First night inside

Bellatrix has been thumping in the night for 3 nights now so I have made the decision to experiment with having her inside. I have had to go outside to calm her down through the night which is a pain for me (i'm exhausted, it's like having a baby!) and not fair for her. So I am seeing how it goes having her free ranged in my room tonight. I have nearly finished the bunny proofing, there is nothing dangerous for her (wires etc.) but I am not entirely confident my furniture or carpet will look the same in the morning!

Do you think she will find it confusing and stressful suddenly being inside at night instead of her hutch?

I am very nervous about tonight but hopefully we will both get a more peaceful night! Do you have any further tips? She is weeing 99% of the time in her litter tray which is great as she is just 4 months and obviously hasn't been 'done'.

I'm nervous and hoping I'm doing the right thing!!

I think that it could be a really positive move for you both, if she really isn't settling outside and I'm not surprised you're exhausted if you've to trek outside in the middle of the night!

I can't say how she might take it, perhaps someone more experienced can, though I know if I were you I would imagine that I can only try and find out. She might still be very active though so not sure, if you're a light sleeper if it will help your side of sleep. I think it's a good idea and as long as it's safe for her to move around in, you can only try and see how she finds it. Maybe make sure there is a tunnel/blanket/hides so she can go to, to feel entombed and safe?

Shrinkie said:

I think that it could be a really positive move for you both, if she really isn't settling outside and I'm not surprised you're exhausted if you've to trek outside in the middle of the night!

I can't say how she might take it, perhaps someone more experienced can, though I know if I were you I would imagine that I can only try and find out. She might still be very active though so not sure, if you're a light sleeper if it will help your side of sleep. I think it's a good idea and as long as it's safe for her to move around in, you can only try and see how she finds it. Maybe make sure there is a tunnel/blanket/hides so she can go to, to feel entombed and safe?

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Thank you, yes I am guessing i'm going to be woken a few times! Yes, I have tunnels and lots of boxes for and it's safe for her to go under the bed where she already likes to hide.

I'm hoping she doesn't think she can spend the night on the bed with me! I move around a lot in my sleep so wouldn't want to hurt her but maybe that's a bit over paranoid! I will provide lots of fun things on the floor to keep her occupied!

I think you've got it covered to make her transition nice n smooth. I love having my buns inside as they are such fun to watch. It took me years to realise the benefits of enrichment are great for bunnies & owners - for the first 10 years my buns remodelled all my furniture, skirting boards & clothes but now I know to provide lots of twigs, boxes, chew toys they are very well behaved (apart from a little wallpaper removal in our rented home, still it was woodchip & I hear that's time consuming & awkward to remove. Maybe I could hire their services out?)

With her being so young you may find yourself becoming very familiar with the dustpan & brush :lol:

joey&boo said:

I think you've got it covered to make her transition nice n smooth. I love having my buns inside as they are such fun to watch. It took me years to realise the benefits of enrichment are great for bunnies & owners - for the first 10 years my buns remodelled all my furniture, skirting boards & clothes but now I know to provide lots of twigs, boxes, chew toys they are very well behaved (apart from a little wallpaper removal in our rented home, still it was woodchip & I hear that's time consuming & awkward to remove. Maybe I could hire their services out?)

With her being so young you may find yourself becoming very familiar with the dustpan & brush :lol:

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Thanks. She is doing well at the moment just a few stray poos! My room is going to become a rabbit playground!

:lol: the room is the one place Rosie doesn't get in but she'll race you for the door and if she slips in it's PLAYGRROOUUNNNDDDD TIME. :lol::lol:

I have Hershel and Maggie free ranging 100% in my bedroom now. Maggie has always been inside, but we brought Hershel in around October last year to bond. When I first brought them inside I tended to wake up at every little bit of noise, but you get use to them. I did resort to using ear plugs for a while but I was worried that I would sleep through the alarm so stopped.

They tend to get really active for around 1-2 hours around bed time (11-12pm) and then at the moment with it being summer start to get active again about 4.30am. Winter seemed to be later around 5.30-6.00am.

I've only had Maggie jump on the bed whilst I was asleep once and she woke me up, when I moved she jumped straight back down. I try and keep them off the bed as Hershel pee's on soft furnishings, so I am pleased that they don't try it my often.

They have their pen but they like to lie under the bed the most. They are really good in using the litter tray but they did pee in the corner under my bed, so I have second litter tray for them. Maggie does like to dig in the litter tray under the bed, so I do sometimes get tipped out hay and megazorb. Also they will scent mark with stray poops which I have to clean up daily.

They have plenty of toys to play with, tunnels and hidey houses to hide in, and Maggie has her shelf to get away from Hershel if he is trying to hump her. I am really lucky that they are not big chewers, although if I leave any cables about like my phone charging cables they will die.

Generally they are really good, I love having them in the bedroom and can't imagine me putting them outside again unless I really have too.

So we've made it through the night!

She woke me up a few times shredding and scratching at cardboard, thoroughly enjoying herself but at least it wasn't the furniture! But there is quite a lot of poo and she joined me on the bed this morning and weed. Not impressed! No wee on the carpet though, I think all the poo may be down to the amount of space she now has! I feel like I need to sterilise the room though now and have a good hoovering session. I'm not sure my OCD is well matched to a messy indoor bunny but I will try to keep going for the sake of Bellatrix, I think she's had the time of her life!

Bellatrix15 said:

So we've made it through the night!

She woke me up a few times shredding and scratching at cardboard, thoroughly enjoying herself but at least it wasn't the furniture! But there is quite a lot of poo and she joined me on the bed this morning and weed. Not impressed! No wee on the carpet though, I think all the poo may be down to the amount of space she now has! I feel like I need to sterilise the room though now and have a good hoovering session. I'm not sure my OCD is well matched to a messy indoor bunny but I will try to keep going for the sake of Bellatrix, I think she's had the time of her life!

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Sounds like she really enjoyed herself, especially if she wasn't thumping through the night.
The amount of poo should settle down, as she will be scent marking at the moment and claiming her new territory, although you will probably always get the odd stray poop with bunnies. Also if she's only 4 months old, I am gathering she isn't neutered yet, but once she is it definitely should settle.

The peeing on the bed though isn't fun, been there myself several times. Hershel is lethal if he goes anywhere near it. I even bought a waterproof mattress protector to place over my bed when I wasn't there but I think all it was doing was reinforcing the idea of peeing on the bed so stopped using it. Now I have made sure that they don't have any access to the bed (as they are not big jumpers).

^ very much so :lol: It's not the most fun part of first having a rabbit indoors. I'm glad to hear it went so well though, are you thinking this might be the way forward for you both?

Snowflake-George said:

Sounds like she really enjoyed herself, especially if she wasn't thumping through the night.
The amount of poo should settle down, as she will be scent marking at the moment and claiming her new territory, although you will probably always get the odd stray poop with bunnies. Also if she's only 4 months old, I am gathering she isn't neutered yet, but once she is it definitely should settle.

The peeing on the bed though isn't fun, been there myself several times. Hershel is lethal if he goes anywhere near it. I even bought a waterproof mattress protector to place over my bed when I wasn't there but I think all it was doing was reinforcing the idea of peeing on the bed so stopped using it. Now I have made sure that they don't have any access to the bed (as they are not big jumpers).

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I'm sure she loved it! Unfortunately Bellatrix is a good jumper and gets everywhere! I really don't know what to about her seeing on the bed though!

Shrinkie said:

^ very much so :lol: It's not the most fun part of first having a rabbit indoors. I'm glad to hear it went so well though, are you thinking this might be the way forward for you both?

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I'm not sure. Selfishly I can't stand the mess and the weeing on the bed and the noise in the night but if it's better for her I am willing to give it a good go. I'm just so tired! I'll be trying again tonight and not allowing her on the bed at all, not even for cuddles! And I'm going to get her a bigger litter tray so there are hopefully less stray poos!

It's not selfish at all, I mean at the end of the day, rabbit is one thing and to make allowances but it shouldn't ever mean compromising your sleep or hygiene. Is there no way to have her in a play pen in another room with things, so she isn't able to keep you awake?

As I mentioned in other thread, I think it's realistic to expect she might spray them to claim territory or even be a little unused to it and so have accidents it might take a little while for that part to clear up as she essentially retrains. Find something you recognise, even if you let her spend time through the day in your room and if and when she poops on the floor, then pop it straight in the litter tray, help her get the point that there's a place for her? Also I found hav ing hay in the litter tray works as Rosie will eat hay as she toilets, so I had it set up that if she wanted hay she'd have to sit in her litter tray

Shrinkie said:

It's not selfish at all, I mean at the end of the day, rabbit is one thing and to make allowances but it shouldn't ever mean compromising your sleep or hygiene. Is there no way to have her in a play pen in another room with things, so she isn't able to keep you awake?

As I mentioned in other thread, I think it's realistic to expect she might spray them to claim territory or even be a little unused to it and so have accidents it might take a little while for that part to clear up as she essentially retrains. Find something you recognise, even if you let her spend time through the day in your room and if and when she poops on the floor, then pop it straight in the litter tray, help her get the point that there's a place for her? Also I found hav ing hay in the litter tray works as Rosie will eat hay as she toilets, so I had it set up that if she wanted hay she'd have to sit in her litter tray

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I still live with my parents so it's not really possible to have her in another part of the house. She has a large play pen (6ftx4ft) but she rattles the cage when she is locked in it for any length of time. She is a very naughty and demanding rabbit! I always put poos straight away back in her litter tray and it is overflowing with hay!

I don't think I could have a rabbit free-ranging in my bedroom. It's bad enough sharing with two cats!
What accommodation did she have outdoors - you said she kept thumping. Have you considered getting her a companion - most rabbits are much happier as one of a pair - and having them both outside?

Babsie said:

I don't think I could have a rabbit free-ranging in my bedroom. It's bad enough sharing with two cats!
What accommodation did she have outdoors - you said she kept thumping. Have you considered getting her a companion - most rabbits are much happier as one of a pair - and having them both outside?

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I am planning on getting her a companion once she is spayed. Hopefully this would solve some issues!

Babsie said:

I don't think I could have a rabbit free-ranging in my bedroom. It's bad enough sharing with two cats!
What accommodation did she have outdoors - you said she kept thumping. Have you considered getting her a companion - most rabbits are much happier as one of a pair - and having them both outside?

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I thought this too. I really don't think rabbits in a bedroom are a good idea - I realise you're doing what feels best for her, but suspect you will have broken nights and broken furniture! :shock:

Bellatrix15 said:

I am planning on getting her a companion once she is spayed. Hopefully this would solve some issues!

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What about her outdoor accommodation?

Yes I think I agree with the others - a friend (which you are planning) and outdoors!

If your bedroom is the only area she could be in, you're going to get seriously sleep deprived and have an awful lot of washing and hoovering. You are entitled to a quality of life too! (We sometime forget this in the initial stages of bunny-keeping :shock: )

I had Max in my bedroom for years, as he was technically a foster bunny and I didn't really have space for him, but he had nowhere else to go. I think he was an exception. Some bunnies vie for dominance by weeing on your things and pooing on your floor! Or they are just messy buns :lol:

Yeah its like everyone says. Its just that case of waiting on her partner in crime and being spayed. I mean therebis also that thing of remembering she is young and clearly a character which is a good thing. Its jjst a matter now of adjusting and tweaking