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I want to set up a rabbit hotel.......???

Good morning bunny lovers

If uve read any of my posts before u may know that im currently turning my garage into a bunny sanctuary so that i can look after more.
On one side of the garage i want to have 4 pens, with a hutch and space for the buns to run about and then on the other side i want a few hutches, and some spare hutches for other buns, i only want 10 in total that are mine, and spare hutches for the rabbit hotel.

I want to set up a rabbit hotel where people can bring their small furry animals to me and i shall look after them until they pick their animal back up. im asking for a deposit as i bet many people will never come back to pick up thier pet, i wont charge a lot per day perhaps £2-4 per day and discounts if its a week, depending on the animal.

Im in the middle of creating a website, but i was wondering if i need some kind of 'licence' thing to do this as ive not got a clue or do i have to become a member of some group - does any one know how to set this up so it is legal for me to have a rabbit hotel??? I may not even get any buns to look after, but i can try!! and all the money to look after buns will be going straight back into the rabbit hotel to provide the buns with straw and hay and food etc etc.

Can anyone help or give me any advice??

Sam xx
 
Hiya Sam :D

To run a rabbit Hotel you need to do several things
1) Contact your local Council and register with them, you do not require a license as such , but you have to register and licences may be brought in soon.
2) You need to make proper arrangements with your Council abot waste disposal.
3) You require Pet Hotel Insurance, Pet plan do one which covers you incase someones rabbit is ill whilst in your care, or has an accident whilst walking around your property!.
4) If you do not own your own home , you will require written permission to run a business from the house
5) If you own your own home, itis advisable to ask your neighbours thoughts about your intentions else you could run into trouble, as traffic will increase with people collecting and dropping off rabbits
6) Rabbit Boarding does not provide an income, just some help towards looking after the bunnies in your care.
By the time you have brought and maintained things, we are lucky if we cover costs and we have been going for 4 years now!.
It is something you do because you really want to, not with the view of making money.
7)All your own rabbits must be fully vaccinated twice yearly against Myxomatosis and once against VHD, as must all your boarding bunnies
8) You need to keep your own rabbits completely separate to the boarding area, not easy to do if space is short.
9) You have to be quite strong emotionally as you do meet some people occasionally who are rude and turn on you :? I have been quite upset at times, so you have to be prepared for this :wink:

I hope this does not sound negative , I am not trying to dampen your enthusiasm, but you have to be realistic.
Hope the above notes help give you a starting point :D
 
OK

Yes, thanks for your help

Sounds like a lot of trouble. Do you have to fill out forms from the council etc etc or just send them a letter with my proposal??

I dont think my neighbours would have a problem with it because they will all be in a garage, and i dont think il get much business but id like to provide it just incase i may be of some help to someone. Im not expecting to earn loads of money - i just want to help people with their buns and get a bit of money for bedding and food and stuff.

Yes they will be seperate! my buns will be in the pens and the hutches are for the hotel, i have some spare pens so the hotel bunnies can use them.

Do you know how much the insurace is from petplan to look after other peoples buns??

I need to phone them soon to insure my buns - i only have 2 at the mo.

Im a dedicated and responsible person and i really want to do this.

What kind of problems have u had with other people? do u ask for a deposit when people leave their buns with you? and have any of them not come back to pick them up??

sam xx
 
i think when adele says you have to keep you buns separate from the hotelled buns she means literally, not in the same garage, ie no contact.... your resident buns need complete protection from any dieases that the pasting buns maybe carrying!!!!!
 
Yes that is correct Bunnylove, the rabbits have to completely separate and never use the same areas even if sterilised in between bunnies.
We have boarding sheds and rooms, and completely separate rooms for the Sanctuary rabbits...the two lots never mix!!. I ask to see all vaccination cards on a Clients arrival and turn rabbits away if they are not up to date...as this invalidates the Insurance cover.

It is a lot of work setting it all up properly, and it is sheer hard work, but if you really want to help bunnies then the rewards are high from that perspective.

I have a CONTRACT between Clients leaving their rabbits so we are all clear about what to do in emergencys, who is responsible for Vets Bills, and what you are giving as a service yourself.
We always take deposits (or donations in our case) as it takes me agood hour and a half between each rabbit to sterilise the area properly, and then you have to remake everything up ready for the next rabbit.

Write to your Council and then at least you have their reply in writing.

We use Pet Plan Insurance covers you for 10 rabbits..people often have their rabbits covered by Insurance already, but this does NOT cover your rabbit Hotel!!. I pay around 11 pounds a month for Insurance for the pet Hotel.
I find the biggest costs are updating and maintaining hutches, pens, providingf bedding, food, litter trays, and I use litres of disinfectant.I spend at least 5 pounds a week just on dispossible gloves that I wear between each group of bunnies to avoid passing anything from one rabbit to another,
It is very expensive and for the first three years, I was working at a loss financially. Quite a few people begin boarding and then pack it in after a few years, as it is not like Catteries which can command quite a good income. I worked solidly all last year, but still just about covered our costs, with nothing spare in the rabbit kitty.
iT is purely a labour of love :wink: :D
 
ummm

AHHHHHH I C!!!

Oh well i only have a garage, there isn't any other space that i can have - its taken 6months to persuade my bf to let me have 2 rabbits and now after more months i have managed to persuade him to let me have his garage as he doesn't use it and to let me have more bunnies.

If i did have a bunny hotel i would only have room for 3 bunnies as the rest will be mine - so i might give the idea a miss, as i dont have the space, im allowed the garage and thats it, lol. i wish i could have more space, but the space will now be used for me to rehome more buns. Ive got a lot of thinking to do about where to keep them. i.e in hutches/ huches and runs/ etc etc!!!

How are your bunnies spaced out? have u got any photos you could show me of your layout?? Do you have hutches with pens attached? just hutches and seperate runs??

sam x
 
Hiya Sam

Have a look at the section on YOUR STORIES and PHOTOS and the Guardian Angels Sanctuary Rabbits thread...if you peep at that, you can see some of our rabbit units and areas :D
It is difficult to describe as each area / unit is different..but we have one main shed, and several smaller ones...all separate units, but we have a big garden so are very fortunate, else we could not do it.

If you decide not to do boarding, you could still foster for your local RSPCA, that is rewarding and I know your help would be invaluable.Then you would not need to go through all the problems of boarding set up...bit still be helping out in a big way??
Just an idea, I know the RSPCA are always looking for lovely responsible people just like you :D
 
Thanks

Yes i think i will do that :D

Id love to help out the RSPCA as they have loads of buns that need rehoming. i might go there on sat as i have a spare hutch, but he or she will have to be kept outside for a bit until the garage is sorted!!

The thing with me tho is that i want to click my fingers and the garage will be sorted, i hate having to wait for things, i want it done NOW, lol, it will prob take a few months for me to get the garage sorted, but im dedicated so perhaps it wont take too long. xx
 
That sounds like a great plan :D , I know what you mean about wanting things done now...the only way I solved my impatience on the rabbit area building was by marrying a Carpenter :shock: :shock: :roll: :lol: :lol:

If I can help with anything at all, (apart from loaning my hubby out to sort your shed out!!..he is a tad tied up here with our 34 rabbits!!), then do not hesitate to ask :D
Please let us know what happens re the fostering idea :D :D
 
Do forget even if you don't make money, just get your incomings to balence your out goings you still need to registered with the inland revenue and fill in a tax return. Its pretty easy if you ear under £15k a year you basically just fill in how much money you got, how much you spent and work out the difference. Its a giant (and slightly scary) looking forum until you release there are only about two pages of it you actually have to fill in.

Tam
 
ummm tax returns :(

TAX RETURNS??

They dont let u get away with anything do they?? i hate paying tax!!!

If i didnt get taxed id have an extra 5 grand to spend on my bunnies and the garage, imagine what i could do with 5 grand??!!

i could make the garage into a posh rabbit house, each bunny would have a hutch and a fence surrounding so they had room to run about. they'd have mini tv's, little lights that they could swithch on, a proper bed - no straw lol, there own air con system inside the hutch, mini gold rings and necklaces, and i could set up a rabbit restaurant/ bar where the bloke bunnies can pick up the girls lol :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ive not got the space for bunny boarding, so when the spring/summer comes the garage will be finished and i will foster and look after unwanted bunnies.

I cant wait -- please can i borrow your hubby?? my bf is good at making things, its just getting him to do them thats the problem, lol. Thats y i wish the clicking of my fingers would get it finished!!! Knowing my bf it will take atleast a year to get it sorted, but with me nagging, lol :lol: Hopefully it shouldnt be that long.

xx
 
bunnylove said:
adele you still have to quarenteen when you get new buns dont you?

Yes this is paramount :wink: ..we keep new arrivals quarantined for 6 weeks!.

On Tamsin did you have to mention Tax Forms, I have one sitting on my desk looking at me right now, you have just reminded me to get it filled in...would much rather be cuddling the bunnies :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
I'II see what my brother can quote you for some purpose built hutches and he makes all sorts of chicken arks, duck houses, dog kennels, rabbit hutches/runs for a living :lol:

Sounds like a good idea and I def would board my bunny with you esp as you live not far away at all :D
 
ellepotter said:
Adele said:
How do you keep your quarantined Rabbit's Adele?

Louise

All new arrivals go to a specific room in the house and remain there till the 6 weeks periods is past.
The rabbits have the run of the room, being quarantined certainly does not mean they should be kept in a small space :? ...just completely separate to the other rabbits.
A strict code of hygiene practice is followed here in the Sanctuary, especially as we have boarding bunnies too.
 
Thank you Adele!

Hope you don’t mind answering more questions.

Why do you quarantine for six weeks?
If you have more then one Rabbit in quarantine do you keep them in the same room or separate?
What sort of hygiene regime do you follow for the quarantined Rabbits?


Sorry for all the questions!

Louise
 
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