Bigger Cage

[Chewuby_wants_a_cookie]

My rabbit is 8 years old and lives in a pet store cage. I know its bad but it was worse. He used to live in a smaller cage and I bought a much bigger cage from the pet store because it was all I knew. But this was 8 years of being in that small tiny cage. In this bigger cage he can stretch out and have a litter box(which he doesn’t use but that’s for another post) but it still doesn’t meet the minimum requirements. I got him an x-own but since he pooped and peed all over the cage(he isn’t neutered) an exterminator said it was attracting move into the apartment. Now my parents won’t let him be in his xpen and put a computer where it used to be. The apartment is super cramped and no place to put anything. My dad’s girlfriend won’t let me at least put the cage on the floor to let the bun out. He can only go out on the patio, which I have to pick him up out of his cage and out him there. They keep saying he was in a smaller cage for years and he’s fine but I know he’s not. I don’t know what to do and how to convince them that he needs a bigger cage. I’m a minor so I can’t exactly control that but I can pay since I work and I bought this cage and the x pen myself. Please help

[BunMum]

I would reccomend looking up the minimum requirements and showing it to your parents and talking about a solution to them as they can’t be on the patio in the winter or harsh summer temperatures. This step may help them see how serious you are and help them to understand how serious the situation is.

(Also if you were to neuter him his litter box training would probably go better as does it help to keep cancer risks down)
And idk where you keep the hay but having it IN the litter box or in a hay rack above it helps to encourage them to use it.

Back to things to do. Idk about your situation but is it possible to do some serious bunny proofing on your room and keep him in there? Then he could free range the whole room and only be in the cage when you sleep/weren’t home?

Talk to your parents about the x pen again and explain to them that you will put down blankets to keep pee/poo from going on the carpet/wood and that at the end of each day you will clean up any mess that he has caused until you can get him litter trained. This should keep it from attracting anything as my rabbit is free range around the room from over 16 hours a day and he’s never attracted anything.

You may also show them this article:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/ImageLocator/LocateAsset?asset=document&assetId=1232725725160&mode=prd

It will show why the RSPCA has made minimum cage requirements what they are (RSPCA: “royal society for the prevention of animal cruelty”)

Feel free to message me with any more questions as I’d be glad to help however I can!!

[Chewuby_wants_a_cookie]

I’ve tried showing them it and they think I’m crazy saying he’s fine. They basically believe rabbits belong in a cage. They insist there is no room and can’t part with clunky furniture that is already too big and unnecessary in the apartment. Also I can’t afford to get him neutered yet. I’m saving up money but I know a good rabbit get is expensive and he’ll probably need bloodwotk because he’s an older rabbit( 8 years). My stepmother won’t let me keep him in my room I think its because of the mess but I’m fairly near but my step sister isn’t.my room is pretty small I, share it as well with my step sister. My stepmother is concerned about the smell,poop/per and fur.

[BunMum]

Well rabbits don’t make much of a smell long as you clean their cages. Maybe ask them for a trial period within their room and have the vet tell them that he does need more room since that would probably make them see they’re wrong?

[Author]

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