All rabbits are boarded indoors in a non-smoking, temperature-controlled environment with daily attention. Our boarding area has both air-conditioning and heating available with multiple HEPA air purifiers running 24/7 and a MERV 15 filter and UV lamp purifier installed in our central air. All rabbits are monitored with a 24/7 streaming infrared camera with remote access and reviewable recorded footage.
Rabbits will never be placed outdoors or let out to exercise outside of their pen. All rabbits will remain in their assigned indoor exercise pens for the entirety of the stay. While multiple rabbits will always be in our household at the same time, we will never allow any rabbits to come in full contact with another client's rabbits. If different groups of rabbits are housed in the same area, we use solid fencing as needed to prevent biting injuries.
Two exercise pens of rabbits with the same owner housed side-by-side with a solid clear barrier.
Two exercise pens of rabbits with the same owner housed side-by-side with no solid barrier.
No, rabbits boarded with SS Bunny Boarding will not be let out to exercise outside of their pen during their boarding stay due to time constraints and client safety. All rabbits will remain in their assigned indoor exercise pens for the entirety of the stay.
Space upgrades may be available for an additional cost, space permitting, by request if your rabbits need more permanent exercise room during their stay. See Rates & Services for example setups.
While we may dispense pets occasionally for social rabbits when we visually check on them for appetite, litter habits, and general behavior, we will not otherwise handle, thoroughly examine, or pick your rabbits up except when necessary for pen cleaning and at pick-up time to place them in a carrier and for specifically requested medication, care, and grooming.
Please inform us beforehand in the boarding request if you will need us to handle your rabbits regularly to inspect specific areas for health reasons. Additional fees may apply.
- A bunny-proofed indoor area with at least 16 sq. ft. of total space and a fleece blanket as flooring. We use 4' by 4' exercise pens (30" to 48" heights) for our boarded bunnies as a standard option. Owners should choose an appropriate exercise pen height for their bunnies when filling out the boarding contract to prevent escape and injuries. Upgraded double-sized (or even triple-sized) exercise pens may be available for an additional cost, space permitting, by request. See Rates & Services for example setups.
- A hiding area if one is not provided upon drop-off. We will usually use a plastic tub, half of a Tunnel Haven (cardboard tunnel), or an overturned bulk produce box.
A typical new boarder setup with a single rabbit. Owner only brought their rabbit in a carrier.
A typical new boarder setup with a pair of bonded rabbits. Owner only brought their rabbits in a hard carrier.
A typical new boarder setup with a trio of bonded rabbits. Owner only brought their rabbits in a carrier.
- A gravity water station with refills as necessary.
An average-sized rabbit next to our standard gravity water station.
An large-sized rabbit drinking from our standard gravity water station.
- 24" x 17" litter box with pre-expanded wood pellet litter and unlimited hay.
A little lionhead in our standard size litter box with orchard grass hay.
A large New Zealand White in our standard size litter box.
A trio of rabbits all sitting in our standard size litter box.
- Daily feedings of pellets once or twice a day (if requested). A list of our currently available pellets can be found below.
- Daily salads once or twice a day (if requested). Vegetables preferences and/or instructions can be noted in the boarding contract.
A shiny Satin bunny with a heaping pile of greens.
A lionhead lop enjoying his veggies.
- Updates by email, messaging, or texts upon daily request.
We currently have the following pellets available:
If you usually feed a different pellet brand, please be sure to bring your own supply sufficient for the entire stay when you drop off your rabbit, otherwise we will default to Oxbow Essentials Adult pellets unless told otherwise.
We usually have the following grass hays bought from local feed stores available:
- timothy
- orchard grass
We usually do not have alfalfa hay due to only owning adult rabbits, but we can feed it if you bring your own supply. If your rabbits are picky or you would only like to feed a certain brand of hay, please bring your own supply sufficient for the entirety of their stay.
Rabbit-safe vegetables that we usually feed the rabbits include spring mix, parsley, and cilantro. We may also feed dandelion leaves, baby arugula, kale, bok choy, lettuce (romaine, red, green), broccoli, and spinach occasionally. Please note on your boarding contract if any of the above should not be fed to your rabbits.
You are welcome to bring vegetables at drop-off for their stay, especially if you would like to feed organic.
Litter boxes will be changed regularly as appropriate. Hay is topped off at least twice daily - once in the morning and once at night. Pens will generally be cleaned or replaced once a week or as necessary.
Enclosure areas are cleaned between boarded clients with vinegar to eliminate scents and REScue disinfectant to reduce risks of RHDV2 and other possible disease transmission.
We do not generally groom or brush rabbits unless we notice there is significant molting and behavior that would lead to a serious stasis concern or specifically requested for an extra fee. If new molting is noticed, we will only remove easily accessible loose fur with our hands if the rabbit is amicable. Please inform us beforehand if you would like us to do a thorough brushing before pick-up if your rabbit is molting during their stay. Additional fees will apply.
We will trim rabbit nails with a light groom for an extra fee before pick-up if requested. This will include quickly pulling off some large tufts of loose fur and cutting or shaving off any mats on their rear end or feet. Please see Rates & Services for more details.
If your rabbit requires regular inspection of certain areas due to health concerns like poopy butt or sore hocks, please be sure to explicitly mention it upon boarding request and in our boarding contract and trip detail forms. We do not handle, pick up, or thoroughly examine rabbits unless there is visual cause for concern or explicitly instructed.
Depending on the issue we notice, we may contact you to ask if this was already observed at home before the rabbits were dropped off. If it is a non-urgent issue (e.g. sneezing, excessive scratching, excessive cecotropes or soft stools, food pickiness, body condition, minor scuffles between bonded rabbits), we will bring it up if contacted for an update during their stay or upon pick-up to make sure that you are aware that a veterinary checkup may be warranted.
If it is a more serious issue that cannot wait to be treated, we will attempt to contact you or your emergency contacts to proceed appropriately. This includes issues like GI stasis, bloat, and eye or limb injuries to name a few. Please also check out the bottom of the page for more details on our standard procedure in case of medical emergency.
The form of contact will depend on the information given to us in a trip detail form that should be submitted before every boarding stay.
Please note that our household includes three indoor cats that are friendly and amicable to rabbits. Boarded rabbits will usually be in contact with the cats through the fencing, but all pens will have hiding spots that are out of reach from the cats. Our cats will never enter a rabbit's pen, and they will usually only try to steal rabbit toys or eat their hay through the fencing at most if they are not just sitting nearby and watching.
Our cats have never injured any rabbits under our care (both personally owned and boarded).
One of our house cats sniffing a boarded bunny.
Our grey kitty looking at a boarded pair of rabbits.
Our fluffy house cat curious about a boarded bunny trio.
Drop-off procedure:
An updated boarding information form, valid proof of effective vaccination for all rabbits, and the submission of a basic trip detail form is required for drop-off acceptance. Our trip detail form requires owners to provide us with their trip information such as their form of travel, rough destination, and appropriate contact methods in case of bunny emergency and potential trip delays.
A link to the trip detail form should be in your boarding confirmation email. We will also send a reminder email with a link within three (3) days before your scheduled arrival.
Please look through your email for a confirmation from us if your boarding request was accepted - our address is included in addition with further instructions.
The full boarding fee total is due upon drop-off by cash, check, Zelle, Venmo, Paypal, or Cash App as detailed in your confirmation email.
A drop-off time should be arranged with us by email or text at least a day before your arrival, or we may text you to establish a time. Please be timely with your scheduling in respect for our personal plans. Because we do have full-time jobs, we will need to work around our work schedules and office commutes on most weekdays. Please see your confirmation for details. We can accommodate early (after 5am) and late drop-offs (before 12am) as necessary.
We may also reach out to you at least fourteen (14) days before the beginning of your rabbit's stay to confirm that your rabbits have been fully vaccinated for RHDV2 if sufficient evidence has not been provided upon reservation booking. Reservations may be cancelled if sufficient vaccination evidence cannot be provided for the safety of all the rabbits in currently in the house.
Please bring your rabbits in an appropriate carrier for drop-off. We highly recommend the use of a hard carrier as rabbits can easily chew through a soft carrier very quickly. Please do not bring your rabbit in an open box or basket.
Due to the risks of RHDV2 and myxomatosis, we are only doing front door hand-offs and do not allow owners indoors at this time. We will store your carrier at our location during your rabbit's stay.
If your rabbit usually uses a water bottle and cannot drink from a bowl, please bring their water bottle during drop-off. We do not have extra water bottles and will use a bowl instead if you do not bring their water bottle. Please remember to also bring the water bottle holder with the bottle.
If your rabbit has a favorite hiding house, please bring it so that they have a familiar location to retreat to during their stay and reduce their stress. However, if the hiding area is especially bulky and heavy, please check with us beforehand to see if it will fit in their pen before arrival. If no hiding house is provided, we will supply our own hiding area.
If you would like to feed a specific brand of pellets, hay, or vegetables to your rabbit while they are boarded, please bring a supply sufficient for the entire boarding period when you drop off your rabbit. A list of our currently available pellets and hay can be found above. We usually feed a mix of all available grass hay types in our household unless told otherwise; if you would like to feed alfalfa to your rabbits instead, please be sure to bring your own supply sufficient for the entire stay at drop-off. If the given supply runs out, we will substitute with our available options.
You are also welcome to bring any other favorite toys and other supplies for your rabbit's comfort. However, please do not bring overly large cages and furniture that may not easily fit in a 4'x4' exercise pen unless discussed beforehand and essential for your rabbit's comfort in a strange location.
If you choose to bring only your rabbits in a carrier, we can provide all other supplies for their stay.
After you have dropped off your rabbit and all their supplies, we will take a picture of the rabbit's housing area for their stay at SS Bunny Boarding, similar to the examples below, and text it to the number on file for the bunny. Feedback is welcome if anything should be re-arranged.
A boarding setup for a small lionhead rabbit with litter box, bed, tunnel, and sleeping blanket provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a single rabbit with hiding house, stuffed animal, food plate, and sleeping blanket provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a single rabbit with hiding house, blankets, hay rack and toys provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for incontinent elderly rabbits with hiding house, Sheepette flooring, and pee pads provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a pair of rabbits with a wooden castle provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a single lop rabbit with hiding areas, blanket, and toys provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a single large rabbit with hiding house and blankets provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a small lionhead rabbit with a hiding house, blanket, food bowl, and small litter box provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a pair of rabbits with a hiding house and willow tunnel chewing toy provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a small Dutch rabbit with a cardboard hiding house, rugs, and toys provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a small Holland Lop with the willow tent and Hop n’ Flop mat provided by the owner.
A boarding setup for a large rabbit with the soft rabbit mat, tunnel, and chew toys provided by the owner.
Pick-up procedure:
A pick-up time should be arranged with us at least a day before your arrival, or we may reach out to you to establish a time. Please be timely with your scheduling in respect for our personal plans. Because we do have full-time jobs, we will need to work around our work schedules and office commutes on most weekdays. Please see your confirmation for details. We can accommodate early (after 5am) and late pick-ups (before 12am) as necessary.
If you requested nail trims for your rabbits during their stay and have not received an update from us about the service, please remind us and check if they have been done before pick-up.
Yes, you are welcome to pick up your rabbits earlier than originally scheduled. Please contact us to arrange earlier pick-up. However, no refunds will be given for extra unused nights since the space has been reserved exclusively for your use.
Please let us know ASAP through our established contact methods if you end up requiring your rabbits to stay longer with us. If your rabbits are picked up later than originally scheduled, we reserve the right to charge an additional $20 overstay fee per day on top of our regular daily boarding fee. As long as we have room, we are generally very accommodating of last minute changes to plans. If we do not have the space due to prior reservations, we can help to coordinate transport to another boarding service for an additional fee.
In case of medical emergency:
Rabbits can easily suffer from GI stasis when stressed. Our procedure when a loss of appetite is detected is the following:
- Tempt the rabbit with a treat, fresh vegetables, and pellets.
- If the rabbit does not voluntarily eat anything, display significant energy, or defecate in the next 30 minutes since detection, we will dose with simethicone and pain medication, warm up the rabbit if lethargic, and apply gentle abdominal massage if no blockage is detected.
- If the rabbit shows signs of dehydration, we will orally syringe fluids or give subcutaneous fluids for support.
- We may assist feed recovery food if no blockage is detected and the last time the rabbit ate was over 4 hours ago based on our camera footage.
- If no significant progress is displayed in over four hours after we first noticed the loss of appetite or we see other significant signs of deteriorating health, we will take the rabbit to the nearest rabbit-savvy emergency veterinarian and proceed accordingly.
Our preferred rabbit veterinary facilities for emergencies depending on condition and time of day include the following:
- Exotic Pet Clinic of Santa Cruz (Scotts Valley): $159 emergency exam fee
- Happy Valley Pet Hospital (Campbell): $135 urgent care exam fee
- Sunnyvale Veterinary Clinic (Sunnyvale): $125 urgent care exam fee
- Veterinary Emergency Group (San Jose): $170 emergency exam fee
We will always attempt to reach you or your emergency contacts if any issues arise with your rabbit so that we can work on a solution together. In the case that you are unreachable, we will continue to proceed with veterinarian treatment as appropriate. You will be financially responsible for all veterinarian treatment costs incurred during your rabbit's stay.
Generally, we will ask the veterinarian for an assessment and treatment plan for your rabbit(s). If further or ongoing treatment is required, the veterinarian will inform you of this. After this initial treatment, if you choose to take your rabbit(s) to your preferred veterinarian, you will need to organize this entirely yourself.
We will always take your rabbit(s) to the veterinarian of our choice first without question or dispute.
Last updated: 2024 Dec 08