House Rabbits??!

Hello,

I just wanted to know people's feelings about house rabbits? I was thinking about getting a rabbit and keeping it inside, but I don't know if that's cruel or not? I always imagine rabbits being outside and having fun in the grass.

Let me know what you think!

Hello!! well rabbits are naturally social animals so if you are going to have one that you can't spend much time with I would defo say get two (neutered). I have had house rabbits which ate the sofa, curtains and cables. Other people seem to have quite well behaved ones but that is all down to personality of the rabbits i guess. Rabbits are great pets but lots of work and cost a lot at the vets - much more work and money than cats and dogs if you ask me! Worth it though coz they are great but you do have to make sacrifices to have them both financially and time/freedom wise. Having eaten the furniture mine now live in a large heated shed with a run they can go into in the day to eat grass etc or they just stay in their shed listening to the radio eating hay!

I have never had outside buns, so cannot comment on that aspect. I prefer to keep them insiide because of the relationship that can develop between a house bun and the owner. I love watching how they behave with each other, the games they play, how they eat and wash and sleep. And nothing beats a bun leaping on the sofa for toast crusts in the morning, or toasting their toes in front of the fire or lying sprawled out on the bed fast asleep and dreaming :luv:

Having said all that rabbits can be very destructive about the house and you will need to rabbit proof the house or the room in which the bun lives. Its not difficult or expensive to do. Not all rabbits dig and chew, but it is natural behaviour for them to do so. I have found older buns seem less inclined to practise their artistic talents on the sofa, carpet or curtains But a lot depends on teh personality of the rabbit.

You need to be prepared for a considerable amount of cleaning to do, but some buns are very clean and tidy about the house. Lots of chewy, throwable toys help, too. I have a garden and a garage for my buns to run around in as well. I think if you keep buns indoors its wise to remove anything valuable from their reach and don't buy expensive curtains or rugs

I have 2 buns who live in the conservatory, one of 7-8 years, the other is 6-7 months and they are very clean and tidy and do not wreck what is not theirs to wreck. My Frenchies on the other hand are extremely untidy and Bigwig will eat the carpet if given the opportunity. For some strange reason he doesn't eat the carpet in his crate or the rug in the garage, just MY carpet

I have two house rabbits They are quite a handful, I'm not gonna lie! They love to chew everything in site so I've had to bunny proof the house so it doesn't get destroyed and so they don't hurt themself.

I prefer having them inside because I am able to spend more time with them. If they were outside rabbits I know I wouldn't see much of them in the winter because of the cold. I don't think it's cruel, they have all the space they could want and all the love and cuddles they could dream of!