Rabbits

[ShrekDawg]

So glad this thread is getting more activity again lately. tbh I had kind of forgotten about it but now it’s making me want rabbits again

I think I will add more chickens and/or get goats first though.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh and I no longer have to worry about my dog as we had to put him down shortly after Christmas but I still think I would now keep them outside if I got any. But how do you allow them to dig without them digging out or predators digging in?

 

[CyndiD]

My rabbits came from rescues so they are mostly mixed/unknown breeds. Mocha seems to have some rex in him but he lacks that super soft, dense fur.

All of my house rabbits litter trained rather easily. Most, however, would still leave the occasional poo pellets about. But the poos are dry and easy enough to sweep up (if the dogs don't get them first!). Mocha and Sapphire were perfect, though, with their potty habits -- not even a stray poo. So, yes, they are good about returning if needed. Their cage door is open from morning til my bedtime.

Many rabbits find soft surfaces like couches and beds to be irresistable potty places. I'm afraid that once they've gone someplace they shouldn't, they still like to return to the same place (especially if they can still smell it). Might be a good idea to keep her off the couch for awhile.

How old is she? Hormonal rabbits can be rather unreliable with litter habits. Fixed rabbits train easiest but that may not be an option if you are breeding (of course).

I start slow with training. I open the cage door with a pen around to limit their space. They can then come & go in that area as the please. As they continue to be good returning to potty, in time I expand the area, gradually making their roaming space bigger. Too much space too soon often will result in potty accidents.

I had 2 sheets on my couch so her pee did not wet my couch. I hope she can not smell her pee, if I let her on my couch again. I will keep her off my couch for awhile, as you suggested. She is 3 months old and my buck is 2.5 mos... just babies.

I would love to have 1 or 2 bunnies in the house, but I really do not have the room to set up a bunny area, and my husband would not enjoy this. Also, we keep our house about 69F and up to 75F when we have a fire in the wood stove. So I think it would be too warm for a bunny.

Thanks for all the info on potty training. I appreciate you.

 

[Bunnylady]

She is 3 months old and my buck is 2.5 mos... just babies.

Those aren't babies, they are adolescents.

 

[Happy Novogens]

Also, we keep our house about 69F and up to 75F when we have a fire in the wood stove. So I think it would be too warm for a bunny.

You're welcome (potty training).

Had to chuckle a little at this about the temp. You are correct that rabbits like the cooler temperatures but the reason I chuckle is that we live in the Sonoran desert. It is only in the dead of winter (our short "winter") at night that our indoor temperatures go down to 72F. During the daytime (like today) I will have our heater off and it will get up to about 78 indoors. In the summer, our A/C struggles to keep it down to 85F. If it gets warmer indoors, we use cool tiles and frozen bottles for the rabbits. Anything below 80F is absolutely fine for rabbits.

 

[CyndiD]

@Gimpy Quail
I give my bunnies frozen water bottles attached to the outside of their cages. I dont want them to chew on the plastic (they did that once and all the water leaked out as it melted) bottles. They like to lay against the frozen bottles in the summertime. We get as low as -10F in the winter and as high as 102F in the summer, But our average in the summer is about 90F and we are at 3,000 elevation. I do not like the heat... my perfect temp would be 70F.

what tiles do you use? are they house floor tiles? I like that idea, do you put them in the freezer to cool them?

 

[CyndiD]

Those aren't babies, they are adolescents.

they are my babies... is what i really meant.

 

[Happy Novogens]

@Cyndi, Yes, regular house floor tiles (porcelain tile) about 12" x 12." I'll freeze a couple and rotate them when needed. The frozen bottles are just for them to lay against. (I use a water bowl for their drinking water.) I had to do that when our A/C died and we were out for days. Temps outside were 107- 109 that week. (Last summer we had 25 days that were 108 or higher -- several of those days were 115-117F.) I really can't complain though because I do prefer warm to cold. The weather was actually one of the reasons we chose to move here. 85F or warmer is my preference .

Here's an older pic with Shadowfax laying against a frozen bottle.

 

[CyndiD]

Do you still have ShadowFax? she or he, is very pretty.

 

[Happy Novogens]

Afraid not. He was from a rescue in California. I'm down to just Mocha now.