First I just want to say I think it’s very admirable that you recognize that things are not going well and you’re trying to change that! I know a lot of members have issues with parents, because the standard or rabbit care has changed a lot. I know when I was younger, my parent’s also wouldn’t let me keep my bunnies in the house, so they lived in a hutch outside, which I still feel completely horrible about. It is also not uncommon for someone to get a rabbit from a friend without really understanding what goes into it.
So, I have some suggestions. Ultimately, if you still can’t convince your parents to let you improve Otter’s living situation, then the kindest thing would be to try to rehome him to someone who could. But I’ll get back to that at the end…
First I recommend checking out the “rabbit info” section: https://binkybunny.com/house-rabbit-information/
There is a lot of really great information for new rabbit owners concerning housing, diet, etc. I think the most important thing to prioritize is giving Otter a larger space to live in while he’s unsupervised, especially if he has to spend a lot of time in it. Many people will set up an exercise pen, and attach that to the cage, but leave the cage open all the time, so the bun has a “front yard” to hang out in and move around a bit more. You can protect the flooring with a sheet of vinyl from the hardware store, which is very affordable (about 50 cents a sq ft in the US). Ideally then, you could give your bun supervised free-roam time in a bunny-proofed room (or whatever room the pen is in). Bunny proofing will be very important to prevent damage (there is a section on this in the rabbit info section), and you can emphasize to your parents that he would be supervised. Most rabbits don’t seem to chew on furniture upholstery, they are more interested in wooden things, baseboards, and sometimes carpeting. By blocking access to problem areas and providing appropriate toys, he will be a lot less likely to chew on things he isn’t supposed to. If you had a better set up, it would be easier to just let him out while you were doing your homework or watching tv, etc, then he can run around and you can keep an eye on him.
The other thing is that it will most likely be necessary to get him neutered so he can be fully litter box trained. Many people (especially parents) don’t realize that rabbits can be very very clean and litter box trained, but they have to be neutered for that to work.
It is understandable that he doesn’t want to move around much in the bathroom, because the floor is slippery and he doesn’t know where he is. Most bunnies prefer to just be let out of their cage so they can explore the room, and then retreat to their cage if they need to (they will return to the cage to use the litter box, or if they want to feel safe).
If he is drinking all of his water, then you need to get a larger water bowl. You can add a bottle as a backup as well.
If your parents aren’t willing to let you make these changes (or you don’t think you will be able to for other things), the best thing would be to rehome him, or contact a rescue in your area to see if they can help. There are some tips on rehoming here: https://rabbit.org/rabbit-center/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Rehome-handout.pdf
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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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