New neighbour rabbit

[Katheclepto]

So, we have new neighbors… nice enough. Our 10 year old boys go to the same school so they play occasionally. However, they have a rabbit. They clearly don’t like the rabbit or play with it. It’s kept in a hutch outside and is filthy. Dad admitted to me the other day they rarely clean it out as they forget. We went there the other day for dinner and I noticed the rabbit had no water! The bottle was empty so when no one was looking I took it upon myself to fill it up!

I can see it never has anything fresh and is sometimes given dry food. I look over the fence often and see its baron cage with no hay, no fresh food and it just looks miserable. I want to cry!

I don’t know what to say! I want to say ‘please let me have your rabbit, I will look after it’ but how without offense?! I don’t want a rabbit but I also can’t bear seeing it suffer… sometimes its cage is covered with a thick woolen blanket… in the day.. in this heat!

Oops I clicked on the wrong option. meant to click - You are not being unreasonable!
poor rabbit

We had almost exactly the same scenario years ago (except we don't have children ourselves) but to hear/see how little attention our NDN's rabbit got was breaking my heart.

I said something like "We love rabbits, I had one when I was a child and I'd forgotten how lovely they are. If you ever hear of anyone wanting to re-home theirs, would you let me know? We'd love one but would rather not buy if there were any available locally that needed a new home."

Two weeks later, we collected him 🥰. Do you know the saddest thing? Between the 5 of them (2 adults, 3 kids) not one of them could remember his name 😢. We called him Lucky Luca, and we had him for nearly 3 years, he was just so sweet. He liked everything to be "just so" in his hutch, his run and the pen in the garden, he spent more time tidying and sorting his little toys and fleeces than I spend on housework myself! Bless him.

Hope you get the bunny OP.

Please don’t do this, I know you’re well meaning but rabbits need a diet that is majority made up of grass or hay. Veg peelings are terrible for their teeth and can make them go into stasis if too rich for them.

I have rabbits, they require space and company to live happy lives. Feel free to DM me OP.

We have 2 rabbits, who have the run of a 20sqm walled courtyard between 7am and 11pm, and access to the ground floor of our house when we're home. We lock them in a 2 storey hutch at night for safety but that's it. They need that much space. Their diet should be 80% hay, and they need a pile as big as them each day. A water bottle is OK as an extra back up but their main drinking source should be a bowl - they drink as much as dogs.

I just couldn’t stand by and watch this. I’d offer to take him off their hands. And I’d they declined I’d just rescue him when they were out.

Just casually say something along the lines of your son has fallen in love with that particular rabbit and would they sell the rabbit to you. They will from the sounds of it be relieved to released from the responsibility of the rabbit.

I'd offer to take it, 'oh you know you said you often forgot about the rabbit, my son would love to have it if you wanted to rehome'

And yes, the neighbours are probably regretting getting one so maybe they'd be up to you taking him? I love ours but they're idiosyncratic fascinating animals, like tiny horses or very neurotic vegan cats.

Offer to take the rabbit, we’ve had to do this in the past because of neglectful neighbours and their rabbits.

This is distressing to read. Thank you for caring. Rabbits need time and attention. Please ask for the rabbit or report it if they refuse.

It makes me so sad to read this. Rabbits are all too often kept alone and not looked after properly. They are social animals and should be kept in pairs for one thing.

Please offer to take it.

I have to admit this would be giving me sleepless nights. We have a bunny and she us a big part of the family, we keep her indoors in a cage with a puppy pen, and put her outside every day in a rabbit run for grass.

Rabbits are lovely animals and when they get used to you they are genuinely pleased to see you every morning. Mine does little circles and jumps about (called 'binking', which is a sign of excitement). She comes into bed with me or my son on a Sunday morning and burrows about in the bed clothes. When we stroke her she chatters her teeth, which is the rabbit version of purring.

Please offer to take the rabbit, im sure you wouldn't be offending anyone. Pets give you back what you put into them.

I think they’re up there as the ‘most bought for the wrong reason’ pet on sale

so many people get them because one of their kids ‘wants a fluffy bunny to cuddle and be friends’ like in so many kids picture books

very very few rabbits want to be cuddled. And being kicked by an irritated rabbit is not a fun thing - and usually it for little Jimmy or Jenny so end of rabbit love :(

Honestly just offer to take it. I worked for a lady who had 2 Guinea pigs in the same position. I started off by offering a larger hutch, saying what I had fed them etc when I looked after them and how much they loved it. Then I just point blank asked if she wanted me to rehome them. They clearly dont want the rabbit just ask

Yes, they don't like being picked up and held because they are prey animals. They won't sit on your lap, but they do love being stoked on their noses, cheeks and behind the ears (not on their back end or tummy, generally).

You know there is animal cruelty going on right next door. You must do something, either report to rspca (who won't do anything but a welfare check from them might spur the neighbours into action) or offer to take it.

Just go and ask can you have the rabbit - f**k causing offence. People who do this boil my piss with rage.....rabbits are not simple, easy pets. Poor bunny has a high chance of getting fly strike sitting it's in own filth in warm weather.

Surely the only reason for a rabbit hutch is to keep them safe overnight from predators? I didn't think people actually made them live in the hutch 24/7 that's horrible.

If it's a youngish rabbit, it could do with a rabbit friend too (if it's older it will be much harder to bond them).

Rabbits are such lovely animals, but often mistreated because they are quiet.

Good for you OP, for taking an interest. Please do either talk to them or report, and let us know how it goes x

Selfish, rotten cunts!

This is so refreshing to read after the comments about how one shouldn't try to help on the dog board yesterday for fear of upsetting the owner. Don't bother with the RSPCA, OP. It is highly likely lead to nothing but frustration. You've had some good suggestions so hope they work and you find a way to help this bunny.

That sounds perfect. I hope you get to keep the rabbit. Poor rabbit.

This. Fly strike is a very real risk in this weather. If you can do something asap.

"You could also next time your chopping up fresh veg....."
I was expecting the poster to ask for the rabbit

I used to know very sensible, left-leaning, middle class nicey-nicey parents who kept one rabbit in a hutch and a large parrot in a cage. Neither got out of their 'prison' very often. We looked after the parrot once, and when asked again I refused, I found it heartbreaking to have an animal imprisoned so. Switzerland does it right, with strict rules on animals that can only be kept in pairs/groups.