Caging

[Floop]

Hi!

I’m new to rabbits, never owned one but have done quite a bit of research. I would like to own a pair but have a high drive dog (small, about 15-20 pounds) so they would need to be caged/penned for most of the day. I could provide 1-4+ hours of free roam a day and while I know it isn’t much, I can provide the correct diet, a buddy, and 8-10 square feet of space at least.

So my question is, is it realistic to have a pair of buns in this situation? Would a pair be pretty content, or would it be unfair to have them? I only want what’s best for the buns, of course.

I like  lionheads, Netherland dwarfs, and holland lops.

[Sonn]

1 hour is not nearly enough time if caged. Even with large caging, they need at the very least 4 hours/day. Even though they are small animals they need a lot of exercise.

Is there a way you could keep the dog and rabbit/s separated longer daily?

I have dealt with a dog with a high prey drive and having a rabbit. I sectioned off part of my house for my bunny to run around in with baby gates so that he could run around while I was home. I also trained my dog to have a very strong leave it command when it came to my rabbit.

[Hazel]

I think it would be better to hold off on that for now. 10 square feet would be okay for one rabbit, you should have twice that size for two. And even then, as Sonn said, 1-4 hours isn’t enough playtime. 4 hours is the absolute minimum.

[Louiethebunny]

Agreed. If you have an extra room, some people make the room their small animal room and don’t allow their cats and/or dogs in it.

[Floop]

Alright, I’ll hold off. My dog has a very good leave it command with the hamsters and such, but she’s with me 24/7. I’m homeschooled so I have a lot of time, but I’m under the impression that the free time has to be all at once? I can’t picture locking my dog out of the room for five hours straight and it going well. If the dog is completely unbothered by the rabbits (it’s happened before with small animals) then the rabbits could be out nearly all day.

 

No extra rooms, unfortunately.

Thank you all for your time, I really appreciate it.

[DanaNM]

It would actually be better to split the bun’s exercise time into two chunks (morning and evening) than to do it all at once. But I agree that more time is better. 10 sq ft would be OK for a pen or cage, but then the exercise area should be at least 50 sq ft.

I agree with others that it would probably be best and least stressful to wait…

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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