Moved bunnies outside but upset :(

I moved my two house bunnies clover and charlie outside this week ,the reason for this was that they are literally wrecking the house ,they ate through the couch so after that they were confined to the kitchen then they ripped the wallpaper off which was not too bad as i was going to paint instead but they then ate all the leather off the kitchen chairs !!
All this meant that they had to be confined to a open cage and pen area all the time and as my kitchen is not massive it meant if someone was sat at the table they had to move so we could get in the fridge lol
I decided that they would have more space outside and bought a big double hutch and run and they seem happy enough ,i already have another 5 rabbits outside.
Anyway its seems its me thats more upset and i feel like i have lost them in someway ,charlie is a very affectionate rabbit who licks and acts more like a dog ,he gets into the kitchen cupboard and pulls his treats out etc ,well now he is outside he doesnt seem to want to interact with me the same and i feel so upset about it ,i really feel like bringing them back in but think it may be because of my selfish reasons rather than for them sorry for the long post but no one else really understands how i feel

(big hugs) i have house buns, and so i know what it feels like to have that kind of bond with them. im sorry you are feeling like they have changed toward you, but give them time. it's a big change and maybe they are just being stroppy. how long have they been outside for?? x

shell1805 said:

(big hugs) i have house buns, and so i know what it feels like to have that kind of bond with them. im sorry you are feeling like they have changed toward you, but give them time. it's a big change and maybe they are just being stroppy. how long have they been outside for?? x

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Thankyou ,only 3 days ,they dont seem stroppy and seem happy themselves but more interested in whats going on outside rather than me now lol

tracey madigan said:

Thankyou ,only 3 days ,they dont seem stroppy and seem happy themselves but more interested in whats going on outside rather than me now lol

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i know that must be hard, bella is my bubby girl and if i was to ever put her outside and she changed toward me i know i would be the one upset, not her :roll:

could you not have bun proofed a room?? or do you feel they benefit more from being outside???

x

Lucky was a house rabbit when we first had him and it was lovely being so close to him but he was really destructive and for his sakes, because of space etc, we moved him to the outhouse and got him a wife for the winter. I missed him in the house soooo much but seeing him with his new wife all loved up and in a space that is totally their to wreck as they like really is the best thing for them. They love it and are so much happier - and also more like rabbits!! :lol::lol::lol:

I dont regret the decision at all as i know it was the best for him.

When yours were being destructive - they were saying that they were unhappy, i am sure you've done the right thing by them too xxx

shell1805 said:

i know that must be hard, bella is my bubby girl and if i was to ever put her outside and she changed toward me i know i would be the one upset, not her :roll:

could you not have bun proofed a room?? or do you feel they benefit more from being outside???

x

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I have not got a room spare otherwise thats what i would have done ,i really dont know where they are happier ,they have more space outside and can freerange the garden in shifts with my other two groups anyway lol,if they come back in they will have to be confined to a 4ft cage left open with a 4ft by 4ft pen attached which does not seem big enough ,i am already worrying about winter as my other two groups have a wendy house and a dog kennel/run so i wonder whether a hutch is warm enough but i dont have space for another big wendy house ,i feel silly to be so upset but feel like crying all the time ,it feels sort of like i have got rid of them

tracey madigan said:

I have not got a room spare otherwise thats what i would have done ,i really dont know where they are happier ,they have more space outside and can freerange the garden in shifts with my other two groups anyway lol,if they come back in they will have to be confined to a 4ft cage left open with a 4ft by 4ft pen attached which does not seem big enough ,i am already worrying about winter as my other two groups have a wendy house and a dog kennel/run so i wonder whether a hutch is warm enough but i dont have space for another big wendy house ,i feel silly to be so upset but feel like crying all the time ,it feels sort of like i have got rid of them

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Have you just got bella or do you have other buns ?

tracey madigan said:

I have not got a room spare otherwise thats what i would have done ,i really dont know where they are happier ,they have more space outside and can freerange the garden in shifts with my other two groups anyway lol,if they come back in they will have to be confined to a 4ft cage left open with a 4ft by 4ft pen attached which does not seem big enough ,i am already worrying about winter as my other two groups have a wendy house and a dog kennel/run so i wonder whether a hutch is warm enough but i dont have space for another big wendy house ,i feel silly to be so upset but feel like crying all the time ,it feels sort of like i have got rid of them

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It really does sound like you have done the best by them - the space will mean a lot to them. And cooping them up will have only made their behaviour more destructive. A hutch will be warm enough - you can always insulate in winter and use snuggle safes etc. xxx

I had to move my very soppy bunny Adelle outside so that she could have the proper space so I understand how you feel. When she first moved outside with her new hubby I used to really miss coming downstairs and see my beautiful babbit. However, now she's settled in to being outside I know she's a lot happier being outside and having space, and watching the world, and seeing the other bunnies. Now she's settled into her new house she's always delighted to see me and comes running.

Thanks for the replys ,it means a lot that other people understand as non pet friends think i am daft ,if they stay out i will deffo be insulating etc

Grin said:

Lucky was a house rabbit when we first had him and it was lovely being so close to him but he was really destructive and for his sakes, because of space etc, we moved him to the outhouse and got him a wife for the winter. I missed him in the house soooo much but seeing him with his new wife all loved up and in a space that is totally their to wreck as they like really is the best thing for them. They love it and are so much happier - and also more like rabbits!! :lol::lol::lol:

I dont regret the decision at all as i know it was the best for him.

When yours were being destructive - they were saying that they were unhappy, i am sure you've done the right thing by them too xxx

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Well in that case they are still very unhappy as they are eating their way through the hutch and run :lol:

Outdoor bunnies in hutches cope very well in the winter as long as they are given plenty of hay, snugglesafes and the front of the hutch is covered by layering duvet sheets and tarpulin. even in -20C here last winter, the water inside the hutch never froze so the hutch was always above freezing.

tracey madigan said:

Have you just got bella or do you have other buns ?

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i have bella and jasper bella is a complete mummeh's girl and adores human interaction (hasnt got much choice really with me around, im always bugging her for cuddles ) jasper on the other hand is just 'binky binky binky' all over the place. i think i have seen him stop for longer than 5 mins maybe once, he's now 2 yrs :lol: that said, i dont think he would deal with outside either, he is nervous of loud noises and will hide under my legs if someone bangs the front door x

tracey madigan said:

Well in that case they are still very unhappy as they are eating their way through the hutch and run :lol:

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:lol::lol::lol:

Hopefully that will settle once they are used to it. Can you chuck in some cardboard boxes just to give them something they are allowed to chew?

grin, i promise you that my bunkins are happy! but my living room lacks wallpaper, there are holes in the carpet, someone weed on the sofa and it sure wasn't me...:lol:

happybun said:

grin, i promise you that my bunkins are happy! but my living room lacks wallpaper, there are holes in the carpet, someone weed on the sofa and it sure wasn't me...:lol:

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I'm sure buns can be destructive for the sake of it too tho but i am also sure that cooping them up will make a bun even more destructive?? The advice i was given when i first came here all pointed at that.

In saying that, i am also sure if there was wallpaper in the buns house, they would rip it off just for the sake of it!! :lol::lol::lol:

When I was little we had a black bunny lop called Ben, and he was out in the lounge and my mum was only out of the room for a minute to answer the phone and he'd ripped the brand new wallpaper off the wall. hee hee very nouty nouty bun bun. :lol::lol:

Grin said:

:lol::lol::lol:

Hopefully that will settle once they are used to it. Can you chuck in some cardboard boxes just to give them something they are allowed to chew?

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They eat cardboard so thats not an option ,off to look at a smaller size playhouse today instead of the hutch lol

tracey madigan said:

They eat cardboard so thats not an option ,off to look at a smaller size playhouse today instead of the hutch lol

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im sure they would love a play house x

Well they are now in a playhouse ,we have fully insulated in with loft insulation covered completely with laminate flooring and they have lino on the floor ,its so cosy and i feel much better than i did with them in the hutch