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!

@CarrieMoonbeams A house proud rabbit! That is so sweet.

Is it on its own too? I think they are supposed to live in pairs at least aren't they? Something to think about if you do take it on. Hope you find a solution one way or the other anyway.

Oh, poor rabbit, my first ever pet was a rabbit and I loved him to bits, he did live in a hutch but it got cleaned every week and disinfected every month he had a run in the garden for summer time and we brought the hutch inside and he could run around the house in winter, had plenty of hay to keep him warm. He ate dry rabbit food but got plenty of fresh veg too, i changed his water daily and he was always happy to come out for cuddles. Perhaps offer to take care of the rabbit while they are away, then tell them how much your child enjoyed it, they might let you keep it.

Sounds like there are a lot of experienced bunny lovers on this threads - get the bunny and we'll help you with loads of advice, care guidance etc. Dm me if you need to

I'm fairly sure rabbits are social animals and should be kept in pairs or more, unless that advice has recently changed. Not sure if that would be useful information when trying to get him to give up the rabbit. Could 'your friend' have recently lost one and be looking to rehome one maybe? Even if you don't keep it yourself, hopefully you can find a rescue to take it.

Don’t lie about your son. Just say you’d happily look after their rabbit while they are on holiday.

Take it with a view of ‘we’d love to look after it for a while!’ . Get it on to all the wait lists at local rehoming centres. When a space comes up for it say ‘my cousin/boss/cleaner’ really, really wants a rabbit atm, can I let her home it?’
I’ll take it if you’re in the south east, I’ve been working in rescue for years, rabbits are my thing.

I would say ‘I’ve always wanted a rabbit’ to them or ‘I’m thinking of getting a rabbit’ and I can guarantee they will tell you to take their one! X

We were in the same situation although not with a neighbour but with a friends guinea pig.
I couldn’t bear it being so neglected and alone so I simply said that I had been thinking about getting one as a pet for our children and did they think they were a good one to have.
When then moaned about it and said that it was a pain I asked if they would mind me borrowing it so I could see if our kids coped with meeting its needs/handing it etc
They were happy to offer load it and it never went back, we got it a bigger hutch and a friend (luckily it was female so could get it a buddy easily) and a run so that they could go out on the grass everyday it nice weather. That Piggy lived another 2 1/2 years with us and lived its best life, so I would definitely ask if you could have it. Rabbits need company and space and a recent survey showed they are one of Britains most neglected pets, I wouldn’t be able to sit there and see it like it either.

If your son hasn't asked for a rabbit don't use him as the excuse. Whilst playing at the neighbours he might say 'he has never wanted a rabbit' which will then backfire.

Depends on the rabbit. Mine was a demon with other rabbits, the people we got her from, very experienced with rabbits made it clear she was very unhappy with the others in the litter and used to attack them. She loves the cats and the dog though but she bosses our poor golden retriever around and puts her in her place. Quite funny to see a rabbit being in charge of a dog 20 times her size 😂

Sounds like my kind of rabbit @Shuttupmeg!

Ask them straight. I reckon they'd be pleased to offload it

Some are suggesting telling the neighbours that your son is really keen to have a rabbit. The potential issue here is that your son knows their child well, and it won’t be long before this is revealed to be a made up tale!

I think you just have to ask them. You can say you are looking to adopt a rabbit, but don’t mention your son.

I have a very happy house rabbit (no cage) who has an abundance of fresh hay, treats, kibbles, annual vet visits for vaccinations and a check up, regular grooming, claw clipping, constant attention and garden access (free roam again) during the day when we are also in the garden to supervise and protect from predators.

hearing this makes me so sad.

please offer. If they don’t accept, steal the poor thing and take them to your local rescue (with prior consent from the rescue, they’re often too busy to take them immediately).

That is so sad. Poor rabbit.

I know @Calling , he used to make this happy little buzzing sound while he bustled around sorting everything out 🥰.

Can you offer to look after it when they’re away, and get it a pen to run around in? Say you didn’t feel comfortable letting it loose for its daily exercise like they must do…? Give the hutch a good clean and maybe a couple more water bottles or a much bigger one so it doesn’t run out so quickly.

You’re such a kind person OP. That would break my heart also I knew just next door there was a neglected unhappy animal. They’re not unintelligent creatures and it will absolutely be suffering. If it were me, I’d say it fell ill when in our care and is x amount vet charges or do you want me to have it for my kids and I’ll just pay it.

They can’t be bothered to clean the cage or give it fresh water or food, the can’t be asked with looking after it. As long as you ask, without sounding like you’re criticising them, they will only be too happy to offload that poor neglected rabbit to you. If the boy says anything like, it’s his rabbit, I’d tell him he can see it as much as he wants as it’d only be next door.

As others have said OP - I think I’d try to get the rabbit off them.

I think the issue with rabbits - and Guinea pigs too - is often people do just think they are shoved in a hutch. And are often forgot about. Which is why we have always said no to any caged pet. Kids get bored of pets.

We had a huge lionhead rabbit years ago, that we used to allow to freely wander around our enclosed garden. It also did have a hutch it could go in and out of as it pleased, for shelter. But as soon as the children stopped regularly tending to it (cleaning the hutch, feeding etc) and giving it the physical love and attention it needed, we rehomed it at a horse farm (we knew the owner well) and it spent the remainder of it’s life freely wandering around a barn with their other rabbits and sleeping in with the horses in the stables. It was indeed more like a dog! We actually used to get updates on it too! For years.

This. And if they say no, next step is calling RSPCA.

My parents' next-door-neighbour had a rabbit and guinea-pig whom my mum felt sorry for. I don't think they were neglected exactly, but their hutch and small attached run were on concrete and they had no access to fresh grass. The neighbour's girlfriend had moved out and I think the neighbour was often out partying, enjoying the life of a single bloke.

My mum told the neighbour that she'd had rabbits and guinea-pigs before and found she was still in the habit of saving carrot peelings etc. for them. She asked how he'd feel if she adopted his two? He agreed - I think he was actually quite relieved to get rid of them.

The rabbit and guinea-pig appreciated having their run on grass and my dad eventually built a much bigger run for them. It was lovely to see the rabbit "popcorning" as he hopped around it. The guinea-pig wasn't one for running, but he loved mowing the lawn.

I think the tactful approach you and another poster have suggested sounds best. Alternatively speak to one of your local rabbit rescues as they will have encountered this sort of situation many times and may have ideas on how to approach it (because they don't have powers like rspca) DM me if you'd like a few names to reach out to.

You say ‘please let me have your rabbit, I will look after it’. And you don’t worry whether they’re offended or not.
After years of very pleasant neighbourliness with my immediate neighbour, I recently let them have it with both barrels when I discovered that they had gone on holiday and left their dog outside (with access to only the conservatory) and two visits a day, ten hours apart, from their son. I don’t give a shit if they like me or not anymore, I wasn’t going to let the dog suffer.