2 Homes?

[BunnySilver]

Hi again everyone! I was wondering something about possibly having 2 cage set ups at different homes for my bun. I am a teenager and my mom and dad do not live together so on the weekends I will usually stay at my dad's for a night each week. But of course when I do this my very loved bun, Silver, is left in his cage alone. I always make sure to give him a large bowl of food and lots of water and hay when I'm gone, but he doesn't get to run around and I just feel that he always seems a bit depressed when I come home. There are also times when I will have to stay over 2 nights and this is where the big question comes in.

Would it be too stressful to possibly bring him over there with me some of the times and set up a little cage for him (or could he stay in his carrier it's about 22 x 12 in)? I hope people don't think that this sounds self centered, but he would be able to get the hugs and run time instead of sitting lonely in his cage for a day. I was just wondering if this would cause to much stress or if not, what I should do to help him be least stressed and most happy. The sooner replied would be better, thank you all in advance.

 

[PaGal]

Without knowing your bun it would be impossible for me to say whether it would be too stressful or not. I think some buns would be fine with staying elsewhere now and then but am sure some would be very stressed. I would not keep him in a carrier though but provide him with a cage at both homes. I think a carrier would be too small even with free run time.

Can your mother not care for your bun when you are at your dads. I would be very concerned with leaving a bun with a large bowl of food. Buns should not be free fed pellets once they are older and it could cause GI upset. If you are leaving a large bowl of veggies then that also could cause GI upset.

 

[woahlookitsme]

All of my tans are free fed once daily in a large crock. They do very fine and I only have a couple that gorge themselves. I had two houses for a couple of my rabbits and they did well. Those two bunnies were so used to car rides though because they had been on rides since they were little. I had two cages for them and they did well.

 

[whiskylollipop]

Not being let out for a couple days a week is hardly the worst thing that could happen to a beloved pet bun. Don't feel so bad about it! If I were you, I'd say the best/least stressful thing for Silver would be is to leave him in one home. With a second home, he'll have to worry about establishing his territory and getting used to new smells, sounds, and a new routine. Not to mention the frequent car trips, which can be stressful for any bun.

Ask your mum to take charge of his diet and routine during the days you're away, so that he's not left suddenly with a large bowl of food that he might finish in a day then not have any the next. And if you can bunnyproof one good-sized room in your mum's house so he can be left there unsupervised, she might even be convinced to let him out in that room for a few hours a day.

 

[BunnySilver]

Thank you everyone for the replies so far. I am sort of torn between what I am going to do. Silver doesn't seem to be one that gets super easily stressed, but I don't know if I want to risk it. When I took him to the vet, he did seem a bit freaked out in the car but once we got there and I gave him many hugs and nose rubs and he seemed perfectly calm again eating hay and trying to explore out of his carrier. Yes I also thought that the carrier would be too small and I would figure out so somewhere else larger for him to sleep. Whiskey lollipop: My mom does check in on him when I am not there and she will give him a new bowl of food if he runs out. I would love to let him have a room to himself for the weekend, but unfortunately we don't really have any open rooms that could be bun proofed for him.

I think that I may just try bringing him over this weekend (I will be there for 2 days) to see how it goes. I am hoping that if I do bring him along he won't be stressed/scared. Anymore advice from others would be so greatly appreciated as the weekend is coming up and I only want the best scenario possible for my little bun.