Need advice..

[shelby_jonesss]

Hello everyone!
I'm afraid everything's going bad. I had a 5x7 two story cage for my male rabbit and he lived in it for about 8-9 months. My dad is getting fed up with how much space it takes up and he doesn't like the way it looks when people come over. I tried to move him to my room. I had a dog crate for when I wasn't home but any time that I was home he was out, but he ripped up my carpet and he's so loud at night. Which makes me just want to lock him up the whole time. I love him so much but I'm afraid the whole thing isn't working out. I have put so much money into neutering him and building him a $300 cage and paying for his supplies for over 2 years. He's not a bad bunny I'm just worried I'm not giving him the quality life he should have...

What should I do about the housing situations?

Should I consider finding him a new home? I would not sell him nor would I give him to someone I don't know well. View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1427556767.673678.jpg

 

[Devi]

Does he have any toys to keep himself entertained? Also he can be taught not to chew on your carpet. But really it sounds like he is bored.

 

[stevesmum]

Sounds like he needs a girlfriend. Bonded rabbits are less bored and tend to get into less trouble. However I can see your dad hitting the ceiling when you suggest it. But I think it would help.

 

[PetersMummy]

Omg how adorable is he!! Try making him some boredom breakers.. Stuffed toilet roll tubes etc. Or some natural toys. Sounds like he could be after a bit of 24/7 attention lol! X

 

[shelby_jonesss]

Thank you everyone ❤️ I love him so much I hope this all helps

 

[fluffybuns]

My rabbit roams the house freely 24/7 and generally keeps himself entertained at night or when I'm at work. Every now and then he will get into a bag of popcorn or a houseplant but mostly he doesn't poop or dig in the house. He's 2 now and it took a while to train him up right, and he will still poop in the bathroom is he gets in there for some unknown reason. I give him lots of newspaper and twigs and toys in his hutch he gets to shred at night when he is bored.

Your dad can use earplugs if the noise is bothersome, or you could rabbit proof your room and let him stay in there through the night.
As for the unsightly rabbit house, I'd say paint it or make it look more aesthetically pleasing or move it outside when guests are coming around and/or train rabbit to behave in the house and have free range.

It sounds to me like your dad isn't much of a rabbit person and thus will make things harder for you and your bun. This alone is a tough obstacle to overcome. Either train your dad to be more tolerant of the bunny or train your rabbit to not bother your dad as much....personally I think the dad might be easier to break in.

 

[fluffybuns]

In addition, I would never let my rabbit in my room while I was sleeping, he hops all over the bed and wakes me up every 5 minutes and gets into my laundry. He's a total pain in the butt for keeping in bedrooms at night.
In my opinion, the best (and only) way to have a happy relationship with your bun is to completely rabbit proof your entire house and let him do his own thing every night. They can be trained not to chew up carpet. My rabbit still nips at pillows every now and then but I'm not too concerned over these trivial possessions. The biggest thing you need to worry about is other pets, electric cords, house plants, and garbage.
I use garden hose and duct tape to cover all cords that Melvin can reach and he leaves them alone. Make sure you familiarize yourself with houseplant toxicity and move all plants where rabbit cannot get to them. Spend several hours letting him roam free under supervision until you feel he is comfortable and trained enough to have the house to himself at night.
That's what I did and it worked like a charm. Melvin only goes into his hutch when he is hungry or has to go potty.

Good luck to you whatever you decide to do!!

 

[hamsterdance]

You could try getting laminate flooring to put over the carpet.. It's relatively low cost and works like a charm. I have heard of people using the foam puzzle piece mats that lock together as a cage floor as well, not sure how safe it is though with chewers. You could always do that with a layer of fleece on top

 

[shelby_jonesss]

Is it a bad idea to have him in my room during the day and at night put him in his cage in the basement? Then basically in the morning bring him back up to my room.. ? I don't really want to do this but it seems one of the better choices.

 

[ladysown]

No, it's not a bad thing.

Rabbits are basically like toddlers. They require training and supervision.

IF you are unable (due to your sleeping needs) able to supervise him at night, put him in a safe place for the night. This might be when you want to give him things like his hay. Ergo associate it with a great thing.. Hay and possibly toys he can fiddle with.

Not a bad thing that at all.

 

[Cayzi]

My Mimzy used to make a lot of noise biting on the bars of his cage and shaking them until I went in and let him out. It completely stopped once I bonded him to Molly. Not once have either of them biten the bars or made noise over night.