Buns in the basement?

[Yuki Kathleen]

Wow, it has been a long time since I have been on BB!

  Anyways, recently I have come up with a new bunny related question and figured what better place to ask.

My bunnies are currently living in my bedroom in a 2 story 2×5 condo. The thing is, it’s really hard for me to be able to give them daily play time, due to the fact that my room is carpeted and I need to supervise them. Also my room is not fully bunny proofed so I have to set up all sorts of playpens. With high school, I seem to never be able to find the time to let them out to play. Also, I really love my bunnies, but to be honest, having them in my room is a bit annoying. I would really like to decorate my room but it becomes difficult as I have a giant cage in there, and my carpet is always covered in hay. I kind of want my place to be a nice little hang out spot for me to be able to study in and just hang out in, but it just doesn’t have the same effect when there are bunnies and the slight smell of litter box.

Today I thought of an alternative option. I still have to bring up this idea to my parents, but I thought it sounded pretty good..

We have a very large basement that we barely ever use. A few years ago we had a sewage problem and had some flooding problems (but it is all fixed now!) and so we took out all the carpeting. We have a very large open area down there that has a cement floor that I thought would be perfect for a rabbitat. I thought I could set up the cage for them at night, but during the day while I am at school they could just have the area to roam in! Of course I would bunny proof it and block of the entryway with a play pen, but there would be A TON of space for them to play. Our basement is quite dark, but we have a large window down there that if we opened would give them lots of natural light during the day. I thought that at night I could plug in a few nightlights. Although my rabbits are in the dark at night any other time, the basement just gets pitch black so I thought that would be nice for them. Also I thought that if we did move the bunnies into the basement, I could buy a mini fridge so I could keep the veggies right down there. I want to get one now, but having a mini fridge in my bed room just isn’t practical. 

Do you think this sounds like a good idea?!

Please Please PLease let me know! And if not, do you have any tips on making my room a better place for them to live?

THANK YOU!(:

[Chesters Mommy]

The concern I have about this is that the rabbit/s will be put down there and forgotten about. It’s great that they will have the space to run, jump and play, but will they get human interaction whilst down there? In your room the have direct contact with you on a regular basis. Will they still get the same interaction with you when in the basement. 

As much as they love the space, they would much rather playtime with you. 

I know with my bun, he has his own room. He loves this setup. However, he does get bored in there even though I go in his room multiple times a day to play or sleep next to him on the floor. That’s why on a regular basis I bring his cage out the lounge room and open it up on the lounge for him to play. I join the lounges together with a table (covered in a sheet) so he can play on both lounges using the table as a bridge. He likes the interaction he gets from everyone in the house this way. 

[Yuki Kathleen]

That is a good point, it is one of the reasons I am not sure about moving them. If I did ever move them down there, I would make sure to be down there several times a day. For example once in the morning before school, for a while after school to interact with them, and then another time at night before bed. Now that would be the MINIMUM amount of time I spend with them. 

Anyways, I am still trying to figure things out, but thank you for the input!!!

[Beka27]

I have the same concerns as Chester’s Mommy, interaction is a big factor. You mention spending a lot of time in your room, I question if you’d really get down there enough to give them enough interaction.

Basement quality is an issue also. Is the basement dry and climate controlled, with adequate ventilation? Would you be setting up a permanent play space so they would no longer be caged?

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Yuki, nice to hear from you again. As Beka mentioned, we need to have you tweak your membership a bit for your protection. (I think it slipped by us last summer.)
After all, who is cuter on an Avatar, someone with a furry face or someone without? (waves paw at Bugsy & Maybelline)

[tanlover14]

I also have concerns that you won’t be able to spend much time with him in the basement as now. Even though it’s hard now — he is at least getting the interaction of you being in the room with him and such. In the basement he will only have time when you have time. Upstairs he still has noises, stimulation, and a comfortable feeling of you being there. I really worry about enough interaction.

[Yuki Kathleen]

Thanks, I have changed my picture now!
and after reading through what everyone has to say I see now that there could be more problems than I originally thought. So I will not be moving them!(:

[tanlover14]

Yay for the bun!!! Upstairs with you sounds so much better than the basement. I’m glad you made that decision even if it is frustrating for your current living situation. Maybe if you posted or talked about the set-up of your room — some people could throw some input into maybe how you could situate it better or have ideas on how to make it easier for you to decorate/get around. Our dining room (where the buns live) is constantly a disaster of carefresh and hay — if I don’t vacuum once a day it looks like a tornado of bunny went through the room. It can def get frustrating.

[zoologist]

hmmm, maybe I just have an angel of a rabbit, but I haven’t really needed to rabbit proof my room to let Finn out to roam. I just moved the cables out of his reach.

The only time he nibbles at the carpet is when he needs something to chew because I’ve forgotten to put a new willow stick in his cage. Maybe your buns are chewing for the same reason?

Hay on the floor is my biggest pet peeve >.< i've stopped using a rack and just put the hay in the bottom of the cage. it keeps it contained a lot easier!

[zoologist]

and I dunno about you, but I would have killed to have a rabbit cage in my room when I was in highschool! But I wasn’t allowed pets

[Yuki Kathleen]

Okay, when I can I will post some pictures!
And yes my bunnies aren’t much of a problem when it comes to chewing, but I typically put a sheet on my floor because they tend to track hay out of the cage and it sticks to my carpet and is very hard to get all off unless I go and hand pick each piece :\

[Beka27]

If you want a more long-term carpet solution than a sheet, you can buy “industrial” area rugs (or a Berber type rug) that you can put in the space and leave. This will protect your real carpet from hay, chewing, and the occasional litterbox mishap. Since it’s low-pile, it’s easier to vacuum hay up.

[Yuki Kathleen]

okay thanks! I will have to look into that!

[Author]

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