Rabbit People

[Danita]

Someone who is renting a room in our home in the basement has a rabbit.
The other girl was letting the rabbit out all the time and the rabbit owner was upset, for various reasons. Honestly I think it was a bunny power struggle.
So bunny owner says roommate can't touch bunny and bunny is locked in her room. Roommate claimed bunny was neglected, no food for a day, in a tiny cage all the time.
Bunny owner says, Rabbits don't need to be out, they are fine in cages.

What is an ideal day for a bunny, should they be out, what size cage?
Do they get lonely?
If the bunny isn't being cared for well, she will have to go. Not fair for us all to witness.

If anyone suggests, I help with the bunny, no, I have enough!

 

[Danita]

How often should cages be cleaned?

 

[Mizzely]

They definitely need time to exercise



They should have the cage cleaned weekly, but their potty spot done a few times a week.

 

[CrazyBirdChick]

Bunnies should definitely be allowed ATLEAST a few hours out of cage time a day! (though when I had a bunny years ago I never caged it. It lived in a bunny proof room) But I can see her not letting it out unsupervised if the room is not bunny proof because they eat everything (cords, carpet, you name it)

They do get lonely , and I would say their potty box should be cleaned about twice a week, at least. But that's just a potty box, where they poop and leave. I can't even say how often it should be cleaned if they are subjected to sitting on filth constantly.

Poor bunny.

But.....you also have to realize that there are sooooo many bunnies who don't even have a home. So I'm not sure if I would make someone leave or give up their rabbit if it's not being really abused.

Tough situation

Is there anyway you could talk to the owner kindly and explain to her that the bunny should get some time to stretch it's legs daily?

 

[Danita]

I won't kick the bunny out lol
The bunny will have to go back to her sister who has bunnies.

It is in a dog crate, about 4'x 3'

Sometimes she doesn't come home for 2 days.
The other roommate was spoiling him and he was in her room all the time, then bunny owner got mad.

 

[Danita]

She knew coming in, that the bunny has to be well cared for, in order for her to move it in to our house.

I will see the bunny crate tomorrow, have to go in her room to get to the storage.

 

[Danita]

They definitely need time to exercise

View attachment 238232

They should have the cage cleaned weekly, but their potty spot done a few times a week.

Clean every day?

 

[Danita]

the litter seemed so full when the bunny house was in the living area. Like that is all I saw in the litter, was poop.

 

[Mizzely]

Clean every day is of course ideal. The potty shouldn't be full of poop.

 

[Mizzely]

The dog crate is fine for a house, but they definitely need time to get out of that to exercise living in that.

 

[Deejo]

A bunny power struggle!!! Sorry but that was rather funny.
Why have a pet if you ignore it? Sad situation.

 

[Distaff]

Bunny cages smell if they are not kept clean. You need to make sure your basement is not getting chewed, nor saturated in rabbit urine while the animal is out. Two days at a time in the cage isn't all that bad, if kibble/hay is available, and the animal has access to fresh clean water. Countless rabbits are kept in horrible conditions, and by the book, at that - 30X30 inch suspended wire cage, alone, and out in the weather, with just a tin roof above. I've kept rabbits for many years, both in the house, and outside. I keep my outside rabbits in colony/family groups in spacious walk-in pens on the ground.

If your basement is still in good condition, the cage isn't stinky or visually gross, and the bunny looks healthy, I'd say things are probably ok. I definitely don't think that the other room mate should be regularly interfering with an animal that is not theirs.

 

[MommyBird]

if this link is of help? Has a number of articles on care, 1 vs 2 rabbits, etc.
Colorado HRS – Colorado HRS
What I will say about rabbits is that they LOVE to chew electrical cords so go down there and check all lamp cords, etc for fire hazards.

 

[finchly]

My bunny ate the numbers off the remote control once!

They only poop a few little bits at a time... wow... it'd take awhile to fill up the potty place!

Bunny care isn't that much different from bird care. Varied diet. Time out-of-cage daily. Change the papers (or litter) daily or every other day. Clean water at all times.

My friend kept one in a dog crate that size. I guess it was a good enough place, but when she gave it to me I put it in a bigger cage and also let it out to play with other bunnies. I used to take lots of boxes and create a maze with treats at certain spots -- a foraging maze! And turn them loose in it.

 

[JLcribber]

I won't kick the bunny out lol
The bunny will have to go back to her sister who has bunnies.

She's not looking after it very well. That's the course I would be taking.

 

[Danita]

I will see the bunny today, if her room has rabbit urine in it, OMG

Thanks for the input everyone, will update you

 

[Laura729]

I petsit frequently for a sweet rabbit (he comes to stay at my house and he's besties with my cat - long story), so I'm certainly not an expert, but agree with what others have said about needing out of cage time! Usually when Perry (the rabbit) is here, he has "free-range" access to a large part of the house so he can run around and play (same at his home). He LOVES it. He also likes to play with toys (not any of the rabbit toys I buy him, of course, but random objects he chooses from around my house so I always have to double check what he can get to...). If he is in his "enclosure" (a large, gated, play-pen area) for an extended time for some reason, he gets frustrated and actually very mad sometimes!
Perry has 2 litter boxes (in different locations) that he uses, so there are days I've not changed 1 or both every day, but it depends - as others have mentioned you have to look out for the soaked hay or bedding.
Rabbits are much more intelligent and sensitive than people sometimes realize or give them credit for, and they definitely can get lonely. He's shy with people overall but will seek me out sometimes to sit by me, especially if he can't find his (my) cat buddy.

Let us know how it goes!!

 

[Debbie]

Does the rabbit have a litter box? If so that should be changed at least every other day, if not every day. I had my rabbit in a huge cage, but it also got to run around my back yard about 4 times a week. I never let it loose in the house unless I was watching. They can chew carpet and cords...Also if you have tile floor, when they do their bunny jumps, they can break their backs. They say bunnies do better in pairs, I always just had 1, but I did make sure it got lots of attention. If I was to do it over again I would use a dog exercise pen, that gives them a lot more room than a cage. They also need nail trims, and teeth checked...oh and something to chew on to wear down those teeth...And it's good to clean cage and box often, because if they stop pooping that is an emergency situation for them, and they can pass very quickly. (A syringe of pineapple juice usually gets them going again ) They love to throw around toys! There are people who give their rabbits free roam of parts of the house, but you really have to have the right set up for them. And of course they need to be litter box trained.

 

[Peppo]

Pepper has a large crate in the living room. She comes out every night after supper around 5 and stays out until 9 when I put all animals to bed. She has the run of the house when she is out. Thorough cage cleaning at least once per week, also extra scoops of litter box as needed. Her crate is not too far from Paco's cage in the same room so I hope they keep each other company during the day. I like all my guys in the livingroom so they are never lonely. Thank goodness they get along so they can be out at the same time, supervised of course!

 

[Danita]

It looks like the bunny is okay, I saw him on the weekend.
I guess it really is no different then keeping a bird in a cage, really.
He hasn't wrecked her room!