likkibunni
Young Bun
Hello
I really really need some help please as im getting to the end of my tether and i really dont know what to do
Basically my rabbits are shadow, a neutered female who ive had for three years and Bailey a neutered male who i adopted form the RSPCA last year. They are both indoors with shadow living inside all her life but Bailey was an outdoor bun before we got him.
Shadow had been very happy living inside and im glad she did as she loved running around the house playing with things and gettin loads of attention from us. But I think Bailey is really unhappy being indoors.
They live in a big dog crate on two levels and im having huge problems with him digging the litter tray out and then the both of them weeing and pooing outside the litter tray in the kicked out litter. This soaks through to the bedsheet i have on the base plus they wee over the side which goes all over the carpet. i dont blame shadow as she goes to the toilet on litter and i think her eyesight is going. But a couple of months ago Bailey started going to the toilet outside the littertray and when id put it in the tray hed get very annoyed and agressive and now he kicks it out everywhere. Its really stressing me out as it takes about half an hour to take it all out, clean the cage put a new sheet in and bedding etc and after getting in from work from working long hours til 7 or half 7 its really p***ing me off. I dont mind doing it once a week and changing the litter everyday which is a two minute job but its costing me a fortune in litter and washing powder!
Bailey also never plays or runs about and when he does throw things around its like hes angry not having fun. When im at home i leave the door open but they dont come out anymore. They just sit in the cage and then at night he tries to destroy everything in the cage which is keeping me awake at night as its in the bedroom. Also its affecting Shadow. She used to love coming out and spend all day out of the cage playing and shredding newspaper etc but now shes like a 'shadow' of her old self. She rarely plays now and just sits next to him and the pair of them look miserable. Shes a clean rabbit and its not fair that she has to live in one big litter tray.
I think he digs at the litter and is destuctive becasue hes frustrated i dont think hes suited to life on the inside. I know rabbits like to dig but he never used to do it. Also he goes for our cat which he has done from the start but hes getting more and more aggressive and last night he tore a chunk out of our nervous resuce cat. Needless to say OH is very angry.
Please any advice would be appreciated. Its gettin to the point where im considering getting rid but i dont want to as i got Bailey cos i didnt want to get rid of Shadow but now i may have to get rid of her BECAUSE of him. its not fair.
BTW we live in a flat with no outside space. Ive also tried a number of things to discourage the digging litter and providing other things to dig but no luck.
I really really need some help please as im getting to the end of my tether and i really dont know what to do
Basically my rabbits are shadow, a neutered female who ive had for three years and Bailey a neutered male who i adopted form the RSPCA last year. They are both indoors with shadow living inside all her life but Bailey was an outdoor bun before we got him.
Shadow had been very happy living inside and im glad she did as she loved running around the house playing with things and gettin loads of attention from us. But I think Bailey is really unhappy being indoors.
They live in a big dog crate on two levels and im having huge problems with him digging the litter tray out and then the both of them weeing and pooing outside the litter tray in the kicked out litter. This soaks through to the bedsheet i have on the base plus they wee over the side which goes all over the carpet. i dont blame shadow as she goes to the toilet on litter and i think her eyesight is going. But a couple of months ago Bailey started going to the toilet outside the littertray and when id put it in the tray hed get very annoyed and agressive and now he kicks it out everywhere. Its really stressing me out as it takes about half an hour to take it all out, clean the cage put a new sheet in and bedding etc and after getting in from work from working long hours til 7 or half 7 its really p***ing me off. I dont mind doing it once a week and changing the litter everyday which is a two minute job but its costing me a fortune in litter and washing powder!
Bailey also never plays or runs about and when he does throw things around its like hes angry not having fun. When im at home i leave the door open but they dont come out anymore. They just sit in the cage and then at night he tries to destroy everything in the cage which is keeping me awake at night as its in the bedroom. Also its affecting Shadow. She used to love coming out and spend all day out of the cage playing and shredding newspaper etc but now shes like a 'shadow' of her old self. She rarely plays now and just sits next to him and the pair of them look miserable. Shes a clean rabbit and its not fair that she has to live in one big litter tray.
I think he digs at the litter and is destuctive becasue hes frustrated i dont think hes suited to life on the inside. I know rabbits like to dig but he never used to do it. Also he goes for our cat which he has done from the start but hes getting more and more aggressive and last night he tore a chunk out of our nervous resuce cat. Needless to say OH is very angry.
Please any advice would be appreciated. Its gettin to the point where im considering getting rid but i dont want to as i got Bailey cos i didnt want to get rid of Shadow but now i may have to get rid of her BECAUSE of him. its not fair.
BTW we live in a flat with no outside space. Ive also tried a number of things to discourage the digging litter and providing other things to dig but no luck.