dirty protest

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have 2 lop/lionhead rabbits. They are brother and sister, a year and a half old and were both neutered at 16 weeks. They live in a big hutch in the garden and during the day have the complete run of the garden. We lock them up safely at night. About 2 weeks ago they started throwing their litter tray aout of the hutch every morning, or tipping the contents out all over the hutch. We can't understand why they have suddenly started doing this. We clean their hutch thoroughly once a week and change the litter every day. Can you shed any light on the situation? thanks, Julia.

ANSWER: Dear Julia,

Are you actually *seeing* them do this, or do you find the evidence in the morning?  I'll assume it's the latter, and my suspicions are not happy.

There is no such thing as a predator-proof hutch, no matter how strong.  And I am afraid you might be seeing this.  The bunnies may have a nightly visitor, such as a cat or raccoon that either just stares at them, creating a panic, or even chases them, though it hasn't *yet* gotten in.

I would NOT leave the bunnies outdoors at night, even in a "secure" hutch.  The stress and terror of being stalked/stared at by a threatening predator can be enough to send a bunny into shock or fatal cardiac arrest.  For information on litterbox training and other things about House Rabbits 101, please see:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

The bunnies are a bit less at risk when they're running free in the garden during the day (as long as you don't have predatory birds or bold, day-active cats), but even that can be risky.  But trapped in a hutch, they are "sitting ducks" and they know it.

I hope this will help.

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,Thanks for your quick reply. We actually see them doing this, it actually looks quite funny but it is becoming annoying having to clear the small back yard up 2 or 3 times a day. They grab the corner litter tray with their teeth and drag it to the door and them push it out. OR we hear them in the closed off area of the hutch flinging the litter everywhere.
The area of the garden that where the hutch is situated is right by our back door in a tiny sheltered,gated back yard which they play in after dark until we lock the hutch at about 10.30pm. In the winter months we also put a tarpaulin over the hutch. As I said during the day the garden is their playground and our garden is also walled.
Bearing this information in mind please could you shed any more light on the situation. Thankyou very much.
Julia.  

Answer
Dear Julia,

The bunnies are protesting that they are locked up when they want to be OUT.  By acting out, they're getting your attention, which is probably exactly what they want.  Or, they may just be entertaining themselves the only way they can until you let them out.  Rabbits are intelligent, active and playful, and if they're bored...all bets are off!

This doesn't change the fact that they are really not safe outdoors in a hutch at night.  I hope you will consider bringing them in the house at night so that you'll never have a tragedy like any of those I hear all too often.

Good luck,

Dana