Rabbits On Their Own

[Abbey]

So I have a doozy of a topic here that might not might sense but I will try my best. So, I am getting two Holland Lops in April 2019 and I plan to have them live in an 8ft long hutch with a run attached. They will be covered and protected by predators so I am not worried about that.

My predicament is that the bunnies will only remain at my Dads house because there simply isn’t any room at my Moms nor does she want the rabbits there as well. My Dad has told me he doesn’t want any extra responsibility for when I am not there. That means he doesn’t want to have to feed them, brush them, make sure they have plenty of water and hay etc. I have had rabbits before and I know for a fact that he WOULD check on them but it would be the bare minimum (he wouldn’t take them out to play with them).

My schedule is one week at Moms, then one week at Dads and then just repeats like so. I am just concerned that they will get lonely or agitated because there won’t be someone there to really interact with them every day for a week, every other week. My Dads house is a 20-minute drive or a 50 minute bus ride which I could do after school a couple times a week which might help. I also know that having two rabbits will be better because they can also keep each other company when I am not there.

They will have plenty of hay, veggies, some pellets, lots of water and a clean enclosure before I leave. I just don’t want to do anything that isn’t fair to the rabbits because they deserve the best care. I wish I could bring them back and forth but my Mom just won’t have it.

What’s also good is in a few months I’ll be able to get my G2 so I can drive on my own and go visit them without the restrictions of having to wait for a bus. So, I really want your opinions on what I should do and if it’s okay if I do what I mentioned above. Also, a side note, I will be installing a camera into their hutch that will live stream a direct feed to my phone wherever I am. So, in case something were to happen, movement or sound, I could hurry on over immediately. 

So any opinions, please let me know. Thanks

[LBJ10]

Honestly, this doesn’t sound like a reasonable plan. How will the rabbits be fed every day? How will you know if they have water? Since we are a house rabbit forum, we are always going to advocate for rabbits being housed indoors. However, I am not even considering the fact that they would be housed outdoors when I evaluated this plan. I’m really only looking at the fact that no one would be caring for them for days at a time. You said that you are 20 minutes away by car. What happens if something happens while you aren’t at home? Is you dad going to step in until you can get there?

My advice would be to wait until you have a better place to keep them before getting the rabbits. Perhaps when you are old enough to live on your own, you would be able to provide them with an indoor space and the time to care for them daily. I’m sorry, I know that probably wasn’t the answer you were hoping for.

[jerseygirl]

Hi Abbey

It is good you are giving this a lot of thought before bringing home rabbits.
It’s a bit of a difficult situation for you living part time in both homes. A common dilemma for a lot of young people.

[q]So, I really want your opinions on what I should do and if it’s okay if I do what I mentioned above. [/q]

As mentioned by LBJ, this is a House Rabbit Community so the majority of us here are not going to encourage an outdoor setup, although I do acknowledge it is a common way to keep rabbits and have seen some amazing outdoor habitats online.

Depending on where one lives, there are a lot of variables when it comes to outdoor housing. Especially with fatal viruses affecting some regions of US & Canada now.

Will these rabbits be 2 young ones? One concern is 2 rabbits that are together while young but will need to be separated by the time they reach “rabbit puberty”. I’m not certain how you’d navigate this period then bonding them later on.
If they are 2 adult rabbits, already desexed and bonded, that would be better, but still not ideal.
You’d really need you Dad to be more on board with checking on their welfare several times daily. Rabbits can deteriorate in health so quickly.

I also think you would not be getting the full experience of having rabbits as pets either.

Are you been given the bunnies as a gift?

You mentioned having had rabbits before. What sort of set up did you have for those ones?

[Dface]

I cant say this seems like a great idea for the rabbits. In theory you’ve put a huge amount of thought in, which is great, but rabbits get very sick very quickly.
Most rabbit owners check food intake and poop throughout the day, and are always vigilant for bouts of stasis, which sometimes just seem to happen.
In a situation like this your dad, even if hes feeding them, will likely not notice, and even with a live stream its not always possible to tell, because prey animals dont act sick.

Unfortunately your dad is also unwilling to have them in the first place, so making him pick up the slack every other week isn’t really a great start, especially if you are going to need any help financing vet fees.

Have you discussed with your parents if there is any other pets that they would be willing to have? that might be a better arrangement if they actively want to be involved with the animal.

[Asriel and Bombur]

I have to agree, it doesn’t seem very fair to any bunnies you get or to your parents. I know you said you’ve had bunnies before, so you know they require a lot of attention and care and maintenance. It just doesn’t seem like a good setup for the bunnies to have, especially if they ever get sick. If they’re not bonded (and I don’t mean litter mates, but actually fixed+bonded by a shelter) then they will need to be separated at all times to avoid pregnancy and fights. That’s a lot of divided time on between your parents’ places, and then each bunny. I just think they’ll get pretty depressed. When my husband and I go on vacation (usually a week) we have someone let them each out for at least one hour a day. They can get depressed without any time out, and having a whole week with them not getting any roam time is sad and they will get depressed. Buns need at least 4 hours out a day to exercise.

I’m sorry, but I really don’t think it’s a good idea. Wait until you’re out of your parents’ houses and financially independent. If you want a pet you can take care of and travel between homes with, get a hamster or a gerbil or even a rat.

[Kiki]

Indie gets lonely and upset if I am gone for more than 8 hours, because I am her primary caregiver. I don’t think this sounds sustainable, or like a very fair situation for buns.

[Abbey]

Thank you all for your answers. I have decided that I won’t get them as it won’t be fair to them. Thank you guys for your help

[jerseygirl]

That would have been a difficult decision to make. And a mature one. Kudos !

As I said before, I think it would be unfair to yourself also. Only being able to see them part time.

Have you ever thought about volunteering to help out at a rabbit rescue? Or any pet rescue, for that matter?

[Abbey]

I don’t know if there are any rabbit rescues in my area but I will check that out! I live away from the city so there might be some farms near me that rescue rabbits or other small animals

[Author]

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