Bunny needs a new home!!!

[dudley'smom]

Hi there,

I have a 1 1/2 year old male, black and white lop that I need to find a good loving home for.  He is an adorable bunny and I love him to pieces.  The problem is I have moved into a smaller home and just don’t have the room for him.  I will also be working longer hours and just don’t have the time to devote to him.  He is a real sweetheart.  I live near Charleston, WV and would love to find somebody close by to adopt him.  Thanks and I hope there is someone out there who can help me out.  I don’t want to have to take him to the pet store.  You never know what might happen to him there or what kind of person would adopt him. 

[MooBunnay]

Hello Dudley’s Mom!

You could try checking out the “habitat’s” section of this website to see if there are some cages that would be suitable for your home, also, we have lots of knowledge on tips and tricks about bunny proofing your house, as well as training your rabbit so he doesn’t need a cage at all! What type of cage is Dudley in right now?

I live in an apartment myself and have 7 rabbits in about 1000 square feet – so I’m sure I could help give you some ideas on how to make Dudley fit into your home. Rabbits are actually crepuscular creatures, meaning they are awake mostly at dusk and dawn, so usually when you are working Dudley is probably asleep anyways I wouldn’t encourage bringing Dudley to a pet store as sometimes those rabbits can be purchased as snake food, do not live in good conditions, and there is a possibility that they may never get a home. I am a rescue worker and I know that there are just tons and tons of unwanted bunnies all across the United States. I’d encourage you to let us know what kind of issues you are having (space, misbehavior etc.) because I’m sure Dudley is a loved member of your family, and there are tons of ways to make a bunny fit into your lifestyle!

[luvmybuns]

MooBunnay – that was a wonderful reply.  I also agree that there are a lot of issues that can be solved.  We just went to a meeting for the HRS and they also stated the same.   Dudley’s mom – this is a great website and many people can help you with different issues.  I also do not have a lot of room, so we built a 4 store cage up.  The bunnies can run around and play during the day (if they are not sleeping).  I come home at lunch and normall all three are snoozing.

[Gravehearted]

I agree with MooBunnay, there are some housing options that can take up less space, but give your bunny more run room – like building an NIC condo.
He’s been a member of your family and by bringing him into your home, you made a commitment to him. I’d recommend trying to make it work before giving him up.

[BinkyBunny]

Welcome dudley’s mom! Well triple ditto!! There are so many homeless bunnies out there needing homes that keeping him in a safe loving environment is ideal. I think you’ve been given great tips on how to do just that. Let us know how it goes, and if you have any other challenges that you feel you need to work out in order to keep him, let us know as we may be able to help you with them.

[Spacehopper]

Posted By MooBunnay on 09/23/2007 4:44 PM
Hello Dudley’s Mom!

You could try checking out the "habitat’s" section of this website to see if there are some cages that would be suitable for your home, also, we have lots of knowledge on tips and tricks about bunny proofing your house, as well as training your rabbit so he doesn’t need a cage at all! What type of cage is Dudley in right now?

I live in an apartment myself and have 7 rabbits in about 1000 square feet – so I’m sure I could help give you some ideas on how to make Dudley fit into your home. Rabbits are actually crepuscular creatures, meaning they are awake mostly at dusk and dawn, so usually when you are working Dudley is probably asleep anyways I wouldn’t encourage bringing Dudley to a pet store as sometimes those rabbits can be purchased as snake food, do not live in good conditions, and there is a possibility that they may never get a home. I am a rescue worker and I know that there are just tons and tons of unwanted bunnies all across the United States. I’d encourage you to let us know what kind of issues you are having (space, misbehavior etc.) because I’m sure Dudley is a loved member of your family, and there are tons of ways to make a bunny fit into your lifestyle!

Moo, I’m going to make the boyfriend sit down and read your post tonight!!! lol  He’ll be after you, be warned.  Ooooh actually thinking about it, this means I get back to Dallas, whooohooo!!!  SEVEN buns??!!!!  Lovely!!  I always said I’d end up the mad cat woman whom children are terrified of even to walk past her house….I think there’s scope for that to now be The Mad Rabbit Lady!

[Sarita]

I agree – try building a bunny condo that is up with ramps to give you and your rabbit more space. I also understand that at times you might be overwhelmed and you feel like you aren’t giving your rabbit enough attention, but those times will pass. He’ll get alot more attention from you anyway than at a rabbit rescue. I hope that you will reconsider and keep your rabbit, you obviously care about him.

[skunklionshow]

I have 4 cats, 2 bunnies, 2 geckos, & 1 husband in 1000 square feet.   All but 1 cat (a gift from a migrant worker’s farm) & 1 gecko (we bought her) were "rescue" beasts…sometimes I believe the hubby was a rescue beast as well   W/ all my rescue & foster experiences, I know the value of a loving pet parent and you sound like a loving bunny mama.  I agree that this site is a great place for info & support.  This site helped me get through learning how to work w/ our 4 therapy bunnies and become a great bunny mama.  They also helped support my newest bunny addition.’

I built an awesome NIC cube cage that fits in the corner of the living room.  The cubes enable you to build a habitat based on your space needs.  I agree w/ what others have said…build UP!  Oddly enough getting my 2nd bunny helped alleviate my concerns w/ spending time w/ Jessica.  It makes me happy to see them cuddled up to each other when I get home from work.  The place that Jessica most enjoys to "hip hop" is the hallway.  Most of my square footage is halls or stairs and those are her favorite places to exercise.

Just remember that inspite of your concerns about time & space…the most valuable reason to keep your bun is that you’ll never find a bunny mama as great as you!  Good Luck & Keep us Posted!

[Deleted User]

I have 2 bunnies in a 14X10 room, I bunny proofed it so that they can run around the room when I am home and put them away when I am gone. It works out really well. I basically have a bunny pen instead of a couch, but I figure people can sit on my bed instead =) More people want to hang out with you and will put up with sitting on floors and beds when there are bunnies involved anyway. Its just the truth, who doesnt love bunnies? Also I feel that having a furry pet is invaluable to ones mental health, they need you, and will love you no matter what is going on in your life, significant other, etc. Hopefully you will think about all the amazing alternatives people have suggested and keep your furry friend in a place you know he will be happy and taken care of =^.^=

[dudley'smom]

Hi Guys,

THanks for all the wonderful advise.  I have been to the habitat section and saw a couple of things that were helpful.  I have the grids already from a cage that I had built for my guinea pig that passed away last year and also a patient that comes in my office where I work owns a sign making company and told me I could have all the coroplast that I need, so building supplies are not the problem.  I also have a general idea of how to build one of these, except for how to put the different levels in.  That can’ be very hard I am sure.  I really don’t have any "problems" per say with Dudley.  He is just a sweetheart.  He is potty trained, ( in one day, I might add) but there is still some mess to clean which I am sure is common for all bunnies.  Right now I have him in a cage with the coated wire grid flooring so there is not quite as much mess as before, only when he digs in his food bowl.  He is a very picky eater.  Refuses fruit or veggies of any kind.  I have tried everything on him.  He smells it, rubs it with his chin and walks away.  He loves to get out and run.  Sometimes he will go right back in his cage.  Other times it is a real struggle to get him to go back.  I guess  my main concern is keeping the cage clean and how does he get from floor to floor in one built like that. Any and all help is very greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance….

[MooBunnay]

What is making most of the mess? Is it the hay? Is his cage the “litter box” or is there a litterbox within the cage? The reason I am asking is that I have found that the covered litterboxes from “Booda Dome” are excellent at keeping the hay and litter contained. The only mess I have in my pens is fur that gets on the carpet on the floor which I vacuum once a week, and the cage stays pretty much pristine other than that. If he is tipping or diggin in his food dish, it sounds like you may be giving him more pellets than he really needs. If he has unlimited hay in a litterbox, you only need to give him just 1/4 cup of pellets per day, and that is such a small amount that he will probably eat it all right away and not tip it over.

Does Dudley get hay? As I mentioned with the covered litterbox, a good way to give him the hay and minimize mess is to put a bunch into his litterbox, I fill the bottom of the “Booda Dome” with it and my bunnies eat that as well as love to hide in their litter box. Also, by building one of those nice cages – Dudley will probably be more inclined to go “home” to his cage when you need to put him in at night.

Could you tell us a bit more about his diet & what constitutes most of the mess? That way we can provide some more specific tips!

[skunklionshow]

There are directions on building NIC habitats online.  You just need to get the plastic zip ties.  Using those and your imagination, you will be very successful.  I used the NIC cube slats for my floors.  I don’t have ramps.  I made the floors within "hopping" distance of each other.  I cover my slats w/ cardboard and newspaper. 

Leo is a super pooper and tends to poop on every floor, therefore, I cover each floor w/ newspaper.  After he poops I just change the paper.  I also have an awesome litterbox that keeps most poops contained.  I also vacuum around the cage and in the bunny bed frequently.  Other than that, its not such a big deal to contain their mess.  I also LOVE the bowls and bottles that attach to the cage.  This way my buns don’t spill their food and hay all over the place. 

Also, Leo was not a big veggie eater when I first got him.  One of his problems was that his teeth were all messed up!  Once that got fixed and he started eating again (long story) he became a veggie pig.  His favorites are red leaf lettuce, kale, swiss chard, cabbage, romaine, basil, & cilantro.  To be honest b/f he got his teeth fixed he seldom ate veggies and never ate hay, so you might want to get him checked out.  Good Luck! I’m so glad that you are going to keep him.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hi! Some bunnies will jump right up to the next level without any need for a step or ramp, it depends on the idividual bunny, age and size.  I used to have ramps for my two but recently built a step up to each floor made from pine board and covered in carpet for traction.

To keep the hay and anything else inside the cage I placed plexi glass either on the outside of the cage to protect the wall from damage and keeping the hay etc. inside the cage or I placed the plexi glass on the inside so the hay or whatever slides right down to the floor on the inside of the cage.  I affixed the plexi glass by drilling holes just big enough to fit a zip tie through and secured to the wire sides.  You can also use coroplast, I prefer the plexi because it is clear.

As for cleaning, I sweep up the big stuff with a hand broom and dust pan.  Which is made easier by the fact that I elevated my NIC condo with a cart on wheels that my brother built.  Basically just a frame with a board for the top and attached some locking casters so I don’t have to lean down so low and can just place the dust pan or garbage can at the lip of the door and sweep the stuff from the bunny floor in.

The different levels are made by using the connectors provided and hold steady with zip ties.  I made sure that if my design was wider than 2 panels, to make sure there was a center support panel in the middle all the way up to the third level.  Some use dowel rods to provide support for the suspended floors.

The ramps I made 7" wide and about 36" long and placed cup hooks in the end and covered with carpet affixed with carpet tape and if a bunny chews too much on the edge, place aluminum "L" strips over it found in the welding section of Home Depot. The steps I made with 1/2" thick wood cut to 14" (cut 2) and ripped them down to be 5 1/2" wide.  Place them on the ends, and cut and affix a 14" X 14" board to make the top, used some carpet tape, affixed carpet. 

If you do not want your bun to have the run of the house all the time, some build a run that is attached to the NIC condo too for exercise when they can’t be there to let them out.

I hope this helps and that you are able to keep you rabbit. Please let us know if there is anything else that we can help with.

[Author]

Messages