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Small pets

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Original poster

Does anyone have an indoor rabbit?

22 replies

fadingfast · 14/04/2018 17:49

We've been offered an indoor rabbit, which is apparently house trained, very friendly, good temperament. We've never had rabbits, only guineas. DD loves rabbits but we've always avoided keeping one as a pet as I didn't think they made particularly good pets (difficult to handle, need lots of space etc). This seems like a good opportunity to obtain one with a known character, bit just wondering what we might be letting ourselves in for. DH is worried it will chew every cable in the house.
What are your experiences with house rabbits? Do you give them free run of the house or confine them to certain rooms? What sort of cage do you keep it in? What would we be letting ourselves in for??

OP posts:

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Aprilmightbemynewname · 14/04/2018 17:52

I have had a few years ago. Box in all cables!!

AnnieOH1 · 14/04/2018 17:56

Free run of the house during the day (I work from home) and put into cage at night partly to protect her from the cat and partly to protect her from biting wires.

We ended up with her as a rescue bunny, she's a big thing (half giant lop) and is no different really to a cat or a dog, in fact probably closer to either of those than a hamster/guinea/chinchilla etc.

When she first came she was really aggressive, kicking/biting/growling/snatching. Just learned some rabbit control and calming techniques (especially handling as they can break their own necks) and was patient and within a few days she became that little bit more friendly, now a year later she's a regular part of the family of animals we have. She comes out in the garden on good days, hops upstairs in a morning (the kids go down and open her cage first thing) and hops onto bed to greet me. She's quite the character.

FWIW my dad thought I'd lost the plot having an indoor bunny, but has subsequently discovered he knows other people who have indoor buns too. She really is no different to a cat/dog.

When she first came we had a few issues with her toileting, she would urinate where I sat particularly (it's a dominance thing) but that stopped within a couple of months. She's never pooped properly outside her cage, although does occasionally pass a pellet on the floor but very rare and they're not nasty or anything like that. I would say provided you have the time to work with the bunny he/she will settle right in. Good luck!

TheQueenOfWands · 14/04/2018 17:57

Yes, a fat one!

Rescued from a box in someone's kitchen.

She's a joy to behold. I luffs her. Far better than a dog.

WhatShallIDoWithMyself · 14/04/2018 17:59

My house rabbits are confined to the utility room when I'm not home, and free roam the house when I am (although not when I'm asleep) and am therefore able to see what they are up to.

They love to nibble cables, cardboard, paper, anything they can get their teeth through pretty much!

Mine aren't kept in a cage.

Heratnumber7 · 14/04/2018 18:00

DHis right. They will chew all the cables. But they are lovely house pets

snewname · 14/04/2018 18:04

Yes they will chew every cable in the house. Ours chomped through the tv cable that we missed on our rabbit proofing round.

They can be house trained so that wasn’t an issue. He just went in one spot in the kitchen. He chewed our stained wooden doors and skirting boards, (but not in our second house that had normal glossed doors and skirting) He caused no other damage although he did rip some wall paper, ruined some expensive leather shoes and stained the carpet with pee when he was rabbit sat at my parents but that was probably stress.
He had free run of the downstairs when we were in it (needed a baby gate to stop him from going upstairs) then when I had young children he was just let out when they were in bed. He had a large double story cage. He was lovely and overall was a great pet. I’d have had another one but dh said no way.

Original poster

fadingfast · 14/04/2018 18:28

Thanks everyone. We've been told this one is house trained and doesn't chew, but I appreciate we can't take their word for it. I just keep looking at the photos of it and melting, and even hard-headed DH is weakening...

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Original poster

fadingfast · 14/04/2018 18:41

*hard-hearted DH

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TheQueenOfWands · 14/04/2018 18:45

There's no love like the love from a bunny.

Once you've experienced bunny kisses you're a convert for life.

pangolina · 16/04/2018 18:54

I have a house bunny. He is litter trained and not a chewer- not interested in cables and wires.
If you are willing to put in the same time, effort and expense as you would to a dog, they are amazing pets; loving, clever, and full of personality.
My little man has free run of the house 24/7 and even sleeps in bed with me sometimes. He's my best mate.

PinkHeart5914 · 16/04/2018 19:02

Well mine does tend to go and hop round the garden all day but is welcome inside anytime and can go in any room downstairs and sleeps inside in a 2 storey hutch in the garage.

Some Rabbits chew everything! So box in or corner off all leads. My bunny was rescued from someone just keeping the poor wee thing in a box all day everyday and since we’ve had the bunny I have had to replace chewed curtains for new shorter ones, she also chewed dh jeans, and any newspaper she can get near but she is so cute 😍

My bunny loves being near the radiator in the winter

Original poster

fadingfast · 16/04/2018 20:09

Well having talked it over and even my (usually sensible) DH being up for it, I emailed about the bunny on Saturday and got a reply to say that someone else had beaten us to it. Such a shame, she sounded like a lovely bunny. Now I really, really want an indoor bunny

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urbansprawl · 16/04/2018 20:28

We have two! (Rabbits are generally much happier with a friend.) They are a constant source of delight - they have huge personalities in such tiny squooshy lovely lumpkin bodies. Ours are getting on a bit now, so they mostly just flop about, and cuddle up to each other to nap (unless it's breakfast time). Neither of them likes being picked up, but they come and pester us for strokes and a fuss all the time. We get head-buts in the ankle if we don't oblige sufficiently quickly.

Any bunny can be a house bunny, and rescues are overflowing... it isn't too late!

We've tacked all our cables to the walls, and they're largely unscathed. They do nibble sometimes (mostly when they've run out of hay), but it's hard to stay cross with them for very long when they're so CUTE.

LeporidaeDomesticus · 17/04/2018 00:37

Now I really, really want an indoor bunny

Excellent. Another bunny slave in the making.

Original poster

fadingfast · 17/04/2018 08:18

Loving all the bunny pictures

Out of interest, how do you go about house training a bunny?!

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LeporidaeDomesticus · 17/04/2018 08:54

how do you go about house training a bunny?
How does a house bunny go about training you?
FTFY

Typically we choose a spot where we want to do our business, and you put a tray there.

FernieB · 17/04/2018 15:56

Once you've got it litter trained, you can train them to obey quite a few commands. Rabbits are quite intelligent really. Check out the bunny showjumping on youtube. A previous housebun came when called and understood 'no', 'bedtime' and 'breakfast'. She also responded to a couple of hand signals.

snewname · 17/04/2018 17:03

Ours would come to you when you scratched the carpet with your fingers.

spicerack · 20/04/2018 18:50

here's my indoor rabbit! she's very naughty, chews all cables so we have to cover them all but she's lovely, very intelligent. She waits by the front door when I get in and chases me up the stairs. She has complete access to our house all the time apart from our bedroom as she loves weeing on our bed

pangolina · 21/04/2018 11:05

I am loving all the bunny pics

bbpp · 21/04/2018 11:23

I have two and mine are in/out. My biggest tip would probably to go for a bigger and floppier rabbit, they seem to be calmer, more relaxed, lazier. They get comfortable with you quicker and get into less trouble!

MrsRobot71 · 21/04/2018 17:38

We have one who is completely lovely and just like a little dog, really. He needs/demands a lot of stroking. We don’t have a cage, just a hay and litter area. You can and need to buy cable protectors from amazon and provide lots of chew toys/boxes.I think they prefer to live in pairs but ours couldn’t be bonded. Luckily he loves humans (but attacks cats if they come in the house).

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