advice wanted please.

hi all i've had bunny (original name i know) for about 6 weeks now.

She lives in a pen which is to small for her (4.5ftx2.5ft) but the plan was to let her have run of the kitchen whilst we're at work, but whilst she doesnt mind being in the kitchen when we come home she appears slightly freaked out, possibly as the door is closed and she cant see us come in only hear us.

whilst we are at home she has free range time in the hall, kitchen, living room and bathroom.

the only problem is she is eating the carpets, walls and doors, whilst also trying to dig up our slippers/socks and trousers. also if we forget to close the door she jumps in the piggy pen! steals there food and plays with she also seems to like the taste of my top as she tries to eat the zip. This morning she also started humping my leg!

i just wondered how i could get her to stop eating and digging and used to being in the kitchen.

getting her a friend isnt an option as i dont really have the room for 2 plus OH would kill me.

i think she is only young but will ask the vet this week when i get her jabs done. how old does she have to be before she can be spayed? (guessing that may sort out the humping)

she is so loving though and know's she is doing wrong as she will come up and sit on our laps and have fusses and groom my hair. although she does this anyway she's very affectionate loves cuddles and doesnt mind being picked up. at the moment she is sitting at my feet

sorry for the long post just wanted to know what people thought, is all of this normal bunny behaviour.

here she is if you wanted to see her

She's gorgeous!!

When we first got Lucky in Feb, he was a housebun and had free run of the house except when i was at work or at night times - he was then kept in a small hutch and it soo wasnt ideal - he was very destructive at times and i put it down to the fact that he was shut away in small accommodation. We moved him into the outhouse permanently in the spring and he is sooo much happier now. But, with it now being winter, we cant bring him in as the temp change is too drastic.

I think spaying can be done at about 3-4 months but i would certainly look into providing a bigger pen as a base - i really reckon that would help the destruction caused.

Oh - and a friend does help and needs no more room for 2 as it does for 1 (on the assumption you are providing adequate space in the first place).

Grin said:

She's gorgeous!!

When we first got Lucky in Feb, he was a housebun and had free run of the house except when i was at work or at night times - he was then kept in a small hutch and it soo wasnt ideal - he was very destructive at times and i put it down to the fact that he was shut away in small accommodation. We moved him into the outhouse permanently in the spring and he is sooo much happier now. But, with it now being winter, we cant bring him in as the temp change is too drastic.

I think spaying can be done at about 3-4 months but i would certainly look into providing a bigger pen as a base - i really reckon that would help the destruction caused.

Oh - and a friend does help and needs no more room for 2 as it does for 1 (on the assumption you are providing adequate space in the first place).

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I agree with Grin! Bunnies are much happier in pairs and it's really not any more work than having the one either.

When Inky was tiny, he lived in the house but I would say he is much happier living outside with Smokey (although he still misses the TV). If you have a secure garden and the space outside, it may be worth moving her outside in the spring and getting her a rabbit friend.

My lot regularly attack my trousers and have destroyed my garden shoes, I like to think that they think they're grooming me! In the meantime, my lot enjoy destroying cardboard boxes (and they tend to leave other stuff alone) or giving her a box with hay in and bits of carrot to find might help.

PS- she is very cute.

thank you she think's she is gorgeous to, dont have an outside i live in a 2 bedroom flat. i would love to get her a friend OH say's no mayb i should trade him!

she has boxes filed with shredded paper and paper bags and toys, and a yellow pages she loves to. she will try and eat anything.

lauralucy said:

thank you she think's she is gorgeous to, dont have an outside i live in a 2 bedroom flat. i would love to get her a friend OH say's no mayb i should trade him!

she has boxes filed with shredded paper and paper bags and toys, and a yellow pages she loves to. she will try and eat anything.

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I guess that could limit your options:lol:!

The other alternative could be to buy her a one/two story hutch, so that she has a space that is just hers to chill in. If I have to bring my lot in, I put them in a hutch because they seem to prefer it to the dog crate they had before. They seem much calmer because they can go into the bedroom and relax away from human eyes and munch hay.

just about the getting a friend thing - we recently lost daisy leaving our boy duke on his own. to start with he was ok - he realised he had all this space in the house to himself and that he was king! but as time went on (we were looking for a new friend for him straight away but it took a couple of months) he got notably lonely and bored. he was ok if he could come out to free range in the house but when we put him away at night he would tug at his cage and clearly be begging to come out.

he is in the early stages of bonding with libby but he has without question settled back down and is quite happy to be wherever we put him. it really doesnt require any more space to have 2 bunnies as opposed to 1 and it could really help you with what you are experiencing.

get working on that OH