Hi Ivybunny,
I have a rabbit that lives outdoors (not in a closed hutch, there are no predators where I live). She comes indoors when she likes, has a cat and a dog for company, they play together. She is litter trained, does not have accidents in the house and loves being outside too to run around all she wants.
I don’t believe that my bunny is an unhappy bunny. She does binkies all the time.
During spring, summer and autumn, my bun is 50% outside and 50% inside, but now coming into colder weather will be mostly outside as her thick warm winter coat will keep her nice and cosy outside but will overheat her in the heated house – overheating is very dangerous for bunnies!
I have also had bunnies that lived 100% in my old flat.
I believe it all dépends on their living conditions ‘outdoors’ (and indeed indoors : I know of people who keep their bunny indoors in a guinea pig size cage and never comes out….. that’s not acceptable in my opinion yet is called an “indoor” bunny ).
If your bunny is put in a hutch outside, alone, and visited only once or twice a day to be fed, then that’s NOT an acceptable life and your bunny will be VERY sad and unhappy. But under the RIGHT conditions outside : lots of room, shelter from the rain and wind, food, toys and lots of love from you, i think it’s OK to keep a bunny outside. On one condition, that he has a bunny friend so he’s not lonely !!
I know happy bunnies that are kept outside, always 2 together as a pair, in hutches and loved so SO much by their human friends. They have closed off, safe play areas (or a run which can be moved around on the grass, a brilliant natural grass mower) and are played with EVERY DAY and are brought indoors when the temperature is similar outdoors to indoors (as a thermal shock could be fatal).
This is a forum for happy house bunnies so your BB friends here are majority house bunny owners, and YES it is so rewarding to have a house bunny.
IF you do have a bunny indoors, the area where he lives MUST be “bunny proofed”, that means all electric wires hidden and dangerous objects removed. Your bunny WILL have a chew on most things in its path so should be supervised when outside of his own safe living area.
If your parents don’t want their carpet runined, you could put a different carpet or mat in her closed off living area and supervise her when she’s out.
Have a good read around on this great forum, you will get lots of information on how to make your bunny safe and happy (and welcomed by parents!) in your house.
IF your bunny is going to be outside then make sure he’s not lonely or cramped or hungry or cold or unprotected or bored or unhappy.
Bunnies take a LOT of looking after and a lot of time too if you look after them properly. But they’re worth it if you’re prepared to do all that. :o))
Let us know how you get on.