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Free ranging indoors: any disadvantages?Giving it a go!

cpayne

cpayne

Warren Veteran
I forgot to shut Doughnut's hutch and playpen yesterday and found a little bunny greeting me at the door!

I've been thinking for a while that since Doughnut is really doing well and is so active, that I may leave her out during the day when I'm at work. She is also dry now and seems to be doing most of her wees in her litter trays and also her bed, which is fine. Before she was tiddling everywhere on the parquet flooring.

Are there any disadvantages to letting her out. I know now she is full of mischief but wires are covered and I've now ordered some more perspex sheeting to cover any walls which she likes to nibble. I only had to clear a few poops up yesterday so I'm happy to do that and I don't think she tiddled anywhere unless it had dried up!

Because she is full of beans now I would prefer her to have lots of space.
 
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I had to go back to penning mine at night, they ate the carpet and the walls and would somehow open my wardrobe and eat my shoes! :( I can't cover all of the carpet so no more being free range. I loved them sleeping on my bed too
 
Hay gets everywhere.
I have a chewed dining room chair.
They lay in wait at the door when they hear me coming down the stairs or opening the front door, and ambush me.
Other than that, not really! We've bunny-proofed pretty well though.
 
Beware of houseplants. You won't be able to leave anything lying around that she might be able to reach (and bunnies can really jump!!) like books or whatever. Keep an eye on her for showing interest in any wires. I know you said they're covered but if it's with those plastic tube things I've heard of buns chewing through them before. If you're renting (or have any particular objection to bits being gnawed out of your home!) just be aware that she may go in for chewing the doors and scrabbling/chewing any carpet. I guess you already know that rabbits can get up and down stairs? Make sure you don't leave anything heavy propped up against a wall anywhere that she could knock down (the hoover, for example). She might take to jumping on your bed - in my experience bunnies think duvets are one giant littertray just for them...

But seriously, don't be put off! She sounds like a very well behaved little munchkin. Give it a try! :D
 
I now live in Hector's warren - sofas, beds, my desk have all been "taken over" but I couldn't care less!
 
You just have to be more careful about protecting things from destruction and making sure nothing poisonous is left in her reach.
 
We decided to let our bun be free-range in our kitchen & he loves it. We waited until he was a little bigger in size (as he was only 6 weeks when we got him - so tiny) :shock: and we started gradually by letting him out all night, then eventually we tried all day & night and now we actually can't put him in the cage as he goes mental biting the bars :lol: spoilt boy!

I find when we are at work now I feel much more content knowing he can plot about as he pleases and isn't stuck in a small cage. He is brilliant too, never messes outside of his cage. He has been that way always though, not sure if this is normal behaviour or if he is just pretty good with keeping his business in his cage :) I would say DO IT! :) our skirting is chewed in places & a dining chair got it too, but honestly who cares - as long as he is happy! :D
 
I would love to let Bunchkin free range (he has my room when I'm out, the rest of my open-plan flat when I'm home), but I've heard many a horror story of naughty bunnies nesting inside sofas which vetoes that idea :(
 
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Assuming you don't have plants, the biggest risk is probably carpet, if you have it. Not only for the state of the carpet, but in case any gets ingested. I used to have my house bunnies in the kitchen overnight and when I wasn't there, and only out on the carpet when I was about.
 
Sounds like Doughnut is very well behaved little girl - so why not? But you do need to try and think of everything that she could potentially chew/eat and move it out of harms way. We have come home to find the big fluffies had gotten out of their hutch but they don't tend to chew anything or try to get to potentially dangerous areas so it was no problem. The 2 lops are way too brave and curious for their own good so can only be out under supervision. Depends on the bunny - and Doughnut is so adorable, cannot imagine she would do anything naughty :lol:;)
 
The will chew cushions and couches. :lol: Free ranging her should be fine, though. The only disadvantage is having to keep everything off the floor. My room looks bare because I only have a cupboard, bed, bedside cabinet and drawers in my room. They have all been chewed. :roll: I have put plastic strips over the edges so that has stopped most of the chewing.
Tbh it is trial and error. You will think that everything is bunny proofed, but you'll come home and find something that you have missed completely destroyed. :lol:
 
Fellie said:
Sounds like Doughnut is very well behaved little girl - so why not? But you do need to try and think of everything that she could potentially chew/eat and move it out of harms way. We have come home to find the big fluffies had gotten out of their hutch but they don't tend to chew anything or try to get to potentially dangerous areas so it was no problem. The 2 lops are way too brave and curious for their own good so can only be out under supervision. Depends on the bunny - and Doughnut is so adorable, cannot imagine she would do anything naughty :lol:;)
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Oh she is a naughty one, the specialist said when I went to pick her up "so you've come to pick up naughty absolutely adorable little Doughnut". He loves her because she's full of character, I guess that's one way of putting it! I'm happy she's naughty though as it means she's well and everything can get mended or replaced I guess!!

She doesn't seem interested in the sofa or chewing it and chewing the rug. I have parquet flooring everywhere apart from a rug on the floor. She tries to get behind the sofa but that is all blocked off as she likes to chew the lining paper there. I've got plastic corners on all my lining paper corners where she like to nibble. I will watch her over the weekend to see what mischief she is up to and if she can get to anything she shouldn't. I will shut the other doors off so she can't get to the kitchen and the stairs. Yesterday the doors were open so she could have gone up but she didn't as she knows she can't get down them and got stuck last time so has never gone up again.
 
My bunnies free range and really don't touch anything. All cables are protected, and I leave them out all day with no problems. I've always thought that maybe chewing was down to boredom or not having things of there own to chew on, so I always make sure they have apple sticks or something else to chew on, they love playing with their boxes, especially egg boxes, and the 'rabbit tree' is a big hit with lots of different things on it to chew. They really do chew on all these things as I periodically have to replace them, and so I would imagine if they didn't have their own things, that they would chew on mine.
 
I just started free ranging Bojangles and she loves it. Now, mind you, I don't have a lot of furniture and I put all the wires up. My furniture consists of a bed, a dining room table and chairs, and a bookshelf. The television is on the table. The only things I have with wires is the wireless router, the laptop, the television, and the wall fan. Her first night she was a little noisy and I woke up at 3 am to a bunny grooming me, but she has been good since.
 
RogerRabbit999 said:
My bunnies free range and really don't touch anything. All cables are protected, and I leave them out all day with no problems. I've always thought that maybe chewing was down to boredom or not having things of there own to chew on, so I always make sure they have apple sticks or something else to chew on, they love playing with their boxes, especially egg boxes, and the 'rabbit tree' is a big hit with lots of different things on it to chew. They really do chew on all these things as I periodically have to replace them, and so I would imagine if they didn't have their own things, that they would chew on mine.
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Do you get the cardboard egg boxes or plastic and what do they do with them?

I got her bits of fruit to chew on, not real fruit but she had no interest. She loves apple sticks but can't give her anything but muesli and hay at the moment.
 
I keep tons of boxes and bags around for Bojangles. She loves her cardboard castle, it keeps her from chewing on some things.
 
moonturtle said:
I keep tons of boxes and bags around for Bojangles. She loves her cardboard castle, it keeps her from chewing on some things.
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I was thinking of getting on of them but they are quite expensive and she's got an igloo which she doesn't play with much so wondered if she would like it, may start a thread to see if anyone's buns like theirs
 
Her cardboard castle didn't cost me anything. I just took some cardboard boxes from work, cut some holes for her to go in and out of, and she loves it. She chews it and tears it apart and I don't care because they are just boxes. I also saw an ad for a digging box. I just took a cardboard box, shredding some cardboard in it, and she jumps in it and shreds and digs to her hearts content. The only thing attached to her castle is the huge plastic "igloo" I bought her.
 
my two have free run of the living room, i have laminate floor covered with cheap carpet off cuts which can be replaced if chewed or piddled on. i have missing wallpaper either side of the chimney breast, chewed table, sofa, skirting boards.......the list goes on, but i wouldn't have it any other way, as far as Edward and Bella are concerned i'm just the waitress who rents the rooms upstairs!
 
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