How to Evaluate Good Homes

[MooBunnay]

As I am trying to find homes for the Somebunny to Love buns, I am finally starting to get a few potential homes, and I was wondering to all you other people out there adopting bunnies out, how much do you evaluate people? Some of these bunnies I am working with have not been outside of their tiny little cages in years….and in that light, I am starting to think that being picky is not as easy as if homes were endless.  For example, I have a potential adopter looking for a companion for their older bunny (7), then bunny can go indoors AND outdoors, and so due to the fact that the bunny is allowed outdoors, this would probably not be considered a home to be adoptable to by the standards that I understand from the rescues I work with.  However, the owners seem very attached to their rabbit, and very caring, and I would think that it would be better for one of our homeless buns to be cared for and have a mate even if its allowed to go outside sometimes.

Does anyone have any guidelines by which they evaluate homes other than eliminating homes that don’t meet all of the ideal requirements?  Is a bunny being allowed outdoors (mine aren’t at all) something that you would consider to eliminate potential adopters?

Sorry for the long post!!

[LillyBear]

as long as they take bunny in when it is too hot, too cold.. rainy.. etc.. i think being outside is fine.. and of course either being watched or in a run or some sort!

Im sure my bunny would LOVE to go outside.. she sits in front of the window when its open.. lol.. but we have no outside to take her too!  im sure not letting her out without fences around.. cause what if she gets out of her harness lol

[dmh426]

MooBunny- My bunny is an almost free range house bunny but most weekends from May through September she is out in her puppy play yard at camp, munching on fresh grass and taking in the fresh air. Being outside is not a bad thing as long as they are closely observed and brought in when the elements get to be too much, or when there are potential dangers around (flies, dogs, etc.) Sophie loves being outside. I put her in the play yard with some food, a cardboard box or her carrier for shelter, make sure at least 3/4 of the play yard is in the shade and that she has water.

I rescue bunnies and the guidelines I follow are trumped by one question: is this potential home going to be nurturing, caring and healthy for the bunny? Will he have a happy life? No one small thing should rule out a potential adoption family, not if it isn’t harmful to the bunny.

[MooBunnay]

Thanks for the input, some of the rescues I work with hear the word "outside" and they go *gasp* *shock* *faint* and tell me there is no WAY they would adopt to an outdoors home, but I kind of think that its prob. nice for a bunny to get some fresh air and grass.  Out here we are traumatized by stories of buns getting picked up by birds.  I myself wouldn’t put my buns outside unless they were in a cage that had a roof, just because mine are small and could probably get picked up right away by a predator, but I wasn’t sure if that is the norm, or what other people think about bunnies outside.  I guess I can see both sides of the idea, I would be sooo sad for something bad to happen to any of the bunnies I adopt out, but at the same time, after years at a shelter for a bunny, I start to think that any home is better than none…but I don’t have final say because I don’t have my own shelter (yet) so I guess I have some time to think about it!

[BinkyBunny]

My personal opinion on that is there are risks going outside that you can’t avoid, like fleas, mites, e.cuniculi, BUT all and all you can take preventative measures for everything else, like making sure the grounds have not  been recently treated, that they are supervised if they don’t have a cover.   Offer a place for them to hide, etc etc.    As long as they don’t live outside and they are just having a fun safe supervised and/or protected outdoor run then I think it’s okay.   Even with outdoor runs, you still have to watch to make sure nothing can actually "scare them to death"

I have taken my bunnies outdoors and they love it.  It is a personal choice of mine.  And in reality, I really think BOTH sides do have very good arguements, so I also completely understand and respect the decision to keep a bunny from outdoors.    And the rule or how strict the rule is of having a bunny  enjoy outdoor visits really varies between shelters and rescue groups. 

In the FAQs section of binkybunny, I actually address this issue of outdoor visits. 

https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/FAQ/tabid/81/Default.aspx  Scroll down to: Can a "House" rabbit have outside visits?

[poopy]

When you do the home visit, look at the outdoor area and see for yourself if it looks safe. When Pookers’ new parents said he would be having outdoor playtime at first I was alarmed. But once I saw it for myself, I saw everything was fine- he has a custom outdoor pen built with fake grass. I imagine with the ones with real plants you’d just have to see for yourself.

As for guidelines, when they fill out the adoption application that should alert you of any red flags.

[jacki fullerton]

I’ve taken Noble outside occasionally. We have a small backyard, with some plants where he can hide. I always watched him and never left him alone outside. He let me know he wasn’t comfortable out there. There are strange noises, birds, squirels, wind, airplanes, cars, etc. He would come and sit by me and just seem to say, “lets go back inside”. He is very happy having the run of the house. It’s much more comforting for him.

[Trishie]

the bunny you adopt out might HATE the outdoors too, would they find that problematic?

[MooBunnay]

Hi! Sorry, i didn’t see this last posting.  We did NOT end up adopting to the outdoor home, the family was a tad to un-attentive to the bun when she was outside for the shelter owner’s tastes.  I think for the most part we wil just be adopting to indoor only homes from now on, I thought that would be a problem, but I’ve actually been getting quite a few interested adopters that are really fascinated with having their bun indoors!

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