# Advice nedeed regarding house rabbit



## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

Hi all,

Well i have a two year old English Lop he is adorable and his name is larry, up until recently he has been a hutch rabbit, with run exercise, but i brought him indoors whilst he recovered and he has really come out of his shell and i am discoverig a whole new side to his personality, i am now considering turning him into a house rabbit full time, is this possible at his age? to litter train him? he is good as gold but i am finding rabbit raisons everywere :001_huh: lol

Is it wise to cage him at night and when i am out? any advice that could be offered would be greatfully recieved as i am starting at square one, thank you for your time.


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Its very easy to litter train a rabit as they are so clean. Find the spot he likes to do his main wee's and poos then put the litter tray there, you may need more than one. You will always find the odd raisin on the floor, this is how they make their territory by dropping one or two poo's, its more common in new areas they go to but it will always happen in the best trained of rabbits. It just part of their behaviour you can't change. My George is fully litter trained but I have to watch out for the occasional raisin he leaves around. They can sometimes pull a few poo's out of the litter tray that get stuck to them a bit and drop off when they jump out again not something you can change but they are very easy just to pick up using a dustpan and brush or even by hand. 

For keeping him in a cage when your not able to watch him that would be a good idea so he won't damage anything whilst your not watching. A dog crate is usually better than the "proper" indoor rabbit cages as they give more room. Or even better would be to give him a whole room that he can't damage and has no carpet like the kitchen or bathroom. I keep my George confined to the kitchen at night and whilst we're out so he doesn't do anything he shouldn't. 

Make sure all wires are hidden behind furniture he can't get to or covered in a protector type casing, you can get this quite cheap from Ikea. Rabbits love to chew especially wires so even with watching him constantly its best to have it protected. My OH found out the hard way, he thought George was sniffing his wired mouse (he was at first) then one bite and his mouse didn't work anymore. It was one clean cut straight through so they're teeth are sharp and can make quick work of wires.


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## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

Kammie said:


> Its very easy to litter train a rabit as they are so clean. Find the spot he likes to do his main wee's and poos then put the litter tray there, you may need more than one. You will always find the odd raisin on the floor, this is how they make their territory by dropping one or two poo's, its more common in new areas they go to but it will always happen in the best trained of rabbits. It just part of their behaviour you can't change. My George is fully litter trained but I have to watch out for the occasional raisin he leaves around. They can sometimes pull a few poo's out of the litter tray that get stuck to them a bit and drop off when they jump out again not something you can change but they are very easy just to pick up using a dustpan and brush or even by hand.
> 
> For keeping him in a cage when your not able to watch him that would be a good idea so he won't damage anything whilst your not watching. A dog crate is usually better than the "proper" indoor rabbit cages as they give more room. Or even better would be to give him a whole room that he can't damage and has no carpet like the kitchen or bathroom. I keep my George confined to the kitchen at night and whilst we're out so he doesn't do anything he shouldn't.
> 
> Make sure all wires are hidden behind furniture he can't get to or covered in a protector type casing, you can get this quite cheap from Ikea. Rabbits love to chew especially wires so even with watching him constantly its best to have it protected. My OH found out the hard way, he thought George was sniffing his wired mouse (he was at first) then one bite and his mouse didn't work anymore. It was one clean cut straight through so they're teeth are sharp and can make quick work of wires.


Thank you so much! brilliant advice, very useful, he toilets in a litter tray in his hutch usually so im guessing this gives us a head start, thing is the places he chooses to poo and wee are on the sofa!!! behind the chair in the front room and behind the sofa...strange bun!!


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Cant add anymore than kammie! Brilliant advice.

Think we need piccies though


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## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

Just a few of my Larry Bum 

Isn't he gorgeous!


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

Awwwwww he's stunning!!!!! he isnt an english lop (they are very big buns with the really really long ears) though he's a beautiful dwarf lop


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## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

crofty said:


> Awwwwww he's stunning!!!!! he isnt an english lop (they are very big buns with the really really long ears) though he's a beautiful dwarf lop


oops sorry thats what i meant to say :thumbup1: silly me.....haha i spent a long time convincing my friend he was a dwarf lop, now im calling him an english duuuuh!!

haha glad you like him, he is so cheeky, he takes food off you, he jumps into your lap and waits whilst you feed him, he has always been shy of being handed until this past week  xx


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

What a lovely rabbit!  My bebe is almost 5 and she learnt how to go in a litter tray  Its brilliant when they are a house rabbit!  x


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## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> What a lovely rabbit!  My bebe is almost 5 and she learnt how to go in a litter tray  Its brilliant when they are a house rabbit!  x


Aw brilliant!! im so excited  he loves the dog and she loves him too, they are best pals


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

I have 3 dogs and they all LOVE bebe lol I think they treat her as a puppy lol Bebe loves to sniff their paws and the dogs have such waggy tails when Bebe gives them attention!  Just make sure that the dog doesnt get too excited and chase him  My Roxie dog did it once but after being told it was naughty she stopped and learnt that whenever bebe is out she had to ignore and lay down if bebe came close to her


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## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

Aww how adorable, yeah she seems ok, she hasn't yet gotten over excited, she doesnt take too lightly to him tryig to mount her though!! he has tried it once, so weird seeing a rabbit chase a dog around, thats stopped now though haha


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Agility Springer said:


> Aww how adorable, yeah she seems ok, she hasn't yet gotten over excited, she doesnt take too lightly to him tryig to mount her though!! he has tried it once, so weird seeing a rabbit chase a dog around, thats stopped now though haha


:lol: oh my! i bet she wasnt too happy with that! lol Bebe just sits next to my dogs when they lay down... but the dogs get soo happy when bebe chooses to sit next to them. I put a small cat collar on Bebe with a bell so i knew where she was. She doesnt mind it and then i know where she is when i cant see her  That might be a good idea?

Im glad i did it because i didnt know where she had gone and i could hear her bell so i thought because the bell had got fainter that she'd just gone into the other room.. Turns out she'd followed the dogs up the stairs!!  She was sat on the hall way with the dogs when i found her! Little terror  lol x


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## Agility Springer (Mar 15, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> :lol: oh my! i bet she wasnt too happy with that! lol Bebe just sits next to my dogs when they lay down... but the dogs get soo happy when bebe chooses to sit next to them. I put a small cat collar on Bebe with a bell so i knew where she was. She doesnt mind it and then i know where she is when i cant see her  That might be a good idea?
> 
> Im glad i did it because i didnt know where she had gone and i could hear her bell so i thought because the bell had got fainter that she'd just gone into the other room.. Turns out she'd followed the dogs up the stairs!!  She was sat on the hall way with the dogs when i found her! Little terror  lol x


haha awww wow, will wait and see if larry makes it up the stairs!! the collar is a good idea  thank you.

Right another dialema is the dog eats the rabbits food and the rabbit drinks the dogs water :confused5: :confused5: lol


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Agility Springer said:


> haha awww wow, will wait and see if larry makes it up the stairs!! the collar is a good idea  thank you.
> 
> Right another dialema is the dog eats the rabbits food and the rabbit drinks the dogs water :confused5: :confused5: lol


We had that problem... the water thing isnt much of a problem and it wont harm the rabbit, so i wudnt worry about that. Think the dog eating the rabbit food isnt good tho lol I have a hutch for Bebe that she goes in at night and when were out etc, So i keep the food bowl in there and when she knows its teatime she hops back to the cage and has her tea then comes back out. Then the dog cant get it and shes got peace when shes having her tea lol x


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> :lol: oh my! i bet she wasnt too happy with that! lol Bebe just sits next to my dogs when they lay down... but the dogs get soo happy when bebe chooses to sit next to them. I put a small cat collar on Bebe with a bell so i knew where she was. She doesnt mind it and then i know where she is when i cant see her  That might be a good idea?
> 
> Im glad i did it because i didnt know where she had gone and i could hear her bell so i thought because the bell had got fainter that she'd just gone into the other room.. Turns out she'd followed the dogs up the stairs!!  She was sat on the hall way with the dogs when i found her! Little terror  lol x


I use a safety cat collar on George when I'm tidying the house or cooking etc so I know where he is not to stand on him.


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

I personally dont agree with putting collars on rabbits  but i guess they cant do too much damage supervised with a safety collar. I dont even put collars on my cats.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Its not on her all the time  Just when shes out and about in the house  x


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Its not on her all the time  Just when shes out and about in the house  x


Same George rarely wears his its only put on him when I'm busy and can't watch him not to step on him. Its on him loose enough that he can undo it when he wants it off but not too loose that it will fit a leg through to get stuck.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Kammie said:


> Same George rarely wears his its only put on him when I'm busy and can't watch him not to step on him. Its on him loose enough that he can undo it when he wants it off but not too loose that it will fit a leg through to get stuck.


Mine is a kitten collar, and if it gets caught a slight pull will undo it. I thought it would be best for her  dnt want her to be stood on  x


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Mine is a kitten collar, and if it gets caught a slight pull will undo it. I thought it would be best for her  dnt want her to be stood on  x


Yeah mines the same a little kitten collar with safety buckle so it will undo if he catches on anything and he can pull it off himself when he gets fed up.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

Kammie said:


> Yeah mines the same a little kitten collar with safety buckle so it will undo if he catches on anything and he can pull it off himself when he gets fed up.


Yep thats the one, sounds like we've got the same  My bebe looks lovely in her red one lol  x


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Paws&Claws said:


> Yep thats the one, sounds like we've got the same  My bebe looks lovely in her red one lol  x


Aww mines blue with a little check pattern on it.


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## Paws&Claws (Aug 29, 2009)

mine red with a check pattern!  lol shes so cute all white with a little red collar  Very christmasy  x


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