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Potential house rabbit

Azucena

Alpha Buck
Hi,

This was in 'housing' but think it might fit better in 'chat'!

I live with two dogs and was wondering if there was a way to have my rabbit living in my room but being 100% safe and be sure that they couldn't go near him.

My room is up a flight of stairs so a baby gate could be fitted, plus having the door closed of course.
I just wanted opinions as to whether or not you'd be hesitant to have this set up.

Thanks,

Azucena.
 
I had my dog in the house and my house bunny lived in my bedroom for nearly 5 years she had the run of the room which was 13ftx13ft I used to let her in the garden when it was a nice day and I spent as much time as possible with her sadly she passed away in February this year :love::love:
 
I think it's possible, but if your rabbit is currently outside, as I assume, it would be dangerous to bring her in if a few days later you found it wasn't working, eg she was unhappy or chewed everything, and then had to move her back outside. It would be safer to try in summer when indoor and outdoor temps would match more closely... :wave:
 
I think it's possible, but if your rabbit is currently outside, as I assume, it would be dangerous to bring her in if a few days later you found it wasn't working, eg she was unhappy or chewed everything, and then had to move her back outside. It would be safer to try in summer when indoor and outdoor temps would match more closely... :wave:

Thanks for your response. :D
Yes, any move inside would be a permanent one. His previous owner told me his owner before that had him inside.

He doesn't seem to be a very big chewer and would have a sectioned off area of my room to begin with.

Reasons for him moving inside are that he's quite a 'people rabbit' and seems to enjoy the company, and well as getting more space for him.
 
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I had my dog in the house and my house bunny lived in my bedroom for nearly 5 years she had the run of the room which was 13ftx13ft I used to let her in the garden when it was a nice day and I spent as much time as possible with her sadly she passed away in February this year :love::love:

Thanks for your response. :D
Sorry for your loss. It sounds like she had a great life. :love:
 
I would say that with regards to the dogs, it depends on how the dog is, more than the bunny.

With the right precautions, with the right personality of dogs and bunnies then it can work, but if it doesn't and anything goes wrong, it will be down to you, not any of them.

I would say maybe a puppy gate at both the bottom and top of stairs and also on your door (multi barriers are important), and if he is a bunny who can squeeze through then you're need additional thinner barrier bars too.
 
I would say that with regards to the dogs, it depends on how the dog is, more than the bunny.

With the right precautions, with the right personality of dogs and bunnies then it can work, but if it doesn't and anything goes wrong, it will be down to you, not any of them.

I would say maybe a puppy gate at both the bottom and top of stairs and also on your door (multi barriers are important), and if he is a bunny who can squeeze through then you're need additional thinner barrier bars too.

The dogs live with a cat but I wouldn't want them to ever be in the same room with Humphrey.

Would you say with the puppy gates added it could be safe?
I was thinking of having maybe Perspex or something similar to cover the barred part of the gates.
 
The dogs live with a cat but I wouldn't want them to ever be in the same room with Humphrey.

Would you say with the puppy gates added it could be safe?
I was thinking of having maybe Perspex or something similar to cover the barred part of the gates.

Yeah you'd probably need something covering the bars. I use mesh panels as the first time we put up a gate Nutmeg waltzed straight through it :roll:
 
I'd leave gates up, also close the doors and maybe put a lock on so if the dogs did get upstairs they couldn't open the door by thesmelves.
 
As has been said it would be much better to try this in summer, leaving options open for if it doesn't work.
I think that it also depends on the breed of the dogs, their temperament, & whether you have absolute control over the dogs (personally I wouldn't even try with a terrier eg a Jack Russel)

We also have to remember that doggy play can accidentally lead to disaster in a rabbit eg jumping against, or simply landing on them could break bunny's back. Also a chase/running together might start as fun, but click into bunny's instinctive fear of predation - stressing out bunny.
Dogs & rabbits have totally different friendship behaviours too. Rabbits don't like having their tails sniffed. Many dogs find bunny pooh a delicacy containing things they don't normally get in their diet. It's not the slightest harmful to them. Nose under bunny's tail waiting for the "slot machine" to work can be a problem if bunny hops away & it starts a chase.

My neighbour's miniature poodle was wonderful with both her own rabbit & mine, but we'd never ever leave them alone together. We knew that Celine would never attack. The big worry was boisterous play.
 
As has been said it would be much better to try this in summer, leaving options open for if it doesn't work.
I think that it also depends on the breed of the dogs, their temperament, & whether you have absolute control over the dogs (personally I wouldn't even try with a terrier eg a Jack Russel)

We also have to remember that doggy play can accidentally lead to disaster in a rabbit eg jumping against, or simply landing on them could break bunny's back. Also a chase/running together might start as fun, but click into bunny's instinctive fear of predation - stressing out bunny.
Dogs & rabbits have totally different friendship behaviours too. Rabbits don't like having their tails sniffed. Many dogs find bunny pooh a delicacy containing things they don't normally get in their diet. It's not the slightest harmful to them. Nose under bunny's tail waiting for the "slot machine" to work can be a problem if bunny hops away & it starts a chase.

My neighbour's miniature poodle was wonderful with both her own rabbit & mine, but we'd never ever leave them alone together. We knew that Celine would never attack. The big worry was boisterous play.

But the dogs wouldn't be allowed in the same room as the rabbit, and would have a closed door and babygates stopping them. They wouldn't meet at all.
 
Yeah you'd probably need something covering the bars. I use mesh panels as the first time we put up a gate Nutmeg waltzed straight through it :roll:

Thanks for the tip!

I'd leave gates up, also close the doors and maybe put a lock on so if the dogs did get upstairs they couldn't open the door by thesmelves.

It's a big fire door so I doubt they could open it on there own.
 
I have two dogs and indoor rabbits. The dogs are not allowed in the same room as the rabbits and i put up a very tall puppy pen so that no one can jump over it. All well so far. Think getting some kind of lock on the door is a great idea. Will get one.
 
I have house bunnies with and a dog. My dog is 100% under control but I would never leave her unattended with my buns. My buns are in my bedroom so she rarely sees them but even if she comes into contact with them, she is terrified and runs away! :lol:

I did have a dog that would have killed my bunnies. Sadly he was pts last year :cry: but I managed ok with him and he was always shut away from the bunnies. The rabbits would go out in the summer for a few hours a day in nice weather and he usually left them alone in their run, but would occasionally chase them round and bark, it was a case of keeping a very close eye on him and shutting him inside if he wouldn't leave them be. Fiver would always tease him if he was free running in the garden and would hop over to the back door (all glass) and sit and look at Mack, who was shut in the kitchen, whilst he barked and barked at him. :roll: Poor Mack would always get told off for barking by my parents and Fiver would then hop off, looking pleased with himself. :lol:

It is possible to do, but I was constantly worried that one day an accident might happen. It actually did one day when my friend's dog was over and I, stupidly, picked Fiver up out of his run to put him away whilst the dogs were there. He jumped out of my arms and the chase was on..fortunately he somehow managed to outrun both my dog and my friends lurcher! :shock: I was very, very lucky that he didn't die of shock and have never ever done something so stupid again. If you are very careful, then all should be ok. :thumb:
 
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