Blanchardstown bunny boarding family solves small pet problem

EVERY pet-owner knows the struggle of going on holidays and trying to find an obliging neighbour or friend to feed and care for their furry friends.

Failing that, it’s easy enough to find a kennel to book a cat or dog into. But for smaller animals? Well, that’s a bit harder.

However, Fiona Murphy and her family in Blanchardstown have found a solution to the problem with ‘The Rabbit Rooms’.

Fiona set up The Rabbit Rooms just over a year ago after being inspired by her own difficulties.

“We have lots of animals ourselves and found it hard to look after them while we were on holidays, so we thought it best to offer our services to people who were stuck in the same situation as we were,” she said.

Despite its name, The Rabbit Rooms are not exclusively for bunnies. Small animals like hamsters, gerbils, rats, ferrets, chinchillas and guinea pigs are all welcome to stay as guests.

Fiona says customers ring ahead if they have an unusual pet, but they have never had to turn an animal away. She agrees that her service seems to be quite a new thing but it’s a successful market as there aren’t many people doing it. 

The business is a family one, with Fiona’s husband and three daughters all getting involved in caring for the animals. The furry guests get lots of contact while staying in The Rabbit Rooms because the girls love to bring them out and play with them.

“We’ve looked after guinea pigs or rabbits for people who’ve just adopted them, and they’ve often said they are more social when they go home because we’ve handled them so much and the girls have had them out and cuddled them.” said Fiona.

There are indoor and outdoor spaces for the animals to exercise in, depending on the weather. Fiona also sends text and photo updates to give owners peace of mind.

Fiona was a child minder before setting up The Rabbit Rooms and she jokes that she understands about “parents being anxious leaving their babies behind.” 

Her favourite part about running the business is “seeing people happy and relaxed when they are going off on their holidays, knowing that we are taking good care of their animals.”

She adds that she finds it satisfying to see owners come back and say how happy they are that their pets have been looked after. 

You can check out the Rabbit Rooms on Facebook at ‘Rabbit Rooms Small Animal Boarding Dublin 15’ or on their website at therabbitrooms.webs.com.

The prices are €5 a night for hamsters, gerbils and rats, €6 a night for guinea pigs and €7 a night for rabbits and ferrets. There are discounts for animals that are in the same cage.

The Rabbit Rooms has offered to give Northside People readers 10 per cent off their first booking if booked by May 31. The special offer is valid for stays until the end of September.

By Róisín Nestor