Aside from spaying, you can lay down towels or fleece to cover up carpet. You can also block areas with a baby gate or pen.

I am just saying I would recommend switching her living conditions. In a garage does not sound like the best place for a bunny. Could you move her into the house?

Also I recommend spaying her at a vet.

Bunnies that aren’t spayed/neutered can stink. Otherwise, they are relatively smell-free. No worse than a cat when it comes to the litter box.

Some girls can and do spray. Many do not thought. It depends. Spraying is more associated with un-neutered males. There will be pee “accidents” with both sexes. They either miss the litter box intentionally (marking) or on accident. True spraying, however, has more to do with keeping your walls clean. Some people put up cardboard along their baseboards until the offender can be spayed/neutered.

Bunnies don’t stink. I have three indoor rabbits and my house doesn’t smell.

Is this your bunny or your neighbours’? I don’t really understand this situation.

If she won’t live permanently inside, you shouldn’t bring her inside for a few weeks if your neighbour will end up moving her back to the garage as she will have shed her thick fur, and will get cold.

No more than an hour? That is not enough time for a bunny to exercise properly? Bunnies need at least 4 hours out a day. Most people here will advocate for 6 hours. So just to get this straight… your bunny is in a garage for 23 hours a day and you only play with it for an hour? Not to be rude, but why would you have a pet just to stuff it away? How are you to ever know if something truly serious is wrong with it? No, bunnies don’t stink. They stink if you leave their litter boxes sitting around for ages to clean, but they, themselves, do not stink.

So what is your end goal? A free roam bunny in your house that only pees and poops where you want her to? Or are you just playing with your neighbor’s show bunnies?

You call it your bunny and your neighbor’s bunny at various points, so no, you weren’t clear on who’s bunny it was. You mainly say it’s your bunny and then proceed to say what your neighbor tells you to do with it. A show bunny is different than a house bunny. I also said there was no offense intended, but it really is not a good life for a bunny to be in a garage for all that time. Yes, bunnies pee and poop. They mark when they aren’t fixed, and will not pee or poop where you want them to unless they are trained. Bunnies don’t get that you want them to poop or pee in a box, especially when it’s only an hour that it’s out. It will want to mark it’s territory. While they aren’t fixed, that is what they will do. Bunnies also like to pee on soft surfaces like a couch or a bed. That’s a bunny literally being a bunny. To fix it, it needs to be fixed and litter trained.To litter train it, you wipe up the pee with a paper towel and put it in it’s box, and you pick up the poops and put it in it’s box. Bunnies won’t know where they should go to the bathroom unless you teach it.

If there is a spot you notice she pees in the most, you can put the box down there, and most of the time she will probably go in that one spot. So yes, you’re basically giving them that area as their territory. Her pooping will be very erratic and all over the place until she’s spayed. Most bunnies lose their litter habits once they hit 4-5 months and hormones have kicked in. Within a month or two after spaying/neutering most buns return to using the litter box without any issue. Getting urine out of carpeting is easy, and I’ve done it myself a lot. Just use some white vinegar and water, and the smell instantly goes away, alternatively you can use something like Nature’s Miracle, but make sure the bun isn’t nearby at the time.

It’s very difficult and will take a lot of time and patience, but potentially. The peeing you could probably get under control, but not the pooping. I have two unbonded and neutered males, and they still constantly territorially poop everywhere because they are unbonded, so they act slightly hormonally.

As a side note, it is extremely important for females to be spayed.There are studies that show as high as 65% of unspayed females developing reproductive cancers and needing an emergency spay. Unspayed females can also have a stressful experience known as a false pregnancy, which she can have unlimited of, especially if she is ever around any unneutered males.

I’m just not really sure what advice you’re looking for. The rabbit isn’t yours, you can’t make any changes to it’s living environment (which is unsuitable), you can’t get it spayed, but you want it to magically not poop in the hour a day you spend with it.

It takes time and consistency to litter train rabbits. Sweeping up a bit of rabbit poop, or mopping a bit of pee is just part of being a rabbit owner and something you need to do. It will be very hard to litter train an unspayed rabbit in an hour a day.

I honestly don’t understand why it’s a big deal having to clean up bunny pee, sure it’s not a fun task but it’s part of having a bunny. As this little one is unspayed, cooped up for 23 hours a day and hasn’t been litter trained – what do you expect?

I’ve recently had to deal with my little boy bun peeing multiple times on the carpet next to his litter tray. He has been neutered and litter trained for over a year, and yet I was suddenly having to clean up pee as much as four times during the night. For weeks. That was frustrating, but you know what? It is what it is. He’s stopped now *touch wood* but I know he likes to keep me on my feet  It’s easy to clean up though. 

Posted By Nesano on 3/07/2018 9:50 PM

I’ll bring it up to my neighbor next time I see her out there. It seems kinda expensive so I’d feel bad about asking that of her since she saved that bunny as a thank-you gift for being good, animal-loving neighbors.

I don’t understand why people use money as an excuse for not spaying. Yes it can be expensive, but surely to stop the chance of this innocent life from developing uterine cancer, to stop her from dealing with traumatic false pregnancies and to give her the opportunity to be bonded, it’s worth it? I’m not aiming this at you as she isn’t your rabbit, but if your neighbour knows anything about rabbits and has several of them, she should be prepared to do what is necessary. Spaying is essential. 

As far as I’m aware, cats still need to be taught to use a litter box . Rabbits are easy to litter train but not when they’re unspayed and cooped up for the majority of their life. Of course they’re going to feel a strong urge to mark.

Cats do need to be taught to use litter boxes, but to a lesser extent Cats have the instinct to bury their waste, so in the early stages, potted indoor plants may accidentally be used as a toilet. And unlike bunnies, once a cat has a clean litter box they like to go in, you can move it almost anywhere and the cat will move its toilet spots along with the litter box (whereas buns usually pick the spot, not the litter box placement).

For marking, as long as the rabbit is hormonal its something you have to deal with. There really is no stopping it. Its in their nature, their instinct, to leave markings around to establish their own ‘safe space’. Likewise, since there are many other animals around, the bun is marking to let the other animals know she is the owner of that space. Matters not that it is the space you dont want her to have, it is the space she believes she has (and why wouldnt she believe that? she has full roam of the area she is marking in, or else she wouldnt be able to mark there). As for marking in your home, shes marking it because she is not there often, and wants others to know that is also her space (and again, why wouldnt she believe that is not her space? it is her space as far as she is aware, as her feet can walk those grounds).

You should just scoop up to poo’s and put them in the litter box. Keep in mind how powerful those little sniffers are! Another trick a mentioned earlier is to wipe pee with a paper towel and place it inside the little box. That’s how I taught my bunny and since she is spayed she figured it out in just a matter of days!

Just out of curiosity, do you think you can take a picture of the rabbit and her space. I want to get further information her breed and living condition. 23 hours is way to much to keep a bunny cooped up!. My bunny gets 24 hours of running free in a rabbit proofed house, at night she sleeps by my bed and the next morning you got a cute face scratching your bed for pellets!

To litter train, you can try to continue doing that. However, they are territory marks due to hormones. Theyre not normal pees and poops. Shes going to keep marking as long as shes hormonal and around other animals shes not bonded to. It doesnt really have to do with litter training until after two to six months after shes spayed.

That cage is just absolutely horribly unsuitable. It honestly makes me want to cry.

It’s tiny, it’s dirty, it has wire flooring that is very bad for her feet. It doesn’t look like she has any hay to eat, just pellets? If that is how show bunnies live, it’s pretty tragic.

If there are multiple bunnies living like that, you should really report her. Are the rest of them in those cages 24 hours a day?

I’m not one to judge people on these forums as I know we always miss important information and jump to conclusions but I mean you’ve shown us photos now so we actually have proof…

I took one look at her poor living conditions and my heart sank. That poor bunny being stuck in that space for 23 hours a day I don’t know how she lets her bunnies live like that?! All I can see is a wired floor, unlimited pellets and not even enough room to stand up properly in?!

You said “I’ll definitely talk to her about spaying. She’s a veterinary technician and I’m not, so I usually just trust her” HOW on earth does she claim to be a veterinary technician yet lets her own animals live like that?!

I would report her immediately! If I could report her I would be doing so myself.

Please report this person. Bunnies need 80% of their diet at least to be from hay, 10% greens, 5% pellets, and 5% healthy treats. Those living conditions are atrocious! Letting poop pile up like that, a wire cage which can cause sore hocks, and cramped space for 23 hours a day. I also see there is rust on the wiring. That’s dangerous enough for humans let alone a bunny. Imagine the harm that could come to the poor bun if it ingests that or gets cut on it.That bunny needs to be re-rescued. It was better off in a shelter!

To think there are people out there that think those conditions are okay is heart breaking A&B is right, they’d be better off in a shelter. I really do think you should report her. I know she’s your neighbour and it might make things awkward but these rabbits are very obviously being mistreated. It doesn’t matter that she supposedly ‘rescued’ one of the rabbits. I mean, taking the bun out of a poor situation and putting in an equally terrible living situation is not rescuing. I am appalled that anyone would treat their animals like this, let alone someone who’s job is to take care of other people’s animals. I wouldn’t put my rabbits in those conditions for 23 minutes, let alone 23 hours a day! I feel so incredibly sad Please report her.

Oh, my Lord! I’m going to be sick. These conditions are horrible. I am going to cry. I am so glad that I asked. The cage is filthy, has horrible wire, Tons of pellets! how can any animal stand to live like this. Please contact the authorities about her. She can be fined and charged with animal cruelty. I beg of you, get these animals some help! She must be lying about being a vet because any vet, even a simple person who can take care for a fish knows animals cannot under any circumstances live like that.

I’ve been refraining from posting, but I have been looking around occasionally and checking the chat to keep up with everyone’s happenings. Hi guys!

I just can’t sit this one out. I’m very bothered that your neighbor is supposedly a vet tech and her animals are living in these conditions, with such an improper diet. Also, in the GIF you posted, this rabbit doesn’t appear to be playing. Her tail is raised, and she looks like she is agitated and trying to “box” you, generally her body language is showing that she is pissed off. By no means do I mean to personally attack you, I just want to offer you the necessary information to improve this rabbit’s well-being. This poor baby is living in completely unacceptable conditions. Here is what’s wrong:

1. There is a mountain of poop 2x the size of the rabbit in the cage. I understand that your neighbor is pregnant and that keeping up with physical tasks can be difficult during that time. Can you not offer to help her? If she can’t manage cleaning the cage every-other-day, can you come to an agreement with her where you both can alternate cage-cleaning duty? It’s just unacceptable and unhygienic for a rabbit to live in that much fecal matter.

2. There is a HUGE portion of pellets in the cage but no hay. A rabbits diet should be AT LEAST 80% hay. Personally, I lean more toward 90% hay and 10% veggies, with 1TBSP pellets per day and very, very minimal treats. Since hay is mostly fiber, pellets are fed only as a sort of “nutritional supplement”. It’s kind of like taking multivitamin supplements in humans…you take it for the added benefits, but that wouldn’t be your primary diet… Rabbits must eat hay as a SUBSTAINTIAL part of their diet. You will shorten their lifespan if they are not provided with a proper diet. Just as a human who lives off of mountain dew and crisps is sure to have a shorter lifespan…

3. The cage is entirely too small, has a wire bottom, and the rabbit should not be living in cahoots with chickens and other animals. That cage offers almost no room for your rabbit to hop about and play (the space is further restricted by the poop mountain)… A rabbit should live in a cage that they can at least take several hops in all directions, and they should be given at least 4-6 hours of time in a large area that they can properly run and exercise in. They are prey animals, so they have to be able to bolt away from danger at any second…therefore, as a domesticated animal without predators they build up a lot of energy if they don’t use it. It is essential for their health that they are given time out of a cage to exercise. Rabbits do not have “calloused” paw pads like cats and dogs, and they can develop sore hocks from wire-bottom cages. Please do put down a towel or blanket to make it more comfortable.

4. Spaying. Female rabbits have a very high chance of reproductive cancer, some say as high as 80% chance by the age of 2. Considering that a well-cared for domestic rabbit can live for 10-12 years, cancer by age 2 is a significant threat to their longevity. A spay will run you a few hundred dollars, but if the money is really that important, think of it as paying to extend your rabbits life….surely that can’t be a waste of money… and it will help with litter habits.

Speaking honestly, you say the neighbor “rescued” this rabbit from a meat-rabbit situation and, while she may have saved it’s life, she is NOT offering this rabbit a better quality life it would have had otherwise… this is a very sad rescue story. I wish that I could do something to help this bunny, but I can only offer you advice. You may have felt attacked by people, but it is because our hearts are breaking to see a rabbit in those conditions.

Rabbits are marketed as cage-dwelling, low-maintenance pets, a misconception that is so worrying to house rabbit owners. Most people cage their rabbit, do not spay/neuter, do not provide adequate diet or mental stimulation, etc….and then they try to let the rabbit out for play time and it goes nuts, chewing things, marking everywhere, being aggressive…and it really gives rabbits a bad name. But, if properly cared for, they are delightful house pets that can be such a rewarding companion. My bunny doesn’t have a cage, she free roams my apartment, is spayed, and has 2 litter boxes throughout the house. She does not stink, she doesn’t destroy my things, and she willingly approaches me for pets and snuggles. This IS A REALITY of how a pet rabbit can be. It saddens me that people do not experience this.

If you truly want to improve the rabbit’s life, send me PM and I can give you some suggestions on what you might be able to do, given your limited influence over the neighbor. Perhaps she would allow you to become the primary care giver, and I can help you come up with solutions to house this bun with you, if you are interested.

I truly hope that this bunny sees better days.

Cheers.

This is the body language BunNoob is referring to: http://language.rabbitspeak.com/why-you-fiend/ which does look a lot like how she’s “playing” the aggression is likely due to her hormones, or she could be acting out because of her living situation. But her tail and ears do indicate she is not a happy camper.

If you could become the bun’s primary caregiver, all of us would be very happy to help you with tips and advice on for example how to build a suitable bunny enclosure, what’s food is best for a bun, how to litter train, how to introduce cat and bunny (many Binky Bunny members have cats and bunnies – it’s more problematic to have a dog and a bunny, but that can work too, my bun and dog are living proof of that.

I thanked you in your other thread for taking her into your house for playtime, and I’m even more thankful now after having seen the pic of her living conditions. It would be so great if she could come live with you. You could save up to have her spayed because it doesn’t have to be done immediately, uterine problems need time to develop. Having her spayed will help greatly with her toilet habits.

FYI, that gif isnt playing, its attacking. Tail up and boxing means the rabbit is trying to attack. She didnt seem bothered by the toy, but the persons hand. It could be that she doesnt like that person or it could be that shes just very territorial of the toy. Just wanted to point out that the gif is not a positive action to avoid miscommunication with the bun in the future

Echoing that you need to report this person. My heart breaks for this sweet bunny and all of the other animals stuck in her care. I really hope youre able to take her home after reporting this person. If she considered the bunnies cage acceptable, its terrifying to think about how the other animals cage’s look…

Yes, I wanted to mention that earlier. That’s one angry bunny! She must be so frightened! Is that you or the neighbor “playing” with her?

None of use are trying to make you feel bad, we simply wan the best for your neighbors rabbit. I also wanted to know, maybe I did not read clearly, but do you let the rabbit play in your house or the neighbors?

Just because she’s your neighbor doesn’t mean that you should leave her alone. If someone’s son was a murderer, their father wouldn’t prevent their punishment just because it’s their son. It doesn’t matter who’s doing the abuse. It only matters that they are actually doing it, and that you report them whoever they are. I’m only thirteen and I had to hit the big red button for my neighbors, who are older than me. They abused their rabbit, and I didn’t care that I was their friend and neighbor for so many years. I dialed those numbers and I reported them. I even told them to their face, hey, you’re doing the wrong thing. They don’t feed their rabbit hay, he’s in an unclean environment much like yours, and he’s a third of the size of my rabbit, and they are the same breeds and around the same age. I don’t care if I have to go out and buy that rabbit’s food FOR them, just so long as it lives, because that poor creature is just hanging on with one paw left in this world. So you see, it’s important that you DO something when you know a person is wrong.
Just because most rabbit breeders do those things doesn’t mean that your neighbor does too. It doesn’t matter if your neighbor lets those rabbits live their lives. Obviously I’m not saying go ahead and give it to someone so they can slaughter it, but what’s the difference between an entire life of pain, horrible living conditions, and being caged in and being killed right away to be eaten or skinned? If I were that rabbit, I would rather have a quick death than a longer one. What makes this owner any better? What’s the point of that bunny living if she has to live like this?
By the way, most bunny showers AT LEAST know to feed their rabbits hay. And I do in fact know of one bunny shower who takes tremendous care of her bunnies, and she definitely does not treat them like this.
Reporting her would actually do something. It is illegal to treat an animal in the way she does, so yes, she can still be punished. ESPECIALLY since there are other rabbits and other animals treated in the same way. Everything does something. Please report her.
As others said above, the way in which we are trying to help may come across as rude and attacking, but please, as BunNoob said, please please be mindful that it hurts so much to see an animal that is the same as your own go through such pain, because it makes us think, what if that was our rabbit, which makes it even worse. I’m just trying to help.
Lol, I was just eating icecream while reading this thread to cool myself down, or else I was going to explode through the roof.

A lot of members had the recent realization that a binky is more accurately an expression of sudden energy. While it can be happiness, it can also be frustration and aggression. Wick binkies in negative frustration often, typically as I’m trying to groom him. Definitely not very happy.

Talking about breeding is forbidden from these forums, but in looking at American Rabbit Breeders Association website, where many breeders find guidelines for show rabbits and breeding, there are still places your neighbor falls short. The small cage space and lack of outside cage activity is not as explicitly outlined as requirement, but even the ARBA acknowledges and recommends that rabbits displaying the frustrated behaviors your describing need to have their environment changed in order to be enriched.

They do recommend against wire bottom cages, and they stress cleaning cages as much as possible.

The ARBA mentions hay as a supplement, however, the dire importance for a rabbit to eat hay is virtually undisputed in the veterinary field.

Again, rescue is good, but rescuing to go from one bad condition to another form of a bad condition is still not good.

Domesticated rabbits and those of us with house rabbits spoil our rabbits yes, but not because we give them free roam time and large cages. Pet rabbit owners spoiling their rabbit is always giving in when the rabbit asks for cuddles or giving the rabbit a treat more than once a day is spoiling. Feeding hay, providing space to lessen frustration, and all other aspects are not frivolous additions. They are expectated for a rabbit to have a good life. Your neighbor may not understand this and believes they are doing really well, but in reality they are not. Improvements can and should be made so you can truly see this rabbit binky in happiness, rather than frustration.

Nesano,

About three weeks ago I decided to take a break from this forum because it was so disheartening to see rabbits in these conditions. I would try to offer solutions that were entirely feasible, and the original posters would just get super offended and things escalated from there. I am glad to see that you are open to opposing view points and have not completely shut us down, as some members do.

Because of the reputation that rabbits have, many people do not have a good understanding of their needs. Indeed, they were probably a more popular source of food (meat farming) before they became domestic pets. Even today, many people are shocked when I tell them that I have a free roaming bunny, and are more surprised to learn that they can be litter trained.

I completely understand that this person is someone that you have to live next to, and so taking extreme measures is likely not in your best interest. Still, I do think that you should talk to her about the care of her animals. I’m sure it is a sensitive subject, but I would at least mention that lots of members on this site have many concerns about the health and well-being of the rabbits. Additionally, I am sure that buyers would be discouraged to purchase from her if they saw the living conditions for themselves…

I do realize that with so many people giving information, it can seem very overwhelming and you may even feel that we are being harsh. I assure you that it isn’t our intention to seem so “intense”, but we are all passionate rabbit owners with a lot of knowledge. You haven’t done anything wrong, and I commend you for wanting to do what you can in this situation.

So, is there a way that you can ask her to permanently keep this dutch rabbit at your residence? All you would need initially is an x-pen (like the little enclosures they make for dogs), a litter box, and hay. You can take a little time to figure out toys, an exercise regimen, and getting her spayed. What’s most important right now is offering her a larger living space without a wire bottom, and trying to litter train her. I recommend lining the bottom of the x-pen with a tarp, since she is not currently litter trained and will likely have a good bit of accidents before you get there. Using towels or blankets would mean that you are constantly washing/replacing them from pee, whereas a tarp could just be wiped clean.

Again, feel free to message me if you’d like to discuss things related to bunny care, or even how you might approach your neighbor about the situation.

One last pop in before I leave for a bit (I have horrible anxiety and needless to say, your neighbor is giving me a flare up). I wanted to say thanks to you for trying to help this bun and the other animals in her care Even if you do not feel safe enough to report her right now, trying to talk to her about proper care is more than many people do for an animal.

Oh, a mini story quick, my mom had to report her neighbor a few months back as her neighbor had a bun living in similar conditions to yours. My mom decided to report the neighbor to a nearby shelter&rescue that then started their own investigation of the neighbor. Within about two weeks, the shelter took the rabbit away from its horrible living conditions, and the neighbor had no idea my mom is the one who reported it to the shelter (and the sweet bun got adopted out a few weeks later!). If you dont want to outright report to the police, you can always send pictures to your local shelters/rescues and they might be able to take over the rest for you

I recommend doing what Mikey said and secretly reporting to a shelter. They can get the animal’s the care they need. I am also concerned for the chickens, do they live in similar conditions? How long are they let outside a day? Chickens should be let outside to dust bathe and socialize. The fact that they are in the same room scares me

I am just saying Nesano, I meant to say this earlier but I have a great deal of respect for you. A lot more than I have than others on this forum and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. The reason I feel like this is because most people would have just said “Forget This” and left the forum but you stayed and tried to help.

Wait, do you have a bunny? Im so confused. Also, what is the bunny’s name, this will make it easier to communicate about her

Depending on where someone is located, the laws can differ, but in general, rabbits are considered livestock and the standards differ greatly compared to cats, dogs and other “animal companion” animals.  The VERY basics are required.  And what we consider the very basics is still far below most of our standards.   So, most likely this would not be reportable.  They may encourage less poop pile, but this would not be a legal offense.  So that part is rough for those of us who have our bunnies as companion animals like cats and dogs.  If a dog or cat were in these conditions, you know it would be reported and dealt with.  Soooo…. with that in mind, I am grateful that you are open to hearing everyone and maybe possible positive changes can be made over time. Thank you for hanging in there with us. 

The video definitely shows a bunny that is taking an “aggressive” stand.    Feeling threatened or territorial.  I’m surprised she hasn’t nipped.  She looks like she is going to.  LOL.    My bunny can get nippy when I touch her stuff (and she is a big time cuddle bun).  We can snuggle on the couch for an hour, and then on the floor, if I reach for something of her, she can do the same thing that your Isabella is doing.  My bunny’s tagline would be:   “I love you…but DON’T touch my stuff.”

Anyway, I so very much appreciate you looking at ways to do what you can do for Isabella.  Sometimes it’s a slow process to make changes otherwise the neighbor will think you are being judgmental and you’ll burn bridges and never be able to help.   It’s a tricky place to be.  I was in a similar situation many years ago.  Neighbor/husband’s client had the cutest little bunny in a backyard hutch. Nothing to play with, no hay, and the pile of poop COVERED the bottom of the cage. Not just one big corner. It was actually a worse situation.  I kept bringing over hay, and doing my best to slowly educate.  The owner was resistant at first – just relied on in his own info.  I was careful not to come off too dramatic or overly-sensitive even though it killed me to see this bunny like this…because then he’d just think I was a bunny kook.  But then,he began asking me about my bunnies.  He was shocked to learn they were litter trained and inside the house. 

I can’t remember how long it took — but it was many months!  May have even been a year! (Sure felt like it), but I actually convinced him to give me his bunny.   And from there I made sure this bunny found a better home.  He did.  He became a full blown confident sweet house bunny and bonded with two other bunny friends.   Much better life than sitting in back of a cage scared most of his life — with some free time in the yard (that was very limited).     So I understand the challenges.   I also understand why people want better right away.  I do too.    It can take time though and it sounds like you are in the beginning stages of some positive things to come. 

REGARDING:    “My neighbor said that I shouldn’t keep the bunny indoors for too long on cold days because the indoor temperatures would cause them to acclimate away from the outdoor temperatures.“

This is true. Going from cold to warm and/or warm to cold.   Both can cause problems when there is an immediate drastic change in temps.  I remember there being a discussion about this in this forum a long while back and I will also see if I can find more info about this. 

That’s wonderful!!! Thanks for the update!