Rabbit sitting

[EmmaGellerGreen]

We are looking after a youngish rabbit for a neighbour for a couple of weeks.

It seems to be very wild! They don't have a run for it as such but you can fashion a sort of run from metal bars. But it just escapes, runs off and then is a devil to catch in their large garden.

I've read that they should get 4 hours exercise a day. This one gets nothing like that and I really can't spend that length of time chasing it around for 2 weeks. I also have their dog to look after and walk as well as my own.

So I guess I am asking if they really do need so much exercise and if the lack of exercise is making it wild?

It's recommended that a pair of buns have a 6ft x 2ft hutch with a 8ftx6ft run attached that they can access when ever they want.

If it's been shut in too small a hutch then it's prob enjoying it's freedom and doesn't want to go back in.

Oh my goodness, the poor thing has nothing like that. The run I make is maybe 3ft x3ft. He must be really miserable. Will have a think about what I can do. Thank you.

Trouble is, you only have what they have provided and if the choice is less space but the bunny is safe or freedom of the garden but it's at risk then for the duration of time you're looking after him, really his safety is priority.

You can make his run more interesting with some tunnels (cardboard box with all tape and staples removed) or even a blanket over part of the run.

Or something to sit on (providing he can't use this to jump out) like a plastic childs stool?

(I'll stick with my lazy lardy guinea pigs, 4 hours excercise? They'd flip )

And goes without saying, he should have a companion.
Though how you'd word it to them

"He looks bored rigid out there , it;s cruel to keep them alone" probably not

Maybe "I know little about rabbits so I downloaded some RSPCA / RAW leaflets. Hmm. Says they should always have a mate? (Neutered )
I left them for you , quite enlightening , especially about the space they need . Who'd have thought it eh? "

Thank you. A friend has mentioned that Pets at Home sell harnesses for rabbits so I may look at that. If he had a harness with a long lead tethered in my garden he could have more freedom safely. I will mention that I've been reading about rabbits and am surprised about how much space he will need as he gets bigger.

Hi emma, is there a food the rabbit loves? I find i can always get mine back by pouring some nuggets into their bowl and then shaking the bowl a bit. They recognise the noise and come running for the bowl.

We have the harnesses from pets at home but they're sooo difficult to put on a young, fast rabbit. And if this rabbit isn't used to you I think it will be especially difficult.

How big is it's cage? We recently went on holiday and as our run isn't attached to the cage and requires the rabbits to be taken over to it we decided it was too much hassle for the friend looking after them. We didn't want the rabbits to get stressed or hurt so they didn't go out to their run for a week and it did them no harm. Our cage is pretty big though and with an upstairs area so they still had some excercise.

Also, I don't think I'd leave him tethered in the garden unless you're out there supervising. Cats/badgers/foxes/even birds could be an issue.

I wouldn't use a harness apparently they can snap their spines if they get spooked and decide to bugger off at speed.

Could you try food bribery like bass said? One of mine will do anything for a bit of parsley, the other is totally not food orientated though.

As for telling them the leaflet idea sounds good, or tell them to go on the hutch is not enough site. I think a lot of people still have the same view of rabbit care as they did years ago. As a child I had always had single bunnies, kept in far too small hutches. Luckily they got out in the garden but I still feel awful even though I was only little and that was how they were kept back then. If I hadn't of done a bit of research before I got mine he could have ended up a lone rabbit in a too small hutch as that's how I thought they were kept.

I know what you mean Brian , sadly alot of animal suffering is ignorance (rather than out and out cruelty) but hopefully a good owner would be horrified and say "How could I not know that" rather than " Meh it's only a rabbit "

If you looked in the Gumtree selling sites, people have huge cage suitable for rabbits for sale, that I wouldn't even put my pigs in.
But they think "Oh someone has kept their rabbits in there so it must be ok", and not check the dimensions that they need.

When I was a child our guineas were bought single (though due to being mis-sexed they ended up increasing. And one already pg. Only pair I bought were really independant ) because that was the "norm".
But not right,

Thanks all. I did buy a harness and it was ok. I didn't hold it all the time, just let him hop around happily in the knowledge that with the lead, I would be able to stop him making a break for freedom! He was very good and loved his taste of freedom. You're right about tethering him, not a good idea.

The cage is just single storey, he can move around but it's nothing like some of the palaces I've seen today!

I will certainly bring up my newly found rabbit knowledge with my friends when they get back.

Single story is fine as long as it's 6ft which not many are. It's so the bunny can take 3 hops in a row.

70 I have to stay off gumtree, I've not got space for any more and there is always some poor rabbit or pig who's free and living in crap conditions.