How to make a rabbit feel safe during a storm

[Cocoa]

I have two bunnies who live outside. One is in the regular hutch and the other is living in a plastic dog crate until they are bonded. This morning it has been thundering and raining a lot. How can I make them feel safer? It isn’t possible to bring them inside. I have some extra money right now so if I need to I can buy something for them

[Sirius&Luna]

Do they both have covered areas to hide from the rain?

You could try giving them hidey boxes (just regular cardboard boxes you can get free from shops with a couple of holes cut in) that are stuffed with straw to provide some insulation and muffle the noise a bit. You could also put a towel or fleece on top to muffle the noise.

[Cocoa]

In the dog crate they can move to the back of it and in the hutch there is a separate room where they can hide

[Sirius&Luna]

Does the dog crate have covered sides, and the roof and bottom sheltered at the back? If it’s just the top, then rain could come in through the sides, so I would try and get a tarpaulin to cover at least the back half (if it’s not already covered). Then you could put a hidey box in that bit

[Cocoa]

The dog crate isn’t big enough for any boxes. There was no other place to put her. The only spot rain would come through is the door but the rest is plastic and covered

[Cocoa]

And thank you for the fast replies

[Harley&Thumper]

You say you have extra money at the moment. do you have enough to buy a 4 or 8 person tent? It would provide shelter for the buns and a place for you to sleep during the marathon bonding sessions in the future.

[Cocoa]

No I don’t have enough for that. We are selling our house right now so my parents wouldn’t let me do that even if I had enough money because it wouldn’t look nice. I think we have a tent so maybe I will use that during bonding. I have around $40 so not much

[sarahthegemini]

I’m sorry but this is absolutely ludicrous. The crate isn’t big enough to put a box in? Just how small is it? If it’s too small to put a box, it’s too small for a rabbit…

The only way to make them completely safe during a storm is to bring them inside. Your parents need to get over the whole ‘oh it won’t look nice bla bla’ They are prioritising the aesthetics of a house over the life of an animal. Not acceptable.

[Cocoa]

Sarah, I agree with you but i can’t do anything. If i try to say something they just say We have done so many things for them and whatever we do is never good enough for you. If you don’t like it you can get rid of the rabbits. This is all they say and I honestly don’t know what else to do. I have tried to find better solutions but my parents want the house to look nice. I have a friend who has a dog crate that is a size bigger. I can ask to borrow it until they are bonded.

[Deleted User]

Obviously it’s not a reflection on you, and you’re honestly doing amazingly for your situation. I think it’s just puzzling why they would buy bunnies to not give them the proper care and see them as a nuisance.

As far as your thread is concerned, I think just keeping the front of the door blocked by something to help make sure the rain doesn’t get inside the cage. If you have a porch you could put the cage there and have the front facing the house.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Cocoa on 3/28/2018 12:14 PM

Sarah, I agree with you but i can’t do anything. If i try to say something they just say We have done so many things for them and whatever we do is never good enough for you. If you don’t like it you can get rid of the rabbits. This is all they say and I honestly don’t know what else to do. I have tried to find better solutions but my parents want the house to look nice. I have a friend who has a dog crate that is a size bigger. I can ask to borrow it until they are bonded.

Can you get your parents to have a read of BB? Maybe they don’t realise that the things you’re asking for are quite normal in the bunny world. Honestly though, If they’re not prepared to make any allowances for your buns, I seriously question whether your rabbits should even be under their ‘care’ It isn’t fair for them to give them to you (a minor) and refuse to take responsibility. 

[Cocoa]

MY parents don’t like BB because you can’t actually see the people. She listens to the breeder who referred us to the horrible vet. She gave horrible info and my mom will only listen to her. They bought me the basic stuff like litter box, food bowls, food, bedding for litter box, water bottle, and some grooming stuff. And hay. Everything else I have to buy. That is hard for me since I’m too young to have a job. I get 5 dollars an hour for chores. I have a friends mom that I help with dog training that pays me $20 for two hours of work. I also help at a dog boarding kennel so sometimes I get tips from clients. Those are my ways to earn money but I do those once a week so it’s hard. I also buy things for my horse so I’m splitting the money three ways. I part for my horse, 1 part for the bunnies, 1 part for bunny vet bills. I agree Sarah and I am doing something to improve their care every chance I get

[Cocoa]

My parents won’t let me have them on the porch because “ it doesn’t look nice”. I keep their areas clean so there is never a mess

[Cocoa]

Thank you for saying I’m doing a good job. I feel like I’m doing a bad job because the cage issue. My parents didn’t know how much work they were and how expensive they were

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Cocoa on 3/28/2018 1:24 PM

MY parents don’t like BB because you can’t actually see the people. She listens to the breeder who referred us to the horrible vet. She gave horrible info and my mom will only listen to her. They bought me the basic stuff like litter box, food bowls, food, bedding for litter box, water bottle, and some grooming stuff. And hay. Everything else I have to buy. That is hard for me since I’m too young to have a job. I get 5 dollars an hour for chores. I have a friends mom that I help with dog training that pays me $20 for two hours of work. I also help at a dog boarding kennel so sometimes I get tips from clients. Those are my ways to earn money but I do those once a week so it’s hard. I also buy things for my horse so I’m splitting the money three ways. I part for my horse, 1 part for the bunnies, 1 part for bunny vet bills. I agree Sarah and I am doing something to improve their care every chance I get

That’s such a shame Cocoa. It’s unfortunate because I feel like if your parents could get on board, your rabbits would really thrive. You seem to be really prepared to do what needs to be done but are limited by your parent’s attitudes Just to clarify, I don’t think you are a bad owner. At all. 

[Cocoa]

Thank you Sarah. I have been working really hard for the past three weeks and made a little over $100. I put half of that for the bunny vet bills and I have planned out what I’m doing with the rest. I will be buying a second x pen so they have more space during play time and a few other toys and water bowls.

[Gordo and Janice]

Tough, tough situation. Not really agreeable at all to everyone involved. I think they should be rehomed to someone with more means and a willingness to take care of them properly. If you and they are not willing to try to rehome them, then you have to do the best you can. It sounds like you really care which is a major plus. I commend you for that. It sounds like you are trying. And I hope you use this is a learning experience that you fully grasp so when you are older and more capable you will be an awesome bunny parent and teach all those around you about the do’s and don’ts, right and wrong ways to keep and raise these delicate creatures.

Put yourself in your bunnies’ shoes so to speak regarding safety, shelter, and food. How would you want your owner to take care of you. Use that in being creative to try and keep them safe, healthy, happy and alive. And continue to ask advice and let us know what you are doing and have come up with. There are so many people here with experience and it’s good you are reaching out. You and your bunnies are in a rough situation, especially the one in the dog crate. I hope you can all get through this.

[Cocoa]

I really don’t want to rehome them. They both do get a good amount of time out of their cages daily. Especially the bunny who was in the smaller cage. They are each getting about 30 minutes less than normal though because of me working to earn money to buy stuff for them. Thank you

[kurottabun]

I totally understand your situation. My mom isn’t a fan of animals and when I was younger, we were not allowed to bring our rabbits in at all and there were a lot of restrictions to having pets in general. It was impossible to change her mind. When my last rabbit died 12 years ago, I never got any pets again because I was still living under my parents’ roof and I knew I would never be able to fully “take charge” of my own pets. It was not until I got married last year and moved in with my husband that I finally got a pet rabbit again; with much more freedom to do what I think is best for them.

It sounds like your parents are still quite traditional in thinking that forums and online platforms are not “trustworthy” – I don’t blame them because I do know quite a number of older people who are also like this and would rather trust people with “qualifications”, whom they can physically see and talk to. It’s difficult to change someone’s mentality unfortunately, especially coming from their own child.

[kurottabun]

You are not doing a bad job – you are doing the best that you could. It’s just an unfortunate situation. I agree with @Gordo and Janice that if you know you are not able to fully care for them at this time, perhaps you really should consider rehoming them to someone who is able to. Sometimes we have to make harsh decisions.

Would you be able to take pictures of the general living area of your bunnies? Including the dog crate and hutch that you mention of. I think that would be better in helping people visualise so that more ideas can be thrown in.

[Harley&Thumper]

Just out of curiosity, but do you expect to be able to bring them inside after you move? It might be worth while to hand them off to a bonder to take care of bonding them because that will also get them inside and hopefully in slightly better living conditions (which isn’t your fault).

[Cocoa]

Do you mean rehome them to a bonder? My parents wont let them be inside at all at the new house. I am not home right now so i cant get photos but i have some of the regular hutch. The rabbits don’t live in my backyard right now so I wont see them until tomorrow. These pictures are from when it was first built. Once we move their living situation will be much better. They will be able to spend more time out of their cage since they will be in my backyard. We move in 1-2 weeks

[Cocoa]

Never mind the pictures won’t work so I’ll post some tomorrow

[kurottabun]

I think your picture uploads failed. Make sure they are not too big in size and in .jpg format.

You might wanna click this link and follow the steps: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/144934/Default.aspx

[kurottabun]

Make sure the pictures aren’t named weirdly too. Normally I just rename them to “1” or “2” etc instead of using the original image names as those may pose a problem.

[Cocoa]

I will just take new photos tomorrow cause it’s not working

[sarahthegemini]

I think Harley&Thumper means take them to a shelter that offers bonding services so you can have the girls bonded for you.

Really though I think your rabbits should be rehomed. It’s no reflection on you as a person, but as a minor with very unsupportive parents, your rabbits just aren’t getting the treatment they deserve. You need to think about if you love them enough to admit they’d be better off with someone else who has the finances and the willingness to provide for them.

[Harley&Thumper]

If you don’t think they will ever come inside I think you do need t start thinking about re-homing. I know you don’t want to hear that but I think it would be in the bunnies best interest.

@sarahthegemini yes that’s what I meant,

[Harley&Thumper]

As far as pictures go, make sure they are smaller than 500 Kb and there are no spaces in the name. For some reason the forum backend does not like spaces.

[Sirius&Luna]

I don’t think that’s fair. We mostly have house bunnies, but lots of people do have outdoor bunnies that have happy lives.

Cocoa obviously struggles with their parents a lot, but its also clear that they’re doing their absolute best to give the buns a good life. They paid for the bunnies spays themselves, and they are constantly asking our advice to improve their lives. It seems mean to tell them that they should just rehome the bunnies.

I know the bunnies aren’t in a situation that many of us would want for our own bunnies, but I think with an owner who is trying their best, and constantly trying to learn and improve in a very difficult situation, they can have a happy life. Hopefully they will be able to be bonded, and then will be able to have increased space outside.

[Cocoa]

I’m not going to rehome them. If the bond doesn’t work, I will purchase another large hutch to keep the other bunny in. Would I have to pay for them to be bonded. They are actually fighting less during bonding. I will be buying stuff to make sure they are fine during the summer. I can go outside every hour and refill water with ice cold water. I can do that in the summer and be out there every hour in the winter. I will be able to eventually purchase more and more things for them. I’m earning $20-40 a week so I will be able to care for them better soon.

[Cocoa]

Thank you Sirius&Luna. Their bond is working better than before. I actually wanted to make a ramp for their cage and have an x pen connected for them to run around in during the day. I would make sure that they were safe with a proper roof and make sure they can’t escape

[kurottabun]

Posted By Sirius&Luna on 3/29/2018 8:50 AM
I don’t think that’s fair. We mostly have house bunnies, but lots of people do have outdoor bunnies that have happy lives.

Cocoa obviously struggles with their parents a lot, but its also clear that they’re doing their absolute best to give the buns a good life. They paid for the bunnies spays themselves, and they are constantly asking our advice to improve their lives. It seems mean to tell them that they should just rehome the bunnies.

I know the bunnies aren’t in a situation that many of us would want for our own bunnies, but I think with an owner who is trying their best, and constantly trying to learn and improve in a very difficult situation, they can have a happy life. Hopefully they will be able to be bonded, and then will be able to have increased space outside.

You do have a point. I suppose Cocoa really has to sit down and weigh out the options here. After all there could still be a possibility that should the buns be rehomed, they may not necessarily get the very best treatment they should be getting either, even if it’s indoors.

Perhaps we should just wait for the pictures and see what advice can be given to provide the bunnies with the best they can get being outdoors.

[Deleted User]

A bonder usually requires a donation. The one I’m going to asks for a flat donation (not sure how much yet). I’d contact the House Rabbit Society to see if they have anyone available to help bond bunnies in your area. I know in the major cities (Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Houston) the shelters there would probably also be able to help, but I have no idea how close you are to any of those.

[Cocoa]

Okay thanks

[sarahthegemini]

It’s not just the fact that they are housed outside though. There’s a lot of issues and although Cocoa is doing her best, her rabbits need more. They need adequate space and they need a safe enclosure. At the moment, they have neither and expecting a minor to provide that is just unfair. At the end of the day, her parents need to step up and until they do – the rabbits aren’t being given the bare minimum. Her parents don’t even care enough to ensure they’re safe (case in point: recent thread where her parents refused to buy a roof for the outdoor enclosure and so Cocoa had to make do with a SHEET)

Cocoa – you may not want to rehome but it’s not about what you want. It’s about what’s best for the bunnies. You need to be adult enough to accept that. I’m not saying this to be harsh, but your rabbits are NOT being taken care of. If you choose to keep them when you know their needs aren’t being met, well, that’s on you.

[Cocoa]

Sarah, their situation isn’t the best right now, but i am working on fixing that. I have spent 0 time doing anything other than taking care of them, school, and working to earn enough money to improve their housing. I am about to spend $50+ on improving their housing. I have been working for the past few weeks to be able to buy some stuff for them. In a few days I will also be buying a proper roof but I have to wait until I get paid to buy that. Where is the cheapest place to get a good quality one? I spent $400 on their spays a month ago and that’s doing a horrible job caring for them? Really?

[kurottabun]

It seems like finances is the main reason why they are not able to live to the fullest being outdoor bunnies (Cocoa’s parents aside).

Cocoa, have you tried looking around for people near you who may have stuff to give away that you could use to improve their situation? Then you don’t have to spend on every single thing the buns need.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Cocoa on 3/29/2018 9:40 AM

Sarah, their situation isn’t the best right now, but i am working on fixing that. I have spent 0 time doing anything other than taking care of them, school, and working to earn enough money to improve their housing. I am about to spend $50+ on improving their housing. I have been working for the past few weeks to be able to buy some stuff for them. In a few days I will also be buying a proper roof but I have to wait until I get paid to buy that. Where is the cheapest place to get a good quality one? I spent $400 on their spays a month ago and that’s doing a horrible job caring for them? Really?

Please don’t take words out of my mouth. Nowhere have I said you are doing a horrible job. 

[Cocoa]

That’s a good idea. I will look at craigslist because they normally have some cheap stuff. Thanks! You are saying they aren’t well cared for though and I have said multiple times that I plan on setting up a ramp into a safe pen. This would give them more space

[kurottabun]

Do remember to take the pictures so that everyone can pitch in on some ideas!

[sarahthegemini]

I’ve said on multiple occasions that you are doing the best you can.

But the fact is, because your parents are too cheap, don’t wanna take responsibility and aren’t prepared to provide what a rabbit needs, they aren’t being taken care of. At the end of the day, as a minor with unsupportive and uncaring parents, you can only do so much. So whilst you are trying, the needs of the rabbits aren’t being met. 

[Cocoa]

I will post pictures but they aren’t at my house so I will do it later today when I see them

[Cocoa]

Sarah, I’m done arguing over this. My parents won’t spend more money on them but I am doing something every time I get a chance. I’m working on fixing the housing for them

[sarahthegemini]

For the last time – I know you are doing your best but you are a minor. You cannot provide everything a rabbit needs to be happy, healthy and safe. Until your parents step up, your rabbits are not being taken care of as they should.

Please understand, I am not criticising you. 

I’m stepping away from this thread. I’m frustrated and we’re just going round in circles. I wish you luck.  

[Bam]

Let’s keep to the topic of this thread – how to make rabbits feel safe during a storm.

If the hutch and dog crate are placed so that the rabbits can hear and smell and ideally also see each other, they will feel a lot safer than if they have to ride out the storm alone. The hutch and crate must provide shelter from rain and snow and hard winds, so the rabbits can keep dry and stay warm. Wind has a powerful chilling effect, so the crate must have it’s door-side turned away from the direction of the wind. Rabbits are good at keeping warm but they need bedding material if it’s cold, for example straw, fleece blankets, a discarded wolly sweater etc.

[Cocoa]

Thanks Bam. I will do those things during the next storm

[Bam]

When the next storm comes, your buns will hopefully be bonded so they can snuggle up together

[Cocoa]

I hope so

[Author]

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