Bunny being mistreated?

[Milothebuns]

So long story short, I have a very good friend that’s like a younger brother to me. He has two bunnies, Buns and Daisy, that I’m super close to and have helped take care of and they were my inspiration for adopting my little dude Milo! About two years ago, my friend started dating this guy who seemed okay at first, but then started being emotionally abusive and then became verbally abusive and now is also at times physically abusive. It’s caused a lot of issues in my relationship with my friend because I’ve not been quiet about how I don’t think it’s acceptable. About two months ago, the boyfriend screamed at me and my friend and I only made up a week ago. I’ve gone over twice this week and have noticed some concerning things and I’m not sure what to do about it. For the past year since they were bonded, Buns and Daisy have been free range in my friends house. They are not litter box trained, I’ve tried to help my friend do so but my friend never really followed through so they just have like three specific corners they go to the bathroom and it’s kind of gross. Anyways the first time I went over this week the boyfriend told me that they cage the bunnies all the time now to keep it clean. I tried very calmly to explain how this wasn’t okay and bunnies need about five hours a day out of the cage and it wasn’t really fair to do that to theses bunnies after they’ve been free range for so long and they really need to just litter box train them and clean up after them. Daisy has always been very anxious and skittish, and the boyfriend also picked her up that day to show me that now she really loved being held and he got her to be that way by just repeatedly picking her up and forcing her to be held. I pointed out that she looked terrified, and that bunnies don’t like being held and you can’t just force them to be held because that’s what you want. They both see me as much more knowledgeable about bunnies and bunny care so they both listened to what I was saying and agreed to not hold them for pets and let them have a lot of time out of the cage. I went over for the second time last night and when I got there the bunnies were in the cage. I asked them if they’d been following through on letting them out for hours every day and they were sheepish about it but took them out right away. I reitterated the importance of letting them have a lot of time because otherwise they’ll be really depressed and it isn’t okay. So they’re out and the boyfriend doesn’t try to pick Daisy up and it seems okay and a few hours pass. My friend goes to the bathroom and his boyfriend decides it’s time for the bunnies to go back in the cage. Buns goes in just fine but he has to chase Daisy around. I wasn’t paying too much attention at this point, we had been drinking and were watching a zombie movie. I hear a shriek and it takes me about thirty seconds to realize the noise was Daisy and not in the movie, and I look over and the boyfriend has Daisy and plops her in the cage. I asked if that noise came from her and he said yes she’s done that before she’s just being dramatic because she shouldn’t try to escape when he’s trying to pick her up. I’m kind of at a loss even typing this because I hope not that many of you have heard the bunny shriek but it’s awful and I don’t understand how he could have kept chasing her after hearing it and then still gone to pick her up and then just act like it’s not a big deal or how he has done that to her before. My friend walked back in the room and asked what happened and I said your boyfriend hurt Daisy when he was trying to get her back in the cage and she shrieked and bunnies are not supposed to make noises and that means she’s really really hurt. My friend lectured his boyfriend and I checked on Daisy a ton before I left, she mostly huddled in her cage but Buns definitely knew something was up and was comforting her and grooming her. I didn’t want to touch her too much but I nudged her to move a few times and she moved okay like nothing was seriously hurting her or injured. I almost wanted to just take her home with me, Buns is super chill and lets the boyfriend pet him (I know the boyfriend is so focused on Daisy because Daisy rejects affection from all humans so he’s trying to force it) and gets in the cage when he’s supposed to so I know he’s safe and will be fine. But Daisy HATES Milo, she’s chases him around and tries to attack him whenever he’s around and I live in a studio so I don’t know how I’d separate them but I’m just so worried. And the boyfriend obviously is just like this awful person that doesn’t listen to logic and is really selfish so I’m not sure what to do but I’m so worried!!! Have any of you guys ever dealt with a situation where you thought someone was mistreating their pets?

[sarahthegemini]

You need to report them. They know the importance of letting them out of a cage so they can’t claim to be unaware and yet they still only let them out after you commented? I don’t understand why someone would get a rabbit and not even want to let him/her out of the cage? Wtf? Not to mention the bf is literally terrifying poor Daisy. She could literally die from fright

They are clearly not responsible adults and shouldn’t be allowed to have animals. Although having said that, the friend of yours seems to be more willing to listen. Honestly I’d talk to him and convince him to rehome them.

I’m also really concerned for your friend. Does he have family that you could talk to about his situation?

Edit: I’ve just had a thought – would the rabbits be safe if out of the cage? I mean, would the boyfriend hurt them if they were ‘naughty’? If so, maybe that’s why your friend hasn’t let them out much?

[DarthVadar]

Even if the rabbits were being well cared for (exercise, NOT being chases until they screamed, allowed to be bunnies, etc), they are still probably not in a good situation. Rabbits are extremely sensitive; any verbal or physical abuse in the house will make them very stressed out. If it is happening all the time, the buns are constantly on edge. Stressed out rabbits are more prone to health problems than happy rabbits.

[Doodler]

What a sad situation. I would also be concerned with the point that sarahthegemini made. From the sounds of it the boyfriend doesn’t care if he hurts them so if they are out and something happens that makes him angry there is no telling what could happen.

I also would talk to your friend to get an idea if he even wants them. I don’t know why anyone would want rabbits to have them just sit in a cage so he may be willing to listen. It sounds like your friend cares about them so I hope you can convince them to rehome them. At this point I wouldn’t trust that they will let them out more and even if they did I would be worried about the boyfriends actions. It doesn’t sound like he should be around animals and he has some personal things to work on!

[Milothebuns]

Thanks everyone. I’ll definitely talk to my friend about rehoming them. I hadn’t even thought about how it must stress them both out to hear the yelling, I have no idea why, and that’s always pretty constant. My friend definitely loves the bunnies, it wasn’t like this before and for most of the time he’s had them, they were free range all the time and this has only been happening since we fought so I guess for the past month. And it’s definitely because the boyfriend just doesn’t want to deal with the mess. He lives there too but doesn’t have a job and is there all the time playing video games and honestly doesn’t leave the house. My friend won’t tell his family what really goes on and he keeps losing other friends because the boyfriend controls/isolates him and I try so hard but he doesn’t listen to me. I’m worried even when I talk to him about the bunnies he’ll just think I’m overreacting and trying make the boyfriend the bad guy again (he has the most intense case of denial/blinders I have ever seen). I do think the bunnies are safe out of the cage, they are actually pretty tame bunnies and aren’t big chewers/diggers/destroyers of anything so he doesn’t get mad when they’re out he just doesn’t want to deal with the mess. Its really just when Daisy is being put back in the cage or the boyfriend feels like he wants Daisy’s attention and she won’t give it to him…. ugh. I really think the outcome he’d agree to is just me offering to take them for awhile, and I think that would be best for Daisy and Buns because they do really like me and have stayed with me before when my friend has been out of town so they know my place, but that was before I had Milo and it wouldn’t be best for Milo…. I really appreciate all the feedback, it’s such an awful situation and I cannot get that shriek out of my head ?.

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