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How long do you leave your buns alone for?

J&R

Mama Doe
Without someone in to feed and look in on them?

I've said I don't want to leave mine for just over 24 hours on Christmas to Boxing Day, am I being daft or sensible? I've never left them for that long before without the pet sitter coming round but no chance of that on Christmas Day.
 
Definitely not daft. I'd never leave Alfie overnight - a) he's a single rabbit anyway, so would be too lonely and b) a lot can change in 24 hours. Considering how quickly rabbits can go downhill, I'd not be prepared to leave mine longer than 9 hours ish. I think the longest we've ever been away and left him is probably 6 or 7 hours, but that's long enough for me to be comfortable.

If yours developed stasis/bloat/any other ailments just one hour after you left, that'd be another 23 hours before anyone spotted it and by then it may well be too late. Even if they were still alive, they'd have been in pain and may be beyond help because of how long they were left. Plus, I don't see how you can feed them whilst not letting them gorge on pellets all at once - how can you spread it out? Or am I just being really daft..

So in answer to your questions, 9 hours would be my limit.
 
Those were my exact concerns, apart from the lonely bit as they are perfectly happy together.
I got made to feel ridiculous for not wanting to leave them though so thought other opinions would be useful
 
I check mine three times a day, at the very least. I'm not happy leaving mine for a day- so 8-9 hours max for me too.
 
18ish hours? I'd probably leave him 24 to be honest, but only if I'm not going far (i.e. somewhere I can get back from in a couple of hours worst-case, like if the car broke down).
 
Ludo is a solo bun so I don't leave him for more than 2-3 hours to be honest.

When I had guinea pigs in groups I wouldn't leave them without checking for more than about 6-7 hours. :wave:
 
I check mine at least three times a day - in the morning, when I get home from work, and for their tea time. If I know I'm not going to be there in the evening or morning I gets someone to checkin.
 
Could you get one of those cameras maybe so you could check on them? I'm sure food wise you could leave enough hay for 24 hours.
 
No more than 9 hours to be honest. The only time we left them longer was when Jims was on his own and it was our wedding and that was around 24 hours or slightly more and I was worried sick!
 
if you leave them, you're taking a chance on their becoming ill. its the same if you work long hours, though, as I did. I would be out of the house for eighteen hours some days, so an overnight wouldn't be all that different.
 
Without someone in to feed and look in on them?

I've said I don't want to leave mine for just over 24 hours on Christmas to Boxing Day, am I being daft or sensible? I've never left them for that long before without the pet sitter coming round but no chance of that on Christmas Day.

I have this very problem and have point blank refused to go to the MIL for Christmas (which is an overnight stay). My own mum normally visits and stays (save for going home to sleep) but I don't feel I can ask her to on Christmas Day!

In answer to your question - at most, a working day. :)


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I've left Pete overnight ( 7pmish till late morning) without anyone checking on him a couple of times but I don't anymore as my neighbour is happy to pop round in the morning and give him a fuss, breakfast etc
 
Whilst I wouldn't do it on a regular basis, I would leave them for 24 hours for Christmas as long as they were healthy.

I can't do it now, as Barney is not in good health, the longest I'd leave them for now is 14 hours, which is the amount of time they are left when I do a 12 hour shift, but I do worry. Ideally, I don't like to leave them for more than 12 hours at a time.
 
Realistically a healthy rabbit will probably be fine left for 24 hours given plenty of hay and water, but it's sods law that the one time you do it is when something will go wrong.
I've never left mine unchecked for more than about 16 hours. When we go away we get someone to check them at about 6pm and then they're left unchecked until around 9am.

Do you have a neighbour who wouldn't mind popping in just to check they're eating?
 
Left ours from 6am Saturday morning until 7pm Sunday evening a couple of months back...

plenty of hay and water and we left a few treats hidden around the hutch...
 
I leave the house at 6am and often not back in until 8pm, so I leave them for 14 hours many times.

I don't think I would like any longer than that though.
 
The only neighbours I know to speak to go away at Christmas and I'd be gone from Christmas Day morning and coming home Boxing Day morning.
I might just ring my usual pet sitter and ask if there's any chance she can pop in Christmas Day, I fully expect her to say no chance but it can't hurt to ask
 
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