Moving town - worried rabbit will stress

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fluffy_lop

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Australia
Hi everyone,
We are moving to a new town in a couple of weeks. We have bought a house which is fully carpeted, so rabbit will not be able to live indoors any more, except perhaps at night. I am a bit concerned that he won't cope with the stress of moving to a new place and a change of environment.
I have a friend with two bunnies who has offered to adopt him. He would still have a change of environment, but at least would have the option of bonding with her bunnies, because he is lonely and would love a friend.
What would be better - move him and keep him with familiar people but he would have to learn to live outside or rehome him to the friend where he would also have to live outside but could make some bunny friends?
I have been working on adjusting him to the outdoors for many months now, and he is a lot happier outside than he used to be. He now hops around, rests stretched out and eats and drinks when outside. I still have to provide him with his 'security litter tray', but he has never slept outdoors before because of foxes.
Interested in your thoughts.
 
Not sure why carpet would prevent bunny from living indoors. Most of our buns lived indoors on carpet. So long as he is litter trained there shouldn't be a problem. It is the more rare rabbit that will chew carpet in my experience.

As for your friend with 2 bunnies... that could be quite the difficulty. Trios don't always work out and can be difficult to accomplish. Sometimes the intro of a 3rd bun to an established pair can break the bond of the original pair. That would be a shame for your friend. Do you know if her rabbits are both girls?

Here are some of my buns in a carpeted home.

collage Mocha & S inside low reso.jpg

1673402902916.jpeg

1673402971651.jpeg

1673403050242.jpeg
 
They are very cute. Unfortunately Pluto tears up carpet, so I was hoping to not have to keep him inside. I may have to rethink.
 
I agree with Blue Eyes. However if your bunny is destructive to carpet, they can live outside happily as well. You'll want to consider climate. With bunny currently being inside, moving to a space that is 20° outside would not be the best idea. That type of climate change needs a little easing into. My rabbits all live in their own house. It is only mildly climate controlled, with a fan in the summer and heater to keep it just above freezing in the winter. Also many bunny's prefer solitude to other rabbit company unless it's breeding time. Good luck.
 
They are very cute. Unfortunately Pluto tears up carpet, so I was hoping to not have to keep him inside. I may have to rethink.
If he's a carpet destroyer, you could consider laying a sheet of linoleum on top of the carpet in a certain room or area. You can keep the carpet as is, just lay the sheet on top. But you'd need to block the edges of the lino to prevent chewing. An ex-pen or two could form a wall around the lino if you don't cover the entire room.

You may also want to think back on Pluto's carpet destroying history. Was this when he was still young and/or hormonal? If so, he may not be that way anymore. Or was it on certain type of carpet? Carpets with high pile, loops, or shag tend to be more of a chewing temptation while lower pile may not interest him. Was it in a specific corner or specific area where he may have smelled something (old urine, previous pet odor)? Then it may have been specific behavior to that specific trigger. Just some thoughts to consider.

If you are still thinking of housing him outdoors, there are a number of factors to think about. I assume he's vaxxed for RHVD2. What's the weather like there in your area (I know it's the warm season now). How hot does it get? Is the yard free of fertilizer, weed killer, parasites (fleas, ticks, mites)? He may be getting used to your current yard, but it will be a whole new situation/new start at the new (unfamiliar) place.

Also, if he is used to indoor living and being around the usual household activity, it won't be ideal to be put outside where he will (likely realistically) be alone for the vast majority of each day/night with few people in his direct vicinity. (Even if you sat outside with him for 3 hours per day, which I know I wouldn't have the time to do, that would leave him alone for 21 hours out of every 24 hours.) If the other outdoor considerations are addressed and he is to live outdoors, it would be advised to find a bondmate for him so he won't be so alone. If he is neutered, a spayed female could be an option. A rabbit rescue may have some available and they can help walk you through the bonding process. Be sure to read up on bonding if you go this route.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-bunnies.html
 
If he's a carpet destroyer, you could consider laying a sheet of linoleum on top of the carpet in a certain room or area. You can keep the carpet as is, just lay the sheet on top. But you'd need to block the edges of the lino to prevent chewing. An ex-pen or two could form a wall around the lino if you don't cover the entire room.

You may also want to think back on Pluto's carpet destroying history. Was this when he was still young and/or hormonal? If so, he may not be that way anymore. Or was it on certain type of carpet? Carpets with high pile, loops, or shag tend to be more of a chewing temptation while lower pile may not interest him. Was it in a specific corner or specific area where he may have smelled something (old urine, previous pet odor)? Then it may have been specific behavior to that specific trigger. Just some thoughts to consider.

If you are still thinking of housing him outdoors, there are a number of factors to think about. I assume he's vaxxed for RHVD2. What's the weather like there in your area (I know it's the warm season now). How hot does it get? Is the yard free of fertilizer, weed killer, parasites (fleas, ticks, mites)? He may be getting used to your current yard, but it will be a whole new situation/new start at the new (unfamiliar) place.

Also, if he is used to indoor living and being around the usual household activity, it won't be ideal to be put outside where he will (likely realistically) be alone for the vast majority of each day/night with few people in his direct vicinity. (Even if you sat outside with him for 3 hours per day, which I know I wouldn't have the time to do, that would leave him alone for 21 hours out of every 24 hours.) If the other outdoor considerations are addressed and he is to live outdoors, it would be advised to find a bondmate for him so he won't be so alone. If he is neutered, a spayed female could be an option. A rabbit rescue may have some available and they can help walk you through the bonding process. Be sure to read up on bonding if you go this route.
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bonding-bunnies.html
Pluto loves to chew and bite (things, not people). The carpet was a long-term project which I discovered behind the television cabinet, and yes, you are right he patiently pulled each thread of the high pile carpet out one-by-one over a period days or weeks. However, he still chews things, he has destroyed sheets and quilt covers when the girls put him on their beds for cuddles, any old bath towel or bathmats used for him get holes in them, he just likes to nibble. I can't trust him in the house anymore. When he's inside, he's confined to his ex-pen. I am also worried that he will be lonely, because I will be working 9-5, my older daughter will be away at university and the younger one isn't so into him. That's why when my friend fell in love with him and asked if she could have him, I thought it might be a good idea, because she loves bunnies, and her bunnies are for her, not her kids.
Either way, whether she takes him or we keep him, he's going to go through a big adjustment and I am a bit worried he will fret and stop eating and die, and I would just appreciate any advice on how to mitigate the stress of a change like this, including a three-hour car trip to the new town.
 
I agree with Blue Eyes. However if your bunny is destructive to carpet, they can live outside happily as well. You'll want to consider climate. With bunny currently being inside, moving to a space that is 20° outside would not be the best idea. That type of climate change needs a little easing into. My rabbits all live in their own house. It is only mildly climate controlled, with a fan in the summer and heater to keep it just above freezing in the winter. Also many bunny's prefer solitude to other rabbit company unless it's breeding time. Good luck.
Thanks. It gets very hot here - high 30s low 40s in summer and frosty in winter. Where we're going is not as hot in summer but much colder in winter, so he will probably have to come indoors at night. I've been exposing him to longer periods of time outside for the last few months, but bring him in as soon as it reaches 30, even though he's always in the shade. I think he would like a friend, because he always jumps into the toy boxes and grooms the fluffy animals, and tried to make friends with our grumpy cat in the beginning, before he realised she wasn't going to be nice. Poor baby. Anyway, we'll see how he goes.
 
You could see if you and your friend could let the rabbits all meet and see how they react. You may get a sense of whether there is potential for a trio bonding or not. At least that would let you know either way.

If outdoors, the heat is more of an issue than the cold. You're already bringing him in if it gets too hot. How cold will it get come your cold season? If it gets very cold during the day, it isn't advised to then bring him in at night. The temp change makes it too difficult for them to regulate their body temp. It is easier on their body in the cold if they remain outdoors all winter (rather than spending cold days outdoors and then inside warmth at night). But they need to be out all Fall (all Spring where you are) first so they know to grow that winter coat.
 
Oh. I forgot to address your question about the move itself and mitigating stress. One thing we've found helpful whenever we've moved with rabbits is to save their move until the end. We moved as much as we could over to the new place first and got things as set up as we could around whatever would be their new area. That way, once they were physically moved to their new area, there would be little to no more changes in their area. That helps them to acclimate most quickly.

Also keeping them confined to their cage for a couple weeks seemed to be helpful as well. That way they feel secure in their new space, learn what is "their" space, all while they get acclimated to all the new sights, sounds and smells of their new environment. They are fine without the extra exercise during that adjustment period.

As for the 3 hour drive, I'd say just make it all one smooth trip. Don't make any stops if possible. The constant hum of the engine they will generally begin to get used to, but not if the car engine keeps getting turned off and then back on again. Here are some car transport tips:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Transport/Car/Car.htm
 
Oh. I forgot to address your question about the move itself and mitigating stress. One thing we've found helpful whenever we've moved with rabbits is to save their move until the end. We moved as much as we could over to the new place first and got things as set up as we could around whatever would be their new area. That way, once they were physically moved to their new area, there would be little to no more changes in their area. That helps them to acclimate most quickly.

Also keeping them confined to their cage for a couple weeks seemed to be helpful as well. That way they feel secure in their new space, learn what is "their" space, all while they get acclimated to all the new sights, sounds and smells of their new environment. They are fine without the extra exercise during that adjustment period.

As for the 3 hour drive, I'd say just make it all one smooth trip. Don't make any stops if possible. The constant hum of the engine they will generally begin to get used to, but not if the car engine keeps getting turned off and then back on again. Here are some car transport tips:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Transport/Car/Car.htm
Thanks. We'll definitely do it in one trip. It's not that far.
 

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