Want to bring my rabbit inside?

[Maizy]

I wasn’t sure where to post this topic, so I figured I’d post it here. 

I really, really want to bring my bunny indoors to live. My parents just aren’t too keen on the idea. They think she’ll smell. I even printed off an article about the wood pellets- which I use- and how rabbits don’t have a strong odor, and how the pellets control the odor amazingly. And I let my dad read it, and I don’t think he liked it.  So, could you all list some pros and cons of having her live in the house. I already have a few:

Pros:

1. Be easier to keep an eye on her

2. No more messy bedding 

3. She’ll get more attention and be around the family more

4. Wood pellets are amazing at keeping down the odor. (Trust me, I know. I bent over and sniffed it)

5. Once I get her spayed, she’ll smell even less 

Cons: 

Could y’all list a few. I want to be professional and mature about this, and listing a few cons seems like a good idea.

[Sleepy]

This has a nice breakdown http://rabbit.org/faq-rabbits-outdoors/

Plus, she should be spayed anyway because female rabbits have an almost certain chance of death by cancer within 4-5 years unless they’re spayed. It should also take care of scent issues. My rabbits have both been spayed/neutered and I use Yesterday’s News for their litter and we don’t have any problems on that front, really.

[Sr. Melangell]

Bunny indoors is great, but bunny likes to chew, so cables have to be out of sight and out of mind, Bunny likes to chew furniture, but saying that and not all bunnies chew.

An Indoor Bunny is great.

1.) Know Bunny is away from predators.
2.) You know Bunny is safe and where it is when you are out.
3.) Get weather news, Bunny might stamp her foot if it is going to rain.
4.) You don’t feel lonely when there is just you in the house.
5.) Get cute little bunny eyes looking at you when you eat fruit.
6.) A friend who you can share some fruit with anytime of the day.

[Azerane]

Hey, I’m glad you want to bring your rabbit indoors Unfortunately for many people like yourself, some parents just don’t see rabbits as an indoor pet and saying that they smell, while they may or may not believe it, is sometimes simply a reason that is used to prevent it because it’s not easily argued with. Some parents just don’t want bunnies inside. What I would suggest is asking for a trial period. About 2-4 weeks where you are allowed to keep your rabbit inside full time. If your parents still aren’t happy, you have to agree to and without complaints, putting your rabbit back outside again to live once the trial period is over.

You will need to prepare well for things to go to smoothly, if you get the chance to bring bunny inside, don’t clean the litter tray first, keeping your bun’s smell in it will help her with litter habits during the move inside. I would also suggest that you don’t try the trial until after she is desexed. The reason for that is undesexed rabbits are more likely to spray urine and do territorial pee and poop marking outside of their tray. While any rabbit in a new environment may do this, it is more common and often more pronounced with a rabbit that isn’t spayed or neutered. So if you wait until at least a month after her spay surgery, you will stand a better chance of her having really good litter habits without any accidents that may put your parents off. It’s also the reason I suggest a month long trial, because shifting a rabbit into a new environment can cause litter habit upsets, so you need a bit of time to show your parents that she can adjust once inside.

Things you need to consider / potential cons:
– What sort of enclosure you will use, a cage or an xpen? If an x-pen, will bunny want to/be able to jump out of it? What sort of flooring will bunny be on? Some rabbits are very keen to dig and chew carpet and can destroy it quickly.
– Where will the cage go? Is there space in your room? Will you be able to sleep with her in your room, jumping around etc while you’re trying to sleep.
– How often will you sweep/vacuum? Bunny fur and hay gets absolutely everywhere and easily covers every surface in the room they’re living in. Keep in mind you will need to be on top of the cleaning to keep your parents happy if that sort of thing is likely to bother them.
– Bunny proofing. Bunnies love to chew. Furniture, baseboard, cables. You will need to bunny proof all of these, for some of us, losing a cable or two that we accidentally forgot to bunny proof (or didn’t proof well enough) is annoying, but a fact of life. Your parents may not see it the same way and think one chewed cable ins one too many.
– Poops. While bunny may be litter trained, poops still end up here and there and everywhere because sometimes they just let one go, lol. I have no aversion to them, they’re filled with hay and quite dry and crumbly, not gross and squishy like dog poo. Your parents may not see it the same way though.

Otherwise, having indoor rabbits is wonderful. Getting to watch their antics, bonding with them more etc. Providing your keep her habitat clean and tidy, I can’t see your parents having any problem with it. The main thing to consider is to thoroughly bunny proof before hand, because rabbits can be extremely destructive in a surprisingly short amount of time.

[Maizy]

Thank you all so much for the responses!

I did consider a trial period, and my Mom is ok with it, but I haven’t yet asked my Dad. I think once he knows she won’t smell, it’ll be fine with him. He happens to really like Maizy. He just thinks she’ll smell. My mom won’t like the hay everywhere, but I’m sure I can manage to vaccum once or twice a day. I do plan on using a pen, do you know how high rabbits can jump? I could buy a cage if there is a chance she could jump out of the pen. And I have made space in my room for her cage.

[Vienna Blue in France]

do you know how high rabbits can jump?

Depends on your bun but generally ‘amazingly high’. I have an xpen 108cm high (above my waist and i’m a tallish adult) and my buns have tried jumping out.

In order for her not to smell you must clean out litter regularly (not once a week regularly) and dont hesitate in putting Maizy in a place of the house where there are people coming and going…. If she is calm in your room for a lot of time during the day she may become used to that silence and then when you come home all excited and wanting to play she may think this a bit too noisy and retreat.

Be careful of wires, any kind. Even a left out charger will become a target. We’ve all been there…

Bunnies can be active at night (unless they’re sleeping under the covers with Q8) so you’ll have to be sure she wont keep you awake…. Trust me, i lived in a one room flat, shared with a bunny and i woke up 3 or 4 times a night to say ssssshhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! (Bunny was freeroam except when i wasnt there or at night…. She didnt like being shut in her xpen….!)

If Mums ok with it, Id ask her to square it with your dad…..

[Author]

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