Indoor rabbit

Hello. I started to keep rabbits when I was over forty and currently have two (I am now 58). Rabbits are complex creatures and they really need a companion to be happy as they spend hours grooming each other etc... I have to highlight that they are destructive in the house some more than others. A lot of chewed woodwork one of my current ones chews the floor in random places. Also though litter trays are good you need several and you have to put them in the same place all the time which is an area they select. Currently my older rabbit is becoming less concerned about where toileting happens but as he is elderly (11) I accept this. Rabbits are best neutered and I would recommend you get a ready bonded pair from a rescue. Male mini lops are in my experience the most friendly. I have a new rabbit that took a long time to bond with older rabbit and still doesnt like me and is too fast to catch but we make slow progress. They are work and mess and damage but oh so cute. I do not agree with the rabbit harness idea . They are not dogs and are prey creatures so always nervous they can die of heart attack if they see a dog etc... remember the phrase "bunny in the headlight" I worry that my less friendly at the moment rabbit will never be tame enough to be free in the garden the older one goes out every day like a dog sits by door to be let in or out and spends most of the day out in summer with me. Ideally they like to forage and graze but fresh hay every day is your best alternative if they are indoors. In my experience males are more easy going but each personality is so different. You have to think in terms of the rabbits needs over your own. Perhaps you could get experience by going to volunteer at a local animal shelter. I worked voluntarily for a while at the RSPCA helping get rabbits used to being handled. Guinea pigs are easier to handle and delightful little creatures. I have enjoyed all my rabbits in different ways. They do live till 14 which is another consideration.

We had a gorgeous little rabbit when the children were young. She lived outside in a hutch but we used to bring her indoors if we were home. She was friendly and cuddly and loved to race around the room jumping over things. We never tried to house train her as such so there were a few accidents but we were all sad when she died after a couple of years. I think a cat might be a better bet for you OP, to be honest.

Indoor rabbits will chew anything. Wires, wallpaper, carpet so be warned. They need to be caged when you are out. They do not live very long either. Sounds like a cat would be a better alternative. They are always looking for homes for senior cats , many of whom are quite happy to stay indoors.

I have had four indoor bunnies. Before you get one, you need to make your home rabbit-proof. They chew everything! I lost several electrical items because they chewed through the flex. They were not electrocuted but they could have been!

They can be trained to use a litter tray, but you still need to be prepared for 'toilet areas'.

Ideally, they should have access to a garden but be aware of cats! A cat can kill a rabbit very easily.
It may be unnatural to have rabbits indoors but they can be very rewarding pets. The Dutch dwarves dislike being cuddled but the others will happily sit on your lap, and they quickly become part of the family.
One last tip, it will need to be put in a cage at night, line the bottom of the cage with vinyl or sticky back plastic. Once the wood gets soaked with urine, you will never get rid of the smell.

Our rabbit lived outside but enjoyed coming into the house. Given the choice, I think he would have happily become a house rabbit with outdoor access. They need to be able to roll in the earth to dust bath their coats.
He was a rescue rabbit, a mongrel, probably no more than six months old as he hadn't finished growing. I picked up a lot of rabbits at the centre before choosing him - he was calm and accepting so was used to being handled.
We had him neutered as I read that neutered males make the best pets. It calms them down. He wasn't much of a digger ( I believe the females make the burrows) but would 'assist' in the garden by jumping into any planting hole I'd started to enlarge it. Also he enjoyed biting the hedge clippings smaller for me.
There are measures you can take to rabbit proof the house but I would think there would still be some casualties of the gnawing. Rabbit teeth and claws grow all the time so they have to gnaw really. It's not nice if a rabbit's teeth have to be filed down by the vet. Living outside, free to roam, ours never needed treatment for either.
I believe a solitary rabbit can be very happy with a human companion. Ours was definitely a happy boy. They are so affectionate (given the chance) and people underestimate their intelligence.

We have an indoor rabbit. He used to be indoor and outdoor but now has a condition which means he has to remain indoor. He uses his litter tray but does also leave pellets around. He never wees except in the litter tray. Lots of hair. He doesn't chew but our previous one chewed all the wallpaper off. They are not a neat animal , they must have fresh hay available at all times which can be messy. That sounds like a list of complaints but we do love him. It is strongly recommended that rabbits should live in pairs.

Daughter has rabbit, chews wires and furntiure, ruined her carpets,

Guineapigs are great pets and can be put outside in a pen in nice weather to chew grass, They are a lot easier to look after than rabbits, We have had both, I would choose guinea pigs everytime, They dont jump over the pen or destroy things like rabbits do, Mine had fleece to sleep on and they stayed near this and their food and den even though I took the cage away. They are very easy to look after and affectionate, Mine lick my face, they are very cute,

My Gs has a rabbit who lives in the utility room, he has a cage with a litter tray which he always uses, the door is left open and he also has accesss to the garden through a cat flap.
He plays with the dog and loves being stroked and his ears tickled but doesn’t like being picked up, probably as he hadn’t been handled as a baby.
I personally prefer cats but after saying that, the rabbit makes a lovely affectionate pet.

Just to add my thoughts here. I had rabbits for years, started off with one indoors, he had a hutch where he slept and had his food and during the day he spent his time wandering about and keeping me company. He did rip wallpaper off, when I moved to a house he had use of the garden but always supervised for his safety.

It worked as a lifestyle so his successors mostly lived the same way, also had, at various times, in different houses, runs and enclosed gardens, always supervised and free in the house and hutch in a conservatory in winter or utility room.

I never had any incidents with chewing but did have some very cuddly pets, happy to sit on my lap or in my arms. They would sit with me of an evening.

My neighbours at one time had some and had a kind of playpen for them indoors.

Domestic rabbits do not do well in the great outdoors. Wild ones are born to it so it isn't a case of keeping a wild animal captive, they can be trained but do need neutering as males tend to spray. I found the boys to be lovely and affectionate. Females un-neutered can get nippy.

We used to have a house rabbit, so did my sister, they were both house trained, her rabbit had a litter tray and would cuddle up and play with there dog (a mastif cross - he was huge) but loved the rabbit, our rabbit had a cage for when we were out, with litter tray in it, she would use the litter tray whenever she wanted a wee/poo, she did have a tendency to nibble the wallpaper and my son's PlayStation controller wires, for those saying it's cruel keeping a rabbit in the house, they have much more space than if they were stuck outside in a cage

I’m very impressed by these rabbits who use a litter tray! Our never did - and rabbits poo and wee A LOT. It was a bad tempered bugger that scratched and bit, and used to chew everything. It was a relief all round when she finally shuffled off to bunny heaven tbh.

We had 2 rabbits outside, at one time. We used to bring them in to play, and have a cuddle on our laps. They were very fastidious, and we just put some newspaper in one place, they would always go there to poo.

We had an enclosed garden, although cats could have jumped over. We had one old cat who wouldn't chase anything. Eventually we let the rabbits out permanently. They made a burrow under our rockery and were very happy, they just love digging. If I had an indoor rabbit, I would have an enclosure outside, so it could be in the fresh air for a while every day..

Rabbits are social animals, and need a friend. The certainly did chew wires any chance they got.

Just a thought both my adult granddaughters got guinea pigs about 3 years ago - they are such amazing little things - I've never had anything to do with them before so wasn't prepared for their quirkiness. The eldest GD lives with her boyfriend and theirs is out of his cage whenever they're home - if they go away he goes to stay with my other GD who is still at home. She gets hers out all the time and he loves to sit on her knee (or my son's) although they do have them on a towel as they do wee. He's much quieter than the eldest's as they're different breeds. They do need to be handled though and be have company.

Some good advice here for you Bradfordlass.

It would be better if you could manage two. It's the same with guinea pigs, they prefer not to be alone. I've had house guinea pigs which were house trained allowed so could run around as long as someone was keeping an eye on them.

G p's and R's need plenty of handling from a very young age so they get used to being handled and need to be handled on a regular basis.

A harness is a good idea to enable you to take them out in the garden and as with handling, they need to be introduced to it immediately so it becomes something they're used too.

A pet is a wonderful addition to home IMO especially if you live alone. Pets at Home or something similar is a good place to go too.

They're used to seeing people moving around all day and in my experience getting one from a breeder can cause problems as not all breeders handle them regularly, and you can end up with one who doesn't like to be held no matter how hard you try to get them used to it.

There's plenty of info on line that you can access.

I take you point Anja.

Im sorry but dont agree with keeping a rabbit indoors.

Until they chew through the speaker wires of the hi-fi ! We had one in the house years ago and it loved Heinz beans. He was a little imp but in the end gave it to our niece who had a hutch and a sealed lawn/garden where he was happier being the buck that he was.

A friend of mine had a wild rabbit that her brother rescued from a roadside when it was very young. It lived in her London flat, used a litter tray and was very sociable and friendly. The only thing it ever chewed was an office type chair which when then gave to it for destruction, which it embraced with fervour. It was only ever called "rabbit " and lived to a ripe old age.

I once house-sat for a friend who had a house rabbit. It was a large black and white one, and very lively. It chewed wires, clawed the furniture, was not entirely house-trained, and drove me mad! Trying to pick it up to put it in it's cage at night was terrible. It scratched my hands and arms very badly.
Never again!

I, too, have heard of them chewing wires. Someone my DH worked with had a house rabbit and when the relevant bit of electrical equipment was switched on it seemed to be attracted by the sound of the current in the wires. The answer, I guess, is to make sure the cables are out of the rabbit's reach.

Otherwise, they do seem to be happy indoors, with the right conditions.

My adult granddaughter has a house rabbit. He is a happy friendly animal. He has the run of the house when they are at home otherwise he is in a large cage in his own room. He runs around the garden and plays with toys etc. I have heard of them chewing wires etc so like any pet they need attention. Not sure I would want one but my granddaughter loves him, he has a carer who takes him when they go away so he is well looked after.

BlueBelle believe me, I have the same concerns and am not so desperate for a pet that I'd contribute to the unhappiness of one for my own pleasure.

The harness was in no way for my own entertainment but rather so the rabbit could spend time outside on the lawn, with fresh grass to nibble and be safe from the many marauding cats around here. It wouldn't be pegged out and left alone.

Anja Thanks so much, I'll follow up that link

IF, and it's a big IF I get a rabbit, it will not roam free when I am out of the house, so no possibility of its electrocuting itself on any wires, or tucking into my Complete Works of Shakespeare.

I have spoken at length to a local lady who has bred them for 20 years, her rabbits have never known the wild for many generations.

I'm still contemplating and have reservations.

Loislovesstewie (I bet Stewie is glad about that!) Yes, I have considered a rat but they don't really appeal. I loved our little mouse, Squeak though.

Yes, I agree rabbits are used to companions but then so are dogs, fish, rats and many other pack and school animals now kept as pets.

Not many animals are natually solitary in fact and I don't think the charity which objects to us having dogs here, would appreciate my having a black rhino on the lawn.

We never had house rabbits, but used to bring them inside, while the children took forever to clean out their hutches, and they regularly chewed through cables.

My daughter once rented a room from a woman who had six rabbits roaming around the house. She said it was a nightmare: droppings all over the place and aonce a rabbit chewed through the telephone line (before smartphones) and she was unable to call us here in Italy for a while.

Friends of ours had a house rabbit. Fabulous little guy. He trotted around the house, used the cat flap to pop into the garden and used to love to lounge on the sofa eating toast.

He'd greet the children when they returned home from school and all in all was a great success.

Heartbreak when he eventually hopped off to Rainbow Bridge