Housing a rabbit outdoors, good or bad?

[Anna01]

Hi, 

So myself and my sister really want pet rabbits. My mom is on board. My dad doesn’t mind us getting animals once they live outside. We have one well mannered indoor dog and our indoor/outdoor cat recently died. We live in Ireland so its often cold and rainy. We want to get two rabbits so that they’re never lonely and every day we will bring them inside for cuddles and social time etc. We would get them a really big hutch and run and lots of hay etc for outside so that they can keep warm. We have a big garden so I’m worried about the fact that we have foxes roaming around. We also have millions of wild rabbits, would they pass on diseases? If we protected the hutch and run with even more wire would it prevent predators from getting in? We were considering the possibility of putting the hutch in the garage (we don’t keep cars there) but we previously had mice in there so we are worried about them getting into the hutch and run. What are your thoughts on all of this? Would they be ok outdoors? Would they have a nice and happy life?  

Thanks!

Would also appreciate any tips of keeping rabbits outdoors and some personal experience etc as I want to make sure my new baby is ok! 

[floppylop]

It is preferred that rabbits live inside, but as long as they have a nice big hutch they would be okay outside. In the garage would be much better than outside, especially for cold and rainy weather. Wild rabbits are able to burrow for warmth, so you might throw in a small towel somewhere in the cage so that they can cuddle up in it if they want.

If the hutch is sturdy and any wire parts of the hutch are small enough that nothing can get inside I would think they would be fine but extra fencing/wiring for protection would never hurt! I think the foxes would be the biggest concern which is why I think keeping them in the garage is best.

If this is your first rabbit and you want two, I would recommend getting two rabbits that are already bonded because the process of bonding rabbits can be very tricky and time consuming.

[Bam]

Hi Anna! We are a house bunny forum, so most of us have very little experience with outdoors bunnies. It is safer for buns to live indoors. It’s absolutely best to get a bonded couple if they are to live outside, because bunnies are social creatures and don’t like being alone.

You have myxomatosis in Ireland, a very deadly rabbit-disease that wild rabbits get. Mosquitos and ticks spread it. You will have to vaccinate against it. Foxes and other predators like weasels and ferrets and minks and biggish birds are a problem, you’ll need to make the hutch very very safe with welded netting, not chicken wire.

The hutch needs to be elevated off the ground and have a section that is shielded from wind and rain and snow and direct sunshine. Buns cope well with cold, but heat is very dangerous for them.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Welcome! Buns can be a great addition to your family, but you’ll never see their wonderful personalities unless you interact with them a lot. Indoor bunnies will interact with your family and your pets, and this is the best way to enjoy their curious, quirky personalities. They will come to you for cuddles and pettings, and it’s wonderful to see them run around and play. My bun has free range of the living room and greets guests, goes sunbathing whenever he pleases and jumps on the couch next to me when I’m knitting. My bun comforts me when I have a bad mood or a lot of pain, they are such social and affectionate creatures.

You’ll miss a lot of this if they’re not a part of your everyday family life. Most people think bunnies are boring, because they’re usually kept outdoors. They can only truly shine when kept inside. A rabbits natural way of life is in large groups, and you’ll see that your rabbits will be happy to be “part of the pack”.

Of course, you don’t have to give them free range of the whole house. My bun lives in the living room and is perfectly happy with his space. The room has been bunny-proofed (cables hidden, no dangerous house plants etc.) and it works really well. Bunnies have a reputation as destructive pets, but enough toys and some careful supervision in the first few weeks can make up for that. The most important thing is that the buns have places to act out their natural instincts (digging, chewing and a place to hide), you can direct their behaviour by providing the right toys. They are extremely clean, do not smell, and are often easily litter trained.

Talk it over with your family and make sure that you’re all well-informed. Talking to other bunny owners is a great first step. I hope they’ll be wonderful pets for your family.

[Brambino]

Hi Anna

It’s best to get the most expensive hutch you can afford, which usually means the best quality. I would recommend the welfare hutch company who have a great start up pack, that’s where I bought Bramble’s from and they were absolutely fantastic. If you’re interested I have some pics.

You will need to install a galvanised mesh skirt to at the bottom of the hutch/run to keep foxes from digging in.

I think minimum rspca guidelines are a 6ft x 2ft hutch with an 8ft x 4ft run, attached if possible. The welfare hutch combo is a 6×2 hutch which sits on top of a 6×8 run, they can change the size to your request though. You can buy tunnels to link up the hutch and run. Some have a ramp but I have heard ramps are bad for bunnies, especially for older bunnies to navigate.

They will also need lots of toys and enrichment. And vaccinations/neutering.

Keeping your bunnies indoors will make their lives less stressful and mean you get to know and bond with your bunnies better but that doesn’t mean they can’t live very happy and fulfilled lives outdoors, if they are not forgotten. Indoor bunnies also require a lot of house bunny proofing and inevitably there will be nibbles of furniture, skirting etc.

You need to be super careful in winter if you bring your rabbits indoors as the sudden change in temperature from cold outdoors to hot indoors to cold outdoors again can be very stressful and cause them problems. As you suggest, the garage may be a good idea. Then you can visit them without getting wet and cold and the temperature change won’t affect them if you play with them in the garage.

Hope this gives you some ideas. Very excited for you. New buns are always so cute and exciting! I’ve only had Bramble 6 months and already I don’t know what I’d do without her! xx

[Anna01]

Thank you very much! 

[Anna01]

Thank you very much. We will defiantly look into bonded rabbits. 

[Anna01]

Thank you!

[Anna01]

Thanks! We’ll be bringing them inside to spend time with them. Our original plan was to keep them inside but we’re not able to do that so we’ll just have to bring them in as much as possible!

[Hazel]

I would advise against it. There are many reasons against keeping them outside, a lot of them have already been mentioned. Diseases, predators, parasites, pesticides, the elements, and so on.

Rabbits can die of fright, so even if your cage is bombproof, it doesn’t mean they will be safe. If a predator tries to get in, even if he’s unsuccessful, it can scare your rabbits so much that they can have a heart attack, or go into shock, and die.

Another thing is, they are prey animals, which means they are masters at hiding illness. If they get sick, you won’t get much of a warning, other than them sitting in an unusual spot, or laying in a weird position, for example. It’s hard enough to spot those subtle changes, but if you don’t spend an extraordinary amount of time around them, it’s pretty much impossible. You won’t be tuned into their usual behavior enough to recognize those tiny things, especially not in time. If they go into stasis (gut shutdown), which is quite common, they can go from being fine to being beyond help within 24 hours.

You said you’re planning to take them inside every day for play time, but depending on the weather, that can be dangerous. If they get moved back and forth constantly between hot and cold areas, they can get sick. They hate being picked up, so if you grab them several times a day to move them around, it’s likely to make them fear you and hurt your relationship with them. Also, if they are to spend any amount of time inside, you will have to set them up with food, water, litter boxes and a rabbit proofed area in the house. After doing all that, what’s the point of putting them back outside? You might as well just let them stay. I always thought there wasn’t much point in getting a pet if it’s going to spend the majority of it’s life away from you and your family. I know you have the best intentions of spending time with them every day, but in reality, you will get busy with life, and most likely you won’t find the time to lug them back and forth every day. I had a bonded pair in a large room down in the basement, and even though they were still in the house, after a while it became harder to make time to go down there and spend enough time with them. Having them where you spend most of your time in the house, makes it so much easier to give them the attention they need and deserve, and you will enjoy them so much more.

If you tell us what your (or your parent’s) reasons are against keeping them indoors, maybe we can help to find a solution.

[Aki]

I agree with Hazel : to begin with, cold and rainy is not an ideal weather for rabbits but bringing rabbits inside and then outside repeatedly is a big no no (and rabbits need 5 hours outside of their hutch everyday at the very least, so how and where will you let the rabbits run when the weather is awful?) – you’ll make them sick. I’m not very fond of the idea of keeping rabbits outdoors : there are diseases, rodents that your wire won’t keep out of the hutch ( a mouse can go through a space that’s around 5 millimetres), predators, the wind, humidity… Also, at first you will be motivated to go and see the rabbits, to take them out of their hutch and stuff. What about after two years? Eight? What about winter, when it will be cold and dark and raining? Outside rabbits are often neglected because people forget about them or don’t have the motivation to go clean the hutch under the pouring rain.

Also, if you intend to get two rabbits they will need to be neutered / spayed (for female rabbit it’s necessary for their health even if they live alone) or you will find yourself with tons of babies and / or fights and the very real possibility of finding a very dead rabbit in your hutch at some point. It will cost quite a lot of money (it’s around 200 euros for one operation). You have to vaccinate them once a year, especially if they are outside (90 euros for two rabbits where I live). You also need to be aware that rabbits eat hay, pellets and fresh vegetables everyday. They need a specialized vet and are pretty fragile. I’m warning you because I’m getting a bit tired of seeing new owners posting on forums like this with messages beginning with “my X month old rabbit has seizures / is peeing blood / doesn’t eat… but I don’t have the money / my parents don’t want to take him to the vet”. I have a dog, I’ve had a cat and guinea pigs, and rabbits are higher maintenance and cost me more money than any other animal I’ve owned.
Take a look at the house rabbit society website (rabbit.org) and talk with your parents. When I read your post, I have terrible flashbacks about this video (the song is terrible, but the message is still true):

a hutch is not enough

[Anna01]

Thanks very much to everyone who replied. I posted this when we were still in the early stages of planning if we could get a rabbit. We hadn’t wanted to keep it outside but were considering it as an option. We’ve now decided not to keep it inside. We have a very clean big garage that has no cars etc in it. My cat used to live there. We are now thinking of putting their house in there. Thanks again!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Anna – I think Hazel and Aki have imho replied a tad harshly to you.

My bun is half inside half outside on the patio, 4 metres from where I’m writing to you now (she’s chosen to be outside this evening!), and I certainly don’t love her any less nor do I neglect her. It also does not automatically suggest I don’t have the money to pay for her jabs or treatment !

Yes, rabbits can cost a lot of money – but if your Mum & Dad have accepted to have buns I presume they have already taken into consideration the cost of vets bills especially as you have a dog and have had a cat in the family and also explained the responsibility of rabbits and how much work they are (strangely enough, more than a cat and dog put together in my experience!!)

For 14 years I was out dog-walking twice a day, every single day, come rain, sun, snow or storms…. it wasn’t weather that was going to stop a Brit caring for her pets or neglecting them!

I think a connected garage to a house is a great compromise for a bonded pair who WILL be visited lots during the day by a family of 4 – personally I have a basement and I spend more time there than I do anywhere else. If I had a garage, that would be the case too. Tinkering is my pasttime !!

You can put a rug down so they can choose where they lay. On a hard concrete surface (I presume your garage is concrete) or on a softer one. You can even set up a huge puppy playpen if you need to contain their running area.

I have friends in London who house their buns outside, in front of the kitchen doors, in a very safe and covered hutch, but whenever someone is in the house, the buns are in, bouncing around freeroam in the kitchen and lounging under the sofa watching TV with them.

However, DO get them vaccinated, and never, EVER (in Ireland with predators) leave the buns out in the garden free roam unprotected by strong wire on all sides, on the top AND on the bottom (bunnies could dig out and foxes could dig under or flip the run over). Keep them in sight.

And do get a bonded pair – they are so much happier with a furry friend.

Of course once Mum & Dad see how lovely they are and how well litter trained they are, I’m sure they’re going to make their way safely into your home – don’t forget to make your house / bedroom / kitchen area ‘bunny safe’ where they will free roam – no computer wires dangling or electric plug wires in their reach !

Please keep in touch Anna, and post photos here when you get them.

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