House bunny questions

[Deleted User]

Hi there, I have a beautiful harlequin lop mix bunny named Hazel, I adopted her 5 months ago and she has lived in our house ever since. She is a very
Loving bunny and we have such a strong connection, she means the world to me. I would do anything to take care of her. However, I still live at home
With my parents and unfortunately my mum does not like having hazel living indoors, when we first adopted her she was fine with her living indoors
But she has changed her mind over the past few months as she hasn’t bonded with her and hasn’t become fond of her.
we had bunnies when I was younger and they lived in our Garden but unfortunately did not live very long?
My mum is forcing me to move Hazel into the garden when summer approaches however I am Very scared. We live in the countryside
and there’s always cats, mice and even foxes venturing into our garden, many of which attacked my old Bunnies when they were in their hutches?.
Hazel is my responsibility as she is my pet but my mum won’t let the issue go, please help, any advice On how to convince her would be
much appreciated, I am scared I am going to lose my girl too soon and she means everything to me. I am also
Scared that placing her outdoors will have an impact on the connection I have with her, we are inseparable and I don’t want to lose that.
Thank you in advance to anyone who helps me I just want to do the best for my bunny❤️

[pinknfwuffy]

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this problem and your mom doesn’t understand your concerns. I would mention everything you’ve discussed here about how past rabbits have been in danger and that putting Hazel outside could change the bond you both share. Maybe put it all down in a letter or in a way that is more formal so your mom might take it more seriously. I would also explain how summer heat and insects can also cause problems for rabbits who live outdoors and the transition from indoors to outdoors can be very stressful for them.

I would suggest showing her materials from places like the House Rabbit Network that will explain why keeping rabbits indoors is ideal. Maybe she will listen if it comes from an official source. Maybe see if she’d be willing to spend a little more time with you and Hazel together to show her how close you are. Whatever made her change her mind, it may help if she sees Hazel as an important family member rather than just a pet. If she is worried about how Hazel is housed inside, be sure to work extra hard to showcase how clean and manageable rabbit cages, litter boxes, etc. can be.

If you must keep her outside, make sure your hutch is secure. Is it made of wood or like a pen? Double-check the enclosure and maybe consider putting a chicken wire fence a few feet around the hutch so wild animals can’t get close to it. Shade is also very important. I hope your mom changes her mind.

[Azerane]

It’s tough to make a parent see your point of view on an issue like this. I think one of the most important things is to be able to pinpoint exactly what it is that your mum doesn’t like about your bunny being inside. Is it the smell of the litter tray? The hay? The mess bunny makes? Things she chews on, or location/size/appearance of the cage? etc. If you can pinpoint exactly what it is, it may give you the opportunity to fix the issue before your mum makes a final decision. Whether it’s trying a different litter or cleaning the tray more regularly, sweeping up hay more often or getting a better hay rack, bunny-proofing things more, moving the cage etc.

Ultimately, if you do have to house her outside, I’d look at upgrading the setup to make sure it’s very secure from cats and foxes etc. Mice are a problem but if you keep pelleted foods to small serves that bunny can finish in 5-10 minutes and sweep up hay regularly mice should be less of an issue. You can also get cat and fox deterrent sprays which you could spray around the area of the hutch (outside of where your rabbit can access, even around the borders of your yard) which may help prevent their intrusion.

Summer heat is certainly a big factor, having the hutch shaded for most of the day is very important, providing frozen water bottles, cool water and a cage fan for breeze can all help. If your area gets very hot, it may be worth negotiating with your mum where if a day is forecast to be a certain temperature or above, then you are allowed to bring your rabbit inside that day, say between the hours of 10am and 5pm which is usually the worst of the heat (depending where you live). That way you can be sure she will never be out on those really hot days, but she is still kept outside like your mum wants.

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