Me and Kishii are trying something new!

[Kalei]

Today an idea just popped into my head! I thought I would try having Kishii out as a room rabbit! I'm going to try her without a cage. I just got finished completely cleaning up my room and making sure any and all wires are out of her reach. I put her litter in a corner and food and water where she can see it easily. I've never done this before with a bunny so I"m just going to see how it goes. Hopefully she'll know to go to her litterbox just like she did when she was in her cage, and I hope she doesn't chew everything in my room til its gone lol.

That reminds me, does anybody know anything you can spray on things so that rabbits won't chew them? Also I am also scared that she will never want me to hold her. When she gets out on my floor she runs away when I want to get her, so I'm hoping once she's out long enough she'll realize that I'm not going to put her back in her cage and that I just want to hold her. She could be running away too because she is still just 5 and a half months old, where she's young she might still want to run around instead of being held.

Anyways, wish me luck that it will work out!:) Right now she is on my bed having fun lol.

[Husky15]

Well you know that I wouldn't know of any sprays, but try Google and stuff to see if you can find any products -- maybe that'll work. But I'm sure some rabbit-lovers here would know something. :)

I hope it works out. She is already litter-trained so I think it'll go pretty good, she just might chew things.

Good luck!

[Chilli]

Good luck! =]

As for helping to prevent chewing; Bitter Apple spray might work. I hear it works with birds and ferrets(and dogs as well) to help prevent them from chewing things... so it may work for rabbits.

[Kalei]

Thanks you two for the great positive thoughts:D So far Kishii has been out of her cage and free in my room since noon and here it is now 8:48 pm. It hasn't been bad at all. She is using her litterbox and eating her hay and water and is certainly getting enough exercise lol. I dont' think she has been so happy in her life.

At first for a few hours she would do the run away and hide thing when I got up and walked around, but for the past 4 or 5 hours she has come around and doesn't run away from me anymore. I was even dancing to my Dance Dance Revolution game and it didn't scare her, actually at one time she was laying on my bed watching me lol and the next she was down by my feet watching them move lol. It was very cute. I hope this all keeps working out, so far she has only been chewing my dressers (which isn't too bad, but she can't keep doing it.) I will look into that bitter apple spray that you mentioned, it just might work:)

[CathyBogart]

I third the vote for Bitter Apple or Bitter Orange, it worked wonders for my rats. I'm glad she's enjoying being a room-bunny. :)

[Kalei]

Well there was a minor set back last night. at about 1 am I had to put her back in her cage because she just wouldn't settle down and go to sleep. Right now she is still in her cage because I"m at work, but I plan on getting a 'gate' thing today for my door so that I can keep my door open and my rabbit can run freely in my room all time and I don't have to worry about her getting out.

So I'm still going to keep trying the 'house cat rabbit' thing lol. I just hope that tonight she may try and actually sleep and not run around and jump on me and my cats faces while we are trying to sleep lol :p man I'm tired today lol.

[buttercup132]

I wouldn't suggest leaving your door open with just a baby gate up unsupervised. They can esily jump those. Bitter apple is good but it dosen't always work most bunies usually just like it. And I also foudn that it stay on your own hands after spraying it and man oh man that stuff taste AWFUL!!! I don't really know what you ment by she wouldn't settle down though because I would think if she's just running in your room she wouldn't make thta much noise. As for the holding thing. She is a bunny they are prey animals and don't like being chased or picked up because they translate it as your going to eat them. If you want her to let you pick her up sit on the floor and let her come to you and bribe her with treats etc. Good luck let us know what happens tonight.

[borzoimom]

I am glad she is getting some out . However- I would not leave her out if you are not in the room. My bunny room - I had no cords nothing- but one of mine got sick from eating the sheet rock- and just a little piece.
I looked at the ingredients of Bitter apple. It has 20% Isopropanol which could be a hazard to bunnies as their system is so excellerated.
I found just a few hours out a day was more than enough exercise. When you see the bunny is starting to lay down- they are tired and its time for a nap. Mine use to be 3 hours.

[Kalei]

Yeah I'm fine if she is just hopping around my room, but I can't sleep if she is jumping all over me and my cats face while we are trying to sleep, and then she tries to eat my hair lol. She doesn't have a problem with me holding her anymore, at first everytime I walked around the room she would go and hide, but that was because she probalby didn't want me to see her and pick her up. But now she does't run away from me, she will walk all around even when I am walking around, I think she realized that I'm not going to bother her and pick her up. So I'm really happy about that.:)

Thanks about the apple spray, I wasn't sure if it will work or not, cause my bunny loves apples. I could try it just to see, but is there anything else you would recommend? I know Vinigar usually works for cats, would it work for rabbits? Sorry I didn't mean a baby gate, I actually meant something alot taller, like a 4 or 5 foot gate. She definately can't jump over something that tall, at least not yet, I hope she never can lol.

Thanks for the help Bcup!

[Kalei]

I am glad she is getting some out . However- I would not leave her out if you are not in the room. My bunny room - I had no cords nothing- but one of mine got sick from eating the sheet rock- and just a little piece.
I looked at the ingredients of Bitter apple. It has 20% Isopropanol which could be a hazard to bunnies as their system is so excellerated.
I found just a few hours out a day was more than enough exercise. When you see the bunny is starting to lay down- they are tired and its time for a nap. Mine use to be 3 hours.

lol I may sound stupid for asking this, but what is sheet rock? Well see I'm not just letting her out for excercise, I'm actually meaning to let her out for good, as in she is just like a cat, never in a cage and can have free roam. Wow, I'll watch out for that apple spray then, I guess its beginning to sound like not so good of an idea. But I may not need, so far she hasn't been chewing anything, so I may not even need it:)

[buttercup132]

I know people use vinager if the bunny is peeing and pooing in one spot instead of the litter box but I'm not sure about for not chewing. I know there is something else but I just can't remember what it's called. I know a few people on my rabbit forum that have there bunnies as free roam of the whole house all day!! I wanted to do it before but my parents wouldn't let me. lol I would hope she can't jump that high either, she'd be super bunny!

[borzoimom]

Just keep in mind about a gate- what looks like a small opening- they can try to go through it- then they get stuck- trying to pull back - and if they panic, they can actually break their own backs.
Sheet rock is what is on the interior of your walls. Its like the cover that goes over the studs etc.. It can be made with a bunch of things- but usually also a mixture of plastic type material. Let me attach what I mean .. brb. So since you paint the sheet rock- that also includes the paint if they chew the wall..

[Reachoutrescue]

It is good to hear that you want to give Kishii more freedom. Just make sure it is supervised. Borziomom is right about the bitter apple, it is not good for bunnies to injest it....can be very harmful to them. Be careful. If she wants to chew, she will chew. Try leaving some bunny chew toys out for her when she is free roaming. Rabbits do jump high, so she may jump the gate as said earlier by buttercup132. I am sure once you figure out how to handle this, she will be a happy bunny and you a happy furmom!! Good luck and keep us posted please.

[borzoimom]

This is sheet rock- then painted. Most houses use latex paint in their homes- but some homes use semi gloss etc which can be toxic is eaten.
My bunny only did it once- but it clogged up the stomach and I had one sick bunny on my hands.
Just an ounce of prevention you know..

[Kalei]

Oh okay I think I know what you mean by sheet rock now, Its something I think I call jiprock, like white powdery stuff. My wall has wallpaper over it. But I will be watching her very closely. Thanks for the positive thoughts everyone:) I am definately taking in all your advice, and when I'm at work and she has free roam she isn't that unsurpervised. My mom and my sister are always home and they can walk past and into my room all the time and make sure she is doing good:)

I mainly want to do it for her cause she is so happy being like one of the cats, and also because where i"m going to university in september and she can't come, my mother said she would love it if Kishii was just like a house bunny, so i am trying to start it out now so by september she will be a very good house bunny.:)

The night part will be the main hard part to get past, she is a hyper bunny and doesn't sleep much. But I'm not going to give up on her just for that. Maybe right now she is just excited because its all new to her to be free roam, and after awhile when the excitement dies down, she may learn to rest and sleep at night...I guess we'll see lol.

[borzoimom]

ohh well- If you have someone that can pop in on her once in awhile that should be fine!

[buttercup132]

Maybe try training her for agility or something. I did that with Tedd for 20 minutes a day and he was tuckered out for a hour or more. I know they still can be pains in the butts in the middle of the night though.

[Kalei]

Maybe try training her for agility or something. I did that with Tedd for 20 minutes a day and he was tuckered out for a hour or more. I know they still can be pains in the butts in the middle of the night though.

That's a great idea! I will have to find or buy some equipment for it and read that training site you had posted one time:)

[lllxtclll]

My old college room mate had a rabbit (along will probebly 20 other animals) and she used to put a rabbit harness on it durring the day, let it outside loose for hours and then call it back in for dinner in the evening where she would place it back in the cage for night. It couldn't believe my eyes when she did this. She lived out in the "sticks" so there was no risk of cars or anything but...the rabbit was outside in the lawn all day munching on grass and hopping down to the pond, ect. alone, unsupervised and unleashed. I'll say though...i've never seen a more relaxed and happy rabbit before.

[Kalei]

Wow that's amazing :eek: I bet that bunny was so very happy though:) What an amazingly good bunny.

[Kalei]

So, last night went slightly better. I got to sleep until about 3 am and then woke up to her jumping on me and my cat again lol, its kind of funny, but not at the same time because I need my sleep realy badly since I work at 7:30 in the morning. But she did do better than last time which is good, I think we are slowly progressing greatly. I did put her back in the cage just for the rest of the night so I could sleep, but this morning before I went to work I let her have her free roam again.:) And it is very good that I have a stay home mom and a sister that is homeschooled, so they can always just peer into my room and see what Kishii is doing.

I think Kishii can definately achieve her little problem at night, last night was much better, and I think everynight she will get better and eventually I'll be able to sleep all night. It just takes time. It still astounds me how my rabbit can be so hyper and awake in the dark and that late at night. lol at that time me and my cat are zonked on the pillow lol.

[areias]

Someone posted one time about putting vaseline on cords and stuff, with cats. I'm sure it would work similar with bunnies?

[Beki]

hey kalei i think thats great and i'm sure that she wont be a bad bunny! she's awesome! take care as you know my situation i can't be on long.

[Kalei]

Hey everyone! I"m very happy now. Tonight Kishii's third night out and finally I never once had to put her back into her cage or even woke up from her:) She was good all night and was just laying on the floor and eating and using her litter and what not. Yay! She's been certainly easy to turn into a house-rabbit!

And she hasn't been chewing anything either, all she chews is the big wood block I put on the floor for her:)

Thanks for the positive thoughts everyone.