so....what should i do?

I have posted before at how the problems I have had with my rabbit playing up. The thing is some people have said that getting him a friend will settle him down, however a rescue has just told me it won’t solve the problem and that I would probably be turned down as I don’t own my own garden (putting me off basically). Now without sounding arrogant I think that is absolutely crazy. This well known shelter in SURREY should be well aware that I am not the own person that live in a flat down south.

So what I need to know is what are my options? I don’t have the perfect home a rescue is looking for, and IF this is the only solution then a pet store or breeder is probably going to be my only bet. I can’t see a rescue accepting me, and it would be wrong for me to give up McQueen without even trying. I am perfectly honest when I say I don’t have endless amount of space to spear, however every animal I own is very healthy and have good lives, and I don't need to proove myself. His shock behaviour started after he was neutered, he was never like this before.

I could rehome McQueen, but then again I got him so it’s my responsibility. I think once you get into that "giving up" lark, it all becomes too easy for some. I don’t want a rescue to pick up my peaces. However, I want them in return to at least look and analyze my situation.

What's the problem with him?,

Have you tried other rescues? Not all of them have the same policy and there are certainly lots who will happily rehome buns as houserabbits

Well that’s something I suppose. I felt really annoyed. There are three in my area and I have emailed them all. Bobtails seemed very nice but refurbishing. But I could wait it’s not major.

Snowy - His just really destructive. I mean his literally driving me crazy, his quite a big bunny as well. Some say getting him a friend will help settle him, but others aren’t so sure. But I am hoping to try it before I fully make up my mind.

If he's destructive I should imagine he is bored, does he have free run of your house? or is he confined to a hutch or cage?

As you probably know rabbits need lots of stimulation and things to occupy them, they also need company, how many hours a day does he have company?

He can't have the run of the flat as i planned because he destroys the place, and when we do let him out we always end up shutting him away again because his just to much. We are up and down sorting him out every minute. He has loads of toys but not interested in them, he rather play with things he knows he shouldn't (like our TV wires.). We have already had out living room rabbit proofed but his so big and strong he just move barriers himself.

Me and my boyfriend are at work all day, however when I was out of work lately he just sleeps all day (like most rabbits) so doesn’t notice weather I am there or not. The only time he notices is the morning and early afternoon. That is when he does the most damage. But as I said before….he was fine until he was neutered.

Are you able to give him a room all to himself? One that you could have laminate down in and just his things so he can only destroys whats his to damage?

Not all rescue's have a 'no flats' policy, I have rehomed happy house bunnies to people who live in flats without issue's.

I would give crop an email to a couple of rescues explaining your situation. Just because you don't have a garden doesn't mean you're not adequately equipped to deal with a bunny and any rescue with their heads screwed on will take the whole situation into account and not just rubber-stamp you due to 'lack of garden'.

I'd second the attention thing. Try to give him as much one-on-one time as you can as it could be that he's playing up to get attention from you. I know how destructive a small rabbit can be so he must be a nightmare to control but liek sooz said, if you give him an area all to himself that's large enough that he's not so bothered about elsewhere, then he might just be interested in destroying that instead

Are you sure you were turned down because of not having a garden or was it just not having enough space? I have three rabbits in a flat with no garden, from a rescue. They do have a room to themselves but if you have enough room I don't see why you'd be refused. It does sound like your chap is bored, how long is he in his cage for and how big is it?

How long is he normally out for before you shut him away again?
I let Dumpling and Treacle out for a run in my living room yesterday and they went mental trying to get into everything as they've been shut up due to bonding, but after a while (an hour and a half) they calmed down and settled down for a snooze.
So I'm thinking if he is shut up most of the time then you let him out he is going to go mad.
I am in the process of building them a new cage and bunny proofing my living room.
Can you not just giant bunny proof your living room?

I am in a 1 bed flat so he can't have a room to himself. However our living room is quite large (its in a Victorian house). I can't take up too much space or else bf will moan, but he has a whole corner area to himself. I have never had a rabbit that has behaved like this, nor have i ever had a rabbit that wasn't happy on his/her own.

Babybunnies you are very right about him going mad when his let out. I think that too. But I don't know what else to do because his such a sod. People don't realize the extent; they just think regular rabbit behaviour. But in the 20 years I have been around rabbits i have never seen one like him. His not normally out long before he has to be put back. If we left him he would destroy everything, not to mention eat our bills. Yesterday morning he was out while I was getting ready for work and I had to keep telling him off while I was trying to put my make up on because he was trying to get behind the TV. Then I just popped out for 2 mins to get my breckfest and he was behind the TV, chewed all the wire and cost us hundreds of ponds worth of damage (and we now have no TV or cable). I went mad, and went in his cage alright he went in himself because he knew I was angry then started to try claw at my hand as I shut his cage up. So yeah, we fight often lol.

I have been told by one breeder that this breed do think they are the boss of the place (like some dogs).
*sigh* its a pain.

it's strange isn't it? it sounds like you need to become the top dog again but i wouldn't know how to go about it personally unless you pee on all of his belongings

he sounds like a sod but I'm sure he just wants attention. Do you have a designated 'playtime' with him so he can have some fuss and cuddles all to himself?

Stupid question but have you tried putting things in the way of 'behind the tv' so he can't get there? obviously I don't know what your setup looks like but maybe putting some cardboard or something in the way might discourage him. Jay has a link to his website on his sig and he has a photo of ways he has bunny-proofed successfully. Obviously Bertie is no giant but the theory is sound

Good luck and I hope you get things sorted. He is a beautiful bun!

Yep hid things but he just drags them out, he eats cardboard in no time, I have given him some play time but his never interested. He rather just sit on his chair, under the table or go back in his cage. His very stubborn, very. He knows i am the boss because he knows i mean business what i am mad, but it never botherers him. His not an idea house bun (even though he hates it out), that i know. But there isn't much I can do about that now unless i rehome him.

Just to put a slightly different slant on it, if neither of you are happy and the situation isn't working out maybe it would be in the best interests of you both for him to go to another home where he could have more space?

It's obviously getting very stressful for you both and if there is no way you can offer him anymore space or attention then I can't see the issue being easily resolved.

Whilst I hate to see an animal being rehomed there are situations where it has just cause.

I have thought about it, but realistically I am not going to take that route. Its my responsibility and i do not believe in just giving up things. I mean we wouldn't do that with our own. I can see what you are saying, however space isn't the problem here. We have more then enough space for him as our flat is fairly large, but two large rabbits isn't going to work.

Plus I couldn't just rehome him id have to sell him because he cost me ALOT of money.

As a sort of leading on response to Sooz's post..perhaps he could go on "holiday" to someone who's able to give him a whole room for the day or something - just as a trial to see whether he does actually improve with more space or not. It'd be a shame to rehome him and he be just the same despite more space.
If you've had a really good think about it and tried every rescue that's feasible and been turned down, please don't go to a petshop - either find a responsible breeder (one who breeds for healthy, happy rabbits, not profit) or perhaps take on a bun in need of a home through the free-ads magasines/websites out there. The only problem is, you won't have rescue backup for bonding or a guarantee to hand the bun back if bonding doesn't go well but it's better than paying money to a petshop or backyard breeder to support their bad practices.

I am 90% sure space isn’t the issue. His not cooped up in a tiny cage or anything lol. I am experienced with rabbits so I know what space they need. He has the whole flat (well apart from the bedroom) and that’s bigger then a room or a shed in the back garden. It’s the breed. If he was rehomed he would just be the same with someone else that I am pretty sure about because I know him. If I rehomed him it would have to be with someone that has experience in this breed to save them going through what I have been through, and id also have to charge because he cost me £225 only recently. I do agree that if he had more space (i.e. the run of the flat) 24/7 he MAY not be as bad but we don’t know that for sure. It’s more likely that it’s more opportunity for him to eat the carpet, door and skirting board (his had a good go at our door).

I am sat on the floor on my laptop and his behaving (because his resting). He has mood swings, and its usually the morning his the worst.

McQueen wrote:I am 90% sure space isn’t the issue. His not cooped up in a tiny cage or anything lol. I am experienced with rabbits so I know what space they need. He has the whole flat (well apart from the bedroom) and that’s bigger then a room or a shed in the back garden.

But you said you couldn't cope with him while he was out and very soon shut him up again, so he doesn't have all that room.
Why don't you just bunny proof your living room, get a water spray for when he's naughty and make sure you put time aside when you don't have to do anything else and let him free so you can stop him when he does something naughty?
I do think he's bored and if he is not getting much exercise he will continue to forever be naughty/destructive.
As I haven't finished bunny proofing my living room, I'm just having to put up with fact I'm having to watch very carefully and get up every few minutes until I've got it sorted.

(Please don't think I'm having a go, it just seems like you haven't tried what people are suggesting and obviously we don't want to see you have to give him up if you don't want to).

I don't think your having ago so no worries.
The only thing I haven't tried his rehoming him, and that is a personal decision Id have to make. I have tried almost everything and that is why I am getting frustrated. I am not the kind to just complain, lol. Remember its not always easy to try everything people suggest when you have a bf.
He is shut away when his naughty and anyone else on this forum would do the same thing (if they cared about their home). As I said he hates it outdoors and he would escape eventually anyway. I really don't think anyone else would do anything differently to me, as like I said its a breed characteristic, hence why they are rare lol
Also he was never like this before he was fixed and I am going to talk to the vet about it. I have regretted it ever since, I think it was to soon.
I am going to get some wire protectors this week and I am in the process of extending his cage. If he behaved himself there would be nor issue but he has mood swings that i just can't risk to leave him out.

This isn't my fault.

It's likely that it's not due to his neutering, but just as he's got older he's got bolder - hormones tend to do the opposite, i.e. he'd probably be more destructive if he wsn't neutered and spraying wee all over the place too!

I second that. He's a boy - they get bolshy as they grow up!

I think that maybe if he got a bit more playtime so he won't feel the need to destroy things quite so much

See, I don't think so. He wasn't that young when we got him and this all started about a week or two after he was fixed. It was a sudden change. Before he was fixed he was very quite and shy and he didn't smell. Thats not to say he wouldn't do in the future but his behavior change was instantaneously after neutering. I don't want to scare anyone not to neutering, but I do know it works for some and not for others. Id rather he just stunk the place out then have this behavior, lol.

McQueen wrote:See, I don't think so. He wasn't that young when we got him and this all started about a week or two after he was fixed. It was a sudden change. Before he was fixed he was very quite and shy and he didn't smell. Thats not to say he wouldn't do in the future but his behavior change was instantaneously after neutering. I don't want to scare anyone not to neutering, but I do know it works for some and not for others. Id rather he just stunk the place out then have this behavior, lol.

But do you have a reason for being so sure it's the neutering that caused it? It's perfectly feasible that he may have become like this even if he wasn't neutered - may just be that he just settled in more once his hormones weren't up and down and all over the place, it may have just been coincidence that it coincided with the neutering, he may have been destined to become like this anyway and neutering helped make it less intense (because he could be worse - at least he's just destructive and not highly aggressive too!)
Bunnies ARE destructive. In the wild they'd dig holes everywhere to live in, they'd stand up and tug at branches etc for food, they'd strip bark off the trees to help wear their teeth down. Your carpet, wallpaper and furniture are the domestic bunny's soil/trees. If you're houseproud, indoor buns aren't for you If it's any consolation, he could be as bad as the famous Beatrix - http://www.thebunnyshed.co.uk/Tree.wmv

In the US they would probably suggest to have his front teeth removed. Just like they declaw cats to protect the sofas. I wonder if they have muzzles for rabbits.

Seriously though, it sounds as if that is his character. My bunnies are not really interested in toys, they usually ignore them and prefer to shred cardboard boxes. They are all outdoor bunnies, though. I am fostering for ARC, and we rehome bunnies to people who live in flats, as long as there is enough room for them to hop around. We sometimes rehome difficult bunnies to live as single bunnies, but only, if the owner is at home most of the time.
Have you tried to block off corners with metal panels? There are runs made from foldable metal panels. Some are advertised for big dogs and are higher than the usual 2 ft you get for bunnies. You boyfriend may moan about that, but it's still better than having all your things damaged.

Hi Bevbun. That’s awful that Americans take out their buns teeth to stop chewing. How do they eat?

I have thought about putting those panels to block off certains areas and that Is why i got a box. I am going to sort things out this weeks end. I am currently trying to extend his crate the best way.

Its not that I am house proud I just don’t want huge damage bills lol. I am sure I am not the only one here haha.

He is very quite tonight, so I am making the most of it. It comes around in swings and around abouts.

Do the ARC reply to the email address on their site? I have emailed it a couple of times with no reply.