Move old rabbit from outside shed to live inside

[heleni]

My old rabbit (nearly 11) has been on his own for a year living in the shed with a run attached. He is definitely blind in one eye (cataract) and I'm fairly certain blind or at least partially sighted in the other eye, maybe a little deaf too. I'm not planning to keep going with rabbits of my own after he dies (might foster), but an attempt to bond him with a long-term foster rabbit was not successful.

At present he is being treated for a chest infection, putting him to sleep was an option raised by the vet but we are trying to treat him with antibiotics first. If that is successful, I'm debating bringing him inside to live so he is not on his own so much - he does look glum now that he has no rabbit company and can't see anything either. But I've never had an indoor rabbit before and am a little worried about how tidy he will be (sometimes he wees outside his litter tray). So a few questions that perhaps someone can help with:

We'd let him free range in the living room and dining room, and the rest of the downstairs when we're there except the study where there are lots of wires which can't be protected very easily. Would he need a hutch left open or would a hidey-box and litter tray be OK? He's got something like this https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/...-animal-wooden-rabbit-and-guinea-pig-hideaway that could form a base for him, obviously he wouldn't be shut up in it at night.

What do we do when we go on holiday? Most of the rabbit boarding will keep him in a hutch (OK for a week or two) in a shed - if it's winter would he be Ok with this in terms of keeping warm if he only has an inside coat?

Could we put him outside in his run on the lawn on a mild sunny day during the winter? Could we put him back out to live in the garden in the summer if he really is a bad housemate?

How do rabbits cope with the general house noise, like the vacuum cleaner or washing machine?

How do rabbits cope with hard floors, will he slip around or get used to it - we've got mainly laminate and tiles, with a few rugs. Easy to clean if he wees though! He could have some carpet squares around his run and box.

Thanks

 

[joey&boo]

awww, an 11 year old bunny. I'm in a bit of a rush so I'll just answer the few bits that pop out to me.

I'd definitely bring him inside for company & temperature regulation. Older bunnies IME aren't as destructive. The wee's outside litter box could be related to mobility (arthritis is almost inevitable in an 11 year old bun) so adaptations to what you use as litter tray (potting tray / dog bed) might help. Varies how tidy with toileting they are. older buns IME are worse (but its accidents near toileting area & a small price for their company). No you couldn't let him out in Winter & I think the same goes for boarding if they were outside. Few rabbits (again IME) like laminate - they need some traction. About him being a bad housemate - he's your 11 year old man so I'm sure he'll be perfect in his own way.

 

[joey&boo]

ohhh noise - likely he'll be wary but get used to stuff in time. I start say hoovering in a far room & over weeks bring the noise closer. Tele is on quietly, as is music.

 

[Shimmer]

Sounds like bringing him inside is a good option for his health. You could use puppy panels to cordon off a safe area for him with his essentials, or to keep him out of the way of eg wires. As for the flooring, he may not manage on laminate, but cheap washable doormats or runners work well. They are good for traction and easy to clean if there's any mess. He will need to be able to find his way round if he's losing his sight - so try to keep things in the same places and maybe get him used to one area, then extend it. You may get the odd thing chewed, and there will inevitably be hay in unexpected places, but it will be worth it.

I would be very wary of putting him outside on the odd day in winter - the temperature difference between a heated house and outside would be significant, and can stress them, especially not worth it if he's prone to RTIs.

 

[bunny momma]

Sending vibes that the abx will allow you to enjoy his company, and he yours as an indoor bunny.
Elderly bunnies can bring joy in their own way.
My indoor bunnies do not like my newer vacuum cleaner because it makes a higher pitch noise, though they are fine with tv and normal sounds. It is usually outside noise like thunder or a pounding sounds that makes them scurry to a hiding place.

 

[heleni]

thank you all for your help. Although he only saw the vet yesterday morning for an emergency visit, he seems to be doing much better and back to normal behaviour wise - eating and pooing again, and even his chest crackle sounds better after just one injection and one oral dose of antibiotics - so I think he might go on for a while yet! I am quite excited at the idea of him moving inside, I will look into some washable rugs and mats, might pick up something suitable/cheap at the charity shops or I could just use some old bathmats I already have in the short term, see how much he toilets on them. He already has a large potting tray for a litter tray and that works well with no over-spray, so that'll be brought in with him. I need to move some furniture around and get to the shops but hopefully I might get him inside by the weekend! I will have to investigate rabbit boarding that can do indoor or heated shed provision though I doubt we will go away until the warmer weather anyway.

 

[Orenoko]

I would bring him in as it may also help his recovery. I agree with others, you could put puppy pads down everywhere alongside having a litter tray so that any accidents are easy to clean. Pets at Home basic puppy pads (forget the name but they're about £15 for 100) have little sticky pads on the bottom so they shouldn't slip.

He may need a bit of time to adjust, especially given he is partially sighted.

Re boarding, I would see if there are any reputable pet sitters near you that can come and look after him as needed rather than disrupting him. Some boarders have indoor accommodation as well but it might be less stressful given his age and additional needs if someone can come to him.

 

[heleni]

Following up from my message last week, I moved my bunny in last Thursday. I found some old vinyl in the loft, about 3.5 x 5ft, so put that in the dining room and moved in his big potting tray /litter tray and his hideaway house, along with some of his carpet squares, an old bath mat and some toys. He has free range of the dining room and living room but as yet has not ventured off his vinyl patch. He seems to spend most of his time dozing, I'm hoping that with time he will become more adventurous and want to interact with us a bit more. Mind you, the twice a day Baytril might be putting him off coming near me too often!!

 

[bunny momma]

I am sending vibes he will adapt quickly to indoor living. Yes, Baytril does taste awful.

 

[Pets mum]

Have a look on Amazon for inexpensive washable runners, they come in all sizes, and do a great range. I think both you and he would enjoy him being indoors, a bit of mess is inevitable, but well worth it in my opinion. A long handled dust pan and brush at the ready, makes life easier too. Good luck, hope he remains well.

 

[joey&boo]

That's nice he is cosy inside. Pets mums idea is a good one. You might be able to encourage him out by leaving a few tasty titbits just out of his comfort zone.

My old bunnies sleep / slept loads. Mouse used to be based in my lounge, have free access to the whole of downstairs but in her last year or 2 would only actually use a small half of our lounge which is a small room in the first place

 

[Preitler]

Mind you, the twice a day Baytril might be putting him off coming near me too often!!

I give my almost 11yo Fury Metacam once a day for her athritis - on a little kitchen oatmeal, and she loves it. That's my way to administer drugs, at least if it's not too much to get soaked up.