lupine lacuna
Warren Scout
Does anyone do this? Any tips? I plan to leave a lot of hay and veg and then pellets in a timed cat feeder
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Leaving your rabbits for a weekend
- Thread starter lupine lacuna
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Jack's-Jane
Wise Old Thumper
Absolutely NEVER
Rabbits cannot be left unattended for that length of time. Cant you arrange for someone to come in to check on them at least twice a day or book them into a Pet Boarding establishment.
Rabbits can go down hill VERY fast if they become unwell. What if one of them developed a problem and stopped eating. No-one would know for over 48 hours by which time it may be too late
Rabbits cannot be left unattended for that length of time. Cant you arrange for someone to come in to check on them at least twice a day or book them into a Pet Boarding establishment.
Rabbits can go down hill VERY fast if they become unwell. What if one of them developed a problem and stopped eating. No-one would know for over 48 hours by which time it may be too late
Peanut-Toffee
Warren Veteran
For one....NO!
What if they go into stasis? They can die within 24hours if they do!
You need someone to check on them at least twice a day!
What if they go into stasis? They can die within 24hours if they do!
You need someone to check on them at least twice a day!
Gemmapookie
Wise Old Thumper
Personally I wouldnt leave my buns unattended for any longer than 10 or so hours, just incase one of them got ill.
Do you have a friend or family member who could pop in and check on them? :wave:
Do you have a friend or family member who could pop in and check on them? :wave:
emily..
Warren Scout
NO!
Don't leave him unattended for the whole weekend, can't you get someone to check him twice a day or something? i left Princess for the week end but i had family members checking in one her, the only down fall is that she didn't come out of her cage for 3 days because we have a cat ,so she wasn't my friend when i got back she was grupy but she is fine again now :wave:,
Don't leave him unattended for the whole weekend, can't you get someone to check him twice a day or something? i left Princess for the week end but i had family members checking in one her, the only down fall is that she didn't come out of her cage for 3 days because we have a cat ,so she wasn't my friend when i got back she was grupy but she is fine again now :wave:,
RedFraggle
Warren Veteran
When we go away a neighbour comes in twice a day to feed and muck out and check they are ok. Your legal responsibilities are :
Duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare
(1)A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he is responsible are met to the extent required by good practice.
(2)For the purposes of this Act, an animal's needs shall be taken to include—
(a)its need for a suitable environment,
(b)its need for a suitable diet,
(c)its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns,
(d)any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals, and
(e)its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease
and I doubt it would be considered you have met point (e) if they were left unchecked for that amount of time so you could be committing an offence under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.
The RSPCA have a factsheet here:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator/LocateAsset?asset=document&assetId=1232726775616&mode=prd
Duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare
(1)A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he is responsible are met to the extent required by good practice.
(2)For the purposes of this Act, an animal's needs shall be taken to include—
(a)its need for a suitable environment,
(b)its need for a suitable diet,
(c)its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns,
(d)any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals, and
(e)its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease
and I doubt it would be considered you have met point (e) if they were left unchecked for that amount of time so you could be committing an offence under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act.
The RSPCA have a factsheet here:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator/LocateAsset?asset=document&assetId=1232726775616&mode=prd
No because I fill water bottles 3 times a day usually I'd have to leave a bucketful to last for 2 days. And I'm not sure they would eat the hay on the second day they like it fresh. And its sods law one of them would get ill half an hour after i'd left the house. Why not ring a pet sitter who will come round and feed and water, they are generally pretty reasonably priced if they are local.
Tatihou
Mama Doe
I wouldn't leave any of my menagerie - cats, dog, rabbits, sheep, hens - without having them checked at least twice a day. Even sheep can be okay at 5pm the night before and dead by 9am the following morning so I definitely would not consider leaving them unattended for a weekend. And anyway, define a weekend - early Saturday to Sunday evening? Or Friday night till Monday morning?
I wouldn't do it. Animals are a tie and a responsibility but I chose to take them on so I have to provide the relevant care and attention. Daily.
I wouldn't do it. Animals are a tie and a responsibility but I chose to take them on so I have to provide the relevant care and attention. Daily.
BattleKat
Wise Old Thumper
In case you hadn't gathered, you really need someone to check on them. When do you normally check them? Do you think you could organise someone to go by at those times?
When I go away I leave the food and hay portioned up and new water bottles ready to go so that it couldn't be simpler for the people looking after them. You also need to leave the vet's phone number and some way of paying the vet should anything happen.
When I go away I leave the food and hay portioned up and new water bottles ready to go so that it couldn't be simpler for the people looking after them. You also need to leave the vet's phone number and some way of paying the vet should anything happen.
Peterbunny
Mama Doe
I've been thinking the same recently, however my predicament isn't a whole weekend, its late Friday evening until at the latest 6pm on the saturday, so just short of 24 hrs. I did wonder whether it would be fine to leave Peter that long, providing him with plenty of hay, pellets, water etc but I decided I just couldnt do it! Luckily I've found a lady who is very local to me who does Bunny boarding so I will book her to have Peter instead. I just couldnt forgive myself if something happened to Peter in the time I'm gone and also currently he has a seperate hutch and run and it would mean he was stuck in his hutch all day
R.P.B.G.G
Mama Doe
As everyone else,
Id NEVER leave my buns for 2 days,
My buns are checked about 10+ times a day, ok we have a lot of rabbits, but one always needs something, if its a top up of hay, water running low,
Its bad enough leaving them for the night,
Either buns would have to be covered for 48hrs or open for 48hrs leaving them open to predators and the weather, not to mention if one gets sick or injured.
Id NEVER leave my buns for 2 days,
My buns are checked about 10+ times a day, ok we have a lot of rabbits, but one always needs something, if its a top up of hay, water running low,
Its bad enough leaving them for the night,
Either buns would have to be covered for 48hrs or open for 48hrs leaving them open to predators and the weather, not to mention if one gets sick or injured.
Michelleox
Mama Doe
I went away last weekend, Saturday morning to Sunday evening, and had the in-laws look after the buns. I left everything on the table with a list of instructions, the bowls with pellets in ready, bag of hay, a few treats and the greens all ready in sandwich bags in the fridge! I still worried about them, although mainly about them behaving themselves for someone who doesn't know them well
Have you got a neighbour that can nip in for a few minutes or even ask your vet to see if they know someone who can help?
Have you got a neighbour that can nip in for a few minutes or even ask your vet to see if they know someone who can help?
weedug
Mama Doe
I agree with everyone else, don't leave your buns alone for the weekend.
They can get very ill, very quickly. Also, if you leave a hutch with loads of veg, they are more than likely going to eat it all at once. They don't know it's to last them for a few days. They could get an upset tummy from eating too many veg at once, and there would be no-one there to help them.
Then there is relying on the feeder. What if it doesn't open? Bun would have no food. A dog or cat would manage for a little while without, but a rabbit can't.
And then there is the water. A bowl could get spilt, a bottle could fall out the hutch...
There are countless posts on here about people who's buns were fine in the morning, and seriously ill a few hours later. This happened to my own bun at the weekend.
They can get very ill, very quickly. Also, if you leave a hutch with loads of veg, they are more than likely going to eat it all at once. They don't know it's to last them for a few days. They could get an upset tummy from eating too many veg at once, and there would be no-one there to help them.
Then there is relying on the feeder. What if it doesn't open? Bun would have no food. A dog or cat would manage for a little while without, but a rabbit can't.
And then there is the water. A bowl could get spilt, a bottle could fall out the hutch...
There are countless posts on here about people who's buns were fine in the morning, and seriously ill a few hours later. This happened to my own bun at the weekend.
R.P.B.G.G
Mama Doe
That's a bit harsh,
She hasn't actually done it, she could have just upped and left them for the weekend, she has asked advise and everyone has put points across of why it is such a bad idea,
Doesn't mean she doesn't care for her buns, I think that its a positive that she has asked to make sure her buns will be OK, or how, but now have the opinion of many that it isn't the smartest of moves and will hopefully get someone in to care for buns whilst she is away...
She hasn't actually done it, she could have just upped and left them for the weekend, she has asked advise and everyone has put points across of why it is such a bad idea,
Doesn't mean she doesn't care for her buns, I think that its a positive that she has asked to make sure her buns will be OK, or how, but now have the opinion of many that it isn't the smartest of moves and will hopefully get someone in to care for buns whilst she is away...
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