indoor rabbits

[snugglebug14]

We got a rabbit and we're having a couple of issues. for one, he poops EVERYWHERE! But particularly in my son's room..iicck! Secondly, he loves to eat EVERYTHING. His favorites include crayons (which we've just moved out of his reach) and wicker baskets which we keep all over. Are there any scents that we can spray or something to keep him out of my son's room and away from our wicker baskets. tahnks so much

[salmontree]

Does the rabbit just free-roam all the time?
Everyone who has kept rabbits, that I've known, has always kept them in a hutch- indoor or outdoor. I would think that the easiest way to avoid the prolific pooping and chewing would be to just take him out only when he can be supervised. I don't know if they are intelligent enough to be trained to not chew stuff... I could be wrong though. I haven't had rabbits since I was a kid.
Good luck!

[crissei]

I used to have a free range house rabbit. After a long while I was able to get him to use the litter box every time. But every time he hopped out of it litter and bunny berries scattered everywhere anyway. He chewed everthing in site, including the shoe molding. I am surprised my mom didnt kick me out of the house (I was seventeen) with all the damage he did.
Anyway
Mr. Thumper Bunicula Bigglesworth spent the rest of days happily in a indoor cage.


.

[MaryLang]

I have had two indoor rabbits. One ended up in an outside hutch and the other was given to the local House Rabbit Rescue. I had a book about house rabbits that gave all kinds of tips, I think it was called the House Rabbit Handbook. I tried everything, and it was still just too much to handle. Both of mine were litter trained, but as pp said it still gets everywhere when they jump out of the box. No matter how I tried to cover cords, nothing worked. I don't mean to sound like it can't be done, but boy is it a lot of work.
Here is a good website:http://www.rabbit.org/

[Bluegrass]

I used to have an indoor rabbit. He was litter trained for pee, but left pellets everywhere. He also chewed everything, including electrical cords. it's a miracle he didn't get electrocuted.
We have outdoor rabbits now.
I know there is a lot of information on the internet, I think there is even a house rabbit society.
Good luck!

[cchrissyy]

I know thye're house-trainable.
I've only ever had caged rabbits, and they were always particular to pooping only in a specific corner of their cages. somehow, you need to designate a space for him and teach him to use it, but I don't know how to do that in a house! there must be a book...

[Jillby]

we had 2 house buns.1 recently died.both were litter trained and were free roaming.they mostly stayed in one end of the house by choice. you should get them used to a litter box in a confined are at first.when they are consistent with that,let them have a bit more freedom.my bun never poops or pees anywhere but her box.she is fixed,maybe that has something to do with it.? any way the yahoo group etherbun is very informative,very high traffic.also hopline is good.enjoy your rabbit!
also get him some fruit tree branches and other good things to chew and scratch at.maybe he will leave the good stuff alone. we still can't get our bun to not chew wires,good luck with that!!

[lilsishomemade]

Free-roaming rabbits still need some type of cage or hutch. My rabbit likes his cage a lot, and stays in there quite a bit. He doesn't have a litter box, but he only goes in his cage. He only goes in the corner of that cage!!

Rabbits need to be chewing all the time. Their teeth grow non-stop, so chewing helps keep them from growing too long. If their teeth get too long, they can't eat So, you need to provide some toys just for the rabbit to chew on. Mine has a branch, a basket (that I keep filled with crumbled newspaper, since he likes to dig, also) and some bird toys that are wooden. They also need other toys. Balls are fun, especially those ones that jingle when you roll them.

Rabbits are pretty smart, but you need to keep a close eye until they know what they can and cannot do. I start out by only allowing a small space, and staying with them. Then, slowly allow them more and more roaming freedom. I've found that if they start chewing on something they aren't supposed to, I just tap their nose (a touch, really!) or their hind end. VERY gently, just kind of to get their attention. They are pretty sensitive to scent, so if you find they are chewing carpet in a certain area, or are chewing on something in particular, spraying with something that smells strongly, like perfume, etc, can help.

Oh, and rabbits can be a little mischievous sometimes (think Peter Rabbit), so don't be surprised if you have to help fish the rabbit out from behind the entertainment center or something...

ETA: if they pee on the carpet, clean it with vinegar. Rabbits will keep going in the same spot if you use ammonia.

[oneotamama]

This is really interesting. I've never heard of a rabbit indoors before. We live in NE Iowa and we're getting rabbits in a few weeks. I was wondering if I could bring them indoors in the winter....but by the sounds of it it sounds quite challenging But at least I know it's a possibility.

[LoveMyLil'B]

I have had 2 rabbits. Both stopped pooping all over after they were fixed. As for the litter box training, both my rabbits trained me. They showed me where they liked to poop/pee, and I put a litter box there. Problem solved. One of them would still leave pellets out in my old bedroom when I visited my parents (they had cats, so I think she was just marking her territory). One of my bunnies stayed in a cage when I wasn't able to watch her. The first one I had was so well-behaved, I could leave her out.
As for the chewing, I think a lot of it has to do with their personality. One of my bunnies never chewed anything she wasn't supposed to. She was very docile. The other one was wild and crazy. Her favorite thing to chew was book spines! She's the same one that would suddenly jump up from resting, and run around the room like mad, kicking her feet out in these cute little side jumps. I miss my bunnies...
I have heard of people giving their bunnies grass doormats for them to scratch, chew and dig. My crazy gal was fond of cardboard boxes. I would give her a cardboard box with a "door" cut in it, and watch her go to town "remodeling"! She loved to chew out new doors and windows, and loved playing peek-a-boo in it.