Fed Up!!!

Hi! I'm Stella. I am two, and a Netherland dwarf/lop cross. I am so fed up with my (human) grandparents!!!
My momma wrote them a whole essay about me needing to live inside, because as of right now I live outdoors. Please do not give my momma hate. She loves me so very much, and just wants help. Her dad and mom said no, that she'd need to keep her room clean(it's spotless) and my hutch clean(she cleaned it ysterday) until JUNE GUYS ITS BAD AND I JUST WANT SOME HELP WHAT CAN MY MOMMA DO??????

So sorry Stella about your situation. I am sure that your Momma wants the best for you. I suspect that your Grandparents grew up in a time and place where it was common for rabbits to live outside. Years ago I rescued some rabbits that lived inside, but they did not have a good life. My daughter had allergies, and I had to keep them outside for my daughter to be healthy. I am lucky that I like spending time outside. I fenced in an area where I could let them run and play everyday. I used old lawn furniture and bricks and made an obstacle course for them. I would put up a tarp when the cold wind was blowing so I could sit out there and hold and pet my rabbits without freezing. It was quiet outside, away from the noise in the house, and I loved spending time outside with my rabbits.

My children have grown up and moved away, and I have my rabbits in the house now, and it is easier to care for them. But I do miss watching my rabbits running through the grass doing binkies by their hutch, in a place which became a kind of sanctuary for me.

I don't know why your Grandparents won't allow you to live in the house, but I am sure they have their reasons. I hope someday your Momma can change their minds. Until that day comes, I hope your Momma can find ways to enjoy spending time with you outside. You are lucky to have a Momma that cares so much for you, and Grandparents that allow your Momma to keep you.

Been a while since I wrote here. My momma has been cleaning my hutch VERY frequently (though I try to keep her from doing so, it's my territory after all), and I'm on a diet where I don't get as many pellets or fruit but I do get veggies like lettuce and I get as much hay as I want! But I still live outdoors. Momma has kept her room clean, and they're main reason for making me stay outdoors is that I used to live in my own poop. That's only because momma had trouble cleaning it because I like it the way it is, but I can's say that out loud. Momma booked me a vet appt. for the 19th of February so they can give me an ears-to-tail checkup then tell her and gramma how much it would cost to get me spayed. She thinks that since I am territorial, this might calm me down a bit, and then if I can even get spayed we don't know the price yet that after if I do get spayed that I will stay inside to be monitored for some time and they will se how good I can be. Do you think this is fair?

This does sound fair. Trial time is better than no time inside at all. Make sure your momma is helping with chores around the house too! Doing the dishes, vacuuming, or cleaning a bathroom wins over my mom almost completely!

Thank you so much were really looking forward to this checkup

StellaBunny, the most important factor in whether a bunny survives the spaying surgery is whether their kidneys can process the anesthesia.
There is a renal (kidney) test that can be done head of time to find out if anything is wrong with the kidneys. It costs about $90. The vet will be able to tell your mom if it is likely necessary to test your kidneys. I hope you can live inside soon, or, perhaps better yet, live inside most of the year and live outside during the really nice weather.

Hi Stella! My name is Pumpkin. The previous bunny before me lived in a wire bottom cage for 1 full year before my dad found out about LennontheBunny, who taught him that they should be indoors. It took him soo long to convince my granddad that she should be indoors. My dad had to find some common grounds with my granddad. So every morning, he'd take her from her cage, and put her in the back porch where my granddad was ok with. Then my granddad slowly realized that us bunnies can be potty trained, and are perfect inside. My dad was even able to get her spayed. Sadly she passed away a while ago. I'm so grateful for her because she showed my granddad that bunnies are so much fun and playful, and that we CAN be kept inside. Now I don't have to ever experience a caged life and I love it.

(Talking to your mom here) 1st of all, show your dad that you are responsible to keep Stella inside by doing chores and keeping your room clean. Then somehow find common ground with your dad, like just having Stella be in a playpen in your room or something like that. Agree that if Stella is bad, she can go back in the pen (since she won't be bad). Then he will realize that bunnies can be potty trained and that there's nothing to worry about. Of course, you will need to get her spayed so she is 100% potty trained. Getting your bunny spayed is totally worth the money. There is a really good chance that at 3 years old, she could get uterus cancer. Fixing your bunny will prolong their life and make them less territorial and destructive.

Good Luck, Pumpkin

Hi guys! It's Stella's mom. We had the vet visit yesterday! Stella had a great trip. The vet did tell me that her nail which she lost a couple months ago will not grow back, which I did not think was the case. Stella is pretty healthy, she's only 5% overweight so I'm cutting down to no pellets, which the vet advised to me. The vet put in a few good things about spaying while also mentioning the risks, and he even got my mom to say ''We'll talk about it" to me! I'm so excited.

Good for you!

While I keep house rabbits, it's not a tragedy for rabbits to live outside. They have been bred as livestock and most breeds do fine outside if they are safe from predators and weather. The most important thing is to keep they cool in Summer and make sure they have access to liquid water when the temps are below freezing.

Nearly all breeds are capable of growing a proper coat to keep warm as long as they have a dry snug bow with hay or straw to go into when things get nasty. Rabbits that were born or raised outside seem to miss it when they become house bunnies and I've seen them try to get outside, where as those born indoors or in totally enclosed barns don't seem to have the same interest. That's my experience via 45 years of keeping rabbits.

Stella can have a long happy life either indoors or outdoors. I've kept rabbits both ways and honestly my outdoor buns tended to outlive my indoor buns. Fresh air and not being able to get into nearly as much mischief or have access to the dangers of indoor living has its benefits.