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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HABITATS AND TOYS Question about Outdoor Housing

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    • Olivia
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        Hi!  My original plan was to house my future bunnies indoors in a Living World Extra-Large Cage (maybe two?) 


        It’s dimensions are 46.9 L x 22.8 W x 24 H in.  But then I looked around more and then thought about keeping the buns in a shed outdoors for maximum play space.  (lol I love to spoil my pets )  I found a shed that was suitable and I was all prepared.  I even had a vision of the shed in my head and how I was going to set it up and everything.  But then I remembered something, the fumes and oils (i think) of cedar are toxic to rabbits.  And the shed was made of Western Red Cedar.  I’m don’t know if just cedar bedding is toxic.  I’m just kind of unsure and it’s been quite difficult trying to find a non-cedar shed.  The shed’s name is Outdoor Living Today Sunshed 8 ft. x 8 ft. Western Red Cedar Garden Shed.

          

          If would be very helpful if anyone could give me any advice on this, like whether to stick with the store-bought cage, cedar preferences, or maybe a non-cedar shed.  Thank you in advance!  


      • Charlie
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          You can probably still get them a shed but this one in particular doesn’t seem to allow much air flow into it so you should look for one that has more openings. Love the shed though!


        • Olivia
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            I have yet another idea, maybe housing them in a greenhouse? Like he ones where you can open the roof panels? Sorry if this is a bit confusing. Would or work?


          • tobyluv
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              It’s better to house rabbits inside, where they become members of the family and you can interact with them more. Outside, they have to deal with temperature highs and lows, the possible presence of predators and parasites, the possibility that their pen or whatever they are housed in might not get shut correctly and they could escape and be in danger. If they are with you in your home, you will become closer with them, you will know more quickly if there is some medical problem or anything else wrong.

              That shed is likely meant to store tools or some kind of gear. It’s not designed to house living animals.

              You could go with the large cage, and attach an x-pen to it, to give the bunnies more room. I do see a small door on the side which they could come in and out of. Even with an x-pen, they will need more room for exercise and play time outside of the pen. You do have to bunny proof any rooms or areas they are in.

              If you plan on getting more than one rabbit, they will both have to be spayed and or neutered before they can be together, and you have to go through a bonding process. It doesn’t matter if they are the same gender or if they were littermates. Once rabbits reach puberty, around 12 weeks of age, they can develop aggression, which leads to fighting, which can result in severe injuries. They will still need to be spayed and neutered and kept apart until they have had their surgeries, healed from their surgeries, with additional time for the hormones to abate, before you can start bonding. Some rescues and shelters have already bonded pairs for adoption, who have already been spayed and neutered, of course. That saves you a lot of trouble and expense. They will also have single rabbits who have been spayed or neutered.


            • sarahthegemini
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                Rabbits should be indoors, not in a shed and certainly not a greenhouse!


              • Tabbycat27
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                  I have 2 bunnies inside and 4 bunnies outside.

                  Let me start off by saying that it has been my personal experience that while humanely keeping outdoor bunnies as pets is possible, it takes up so much more time and resources than having indoor bunnies. My Netherland Dwarf bunnies are only outside because they HATE being indoors for whatever reason, to the point of refusing food and water, going into GI stasis, and pulling out their fur (plus, my wife will probably divorce me if I try to keep all 6 bunnies in the house again lol). My buns are very happy outside, but I have spent a lot of time and money making sure they are as comfortable and interacted with as the indoor buns. If keeping them indoors is possible, I really suggest saving yourself the headache and money required for adequate outdoor bun space.

                  However, if you still decide to keep them outdoors, I would personally suggest looking into some other habitat options. You need something you can adjust to yours and your bunnies needs over time, and something adaptable to keep them comfortable in various weather conditions. I personally use a covered 10 by 10 foot chain link dog run with individual hutches inside (the dog run provides a play area, as well as an extra buffer away from curious kitties or other neighborhood predators in the night such as owls), lined with chicken wire for even further predator protection, and equipped with a mister system and an evaporative cooler to keep them cool on hot days (in addition to putting frozen water bottles in their hutches every couple hours). I have side covers for the dog run too to protect from weather extremes when necessary. My bunny area works wonderfully, but it cost me around $800-900 to build and I STILL have to put frozen bottles out every couple hours on hot days (pretty much every summer day where I live). There’s also insect pests to consider (which are a problem with any outdoor habitat).

                  The one thing I hate about having outdoor bunnies is that one mistake could kill all of them. You could oversleep one time in your air conditioned house, while your bunny is having heatstroke outside because you weren’t up in time to put frozen bottles out. You could accidentally leave a gate open. They can Houdini their way out of cages and get lost outside. I am meticulous in my bunny care routine and still all of these scenarios have happened to me once. I’m just lucky I’ve never lost any of the buns to mistakes, I would have been devastated.

                  Good luck with your bunny endeavors!

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              Forum HABITATS AND TOYS Question about Outdoor Housing