space the bun has etc.

Personally i would never leave my buns for more than a day. Im going away for 4 nights tommorrow and have a friend feeding them, cleaning them out etc everyday. I would be worried primarily about the bun running out of hay or water. If she leaves it lots of pellets and veg theres every chance the bun will just eat the whole lot within a day and make itself poorly. The other thing of course iz that if bun did become ill, it wouldnt beae to get prompt treatment.

Id advise against leaving it for that long to be honest. On top of everything else the poor thing will be extremely bored and lonely :(

I wonder if she has a friend within a reasonable distance that can look after it?if all else fails she could even take the bun to a trusted friend or family members home for the 3 days.

Hope that hekps :wave:
 
Hi there.

I would never, ever advocate anyone leaving their rabbits alone for that length of time. A rabbit, as we know can deteriorate very quickly indeed and often for no visable reason. A rabbit who does not eat for 8-12 hours is considered to be in full gut stasis and the situation should be considered serious - therefore leaving a rabbit unattended for more than a night away or a day at work is not acceptable in my opinion. The rabbit could die within 24 hours if it becomes ill and treatment is not sought promptly - so three days - no brainer.
 
I would be worried about possible fly strike and wouldn't leave my buns for that long. I worry if I just leave them overnight - when if I was in I'd be asleep anyway!!!

One of my Bridge buns, Daisy, had flystrike. I checked her before I went to work and two hours later when I got back to do an animal check she had it!! It was horrifying how quickly it came. I did what I could, rushed her to the vet and she was fine, but if she had been left longer the outcome could have been very different.

I know people have to work - and I do sometimes have to leave my buns for a whole day when I really can't pop home - but three nights without someone checking on a bun is too long in my opinion.
 
Ah! Ok, thank you for your replies :)

I've heard of 'fly strike' but had no idea it could happen that quickly; and I had no idea about 'gut stasis'; rabbits are delicate little things, aren't they? I always thought they were tough, hardy creatures :oops:

I've decided against making a post on the subject over there; it's all got a bit heated, but I will PM the lady and tell her what you've all advised.

Thank you all again for your prompt and expert replies, it's very much appreciated!
 
The Duchess said:
Hi there.

I would never, ever advocate anyone leaving their rabbits alone for that length of time. A rabbit, as we know can deteriorate very quickly indeed and often for no visable reason. A rabbit who does not eat for 8-12 hours is considered to be in full gut stasis and the situation should be considered serious - therefore leaving a rabbit unattended for more than a night away or a day at work is not acceptable in my opinion. The rabbit could die within 24 hours if it becomes ill and treatment is not sought promptly - so three days - no brainer.
Click to expand...

As a stasis bun owner I would never dare leave my buns for that long - if one went into stasis not long after she went it could easily be dead by the time she gets back. Thats before even thinking about predators in the garden freak weather events etc
 
BlackAngel said:
Ah! Ok, thank you for your replies :)

I've heard of 'fly strike' but had no idea it could happen that quickly; and I had no idea about 'gut stasis'; rabbits are delicate little things, aren't they? I always thought they were tough, hardy creatures :oops:

I've decided against making a post on the subject over there; it's all got a bit heated, but I will PM the lady and tell her what you've all advised.

Thank you all again for your prompt and expert replies, it's very much appreciated!
Click to expand...

I think the problem is the perception of rabbits as pets and the reality of how vulnerable they can be/how fast they can deterioriate.

I don't blame you for not wanting to get into an online fight! Thanks for caring enough to find out the situation and advise her. :)
 
The Duchess said:
Hi there.

I would never, ever advocate anyone leaving their rabbits alone for that length of time. A rabbit, as we know can deteriorate very quickly indeed and often for no visable reason. A rabbit who does not eat for 8-12 hours is considered to be in full gut stasis and the situation should be considered serious - therefore leaving a rabbit unattended for more than a night away or a day at work is not acceptable in my opinion. The rabbit could die within 24 hours if it becomes ill and treatment is not sought promptly - so three days - no brainer.
Click to expand...

^ That there!

Given how quickly rabbits deteriorate when they get ill there's no way I'd leave one for that amount of time. If there's no one available that she trusts to look after it then she needs to look for a pet sitter. The ones I know are normally quite happy to visit folk's houses and feed/clean animals there.
 
SarahP said:
I think the problem is the perception of rabbits as pets and the reality of how vulnerable they can be/how fast they can deterioriate.

I don't blame you for not wanting to get into an online fight! Thanks for caring enough to find out the situation and advise her. :)
Click to expand...

Yes, I had no idea how vulnerable they were to these things, as I have no interest in keeping rabbits myself :oops: (no, offence meant; they're lovely creatures, just not for me; I have an ex-racing greyhound anyway; I don't think that would be a good combination ;) )

I don't need thanking; I might not keep rabbits, but I'd hate to think of one being distressed or ill-treated.

I can't see myself needing to post here again, so thanks again for all your information; I shall ensure it's passed on :)

:wave:
 
I have gone to work with perfectly healthy buns & come home to dead ones before now, so I sometimes think they can't even cope with people with full-time jobs:roll:

If I am going to miss a shift - I arrange for my bunsitter to call in. I wouldn't trust a stranger either - but unless you know the rabbit, you might not spot telltale signs of illness anyway.

If she checks her local vets, they may be able to recommend an animal boarder or petsitter:D
 
A family member of mine is on hols for 3 days, and I'm going in to see to his housebuns 2/3 times a day - and I'm STILL constantly worrying if they're ok.
 
Buns are hardy if free-fed, mine have been in the past and i have left them with fresh water bottles for a night or two on the rare occassion in the past when i've been stuck somewhere and haven't been able to get back.

It's unlikely the bunny would die, but that would be given it had sufficient bedding, food, water-i.e 3 large bottles.

Bottled water lasts for 3 days so i would say out in cold weather it would be just about okay. In hot weather i always get someone to come check on the buns as the water is not fresh after it has been out in the sun.

I personally would have someone check in on the buns daily to check on waters. My buns have been fine with alot of pellets ( on a feeder) and plenty of hay-however i'd say that now i have changed the diet to a lower pellet diet, it could cause stasis to do something like this. I have definately noticed my buns are more sensitive since feeding them less.

Then of course there is the prospect of something terrible happening, which is just odds and can happen to anyone and much less likely - and to be honest alot of the time it wouldn't matter if you were there or not there, the outcome would be very much the same.

So of course it will depend on the bunny, there are alot of factors to consider really. It wouldn't be advised. Perhaps two days at most you could get away with, like a cat that was left on a waterer and with food. 3 days would be pushing it really. This is mainly in terms of water, because rabbits can cope without food, but they can die in 24 hours without water.

If it's a friend i'd advice them to get someone to check in on the bunny.
Hope that helps :) xx
 
Ambience said:
Buns are hardy if free-fed, mine have been in the past and i have left them with fresh water bottles for a night or two on the rare occassion in the past when i've been stuck somewhere and haven't been able to get back.

It's unlikely the bunny would die, but that would be given it had sufficient bedding, food, water-i.e 3 large bottles.

Bottled water lasts for 3 days so i would say out in cold weather it would be just about okay. In hot weather i always get someone to come check on the buns as the water is not fresh after it has been out in the sun.

I personally would have someone check in on the buns daily to check on waters. My buns have been fine with alot of pellets ( on a feeder) and plenty of hay-however i'd say that now i have changed the diet to a lower pellet diet, it could cause stasis to do something like this. I have definately noticed my buns are more sensitive since feeding them less.

Then of course there is the prospect of something terrible happening, which is just odds and can happen to anyone and much less likely - and to be honest alot of the time it wouldn't matter if you were there or not there, the outcome would be very much the same.

So of course it will depend on the bunny, there are alot of factors to consider really. It wouldn't be advised. Perhaps two days at most you could get away with, like a cat that was left on a waterer and with food. 3 days would be pushing it really. This is mainly in terms of water, because rabbits can cope without food, but they can die in 24 hours without water.

If it's a friend i'd advice them to get someone to check in on the bunny.
Hope that helps :) xx
Click to expand...

Sorry totally disagree with this.

I would suggest that the above is poor advice. No rabbits should be left for anything longer than a working day at most. Rabbits can die if they go into stasis within hours, or at the very least become very ill.

As for the "rabbits can cope without food" - Ambience where on earth did you get that from? Rabbits must be able to eat on demand as their gut moves constantly. When they don't eat for a length of time the gut is affected and stasis can result.

Rabbits go into stasis for no reason at all often and even healthy bunnies can go down hill very quickly indeed if for any reason they don't eat.

Leaving a rabbit for a couple of days as you suggest is madness IMO and this worries me that you think it's acceptable.
 
Ambience said:
Then of course there is the prospect of something terrible happening, which is just odds and can happen to anyone and much less likely - and to be honest alot of the time it wouldn't matter if you were there or not there, the outcome would be very much the same.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree more! If a bun goes into stasis for whatever reason, catching it after 8 hours means that the bun stands a very good chance of survival. Catching it after 24 hours much less so, and after 48 hours you probably find a body. Of course hopefully they won't get ill, but if they do, the time they are alone has a significant impact on the likelihood of their survival.

Plus of course a bun left unattended for any length of time is going to be residing in an ever increasing pile of its own excrement. The size of its accommodation will have a bearing on how far it can get away from it, but that amount of bunny poo in one place for that long is going to attract flies and make the risk of flystrike much higher. Even if the outcome would be very much the same, I would rather find an animal with flystrike and be able to have it humanely put to sleep if that is the right course of action, rather than risk it suffering by being eaten alive over the course of the next couple of days.

If this is what you truly believe and if this is the sort of advice you are planning on giving out to people, then I would urge you not to start a rescue and to concentrate on the fundraising side for others instead :?
 
The Duchess said:
Sorry totally disagree with this.

I would suggest that the above is poor advice. No rabbits should be left for anything longer than a working day at most. Rabbits can die if they go into stasis within hours, or at the very least become very ill.

As for the "rabbits can cope without food" - Ambience where on earth did you get that from? Rabbits must be able to eat on demand as their gut moves constantly. When they don't eat for a length of time the gut is affected and stasis can result.

Rabbits go into stasis for no reason at all often and even healthy bunnies can go down hill very quickly indeed if for any reason they don't eat.

Leaving a rabbit for a couple of days as you suggest is madness IMO and this worries me that you think it's acceptable.
Click to expand...

I agree absolutely!
 
The Duchess said:
Sorry totally disagree with this.

I would suggest that the above is poor advice. No rabbits should be left for anything longer than a working day at most. Rabbits can die if they go into stasis within hours, or at the very least become very ill.

As for the "rabbits can cope without food" - Ambience where on earth did you get that from? Rabbits must be able to eat on demand as their gut moves constantly. When they don't eat for a length of time the gut is affected and stasis can result.

Rabbits go into stasis for no reason at all often and even healthy bunnies can go down hill very quickly indeed if for any reason they don't eat.

Leaving a rabbit for a couple of days as you suggest is madness IMO and this worries me that you think it's acceptable.
Click to expand...

Sorry yes, cope without food was the wrong thing to say there- i meant cope without pellets.

I have left my buns on a feeder in the past. They used to be on them all the time, as they were free-fed pellets.

I wouldn't suggest leaving a bun for a couple of days now, but i have done it myself in the past and my buns have lived to tell the tale.

Personally i recommend getting someone in to check the bunny atleast once daily- to give fresh water and feed.

Sorry if i've caused any confusion there- i'm actually writing about my past experience. I'm not saying it was neccesarily the right in the past and as things are now, i check on my buns 24/7 and would struggle leaving them a day . Perhaps a little obsessive.
 
The OP is no longer reading this thread, as they got the advice they came for, but I do just want to say that I'm really quite surprised by some of the things said on here. I wouldn't dream of leaving a small animal for longer than 24 hours. In fact, I've never left them for longer than 12 hours. As it was, I've come home to issues many times within those hours - a rabbit goes into stasis very fast and, as others have said, it's the time you take to act on it that can heavily influence the outcome.
 
I would agree wholeheartedly with Santa and TheDuchess.
We're going away from Saturday morning to Sunday night, and I'm having a pet sitter come on the Saturday evening and Sunday morning to check on the bunnies and to feed them.
A change in their routine can bring on stasis and if they do become ill they really need to be seen and treated straight away.
 
Santa said:
I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree more! If a bun goes into stasis for whatever reason, catching it after 8 hours means that the bun stands a very good chance of survival. Catching it after 24 hours much less so, and after 48 hours you probably find a body. Of course hopefully they won't get ill, but if they do, the time they are alone has a significant impact on the likelihood of their survival.

Plus of course a bun left unattended for any length of time is going to be residing in an ever increasing pile of its own excrement. The size of its accommodation will have a bearing on how far it can get away from it, but that amount of bunny poo in one place for that long is going to attract flies and make the risk of flystrike much higher. Even if the outcome would be very much the same, I would rather find an animal with flystrike and be able to have it humanely put to sleep if that is the right course of action, rather than risk it suffering by being eaten alive over the course of the next couple of days.

If this is what you truly believe and if this is the sort of advice you are planning on giving out to people, then I would urge you not to start a rescue and to concentrate on the fundraising side for others instead :?
Click to expand...

This is also a very good point.
 
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