Hello fellow rabbit owners,
Six weeks ago I expectantly became the owner of two baby boy rabbits who I named Charlie and Ewan. I was simply visiting a friend who told me of a friend of hers who's rabbits had just had a littler and the babies were going to be released into the wild when they were old enough. Shock horror!!! I know a little about animals and just enough about rabbits to understand that domestic rabbits will not survive in the wild and that the owner was sentencing them to death. I felt responsible knowing what I did and immediately asked if I could go and see them.
After hearing the horror of an imminent release I expected to discover the worst of care situations but was pleasantly surprised. The kits had been an unwanted surprise but the two adult rabbits (thought to be two girls until the pregnancy) were actually well cared for and loved. I told the lady what I knew could happen to domestic rabbits in the wild and she agreed to let me have the two babies. I believe she genuinely thought that they would be happy in the wild. :roll:
I was assured they were 8 weeks old and ready to leave their mother so I went off that day and purchased all I could for them before collecting them the next day. I of course took them straight to a vet who confirmed that they were about 8 weeks and were in good health. Phew!
My original plan was to house them outside, I spent a small fortune on a large hutch, sectioned off half a good size shed for them to roam in and did everything I could to make them a comfortable home. Then I found that I simply didn't see them enough and they were becoming less and less tame. I had heard of house rabbits and feel in love with the idea of sharing a close bond with my boys. Outside they seemed to be little more than a garden ornament.
This is where my problem begins... I brought the hutch inside. It is currently taking up most of my hallway and stinking the house out with wee smells. Yuck! After doing some research on what best to house a house rabbit in I borrowed a dog crate but only used it for a day as it was a bit too small for both Charlie and Ewan and it caused such a mess because the base tray is so shallow. I have ordered a huge one but am worried that it'll be far too messy. I'm already hovering wood shavings and hay from all round my house and can't keep anything clean for a second. What bedding do people use in a dog crate?
When I used the dog crate for that short time thier wee just went over the sides of the litter tray and out the bars of the cage onto my floor. Are the corner littler trays big enough for a rabbit, they seem so small, and do I need one for each corner? Charlie and Ewan seem to use all corners of their current hutch to wee in despite also using the littler tray. I'm very concerned that using the dog crate will just make the whole mess situation worse but I need to get the smelly hutch out of the house.
Talking of mess... The rabbits are allowed free reign of the downstairs which they adore but they are totally trashing my house. I heard that it is easier to littler train a rabbit than a cat, currently I disagree. Charlie and Ewan are pooing all over my house, they wee on my living room rug and my sofa and I'm getting sick of living in their toilet. I do expect some mess from house rabbits, a bit of hay etc but combine that with the constant pooing and wees and I can't cope!
I use a litter tray of wood based cat litter for them to wee in. I clean up their wee as soon as they do it and pick up thier poo and put it in the tray (which is in thier hutch) but every time I turn around they have pooed 10 more times. They do wee on the sofa less than they did before but only because they are banned from the furniture. Despite being banned, as soon as I turn my back Ewan jumps on the sofa to see how many poos he can cover it with and if he has time for a quick wee before I lift him off. Oh no!
I was told to try using a spray bottle of water and spray them to tell them off. I was reluctant as it seemed a bit mean but I tried doing it for the first time last night (I'm at the pulling my hair out stage) but they took absolutely no notice, just sat there looking at me as if to say "OK then spray me, see if I care."
I am praying the situation changes soon or the boys will find them selves garden ornaments again. I would like to try and keep them as indoor rabbits if I can, they have such character and I'd miss them if they were housed outside, I also feel I can care for them much better with them inside. But right now I feel it cant get much worse and I'm about to put them back in the shed.
If anyone has some advise for me I would really appreciate it.
Thank you in advance.
Kind Regards,
Candie
Six weeks ago I expectantly became the owner of two baby boy rabbits who I named Charlie and Ewan. I was simply visiting a friend who told me of a friend of hers who's rabbits had just had a littler and the babies were going to be released into the wild when they were old enough. Shock horror!!! I know a little about animals and just enough about rabbits to understand that domestic rabbits will not survive in the wild and that the owner was sentencing them to death. I felt responsible knowing what I did and immediately asked if I could go and see them.
After hearing the horror of an imminent release I expected to discover the worst of care situations but was pleasantly surprised. The kits had been an unwanted surprise but the two adult rabbits (thought to be two girls until the pregnancy) were actually well cared for and loved. I told the lady what I knew could happen to domestic rabbits in the wild and she agreed to let me have the two babies. I believe she genuinely thought that they would be happy in the wild. :roll:
I was assured they were 8 weeks old and ready to leave their mother so I went off that day and purchased all I could for them before collecting them the next day. I of course took them straight to a vet who confirmed that they were about 8 weeks and were in good health. Phew!
My original plan was to house them outside, I spent a small fortune on a large hutch, sectioned off half a good size shed for them to roam in and did everything I could to make them a comfortable home. Then I found that I simply didn't see them enough and they were becoming less and less tame. I had heard of house rabbits and feel in love with the idea of sharing a close bond with my boys. Outside they seemed to be little more than a garden ornament.
This is where my problem begins... I brought the hutch inside. It is currently taking up most of my hallway and stinking the house out with wee smells. Yuck! After doing some research on what best to house a house rabbit in I borrowed a dog crate but only used it for a day as it was a bit too small for both Charlie and Ewan and it caused such a mess because the base tray is so shallow. I have ordered a huge one but am worried that it'll be far too messy. I'm already hovering wood shavings and hay from all round my house and can't keep anything clean for a second. What bedding do people use in a dog crate?
When I used the dog crate for that short time thier wee just went over the sides of the litter tray and out the bars of the cage onto my floor. Are the corner littler trays big enough for a rabbit, they seem so small, and do I need one for each corner? Charlie and Ewan seem to use all corners of their current hutch to wee in despite also using the littler tray. I'm very concerned that using the dog crate will just make the whole mess situation worse but I need to get the smelly hutch out of the house.
Talking of mess... The rabbits are allowed free reign of the downstairs which they adore but they are totally trashing my house. I heard that it is easier to littler train a rabbit than a cat, currently I disagree. Charlie and Ewan are pooing all over my house, they wee on my living room rug and my sofa and I'm getting sick of living in their toilet. I do expect some mess from house rabbits, a bit of hay etc but combine that with the constant pooing and wees and I can't cope!
I use a litter tray of wood based cat litter for them to wee in. I clean up their wee as soon as they do it and pick up thier poo and put it in the tray (which is in thier hutch) but every time I turn around they have pooed 10 more times. They do wee on the sofa less than they did before but only because they are banned from the furniture. Despite being banned, as soon as I turn my back Ewan jumps on the sofa to see how many poos he can cover it with and if he has time for a quick wee before I lift him off. Oh no!
I was told to try using a spray bottle of water and spray them to tell them off. I was reluctant as it seemed a bit mean but I tried doing it for the first time last night (I'm at the pulling my hair out stage) but they took absolutely no notice, just sat there looking at me as if to say "OK then spray me, see if I care."
I am praying the situation changes soon or the boys will find them selves garden ornaments again. I would like to try and keep them as indoor rabbits if I can, they have such character and I'd miss them if they were housed outside, I also feel I can care for them much better with them inside. But right now I feel it cant get much worse and I'm about to put them back in the shed.
If anyone has some advise for me I would really appreciate it.
Thank you in advance.
Kind Regards,
Candie
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