• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Survived Myxi but won't go back into his hutch.

Bird234

Young Bun
Hi all,

As you all may know my little rabbit Rolo suffered from Myxi, we kept him inside throughout his illness and as the weather has got better, we thought it would be better putting him back in his hutch, with the run attached via tunnel so he can run around a lot more, instead of waiting for us to come home from work to be let out.

We have obviously sanitised the whole hutch, his run and his tunnel. But he seems to sit outside in the run, and we think he has sat outside all night, which is sad :(

I put him back in his hutch this morning with his food, thinking he would be hungry and he just raced out down the tunnel and back into his run. We have put hay outside and a small bowl of food and water - hoping slugs and other bugs don't eat his food!

Anyone got any advice on getting him to stay in his hutch for at least a few hours? Can't bear him sleeping outside every night! We do think he is a bit blind and deaf on surviving Myxi but I tried luring him into his hutch last night with a phone light (shining it on the tunnel) and tapping the tunnel so he could find his way over, but no he stayed plonked outside.

Is he scared as when he was last in it he was ill? I don't know why he won't go in! :(

Hope someone can help!

Thanks Zoë and Rolo xx
 
Hi all,

As you all may know my little rabbit Rolo suffered from Myxi, we kept him inside throughout his illness and as the weather has got better, we thought it would be better putting him back in his hutch, with the run attached via tunnel so he can run around a lot more, instead of waiting for us to come home from work to be let out.

We have obviously sanitised the whole hutch, his run and his tunnel. But he seems to sit outside in the run, and we think he has sat outside all night, which is sad :(

I put him back in his hutch this morning with his food, thinking he would be hungry and he just raced out down the tunnel and back into his run. We have put hay outside and a small bowl of food and water - hoping slugs and other bugs don't eat his food!

Anyone got any advice on getting him to stay in his hutch for at least a few hours? Can't bear him sleeping outside every night! We do think he is a bit blind and deaf on surviving Myxi but I tried luring him into his hutch last night with a phone light (shining it on the tunnel) and tapping the tunnel so he could find his way over, but no he stayed plonked outside.

Is he scared as when he was last in it he was ill? I don't know why he won't go in! :(

Hope someone can help!

Thanks Zoë and Rolo xx

He may be lonely. Is there any way that he could remain a 'House Rabbit' if it is not possible for you to get another Rabbit to keep him company ?
 
Hi all,

As you all may know my little rabbit Rolo suffered from Myxi, we kept him inside throughout his illness and as the weather has got better, we thought it would be better putting him back in his hutch, with the run attached via tunnel so he can run around a lot more, instead of waiting for us to come home from work to be let out.

We have obviously sanitised the whole hutch, his run and his tunnel. But he seems to sit outside in the run, and we think he has sat outside all night, which is sad :(

I put him back in his hutch this morning with his food, thinking he would be hungry and he just raced out down the tunnel and back into his run. We have put hay outside and a small bowl of food and water - hoping slugs and other bugs don't eat his food!

Anyone got any advice on getting him to stay in his hutch for at least a few hours? Can't bear him sleeping outside every night! We do think he is a bit blind and deaf on surviving Myxi but I tried luring him into his hutch last night with a phone light (shining it on the tunnel) and tapping the tunnel so he could find his way over, but no he stayed plonked outside.

Is he scared as when he was last in it he was ill? I don't know why he won't go in! :(

Hope someone can help!

Thanks Zoë and Rolo xx


Hi Zoe :)


It could be that he just prefers to be outside :)

However, I don't know when you say he was waiting for you to come to let him out whether he was caged up during the day? It could be he is wary of being in the hutch in case he gets closed in? Or perhaps you meant letting him out into the garden?
 
My guess is he just likes being outside. As he has recovered from Myxi and the night temperature is quite reasonable at the moment, I don't think I'd be concerned. I have a rabbit who has survived Myxi and I don't treat him any differently to my other rabbits. When Rolo was previously outside, did he go in and out via the tunnel frequently, or did he prefer the run?

You haven't said how long he has been outside again and it may well be that he will start to go in and out of the hutch again in time. Is the run covered? I wouldn't leave hay, food and water outside unless it is.

Just re-read your post, could it be that the hutch still smells where you have cleaned it? Maybe put some of his droppings into a litter tray in the hutch.
 
Last edited:
Hi

Thanks for all your responses. We only put him outside in the hutch yesterday. I cleaned and sanitised it last week, so it could fully dry out. We've only put food and water outside this morning incase he hadn't eaten or drank.

He used to run happily up and down the tunnel to the hutch previously. Maybe he does just like the outside, we try and let him out for exercise for him to have a roam about and a run around. The hutch has his litter tray in the one he used in the house.
The run is double mesh covered with a fixed sheet over the top of one end, for shade and dryness.

As for friends and more rabbits, I don't think I would introduce more rabbits as I'm happy just with Rolo, but thanks for the suggestion :)
As for a house rabbit I don't think my dad is very happy with him taking over the whole room as a house rabbit and we don't have a cage for the indoors (he's shedding at the moment and his fur is EVERYWHERE !!)

Thanks again to all your responses :)
 
It sounds like he knows where the hutch is if he wants it and he just doesn't. I would make sure his run space has a shelter e.g. some sort of small wooden box that provides cover you could pick up a little second hand hutch or similar. That way you could also put the hay in to give it some protection.
 
Back
Top