Ten years in a hutch and the effects of a sedentary life

 By Marit Emilie Buseth

   When Erling finally was rescued, he could hardly walk. For 10 years he had been   kept in a hutch in the garden. Initially it had probably been fun for the children, a pet they could take care of. However, the joy did not last, and Erling was soon left alone. He sat, slept, ate and sat. However, when the kids were grown up, the parents got tired of feeding him once a day, and they gave him to some neighbours who knew of a better home.

   Radiographs revealed degenerative arthritis in his spine as well as his knees, hips and shoulders, incisor overgrowth and a sludgy bladder. This had probably caused pain and discomfort for several years. However, the most obvious was nevertheless his lack of abdominal muscles. Since the rabbit never had developed and maintained a normal musculature, there was nothing that kept the intestines and stomach in place. Radiographs of Erling looked more like a run-over frog than a rabbit.  

 

Rabbits have a very light and fragile bone structure, which makes them vulnerable to caging conditions with no or little potential for normal activities, such as running, hopping or even just sitting up on their hind legs. Rabbits living a sedentary life develop a poor bone structure, and those who have to spend their lives in a typical cage often suffer from thinning of their bones. In rabbits developing such osteoporosis, the brittle bone is being exposed for fracture and damage.Since the rabbit is excellent at hiding pain, it is hard to know whether your companion rabbit actually has a breakage or other abnormalities in the skeleton. The best one can do is to prevent such problems by providing a sufficient and facilitated living environment.

     He was already neutered and was introduced to his new rabbit companions right away. They were free-range in a house, but while the two others were running around, Erling did not know how to. He tried to walk, but it was obviously both painful and unfamiliar, he lost his balance and spent the first few days resting. Despite the challenges, Erling seemed grateful for his new life. His caretaker left herbs around the room to encourage movement, and after impressive progress he could move more easily after a couple of weeks. He was humping in a distinctive way, but he soon learnt to lift his legs off the ground while out exploring. He became more inquisitive and active each day that passed, and after some weeks he could lie completely stretched out during rest. He loved to be close to his companions, and was never tired of being groomed by his conspecifics. 

As an example of how a sedentary life injures the species, I wrote about Erling and showed revealing pictures on my blog and the old rabbit soon got to be a Scandinavian celebrity. Rabbits and poor husbandry were suddenly in the spotlight, and at some point an article about him was the most shared news online. Erling also took part in a TV show, where I in addition talked about the mental suffering, loneliness and endless boredom due to a hutched up existence. Rabbits were in the news, and people seemed shocked by how we treat animals we claim to love.

 

Erling got to be a symbol, and I am sure his story has helped other rabbits. Sadly enough he was not going to experience a happy life for long, and one day he fell asleep and quietly passed away. Erling got to be 10 years old, but he only lived for 8 weeks.

Please be aware; tell if you see a rabbit in distress and offer to help. 

Captivity often prevents animals from performing their natural behaviour. In the case of rabbits, restrictions on the ability to move about have serious consequences, and one should have knowledge on the species’ needs and preferences when considering types of living arrangements. Get a thorough understanding of the rabbits` natural habitat, health, social behaviour and all topics vital to offer them suitable living conditions in a domestic setting in Rabbit Behaviour, Health and Care.

                                             Marit Emilie Buseth

 

      Erling after a sedentary life

The healthy cover rabbit, 9 years old.

 

 

 

Healt examination by Heidi Stenstad

 

 

 

 

 

In the national news

 

 

          

 

 

 

 

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