Outdoor Bun Problems

[Bunnymadness]

Hello!  I have a domestic rabbit named Foxy Tail who is a large rabbit about 6 lbs. for the last few months she has been living in our garage in a “large” pet store cage.  I have tried to convince my parents to let her inside but they have said no time after time because rabbits are supposedly smelly and messy. I have offered to keep her in my room in a humungous C&C cage but my parents just laugh at me and say no.  This spring my step dad is planning to compromise with me and move her out of her tiny bathroom.  He is planning to build a large shed specifically for Foxy and the rabbit I am hoping to get this spring.  I plan to call it the Bunny Bungalow .  Does anyone have any suggestions on the design and maybe ideas for her possible becoming a house rabbit I really appreciate the help.  P.S. I have just received $150 dollars from a photo contest and plan to put it towards the cage and toys for my beloved bun bun!

[Tessie]

Hi,
I see you’ve been struggling with this indoor/outdoor problem for a while. It’s difficult when parents don’t understand, you have my sympathies.

Did you try suggesting a trial period to your parents?
Have you presented your reasons for wanting her to live inside? Perhaps like a sheet with facts and info about how rabbits can be litter trained and be part of the family like a dog or cat and so on.
It’s important that you tell them that she could easily die from heatstroke (I noticed you said that where you live it can get to 100 degrees in the summer).
You say she’s in a pet store cage at the moment – does she regularly get time out of the cage?
Bunnies need 2ft by 4ft of space minimum at all times, make sure your parents know this too.

Have you managed to get her neutered yet?
You mention getting another bunny soon – you can’t have them together until both are neutered.
Is it really a good idea to get another bunny if your parents aren’t really ‘on board’ with the situation?

Hopefully everyone here can come up with some good ideas.

[LBJ10]

A shed would be alright as long as it is fully equipped to keep your rabbit comfortable. So depending on where you live, you may need a heater and an air conditioner. Rabbits do worse in heat than cold, but you still want them to be comfortable in either extreme. Would your bun have room in this shed to be let out to play? Are you willing to spend time out there while they are out? These are all things to consider.

I do like Tessie’s idea of seeing if your parents would do a trial in your room. If it works out well, then it will be difficult for them to say she needs to go back out to the garage. Like Tessie says, they can easily become part of the family if they are allowed to live inside with you.

And yes, please put a lot of thought into getting a second rabbit. If your parents don’t “like” this one, why would you get another one?

[Bunnymadness]

The shed will be fully equipped with cooling in the summer and heating in the winter and in an area where I can easily see it. I am getting her spayed soon I just need to make the appointment but it will get done. She does get to be out of her cage a lot and in the basement right now and in the summer she has sort of a pen that i put her in and watch her. My siblings and I would really like to join our local 4-H rabbit club to get to know about our rabbit more, not on bredding them or anything like that. My parents adore our rabbit but part of the reason she can’t be inside is because both my mom and step sister are allergic to pet fur and I share a room with my step sister. The rabbit gets regular visits inside but she can’t live inside. MY family and I have also looked at the safe outdoor housing article on here so we can provide a comfortable adn safe environment for the rabbit. SO my parents do like the rabbit a lot and my mom has grown to love her but with my mom and step sisters allergies we can’t keep her imside full time. And also my parents are on borad with getting another rabbit hopefully from a nearby rescue.

[Megabunny]

Sounds like you have a really nice step dad.  Give him a big hug.  While we would all like to see the bunnies inside,  it’s just not always possible, though the smell depends on if they are neutered and how often you clean them.  I keep telling my husband that some day I’m going to have a shed/structure so I can have my own bunny rescue facility.  He doesn’t like that idea. Ha ha

you’ve gotten great advice here.  

Best of luck.  I would’ve loved to be able to do something like that when I was a kid.  But the dinosaurs probably would’ve eaten them!

[Hazel]

You know enough about bunny care to realize they should live inside the house with their family, for many different reasons. The most important is being able to recognize a change in the rabbit’s behavior that could indicate illness or injury. Rabbits hide these things, so unless you live with them under one roof and spend many hours of time around them every day, you won’t be able to notice such slight changes. I realize you know all this and that housing your bun in a shed outside isn’t ideal because you won’t spend as much time with her. If this is the best your parents allow you to do, then that’s just how it will have to be for now.

But please, don’t bring another bunny into this situation, you already know it isn’t the way a bunny should be housed. Do the best you can for the one you already have, if your parents ever let you bring her inside, you can think of getting another one.

What if the rabbits don’t bond? Would you build another shed for the new bunny? Would you have to get rid of it?

If you think convincing your parents to let one rabbit live inside is hard, having two will make it pretty much impossible. Although I would imagine after they allowed you to move her into a fancy shed they would never even consider having her inside the house, anyway.

I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, I’m just trying to make you understand that getting a second bunny when you already struggle to house the first one properly, would be a mistake.

[Bunnymadness]

Thanks for all the advice everyone I know realize that bringing a second rabbit into this situation would be bad. Even though I absolutly would love too. If you think there is anyway that I cna do this please let me know. You guys all have really great advice. Know since you know that Foxy can’t live inside can you answer my second question about the design and toys that you all really like and products you would reccomend. Since I’ve been on I have made lots of progress with my indoor/outdoor problem and guess that being inside sometimes is better than no times. I probably sound like someone who doesn’t know anything about rabbits who is just trying to make a bad situation worse. Truth is I’m not I have done lots of research on this rabbit and love her to death and would love to have her live inside like a pet should. But my parents are the boss and they say no. So please don’t think of me that way I just want to know if I can make this situation better.

[Beka27]

Is it possible to house her in the basement where she has play time? Do your mom and sister use that space also? Many members have had success using different hay and air purifiers to remove allergens from the air.

I would also suggest maybe holding off on getting a second bun and building a rabbit shed and continue trying to find a solution to bring your bunny indoors.

[niniliefie]

Its a tough one and I thinks holding off on the 2nd one is a good idea. The fact that you are on this forum shows that you care, most of “us”( I haven’t been here long) are just use to having our buns indoors when and where we want.

As far as your mother and sisters allergies… The day I got mango… I was SO sick, my eyes were swollen, I was sneezing, runny nose(blocked as well) and coughing like crazy… I wanted to send him back, but I drank a tablet and waited it out! The next day was better and I haven’t had a reaction since… Maybe they will adapt if they are slowly exposed to her in the house and if the garage is connected to the house, maybe her litterbox can stay there and you can try teach her to use it there?

A house bunny is so much fun! They just make life so fun and interesting ALL the time!

I hope all works out!

[Tessie]

You sound very mature, and clearly you want what’s best for your bunny, good for you.

I like Beka’s idea – if she’s in the basement some of the time now, could it be her permanent home?

[Bunnymadness]

I don’t know about the basement but could defiantly asked. We just moved about 6 months ago so we still have some stuff down there but I’m sure we could get it taken care of.

[MoveDiagonally]

I think if your parents are okay with the basement then that might be a great solution! Maybe ask for a basement trial so they don’t feel like they have to commit to it. If they agree you will want to make sure you are extra vigilant about everything. Clean and tidy up often so they can’t use smell or mess as a reason to not let her stay inside. Maybe offer to take on a couple extra chores as a “pet rent”? You know best what your parents respond to. Best of luck!

I agree with others. You sound like you really care about your bunny and are trying to do the best you can.

[Megabunny]

You’ll do great. And Kudos to your folks to try so hard to make this work for you instead of just saying no. Sound like an awesome project to share w/ your siblings. My dad is the only one I’ve really had to share the same level of love for animals with. At 94, he still gets pleasure out of my Gus with his huge ears (well, not as huge as Monty’s). Animals add so much to life!

oh, and don’t get too carried away with expensive toys. Cardboard is much loved.  I’ve heard slinkies are good too and I need to try that. Your parents sound generous, though, so go for it!  LOL

[Bunnymadness]

Hey does anybody have any suggestions on how to convince my parents to let my beloved Foxy live in the basement. I only have one shot so I need to make it good. I put her in her run today and she was doing binky after binky it was so cute, I have never seen her so happy in my life. Thanks for the advice in advance

[Tessie]

I don’t know if you’ve already tried this, but like I said earlier, I think my suggestion would be to prepare almost like a little presentation on the reasons bunnies should live indoors, like a fact sheet or something.

You can explain how they can be litter trained, and how the outside temperatures are dangerous for her, and how if she’s indoors you can spot illness much more effectively.
Did you know that house rabbits live twice as long as outdoor rabbits on average?

That sort of thing, that would be my suggestion.

[Megabunny]

That sounds so smart. I hope you have luck in this. Keep us posted. While there’s only so much you can do, it sounds like your parents may be receptive to what Tessie has said. Have they seen how excited she was in the basement? Would melt the heart of anyone.

I. Thought rabbits were messy and smelly inside too, but if they are neutered, they can be litter trained and it’s such a breeze to clean them on a regular basis. I have a giant breed of rabbit living in our finished basement and he doesn’t smell at all. The little one with tummy troubles living on the main level smells when her tummy starts up, but it doesn’t last if I keep up with her.

Have them give me a P.M. Or I’d even talk with them on the phone. I totally get where they are coming from. I’ve had both in and out rabbits through my 50 years and I truly understand their concerns. They certainly could give it a trial run while it’s winter, before you do too much in setting up the basement. You could just build a pen with those cubes and go to a store to get a cheap remnant of linoleum and then To Home Depot for carpeting pieces to duct tape down to the linoleum for traction in places, but easy to pick up and wash outside. You may even leave her in her current cage, since she will go to the bathroom all over the place until she’s spayed.

I could go on and on, so let me know if I can do anything to help. You sound awesome! Kids who love animals have a special place in my heart

[Bunnymadness]

Actually I have been really confused about her bathroom habits lately. I do not know a lot about her past but my stepdad kept her as a house rabbit until it got warm outside. She had free range of a medium sized room and she went to the bathroom in her cage. Now I see when I put her in her indoor run she tends to use the bathroom in a cat bed I got her and no where else like it is a litter box. Could she be spayed already or is she just really well behaved. Thanks for the advice I plan on making a presentation on the indoor rabbit and my siblings are going to back me up on it.

[Megabunny]

Hmmm. Well, I don’t know. Does she do everything there? If she isn’t dropping poops all over the place she COULD be spayed I suppose. Do you know where your sd got her from? Does she have a litter box with hay in it available to her when she’s in the basement? Guess it would be more certain if you could do a trial basement living arrangement and see if you could get her to use the litterbox. Or can you put her cage down there? I had a bunny who didn’t have a litter box, but hopped in his cage when he had to “go” . Worked fine

If your folks let you do a trial, I’d put her in her cage for several days with just short trips out so she doesn’t do her business elsewhere and gradually give her more freedom and see if she keeps going back to the cage. As long as she isn’t making a mess, that should help your cause. But if she’s dropping poops around, she probably isn’t spayed. I suspect people typically let others know if the rabbit’s been neutered, though that was not the case with my male, so what do I know?

[Bunnymadness]

My step dad got her from a lady at work who’s daughter gave it to her because she couldn’t take her with her to college. I don’t have a litter box yet because my mom only suggested the basement run when the polar vortex hit since then she has been inside for hours at a time.

[Bunnymadness]

My step dad got her from a lady at work who’s daughter gave it to her because she couldn’t take her with her to college. I don’t have a litter box yet because my mom only suggested the basement run when the polar vortex hit since then she has been inside for hours at a time.

[manic_muncher]

Try putting down a litterbox (cheap cat one will work for most buns) where you have the cat bed sitting, since she has chosen that spot to go to the bathroom to see if she uses it. Also, rabbits are creatures of habit when it comes to doing their business. So her not having a permanent/consistent place might be slightly confusing to her, and with her not being neutered(?) on top of that, would also contribute to her going somewhere other than where she is supposed to go.

[Megabunny]

I’d put the soiled blanket in the litter box for starters or part of it with the smell on it

[Bunnymadness]

Ok as of right now I am working on a presentation that I plan to give to my step dad tomorrow. I plan to act mature no matter the results so that if I ask again they won’t say no because of my previous attitude. I am working on a powerpoint presentation and and a written summary of my knowledge of house rabbits and rabbits in general. I plan to have my siblings back me up because they all love Foxy and they really want her to live inside. If my parents have any concerns I plan to take notes to show that I am mature and responsible so that it can kind if maybe make the results different for the better. I also plan to ask why they don’t want Foxy to be a house pet. The only thing I am concerned about is my step dad’s favorite statement that always makes all my work worthless…”Rabbits are meant to be outside.” I don’t quite know how to come back with an answer based on facts but will still knock his socks off and hopefully catch him offgaurd. I want to be able to pay for everything myself, granite that my parents give me jobs to do around the house for money. If I don’t have enough money for something though my parents will be happy to chip in. Do you guys think this is the right aproach to this or should I change something, add something give me your opinions. Thanks!

[manic_muncher]

To counter your dad’s “rabbits are meant to be outside” view, you might want to show a little data on how domesticated rabbits are actually a different species than wild rabbits. I don’t know the full ins and outs about it, but the domesticated rabbit of today are much different than wild ones, which DO belong outside. It would be like comparing a dog to a wolf.

In your position, I might respond with something like, “Yes, they -can- “survive” outside WITH proper housing and care, but I wish her to do more than survive. I want her to flourish and be a happy pet, that interacts with all of us, not just exist.”

What are his opinions of cats or dogs inside?

[MoveDiagonally]

Well… If rabbits lived entirely as they were “meant” to live they would live for about 2 years max (lifespan of wild rabbit). Domestic rabbits are descended from wild European rabbits but are a different species that the wild rabbits in the US. Does your dad think dogs are meant to live outside? Cats? Fish? Ect… Because they all are “meant” to live outside but usually do better inside. 

Do you have other pets that live inside? If you do you might be able to draw a comparison between rabbits and dogs/cats/ect… Why is one animal more worthy of an indoor home when both would “naturally” live outside? Something like that? I don’t know if there’s a good way to do that without sounding snarky to parents (I’m not one). I hope some folks with children weigh in because they’ll likely know what sways them in situations like this.

[Bunnymadness]

Well I have 3 cats that are outdoor cats because we just finished building our house in early August. The cats live in our garage because they were not getting along and my step dads cat mixed with my cats caused them to pee everywhere even though they are all spayed/neutered we tried everything to let them stay inside but the problem just got out of hand and they wouldn’t stop we took them all to the vet to see if anything was wrong but the vet said no and that there wasn’t much we could do about . So in efforts to keep our new house nice they live in he garage. But their living conditions are much better then my rabbits. They all have their own heated cat house and heated water dish, they also get wet food every night and get to come inside while under supervision almost every day. So I my cats lead a pretty normal life and to them it isn’t really punishment because they all basically lived outside by choice to begin with. It seems though that my step dad has more of a soft spot for my rabbit.

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