Mum won't let my bunny indoors!

Hi, I'm twelve and I want to know how I can persuade my parent particularly my dad to keep my 2year old bunny - Milky, indoors. I want to know how, it's just because they think that rabbits smell and animals in general are dirty. They also think its unnatural to keep a pet indoors - any pet! Please can someone help me I want my bunny to live the longest, happiest life possible.

bunnies can live happy lives outdoors as well, provided they are given the space and enrichment they need if your parents are against having a bun inside i would respect their decision - its their house and chances are if they caved they would make you keep Milky in a small cage as they wouldn't want him running around. have you had a look at the outdoor housing sticky on here? maybe you can find some inspiration and get your parents on board with making a fun outdoor enclosure instead :thumb: something like a shed or playhouse is great for interacting with bunnies as you can sit out with them - also plenty of space to adopt a friend for Milky so he won't be lonely

elmoandfern said:

bunnies can live happy lives outdoors as well, provided they are given the space and enrichment they need if your parents are against having a bun inside i would respect their decision - its their house and chances are if they caved they would make you keep Milky in a small cage as they wouldn't want him running around. have you had a look at the outdoor housing sticky on here? maybe you can find some inspiration and get your parents on board with making a fun outdoor enclosure instead :thumb: something like a shed or playhouse is great for interacting with bunnies as you can sit out with them - also plenty of space to adopt a friend for Milky so he won't be lonely

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Hello! I agree with this... just to add also maybe your Mum would be interested to know Rabbits can be litter trained, and if your bunny is single they would very much live a happier life with a neutered / spayed bunny friend. x

o-Chloe-o said:

Hello! I agree with this... just to add also maybe your Mum would be interested to know Rabbits can be litter trained, and if your bunny is single they would very much live a happier life with a neutered / spayed bunny friend. x

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Thank you very much, my mum originally let my bunny inside but took her out again after my dads protest, but ill try and keep this in mind x

this is the sticky on outdoor housing ideas in case you want to have a look: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?311878-Outdoor-Housing-Tips-amp-Examples

bunnies need a lot more space than you might think - a 6foot hutch with an attached run (so about 36 square feet of space in total). hutches and cages sold in pet shops are almost always too small for what bunnies really need :wave:

Sorry your dad doesn't like the idea of a house bunny, but if he's against indoor pets I can't think of anything that you could say that is going to change his mind.

If they insist that he stays outside, do you have a shed that isn't being used very much, so you could convert it into a mini house for the bunny? Then he would have more space to play and still be safe and dry, and it might be a nicer place for you to go spend time with him when the weather isn't great, like today. My parents didn't like me having pets really either but they got me a bunny, and one thing that helped me persuade them to help me take care of my bunny was when I told them how much I wanted to make sure that I was being responsible and doing what was best to take care of my pet. Good luck!

Welcome to the forum! It's lovely to see you are so keen to be a good bunny owner.

I think it depends on the reasons why they don't want him indoors, it may be worth asking but be careful it doesn't turn into an argument! For instance, they may not realise that rabbits can be litter trained and that they can live happy lives indoors. Some rabbits have more space to run about indoors as some people let them 'free-range', which is just letting them run about (and sometimes live in) the whole room, but it's important to bunny-proof first.

If they are dead-set against it though it may be better to focus on what you can do to improve Milky's outside accommodation, and I'm sure your parents would support this instead. If you live in America, it's best to keep bunnies indoors due to the climate and predators, but if you live in the UK you can give your bunny a great life outside. Here are loads of leaflets and articles by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, all about rabbit care and how to keep them happy and healthy: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/index.php?section=leaflets.html

Here is one all about what outdoor rabbits need: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/SECS130807.pdf

If you have any questions though, please do just ask