Rehoming

I am in a bit of a situation and I don't know what to do.

I am thinking of rehoming McQueen. I thought id give him a chance and let him out this morning un supervised and I went to do the washing up. I thought I would trust him and not monitor him every second. Come back in and his just chewed up a lot of wires to shreds. I am almost in tears. They were not on the floor he has reached up and got them.

I just can't take this anymore!

The thing is because I am not in the regular situation for rehoming a rabbit (i.e money and stuff) I could change my mind when it’s too late. I can keep him but I just don't like him at the moment because his too much. Has anyone else been in this situation?

It is a hard decision but if you are thinking of rehoming him, then he should find a new home. Clearly, you are not happy with the way he is, and maybe he is not happy with the way things are either, which is why he is being a naughty bunny! If you are sitting there not liking him and nearly in tears, then I think you already know the answer.

Maybe a new life with a large outdoor enclosure and a bunny friend for company will be a new life for him. Or an indoor bunny with a bunny friend and large area to run around in might cheer him up. Sometimes the bunny doesnt match our lives, as much as we try.

Pickle, my single bunny was a really destructive bunny, but since pairing him to a very good match, he hasnt even thought about destroying his lovely new hutch. He is happy.

I hope I dont sound harsh, but as much as you are unhappy I assume the bunny is feeling the same.

I do get a little mad when I am blamed for him being naughty. He is naughty because it’s his BREED. This breed will misbehave no matter what because it’s a weakness in their personality. Who ever took him would have to be experienced with paps otherwise they are going to get the same shock I have. He isn’t just your average ill behaved rabbit.

He will have to be an indoor rabbit also as he is even worse outdoors due to being frightened half to death. His been outdoors before with his last owners and he had to be rehomed as an indoor bunny. But they took him to PAH instead of a rescue.

I wasnt blaming you for him being naughty.. I was just giving suggestions like you seemed to be asking for.

Yeah I know but people seem to blame the owner for their rabbit’s behaviour. I wasn't saying you were blaming me I was just saying I generally get annoyed when people blame the owner.

This is why this breed is rare because they do not make ideal pet rabbits….they are show rabbits and that is what they are bred for. As there are no information on this breed I was never to know that.

You are obviously not happy about this situation. Maybe ask around at rescues to ask their advice, and if you still feel like you want to rehome him, then get a good rescue to rehome him so that you know he's going to a good home. Good Luck!!

I know but I am worried someone else is going to have the same issue; his behaviour is really that bad. Would it be fair to put someone else through it?

If the rescue know the situation, they could find experienced people for him who understand the situation and will deal with it. It's not fair on you to expect yourself to deal with a situation that you are having problems with. Alternatively, find someone experienced nearby to help you train him, or live with him happier.

I am sure a rescue would scrutinise his new home and advise any potential new owners what he is like... I know, as I have just taken on two rescue bunnies and I knew so much about their characters before I got them.. it is in the rescue's interest to match the bunny to the home, as otherwise he could end up back at the rescue which is not ideal.

Honeybunny on here might be able to advise you further.. she runs a rescue centre... maybe pm her and ask her opinion re taking on a bunny like yours.

There are a ton of people around who would be willing to take him on, and love him warts and all. If he could live in a big outdoor enclousure with a bunny-friend, Im pretty sure his behaviour would be quite different. As well, although it may be a trait of his breed that he is a bit of a monkey, his behaviour wont be much different from all 'naughty' rabbits. Like i've said before, 99% of the time, Rhia is a little monster (Well, shes not that little either..) and Ive had her live in the house numerous times. Each time it has ended up in me being very stressed out and her becoming a pain in the backside, but she has a big garden to live in outside, millions of things she can destroy if she wants to, the choice of having cuddles if she decides she wants them, or if shes being stroppy & growling and grunting, she can be left to her own devices. Some bunnies just dont thrive in certain situations, X

oh dear. i would defo ask Jill (Honeybunny) and maybe Jane (Jack'sJane) for advice re: both behaviour and rehoming?

I already know of a rescue on my forum that I would rehome him through. But I am going to seek specialist advice first on training. I have had many rabbits in my life, all different breeds and characters and never come across one like him.

When you were asking for advice before I said why don't you properly giant bunny proof your home then he wouldn't be able to get at wires and things.
Why can't you do that?

Babybunnies4 wrote:When you were asking for advice before I said why don't you properly giant bunny proof your home then he wouldn't be able to get at wires and things.
Why can't you do that?

I have but he can reach on tables. I can't not put things on the table. He will either reach up to the table or jump onto the chair to get to the table. That’s what he did today. His already had my boyfriend’s wallet and chewed a £50 note up.
Though I have been trying to get my bf to sort the wires out behind the TV, because I can't do it. I have some wire protectors but getting men to do anything is a mission in itself. By the way how to you actually “giant bunny proof” your property?

glue everything to the ceiling? sorry not very helpful i know. i guess it is like normal bunnies but everything has to be higher? Barney and Nettle ate the sofa and the curtains and lots of other miscellaneous items so i know what a nightmare it is! They now have a lovely shed they live in together and i have a lovely new sofa and curtains!

I'm really sorry to hear this. None of us can know what this is doing to you, and also to McQueen, and we can only suggest things based on what we have done or would do in the same situ. I've succesfully (yes, a man can do it ) covered the wiring in all the romms that Berts goes in. I used a mixture of the whilte hard plastic stuff you get at DIY's and some more flexible plastic that some curtains came in. You just need to remove the plugs, thread the wires and re-apply the plugs at the other end.
I would look at training him. If he's such a big bun that he can jump up on anything, then he may respond to being trained not to. I don't know much about that though as I've not had to do it. Can you limit his space in the front room? does he have a pen or similar that he could be put in whilst you are out of the room?

Emma I'm sorry you are feeling like this..
but you have not been entirely happy with this rabbit since you got him and as has already been said he may be picking up on this..and along with his breed traits..just making things worse.
My honest advice would be to rehome him..either yourself so you can homecheck..or through a trusted rescue.
Then you can look for a more laid back bunny who you will be happier with and will be content with you..I know you can give the right bun a very loving home.
Hope you can sort this out to your satifaction soon

I think you have tried harder for McQueen than any owner I have ever come across in your situation based on what I have seen here and on your own forum.

Persevering to avoid failure when it is causing you both so much anguish is never going to resolve things, just make you both miserable and resentful.

If there is a rescue you trust to take him on and act only in his best interests then as hard as it will be I think it's the best way forwards. I have never had this with a rabbit but a few years ago I took on a rescue dog who was completely unmatched to me and my lifestyle, the hardest thing I ever did but the best thing for both of us, was admitting I couldn't cope with her destructive behaviour and returning her to the rescue....I only hope they matched her better second time around

The thing is I know it will be a lot better once he has settled down. I got him in March this year and he was there for about 7/8 weeks and not fully grown. So I am guessing is under a year old. I do know that this breed is a lot slower maturing then most average breeds around, as well as stubborn. But I also know he is extremely intelligent (probably why his misbehaving) so I know training isn’t out of the question. I wouldn't say it’s because of me as to why his misbehaving i just think its lack of respect on his half, he thinks he runs the place and he would be like that no matter where he goes.

It’s only the morning I really have problems, the rest of the day his normally asleep. Even in the evening his not a problem. He either lies out on the mat in the lounge or in his cage. It’s when I get up in the morning that is the problem, his crazy, and starts to either destroy his cage or our flat.

Could you not maybe have a large run setup for the morning? So he lives indoors still, but gets a chance to get that energy out in the morning? Chuck a load of cardboard boxes, toilet roll tubes, Yellow pages etc out in the run and he can chew to his heart's delight and hopefully get it out of his system. I think the training would be good too, it would give his mind something to keep him busy. Bored animals often get destructive because it's something to do, and then it becomes habit.
You keep referring to it being a breed trait, but not every animal of a certain breed acts like its typical traits, or at least not always to the extreme stereotypes. Not all Border Collies are energy crazed herding dogs, not all Siameses are finicky, picky cats, not all German Shepherds are overprotective. Perhaps if you stop looking at it from the point of view that he CAN'T be changed because it's his breed, you will actually manage to make some changes, however slight. It's nature vs nurture, and there are lots of examples where the latter can change the former. Wild rabbits, going by their 'breed', should be terrified of humans, bolt at sight, etc. but there are lots of rabbit owners who've raised wild rabbits and although they always remain a bit flighty, they're not the same as their true wild relatives.
You CAN change McQueen - it'll take a bit of work as yes, he may be more predisposed to being stubborn and naughty, but it can be done. Overactive Collies can be calmed down with a change in diet, controlled exercise to get their energy out and training to get them to pay attention to their owners. Overprotective German Shepherds shouldn't be left as they are 'because it's their breed' as this could lead to more serious problems - they're trained to get over seperation anxiety, socialised around people and dogs, to work on the potentially negative sides of their breed traits.
You just need to decide whether you think it's worth putting a lot of effort in to changing McQueen, or whether it's best for the both of you to find someone else who can do this - perhaps someone with a spare room McQueen can be kept in while he's feeling destructive.

Well last night I thought I would spend a few hours with him at his level and see what happened. He was around me a lot so I lay down on my side in front of the TV. He came up to me and nudged his nose under my hand which normally means he wants his nose stroked, so I did as I always do and the next thing his laid right out and we both fell asleep. It’s not unusual because his always really nudging my ankles or around my feet and following me around, and yes he did improve. To be honest I didn’t think he was the type of rabbit to want attention.

I would like to change him....I just don't know how. If anyone knows a dog borstal for rabbits, great! lol. The problem with rehoming him is his more likely to settle as he gets older.

I know he is in his cage when unsupervised... is there any way you can set up a pen adjoining his cage so he can wander a bit but be out of harms way? You could fill up the pen with lots of things to destroy to keep him amused, and then when you get in, you can supervise and maybe remove the pen for more exercise?

I know how you feel with the wire chewing, today dodge has managed to eat a phone charger, another mouse cable, keyboard cable and a speaker cable and thats only today.

I can only parrot what others have said about a bunny friend for him. My pair used to be very destructive when they were single buns but since they have been paired up they haven't been as bad, I do have the odd torn sock but thats it. My single bun is the bunny of mass destruction, I might invest in some cable tidies to stop him ravishing everything in sight.

Karina wrote:I know how you feel with the wire chewing, today dodge has managed to eat a phone charger, another mouse cable, keyboard cable and a speaker cable and thats only today.

I can only parrot what others have said about a bunny friend for him. My pair used to be very destructive when they were single buns but since they have been paired up they haven't been as bad, I do have the odd torn sock but thats it. My single bun is the bunny of mass destruction, I might invest in some cable tidies to stop him ravishing everything in sight.

I would do but his quite big so I am only assuming he would need a large friend

Not necessarily, I've seen French lops bonded with Nethies and all sorts As long as they've got a compatible nature, size shouldn't be a big deal (though you'd probably want to avoid the more delicate breeds like Polish and the 'hare type' as they may be more prone to accidental injury when being jumped on by a giant rabbit)