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Neighbours complaining?

Guy

Warren Scout
Apologies, this is going to be a very long post for a new member! But I'd like to know how many of you have had complaints from neighbours due to our furry friends?

I have 10 rabbits living outdoors in spacious hutches; they always have lived outside and I've had some of them for a good few years. I live in a semi, and the hutches are positioned against the fence of the house nextdoor attached to ours. It's the only practical place that is shelted away from direct sunlight, wind and rain. My brother came round about an hour ago, and said that his mate who works repairing boilers etc did a job next door a while ago; and it came into conversation that they said they were moving because although they got along with us fine; they could smell our rabbits and couldnt even open their back door because of the smell! :censored:

The neighbours in question did recently move!

Now I realise I'm a newbie here, but I am not a newbie to rabbits and have kept them for close to ten years. They are bedded down on wood shavings and lots of nice, warm hay in the bed part of their hutches. Most of them use a litter tray to both pee and poop in; and the ones that don't do most of the mess in a corner (one of two don't have such habits and make mess everywhere lol). I clean the litter trays (and corners) every day, and completey strip the hutch once every 5-7 days on average. If they need doing sooner, they got done, simple as. I realise the importance of hygiene to avoid flystrike, and in the years I've been keeping rabbits I've never had one with a messy bum, and obviously never had a problem with flystrike.

So, I can't smell a thing unless I've got a litter tray in my face, lol. I guess I would be used to the smell, and non-pet people could smell things pet people couldnt (they did have a dog that lived outside however, poor thing). We live in rented accomodation; and I'm extremely nervous that people can smell the rabbits and might make a complaint. Our landlord is very good (obviously as we have the pets) but I don't want to push it.

To be totally honest this has really upset me and makes me think people are talking about is as if we're dirty! I don't know what more I can do. In summer I always wash the cages to get rid of any smell anyway so as not to attract flies but in the winter thats a bit hard as the cages wouldn't dry out in one day. The neighbour in question never mentioned a thing to us, infact in the summer just gone she bought a hutch and was on about getting a rabbit! (she didn't, as it happened). I know if I was bothered about a smell coming from next door, I'd let them know before moving house, seems a bit dramatic :roll: I have a garage and would have moved them into there had something been said. (Obviously no cars get parked in there).

Sorry this is such a long post, it's just really upset, angered, and to be totally honest embarrassed me. :censored: I guess I'm hoping a fellow rabbit keeper could share their stories? x
 
Some neighbours are just like that, will moan about anything but never say anything and then just move. I seriously doubt if they can smell anything since they're all outdoors. It might just be the smell of hay. I would try not to worry about it too much :)
 
How Horrible For You

I cannot imagine such a thing. We have 2 rabbits and 2 guinea-pigs in a similar wall-backed set-up. Smells are minimal an grass-based. Rats, ferrets and others are much pongier. Hens can be too, and certainly noisier. Your ex-neighbours must be hyper-sensitive. Talk to the new people - it is the only way to know what they are thinking. Good luck.
 
Thank god I have no neighbours! Well I do, but they don't exactly live close.

Sorry you are going through this :( I know when we have non-rabbit people over they say they can smell the rabbits, and think its a bad smell, but I know they are clean. I guess its just a hay smell, but I don't think that's a bad smell.
 
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Sorry you've been so upset by this when you are obviously doing everything you can to keep your rabbits clean and tidy. I can smell my two rabbits and am sensitive to the smell as I noticed the difference when I recently got a buck when I have previously only had does. However, like you I can only smell them when I am up close and fairly personal with their litter trays which I clean every day. My rabbits themselves certainly don't smell. Sorry I can't offer anymore support.:?
 
my OH's dad and my mum always say they can smell the rabbits :roll: when I said to my mum 'yeah but it's not their toilets' she said 'oh no it's just hay but it stinks'.

I'm sure if that was really the reason they were moving and they genuinely wanted to stay they would try complaining to you, your landlord or to the council so I'm sure there is nothing to worry about, that can't be the real reason they are moving :roll:

Welcome to the forum :wave: I am closing in on having 10 rabbits as well :oops: I've found Megazorb is better for absorbing smells and more healthy (wood shavings can create respiratory problems).
 
I use megazorb in my rabbits litter trays as I feel it is more absorbant than wood shavings and more pleasant for me and the rabbits to use.

I would not have thought your rabbits would smell as you keep them clean.

Are you sure your neighbour said this as opposed to somebody just saying they did to upset you?
 
Thank you all for the lovely replies, it has honestly made me feel a bit better!

I agree with you glosta1, whenever I'm around rats, hamsters mice etc I find the smell of pee extremely strong! And the cages have all been miraculously clean! Even if I walk into a pet shop and am near the rabbit cages; I can't smell them. My first idea was to speak to the new neighbours, however, they haven't been here long and we haven't spoken them to yet, so I'm a bit nervous as how to bring it up :lol:

The cheek of it was, that if it bothered them so much; why did her son have a load of mates over shouting, drinking, cursing and laughing extremely loud till 3am in the morning on multiple nights.. all gathered round a table outside inches away from the rabbits! :evil:

Thank you happysaz. I'm a private person anyway and don't particularly like having neighbours especially when I endure situations like described above. I guess it's about tolerance. I never once complained about their behaviour to them or to anyone else, however if it got that bad I would politely tell them rather than tell some random stranger whos in my home doing his job! After all, how are people sopposed to know they are upsetting their neighbours if you don't tell them? Lets just hope for her sake any future neighbours she has don't dare get a pet :roll:

Thanks also Nicola. That does make me feel better. I think rationally you're right, she was probably just having a moan :roll: Still very embarrassing to realise someones been talking about you in a way that makes you sound like a dirty so & so lol :lol: Thanks for the reccomendation on the bedding. I'm not looking to switch bedding as although I know megazorb apparantly means less odour, I don't believe its down to that. There really shouldn't be that much difference that people next door can smell it due to substrate, especially as I'm cleaning their waste up every day. I know shavings can cause respiratory problems, as can hay with some animals. With every substrate there are pros and cons; I personally prefer shavings :D
 
I agree with others on here and it sounds like you do a great job with your bunnies.

I started using megazorb (just in litter trays) a couple of years ago and it does definitely absorb smell better than hay/shavings. If you haven't tried it, you should maybe give it a try.
 
I use megazorb in my rabbits litter trays as I feel it is more absorbant than wood shavings and more pleasant for me and the rabbits to use.

I would not have thought your rabbits would smell as you keep them clean.

Are you sure your neighbour said this as opposed to somebody just saying they did to upset you?

Yep I'm very sure. My brothers friend really isn't interested in what we do, and added to that he had no idea we have rabbits.

Yup I realise some members here prefer megazorb but also some keepers prefer shavings. I guess it's just down to individual preferences & what works for individuals. Thanks for the suggestion :)
 
Yep I'm very sure. My brothers friend really isn't interested in what we do, and added to that he had no idea we have rabbits.

Yup I realise some members here prefer megazorb but also some keepers prefer shavings. I guess it's just down to individual preferences & what works for individuals. Thanks for the suggestion :)

With respect it's not just about preference it's about absorbency & more effective odour control and a better product all round it's a bit like saying "there not much difference between straw & hay" one is far more superior for rabbits - hay & yet not a huge difference in price, megazorb is really cheap in comparison to safe woodshavings - sorry to be brief trying out my phone & not liking it for this:roll:
 
Yep I'm very sure. My brothers friend really isn't interested in what we do, and added to that he had no idea we have rabbits.

Yup I realise some members here prefer megazorb but also some keepers prefer shavings. I guess it's just down to individual preferences & what works for individuals. Thanks for the suggestion :)

Some research and anecdotal evidence has found a link with woodshavings/sawdust and respiratory/liver disease in rabbits due to the volatile phenols released from the soft wood shavings. This is generally why many people now prefer to use an alternative litter, as well as the fact that megazorb is much better in terms of absorbency and odour. :):wave:
 
its a bit unfair all rabbit do smell on a certian level but its sounds like u are keeping them very clean so i cant see why they were making a fuss. if i was u i wouldnt take any notice ur doing a very good job i actually dont know how u cope i have trouble with just one. if some one else complains then i would get worried. :D

have any of ur other neighbors said anything?
 
With respect it's not just about preference it's about absorbency & more effective odour control and a better product all round it's a bit like saying "there not much difference between straw & hay" one is far more superior for rabbits - hay & yet not a huge difference in price, megazorb is really cheap in comparison to safe woodshavings - sorry to be brief trying out my phone & not liking it for this:roll:

ive always used wood shaving and never had a problem the collage i go to have used them for many years and mostly all there rabbit have lived well past 10 years old. the last one was called chino and he lived to 17 years old which is very old for a rabbit. when hewas eventually put down he had cateracts and athritus in his spine this is why he was put down.
 
Some people just like to moan about nothing! A friend said to me I'd never have rabbits as they smell and cause rats, but she had two hamsters in her childrens bedrooms now they were really smelly you could smell them from downstairs.
 
ive always used wood shaving and never had a problem the collage i go to have used them for many years and mostly all there rabbit have lived well past 10 years old. the last one was called chino and he lived to 17 years old which is very old for a rabbit. when hewas eventually put down he had cateracts and athritus in his spine this is why he was put down.

The respiratory and liver problems that have been observed with the use of wood shavings have tended to occur in routine operations when bun has been put under GA and not been able to tolerate the anaesthetic due to lung damage. PM has shown liver issues also. As I have said this is mostly anecdotal evidence collected by the HRS in the US but a pattern has occurred enough for many owners to be concerned enough to change to alternative litters. Personally I feel if there is some risk then a paper based litter is always a better option. As you never know when your bun might need a routine Op or emergency Op and GA. :wave:
 
Nice people, but I don't really think your buns are the real reason for them to be moving out. Maybe she had a bad day and everything and everyone around was bad that day.

Buns always have a smell around them, I think it smells just fine, love the smell of fresh hay. But some people don't like that smell, and maybe that's what they're smelling.
 
The respiratory and liver problems that have been observed with the use of wood shavings have tended to occur in routine operations when bun has been put under GA and not been able to tolerate the anaesthetic due to lung damage. PM has shown liver issues also. As I have said this is mostly anecdotal evidence collected by the HRS in the US but a pattern has occurred enough for many owners to be concerned enough to change to alternative litters. Personally I feel if there is some risk then a paper based litter is always a better option. As you never know when your bun might need a routine Op or emergency Op and GA. :wave:

i mean if i did have more money i would definately change it but im not in a good position to do it just yet when i start working then i will do. for a short time i did use cat litter it was wood based and i did like using that was easier to clean up and tended to last longer it also didnt smell at all.
 
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