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Pipp

Pipp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Messages
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Location
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
http://www.rabbitsonline.net is a huge supporter of 'sanctuary' living and natural environments for homeless rabbits, and we need to get serious about this!


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The model we're supporting was developed by Quan Myers and her non-profit RABBITATS FOR HUMANITY.


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A good example of how shelters can implement this design is the Coastal Humane Society in Maine. Check out their rabbit page, here:

http://www.coastalhumanesociety.org/rabbitats.shtml

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One of our volunteers/fosterers with Gainesville Rabbit Rescue has recently offered to turn over her entire barn (she has a huge, lovely farm) over to the rabbits. We are currently soliciting volunteers as well as donations of materials from Lowes/Home Depot, etc. to turn it into a rabbitat. We already have an emergency generator (we are in hurricane territory after all) donated through a grant and are working on raising funds for A/C. We have two electricians (one is my husband) and a carpenter lined up and many volunteers to help with painting etc. Plans and permitting are in the works. I'll update as work progresses.
 
I absolutely LOVE this way of living for buns, I'd even love to have a setup like that for my own bunnies. I have been thinking of doing something like this for the last couple of years, probably when I have finished college and got my own place in a few years, and taking in bunnies and letting them live out their lives in a set up like that. Especially bunnies that are too aggressive or don't enjoy human company. I have the space to do it now, but not the cash sadly.
 
Is this temporary housing for rabbits that are going to be adopted out or permanent long term housing? In the UK we usually mean 'sanctuary' as long term place for rabbits that are hard to home, ie have health or behavioural issues, but I don't know if your using it in the same context.

The pic at the bottom of the first link is fab.. couldn't do that here because of the foxes though :( I'd love a walled garden that I could mesh over to make it totally safe - that would be the ultimate rabbitat!
 
tamsin wrote:
Is this temporary housing for rabbits that are going to be adopted out or permanent long term housing? In the UK we usually mean 'sanctuary' as long term place for rabbits that are hard to home, ie have health or behavioural issues, but I don't know if your using it in the same context.

The pic at the bottom of the first link is fab.. couldn't do that here because of the foxes though :( I'd love a walled garden that I could mesh over to make it totally safe - that would be the ultimate rabbitat!
Click to expand...

Tamsin, I've been specifically trying to promote this for my area (BC) which has huge overruns of feral domestics, so 'sanctuary' is correct. I don't want to see rabbits used to living in a natural environment to suddenly be confined, and the school of thought is that the ferals don't make good house pets (although the seven we've picked up from the UVic grounds to date are certainly proving us wrong).

It's only been in the last day or two I'm resolved to spread this model on a smaller level to rescues for adoptables as well, so maybe 'sanctuary' on its own is no longer the best word/phrase, let me rethink that one!

You guys already have bunnies living in gardens (and our domestics can be your wildlife, LOL!) you're way ahead of the North American mindset!

According to Quan, she has foxes, coyotes and every other predator imaginable and hasn't lost a bunny yet. The stockade fencing is augmented with inlaid mesh or chicken wire in an 'L' shape underground and the foxes don't get in and the rabbits don't get out.

In our area it's playing the odds -- we can lose one or two to predators or we can lose thousands to government culls.

Thanks for the feedback! I'd love to have more input from the UK, you guys really have the natural experience.


sas :bunnydance:
 
Pipp wrote:
It's only been in the last day or two I'm resolved to spread this model on a smaller level to rescues for adoptables as well, so maybe 'sanctuary' on its own is no longer the best word/phrase, let me rethink that one!
sas :bunnydance:
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Absolutely!! That is what we are aiming for with our bunnies. Although ours will be geared to the Florida heat....meaning we will have large indoor runs that are air conditioned in the summer with access to the outdoors for our lovely winter months.
 
We are pretty lucky here in that we have perfect weather for bunnies :) I would so love to do this now, we live in the perfect area too, quiet and green lol :) right in the middle of no where. It would be great if someone on the forum did this.
 
About how much does a single Rabbitat cost? Could we try to help raise the cost for one setup through the forum?
 
That does sound/look like an ideal set up for that sort of situation. I think that that sort of natural enclosure is the best sort of environment for a bunny. Great to watch them interact and be bunnies to. It's something I've definitely seen get more popular over here. Not so much in rescue but pet owners are going for large aviary style enclosures to keep a group in. It gives you so much more scope for environmental enrichment with space for logs and whole tree branches and tunnels etc. This style of thing: http://www.aviaries4u.co.uk/chicken_runs.htm (only with rabbits not chickens in) with hutches or a shed attached for shelter.

I think it would be more problematic with adoptable rabbits as every time you put rabbits in/out you mess with the hierarchy. Although it might work just because rabbits have more space to sort things out. But even if each rescue just had one 'pen' like that to house hard to adopt long termers that could free up a lot of space plus it sets a good example to owners for what they should aim for.

In terms of rescue accommodation over here, it varies a lot but many rescues are moving towards a sort of cattery style system with each pair of rabbits having a pen inside with a cat flap leading through to an outdoor enclosure. Does take up space though - housing groups is definitely more space efficient.

I find housing quite an interesting topic as it has so much influence on health/behaviour :)
 
Oh now I really cant wait to be done school and in my own place - I am sooo doing this with my bunnies! I honestly have never seen a setup like that before, so cool!
 
tonyshuman wrote:
About how much does a single Rabbitat cost? Could we try to help raise the cost for one setup through the forum?
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It actually seems surprisingly inexpensive. I didn't write down the exact prices, but Quan said she only spent hundreds, not thousands.

And I just found this DIY site, which says a 50 ft stockade fence can be built for under $600.

http://www.diyornot.com/Sample/Project.asp?ndx1=1&ndx2=10&ndx3=0&Rcd=85


Here's the quote:

A fence contractor will charge $1,136 to build a 50-foot long, 6-foot high wooden stockade fence, but you can buy the materials and build it yourself for $560, saving 51 percent. Add more to the budget if you want to seal the fence sections with a wood finish. The materials include seven fence sections, 14 4-by-4-inch posts, miscellaneous hardware and enough concrete mix to anchor the posts. It's strenuous work because it involves digging the holes for the posts, pouring cement in the postholes and securing them and then fastening the fence sections to the post.

If someone put fifty feet of fencing behind their garage with the garage forming one wall, the enclosure could be 16.5 ft square and easily (and happily) hold a small colony, so this is a good option for anybody with a house. Better yet, if there's a shed with a swinging 'cat door', it's awesome indoor/outdoor living.

Housing dozens seems pretty affordable. I'm sure we can raise $2500 for a free standing 50 ft square model and throw a 'rabbitat raising' meet-up in the process. The larger the area, the more natural food sources there will be room for, making the ongoing maintenance cheaper.


sas :)
 
This is our chicken enclosure, which my Dad built for nothing, the wire came from a guy getting out of chickens, he also built his own wooden chicken coops with scrap wood. So if you want to build this kind of set up, you could find people online or locally looking to get rid of that kind of stuff. Then just get someone willing to build it for free :)

Feeding the bunnies should not cost much, buy bulk pellets and hay and they can also eat grass and other plants you find around if you live somewhere where you can. The most expensive part would be vets bills, I think. Unless you get someone or some place that will help you out with that.

I hope someone on the forum sets it up be so cool so see how it goes!

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Pipp wrote:
tonyshuman wrote:
About how much does a single Rabbitat cost? Could we try to help raise the cost for one setup through the forum?
Click to expand...
It actually seems surprisingly inexpensive. I didn't write down the exact prices, but Quan said she only spent hundreds, not thousands.

sas :)
Click to expand...

On her page she said she spent $350-$400 on the CHS rabbitat.

I like this idea. I've been keeping Gus half in the house, half in the backyard (fenced and bunny-proofed with overhanging trees for protection and shade) and he really seems tothrive having access to the outdoors! :)

We've definitely got the right climate for it here (not too hot, not too cold). So who'sproviding the land?

Rue
 
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