Free range house bunnies?

[JayUK]

Bertie has a room, but we live in a flat that has a long corridor, and all the rooms go off it, so when we're not here, we close all the doors except his and the office, where he likes to hide out in the afternoon. These rooms are bunnyproofed, and when we're home he has free roam.

When we first had him (and being our 1st one) we got him a huge double storey cage and kept him in it when we were out. He didn't like it and neither did we, so we sorted the rooms out for him and got him a little cage for his den.

Great thread!

 

[Luciuslop]

The buns live in the house, with their hutch and crate being in the lounge. They free range during the day either in the house or the garage. The garage has heating, lighting, a bed, litter tray, toys, etc so they can use it all year round. There is also a fenced area outside the garage they can use and in the warmer months they can go out in the back garden ( I like to supervise that though as its not 100% secure ). If I go out I shut whoever is in the house into the lounge, just so I don't come back to a trashed house I also lock the garage door, so its secure. The buns go to bed around the same time as me and then they are shut in.
Taz

 

[Julia123]

My 3 buns are free range 24/7. The only doors i keep closed are my studio/study as there are wires and painting materials in there and my conservatory as my fosters are in there. Other than that they go where they want when they want, i think its lovely to see them just being bunnies I have the odd problem with stray wees & poos in my living room but i'm sure it would be any different if they were caged and then let out - its not like they care if they do it in front of me :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have had some problems when the girls were hormonal (eaten leather sofa & carpet) oh and my boy started to strip my wallpaper in my hall landing & stairs - but he had a point, it needed doing and I'm now finishing it off and painting it! Other than that i just have to make sure there are no wires or important papers around for them to eat (post gets nibbled sometimes :lol

Most people think I'm nuts, but i don't care !!

 

[TheGaffer]

Well at our old rented house Moonshine and Flopsy had the dining room to themselves but they dug up the carpet chewed wires that were supposedly hidden etc. Smudge and Dudley had their own bedroom.

Now we've moved they don't get as much free time. I tried to bond two pairs so they could have upstairs to free range but it didn't work out. So they have dog crates with pens attached but it isn't the ideal situation.

It'll be more of a deciding factor when we move house again, where the buns will live

 

[catswhiskas]

Caramel is free range however she never ventures off her rug :roll: Lazy girl xx

 

[sarahmarshadlam]

How do you make the a whole room bunny proof? I would love to let tinker free range but I have so many electrical things. I wish the power points were halfway up the walls instead of in the ground!

 

[SarahP]

Mine are free range within the kitchen, the hallway and the stairs, with all other rooms shut off (due to cables etc). That gives them loads of space. When I go out, if it's only going to be an hour or so, I just leave them to it, but if it's any longer they go in the kitchen. They don't have a cage or crate though - they hate being caged. :roll:

 

[Jocelyn]

Mine have a dog crate but it's never shut, they always have free run of my bedroom (which is a very large double) - they can't really go anywhere else in the house as it's all been newly decorated and they have a taste for carpet (thankfully the one in my room was cheap). They get very stroppy if I ever shut them in the crate!!

 

[SarahP]

I've just bought some great hosepipe, which the OH has covered some cable in. Got it from the aquatic section of a pet shop, and it was really cheap.

 

[Missy]

Mine have a room but are free range when I'm home but even then I have to supervise Millie as she's quite destructive (hoping she'll grow out of it). :?

Besides the destruction to the house I'd be to scared of her eating something that causes a blockage or makes her ill as she's attracted to everything she shouldn't be.

I do know people whose leather sofa has been ripped to shreds by bunnies digging on it. :shock:

 

[Julia123]

 

[chesterbenji]

Our 2 have a large run and a cage with a split level extension in one corner of the kitchen. They get free run of the kitchen, lounge and hall when we are at home. I wish we could give them free roam of the kitchen but they chew the bottom of the cupboard doors :roll:
They're generally well behaved but do need someone to keep an eye on them - usually if they're too quiet we know they're up to something naughty
We also have a slight problem with them chewing the infill between the floorboards (we have a few holes!)

 

[Gingypig]

See that would not go down well with the OH!!

My 2 house buns have a big run which they are in most of the time, I open it in the evening but they don't really come out much as the run is already big enough for a good run about. They poo everywhere so I doubt they will ever be totally free range!!

 

[Amy & Amber]

wow she doesnt chew?
Ive got a friend whose bunny sleeps on her bed at night- i dont know how she does it!
If i let lily sleep on the bed i'd wkae up with no hair ekk:lol:

She has never chewed since being here! All she does is nose rub everything, its horrible when shes just had a drink then jumps on the bed and wet nose rubs ur face at 2am!!!! x x x x

 

[Stralachlan]

:wave: It seems like the biggest concern is what they might chew, so when I get back from my course next week, I think I'll try moving them in, but restrict them to the kitchen/dining room overnight and whilst I'm at work and see how we get on. If that works then in time then I can let them free range over the whole of downstairs.

Thanks for everyone's replies - it does seem that free range is very much the minority.

 

[donnamt]

OMG!!! i really dont think Alvin would survive doing that to our leather (ive just this month finished paying for it) he runs on it but so far no desire to eat it

 

[touie]

I'm one of the silly people who has a completely free range rabbit 24:7 :lol: Actually Fudge is very good he hasn't destroyed anything. He does do the odd wee or 2 on the carpet but thats about it!!!

 

[Stralachlan]

Well today was Hazel & Acorn's first full day of being house bunnies. I decided to restrict them to the kitchen/dining room but being typical teenagers they managed to push past the barrier :shock:

They were then stuck in the living room (and I left that door and all the upstairs doors open :shock: :shock: ) and couldnt get back to their litter tray in the dining room. So they pooped all over the lounge, and weed under the computer desk and on my sofa. And ate my pot plants as they couldnt get to their hay either. But I didnt find any other chewing, and I couldnt find any presents upstairs thankfully.

So not entirely a success. I shall try again tomorrow - I was glad they were inside as it was still -2 when I went to work this morning.

 

[racheld69]

Well today was Hazel & Acorn's first full day of being house bunnies. I decided to restrict them to the kitchen/dining room but being typical teenagers they managed to push past the barrier :shock:

They were then stuck in the living room (and I left that door and all the upstairs doors open :shock: :shock: ) and couldnt get back to their litter tray in the dining room. So they pooped all over the lounge, and weed under the computer desk and on my sofa. And ate my pot plants as they couldnt get to their hay either. But I didnt find any other chewing, and I couldnt find any presents upstairs thankfully.

So not entirely a success. I shall try again tomorrow - I was glad they were inside as it was still -2 when I went to work this morning.

:lol: :lol: sounds like they are keeping you busy :lol: :lol:

 

[donnamt]

Well today was Hazel & Acorn's first full day of being house bunnies. I decided to restrict them to the kitchen/dining room but being typical teenagers they managed to push past the barrier :shock:

They were then stuck in the living room (and I left that door and all the upstairs doors open :shock: :shock: ) and couldnt get back to their litter tray in the dining room. So they pooped all over the lounge, and weed under the computer desk and on my sofa. And ate my pot plants as they couldnt get to their hay either. But I didnt find any other chewing, and I couldnt find any presents upstairs thankfully.

So not entirely a success. I shall try again tomorrow - I was glad they were inside as it was still -2 when I went to work this morning.

hehe eventually you will find it amusing.... ive totally stopped worrying about the deposit on this place as im sure other tenents leave houses in worse states than Alvin can create... its the bleeding chipmunks that have destroyed the carpet... not figures out how im gonna fix it yet.... :lol: