I think I need to rehome my bunnies

[guttedrabbitmum]

I'm gutted to even be thinking this but I don't know what else to do.
We have had them both (sisters from the same litter) for three years.
We LOVE them 🥰 they aren't very keen on us and prefer each other for company but they come over to us when they hear us and will tolerate a quick cuddle.
People think they "are only rabbits" but each of them has their own personality and we love watching them interact with each other.
They started off as outdoor bunnies then we tried them inside for a few months but they didn't like being indoors. We had a great system where they were outside in the garden all day (medium sized secure garden that they loved running around) then as soon as we went out at night and rattled their food bowl they would run right back into their hutch. They really did have the perfect bunny life.
We had to move house a few months ago and one of the things we all looked for in the new house was a garden for the bunnies to be happy.
It's been a nightmare though, they escaped from the garden even time we thought we had it secure and we are next to a busy road on one side and woods on the other so I was terrified the next time would be the last time we seen them.
Dh built a large secure run down the side of the house to give them a good safe space but we found a local cat trying to get them a few times and the run dh made was too big to put a cover over.
They are now in one of those stupid 6ft secure wooden runs from the pet shop during the day then back in their hutch at night. They basically go from one prison to the other.
I can tell they are miserable and they are constantly trying to dig out the run.
It breaks my heart to think it but they really would be better somewhere else, I'm terrified they would be split up or something though.
I'd never advertise to rehome them but not sure if local petting farms take on ex pets.
Does anyone have any advice? We've tried them inside again but they hate hard floors and just spend all day in the corner refusing to move 😰

Could you somehow make the wooden run they are in more fun for them maybe put a patch of grass in and toys? I don't have rabbits I'm not really sure what they do or play with but I have two dogs one hates being outside and the other hates being inside so I had to make the garden fun and secure for her, there are also things online you can get and they make noises that cats hate you can stick them in plant pots around the garden but im not sure if they would annoy the rabbits too you would have to research them

They would be very lucky if they ended up with a better home. They are more likely to end up with a worse one. I would try to attach another run to the one they are in to increase the space and you could have them in the run your DH made when you were in the garden.

I’ve tripled the size of our g pig’s shop bought hutch by taking the sides off and attaching old chests of drawers, planted his own “lawn” in front (just laid a couple of inches of top soil on hard standing and seeded, it’s worked brilliantly) and a green roof (turf cut from another area of the garden, again taken really well) with ramp access and enclosed the whole lot in rigid wire, rimmed with brick to prevent digging. The hutch is weatherproofed with a solar swimming pool cover, cut to size and firmly attached with building staples. Keeps him really warm on cold days.

You don’t need to re-home them but I do think you need to abandon the idea of giving them free-reign and build something bespoke big enough to keep them happy.

Are you sure there's nothing more that can be done to escape proof the run? As someone else said it's really unlikely they'll find a better home.

Sounds like you love these buns and understand their needs. Most people don't. Keep them, extend their run and secure it. If you can afford Omlet's rabbit run, that's great. If not, copy the idea: put a thick, coated chicken wire on the ground of the run and as a skirt all around it. The grass will grow over it. Make sure the roof and sides have chicken wire of good strength and small holes. Have a proper insulated hutch. Make it as large as you can. You can do this and have a happy life with these buns. X

With the larger outdoor run dont know if this would work but when the chicken flu came in and chicken runs had to be covered we just added tarpulin to the roof from DIY shop. Or could you just fence an area off in your garden which is more secure. Indoor they are better on carpet, large rugs may help. Our love being in the living room and lying on the sofa or on a rug.

Second the tarpaulin idea.

I use tubes to connect my guinea pig runs to their hutch which works really well. They are perfect for rabbits too. I used the company 'Runaround' (runaround.co.uk). They have some really good ideas for making the rabbits enclosure more natural and fun!

Thank you everyone you've given me a good few ideas to look at. The thought of them being worse off somewhere else is awful.

Put strong netting over the large run. That's what we used to have with our guinea pigs. We were i the country side with not just pet cats but feral/farm cats, foxes etc too. They were perfectly safe.

I've got a solid roof on my 10x5 aviary for my two (aviary height for humans, solid roof benefits both of us when the weather is crap!). I use clear tarpaulin on the sides in wet weather as well - you can get these in various sizes from Amazon.

We used to have a shed for our outdoor rabbits with a hutch inside so they always had space to wander. Could you get a small shed and insert a cat flap with a run coming out of it or something?

It’s really heartening reading this thread. People seem to be considering the needs of hutched pets far, far more than they did when I was growing up.

I don't think I understand the problem with the run your DH made? Is it just sides with an open roof? Why can't you use the same stuff that makes the sides on the top to keep the cat out? If the roll of wire mesh isn't wide enough to do it in one go then you can put battens across width ways to fix the edge of the wire to and do it in a few strips.

Or is it that the cat is stressing them out just being there? In that case, can you get a big tarpaulin to shield them from the cat, if it's just one side/place the cat can get to?

Or use that corrugated clear plastic people use on car ports for a roof?

Any mesh you use for rabbits need to be 0.5" welded mesh - anything larger will let paws in and isn't strictly chew-proof for rabbits (nor predators!)