bringing outdoor bunny inside?

[MariaG]

 i live in canada so the winters get pretty cold, my rabbit has been living outside in my patio since may in a large cage and so now that fall is coming and its starting to get cooler i bought a huge bunny cage at the pet store, i was wondering if its okay to just move him right into the new cage once i set it up ? or will he get stressed out? 

[LongEaredLions]

I think you should bring him inside right away, but as I have never had an outdoor rabbit, I don’t really know. It’s good that you have decided to bring him in, it will make him much happier and healthier. Also, you said you bought a huge pet store cage, but even the largest pet store cage is way to small for a bunny. Could you return the pet store cage and buy a dog xpen instead? About the same price and wayyyy more room. Or make an nic condo?

[Roberta]

I’d bring him in straight away… use some of the things fro his outdoor cage in his new one to carry the scent… Lots of fresh hay and nice food, some treats, he will settle down quickly enough… Give him some free run time on some matts and rugs and he will probably binky away any stress caused by the move.

[Mandyyy]

I agree with Robert’s advice. I transferred my first two girls into indoor rabbits after a few years of them living outside. I was young and didn’t know it wasn’t good for them. A lot of health risks and predators. If anything being indoor would be more of a calming environment then being outdoors. I didn’t do much for their change. Just made sure they were comfortable.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think you should bring him inside Our nights are already freezing here-not sure where in Canada you are, but it’ sub zero at night here.
And keep him in even when the weather warms up; not only is it much safer and much more comfortable, but you’ll get to know him better and really enjoy him

[LittlePuffyTail]

I live in Canada too and I know the nights here are pretty chilly right now.

I knew a hutch bunny who lived outside for 6 years, the poor baby, and my friend adopted him and brought him in and didn’t have any problems at all. I think bunny was very relieved to not have to deal with our harsh winters/muggy summers.

I suggest putting bunny in a quiet room until he gets adjusted to life inside.

[Valkyrie]

I am also interested in at least what province you are in! I’m in coastal BC, so our winters are very mild and we are lucky to get a dusting of snow for more than a day.

Your bunny should be fine! I had hutch bunnies when I was a kid and house bunnies from 13 on. He will just probably do a big shed so will need extra grooming (I just rescued a bun from living free range in a backyard and the shed was the only big change for her). Make sure he has a place that he can hide (an igloo or box would be good) and just watch him for signs of stress. Bunny proof the room and let him explore his new surroundings with you sitting on the floor with him as reassurance that it is safe. Are there other pets indoors that he needs to meet and get to know? That would be my only concern because even a strange cat can frighten a rabbit. That won’t prevent you from bringing him in, you just might wat to only let them interact through the wire of his cage for the first few weeks and keep his cage high so that he is at least eye level with any other pets.

Not sure how big the cage you bought is, but if you have other pets an x-pen might not be the best option for you, so you may want to build a bunny condo. If you are not handy and can’t make a wood and wire one, you can make a NIC / C&C condo out of storage cubes and zap straps. If you aren’t sure what these are, Google it or check out the habitats section of Binky Bunny. In my part of Canada, x-pens of the proper heighth are over $100 without the floor or roof options and rarely under $70 used. When I priced it out last year, I could make a bigger C&C condo for the same price as an x-pen (especially if you watch Craigslist for used ones). If you bought the 3 foot long store cage and can’t afford to build something bigger yet, just make sure he gets plenty of time running around your livingroom or kitchen each day. It is not ideal, but it won’t kill him as a temporary option. It is still better than leaving him outside.

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