Helping a Classroom Bunny... help!

Hey guys!

I’m in a weird position and decided I should ask some rabbit people what thoughts were on this. New to forums too, so I apologize if this is misplaced.

I work at a college as a teachers assistant in a veterinary assisting class. Not your typical class, I guess, as we are all adults who love animals.. But we are in session 4 days a week for 7 hours, and usually pretty preoccupied with things. When we are not there, A/C is turned off. Where we are located, summer easily maintains 3 digit temperatures...

4 weeks ago, the teacher decided a holland lop would be our new class pet. Didn’t do research but she had bunnies as a kid (didn’t we all, and we did it pretty wrong as my recent research shows me). That next week, a student brought one in from Craigslist... he is a 1 yr old unaltered male.
He lives in the Guinnea pig’s old cage which is barely large enough for his things and does not give him room to stand up in. I bought him a large pen and am beyond adamant about getting him out of there first thing every day, but still doesn’t seem good enough to have to live in the evening.. ( about the same size as a 40g breeder tank but only 12in tall)

I have been insistent on bring him home with me over the weekends because the thought of leaving him alone for 3 days is horrible to me. But I am concerned about stressing him with the transportation. Not to mention it is stressful for a rabbit to have different people handing him daily, wanting to do exams. Harmless things but still.

I’ve mentioned my concerns to the teacher, and she offered to buy him a bigger cage but I feel that is only a small partof the problem. I’m not a bunny person but I’ve been doing a lot of research and really feel that he deserves so much better. Today, I told her that he shouldnt be there and that he deserves a real home... she said she would think about it. It’s not that she doesn’t have his interests at heart or care about him, but it’s a selfish love and I don’t think she really -gets- it or has the desire to learn different unless I really push the issue. She did say she felt bad.

So I’m looking for some articles to help back me up... or any good information really. Hecks, even validation would be nice. I kinda feel like I’m stepping out of my bounds by making such a big deal of this but... this little guy has snagged my heart and I want to make sure he has the best life he can have. Thanks for advice in advance!

By any standards, either pet or breeder, that cage is entirely inadequate and that rabbit should absolutely not be kept in such a small cage. It's not healthy for it nor is it humane. A rabbit needs enough space to hop about or it's muscles can atrophy from lack of and inability to properly hop around or stand upright. This in turn can create movement and health issues. Even better is for a rabbit to have enough space to be able to run and play. If the cage were just the base for food and litter box, and the play pen that you got was permanently attached around the cage with the cage left open, that would be an adequate solution if there weren't other serious problems that are going to make it completely impossible to leave the rabbit at the school unattended.

Along with the caging issues, a really huge problem and a dangerous one that I see, is that with the approach of summer and warmer temps, the rabbit absolutely cannot be left at the school unattended with the AC off, at night or on the weekend. Rabbits overheat easily when the temps are over 80 degrees(imagine wearing a winter coat in summer), and if the rabbit were left at the school with the AC off and the indoor temp was too high, it would die of heat stroke. So potential charges of animal cruelty might be a good incentive for the teacher to allow you to make the necessary changes for the well being of this rabbit.

Another problem is leaving the rabbit unattended for 3 days. It's just not safe to do. Something could go wrong with the rabbits water supply and the rabbit could dehydrate and die. Or the rabbit could get sick and no one will be there to take the necessary steps to ensure the rabbit receives veterinary care.

I'm a little appalled that at a school and class of adults that love animals and are learning to be veterinary assistants(?), that this is the way an innocent pet is receiving care. It was an extremely poor decision on the part of your teacher to allow this to happen, without proper preparation and research to ensure the rabbit would receive the proper care. The only way that rabbit should be allowed to be at the school is if there is someone(such as yourself) who is willing to take proper ownership and care of the rabbit and give it the proper home, diet, and love that it needs. That this person takes the rabbit home with them each day, and that rabbit is only at the school supervised during class in proper living conditions. And I would say only do this if the rabbit is well adjusted and socialized with people, and that being at the school doesn't unnecessarily stress it.

If you are going to take on the care of this rabbit and want to see if bringing it to the school is going to work, as far as transporting it in the car, you will just need to see how it adjusts. Some rabbits will get used to riding in the car and not mind at all. I had a little bun that rode in the car with me all the time and didn't mind a bit. Then I have one rabbit that hates it as I'm pretty sure she gets carsick. With being handled a lot, some rabbits won't mind, some can get used to it and will tolerate it, and others will detest it and it may even scare them. So you would just need to see how this bun reacts and gauge whether or not this is too stressful for him.

Probably the best resource for the proper care and housing of rabbits for you, is going to be the house rabbit page, which happens to be headquartered in California. I've included a few other links as well.
https://rabbit.org/
https://myhouserabbit.com/rabbit-care/housing-your-pet-rabbit-indoors/
https://bunnyapproved.com/indoor-rabbit-housing/
http://www.therabbithouse.com/guide_size.asp
https://www.saveafluff.co.uk/housing-photos

And I just want to say well done to you for caring and advocating for this poor bun, and please let us know how things turn out.

Yes! What @JBun said! Plus. . . look what bunnies do when they are happy!

C Funk said:

I’m in a weird position and decided I should ask some rabbit people what thoughts were on this. New to forums too, so I apologize if this is misplaced.

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Glad you did, perfectly valid place on the forums to post it, too.

But we are in session 4 days a week for 7 hours, and usually pretty preoccupied with things. When we are not there, A/C is turned off. Where we are located, summer easily maintains 3 digit temperatures...

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These are all, quite literally, life-threatening red flags.

she had bunnies as a kid (didn’t we all, and we did it pretty wrong as my recent research shows me).

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Raise your hand if you had bunnies 20+ years ago and were truly shocked to find out how much their care advanced in that time. *Raises her hand*

He lives in the Guinnea pig’s old cage which is barely large enough for his things and does not give him room to stand up in. I bought him a large pen and am beyond adamant about getting him out of there first thing every day, but still doesn’t seem good enough to have to live in the evening.. ( about the same size as a 40g breeder tank but only 12in tall)

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Tell her that knowledgeable rabbit owners agree that this cage situation is incredibly cruel.

I have been insistent on bring him home with me over the weekends because the thought of leaving him alone for 3 days is horrible to me. But I am concerned about stressing him with the transportation. Not to mention it is stressful for a rabbit to have different people handing him daily, wanting to do exams.

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Transportation between environments might be stressful, but not nearly as stressful as dying from heatstroke/neglect.

So I’m looking for some articles to help back me up... or any good information really. Hecks, even validation would be nice. I kinda feel like I’m stepping out of my bounds by making such a big deal of this but... this little guy has snagged my heart and I want to make sure he has the best life he can have. Thanks for advice in advance!

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NOT out of bounds. NOT making "too big a deal". This rabbit WILL die under the conditions you've described and will be miserable for what little time he has left.

https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-housing/why-hutch-not-enough/
https://rabbit.org/
https://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/
https://www.binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/Default.aspx
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for taking such an interest in this poor rabbit. I'm generally against any sort of "classroom" pet, but rabbits are one of the worst choices. Would you keep a cat or dog as a classroom pet? Of course not! Rabbits need at LEAST the same quantity, quality and frequency of care as a cat or dog (plus they live an average of 8-10+ years and if they have a health issue, by the time you see the symptoms, you often have less than 24 hours to get them to a vet before it can prove fatal).

Seriously, I want to cry for this poor bunny and I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I (and the rabbit) will be if you can convince your teacher to let someone from the class adopt him or else surrender him to a shelter.

Thank you all for your responses. This is something that has been causing extreme anxiety for me this month, every Sunday especially because I hate bringing him back to the school. I’ve seriously considered quitting and running away with him, my position is temporary anyhow and I only have 2 months left. I know I’m not overreacting, but it’s weird to tell your boss and someone who taught you your trade that what they are doing is so wrong.
He is sooooooo happy at home, and has really come out of his shell with me. He jumps around and hops, and I’ve been trying to get him eating hay. He loves anything fresh!
Even though he does try to hump me quite a bit nothing a little snip won’t fix.
As much as I’d love to be his person it isn’t ideal. I have a senior dog with a surprisingly high prey drive, And live in an apartment. But I did tell her that I’d make it work until I could find him a home if no one in class wants to adopt him. Ultimately though, I would be working with some rescues to find him the best home.

I will keep you guys updated. That “I’ll think about it” has been pissing me off all night so am eager to see what she will have to say about it today.

Sounds like he has really won your heart already! Something tells me that one of these days, you're going to end up with a permanent bunny... I look forward to seeing you here if you do.

I completely understand what a tough position your boss has put you in and I'm proud of you for speaking up anyway. When a person with authority is doing something wrong it takes a lot of guts to be the one person who says something when everybody else is staying quiet. In the eyes of rabbits (and me), you are definitely a hero for looking out for this guy.

Please do keep us updated on his situation and let us know when he finds his "forever" home. If you can get the teacher's permission to find him a new home, there is also a section on these forms where you could post and see if anyone nearby will take him in.

Just an update! It’s been a frustrating day to say the least, sick of the drama. But the teacher had agreed to let me take the bunny home permanently this weekend...


... and instead look for a ‘smaller bunny’ since I told her hedgehogs were illegal here.
Oh my head!

Now, the school’s recruiter insists out of nowhere that she wants to take him home this weekend because her boys will love him. Reeally nervous about that for reasons, but nothing I can do. I want to scream at everyone, lol.

Anyways, already have his first vet visit scheduled and planning his neuter. Can’t wait to get him home and away from that place, planning to talk to the teacher again about future rabbits...

I hope all goes well. You've handled this whole situation very well.

Good for you, and that bunny boy! Regarding the boys "that will love him", I would ask their ages and if they have HOURS to spend with the bunny and if it doesn't seem/feel right, tell her NO. You've already been given the OK from the teacher to take home.

Maybe suggest to the teacher a hamster (maybe), snake, gecko, lizard, tortoise, etc. This seems like a more appropriate class pet if no one is planning to take them home and care for them. A Rabbit is NOT A CLASS PET...unfair for a rabbit to be closed up all day and then possibly left over the weekend....animal CRUELTY.

Good luck with your new bunny....

If hubby weren't sleeping a few feet away, I would scream right along with you, heh.

A syrian ("teddy bear" or "golden") hamster is a desert dweller that needs minimal attention/can go the weekend unattended and is the only animal I can think of that might fare ok in the conditions at the school (in a home made BIN CAGE, not a stupid store-bought cage - I don't remember the exact number, but 300-something square inches of floor space is the minimum recommended size. Also, a 12'' wheel, not a smaller one). Or goldfish. Really, though, any animal can need emergency attention and a weekend without anyone to notice symptoms could make the difference between life and death - for that reason, I'm against "class" pets. If she's dead-set on getting a pet, try a hammy or fish (though don't fish need to be fed daily?...).

April LD said:

Good for you, and that bunny boy! Regarding the boys "that will love him", I would ask their ages and if they have HOURS to spend with the bunny and if it doesn't seem/feel right, tell her NO. You've already been given the OK from the teacher to take home.

Maybe suggest to the teacher a hamster (maybe), snake, gecko, lizard, tortoise, etc. This seems like a more appropriate class pet if no one is planning to take them home and care for them. A Rabbit is NOT A CLASS PET...unfair for a rabbit to be closed up all day and then possibly left over the weekend....animal CRUELTY.

Good luck with your new bunny....

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Yes I definitely agree that there is a more suitable animal as a class pet (although the summer heat makes having anything harder). Rabbits are not an easy pet to take care of. They eat a lot, drink a lot and are generally not a pet I would ever leave unattended for more than a day.