Bringing My Bun Outdoors

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

The animal shelter where I got Dorothy from is doing Halloween and Christmas themed photos for the buns, and ever since Dorothy’s Halloween “photoshoot” , I have recently been throwing around the idea of taking her pen outside into our little patch of backyard and taking some nice photos of her in the fall leaves. 

What are the dangers of this, if any? Does anyone on here have experience with taking house bunnies outdoors for a short period of time, and if so, is there anything I should know besides the obvious (don’t leave her unsupervised, don’t put her somewhere a large animal can get at her) ?

[tobyluv]

If a rabbit eats vegetation where other animals have gone to the bathroom (dogs, cats, raccoons, etc.) there is always a possibility that the rabbit can get worms. There are also plants outside that may be poisonous to rabbits if they have access to them. Unless there has been a killing freeze, there could still be fleas, ticks, and flies outside. Predators can come out of nowhere, over or under fences or hawks from the sky. Sometimes a rabbit can be so frightened by the sight, smell or sense of a predator, that the rabbit panics and injures itself. Or a sudden loud noise can frighten a rabbit. There are people who occasionally or regularly take their rabbits outdoors with no problems, but there are some scary things out there for rabbits.

[Alfreds minion]

I occasionally take my bunny for an excursion into my sisters fenced garden, he is confined to an xpen and is watched closely the whole time (usually a few hours). Alfred is a pretty confident sort of bun that likes to explore and run and really seems to enjoy his time in the garden. I think it depends on the rabbits personality. I would feel a little like I was depriving him if he didn’t get an occasional foray outside my apartment, but I know there are risks.

Last time we were in the garden he got to have a run outside the xpen in a harness and leash. I know this is somewhat risky and a bit controversial, and is not something I would advocate without weighing up the risks and benefits. But as I said Alfred is quite confident and really likes to run. The harness didn’t bother him, and he loved being able to run and explore. One thing I did do was tie a piece of elastic (the type used for sewing, approximately 1.5 cm wide) to the handle of the leash, and then tied a loop in the other end to use as a handle. This meant he wasn’t jerked back so hard when reaching the end of his tether, so to speak. It seemed to work really well.

If I were you I would try taking Dorothy outside if you think she would enjoy it. Just take precautions and be vigilant.

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

My boyfriend was really scared by the idea of taking her out, the idea of a surprise predator really freaks me out too. But if I do take her out I was thinking maybe an hour at the most just to see if she likes it and before the weather gets too cold. Dorothy also has a confident personality (though she can be cautious at first, given enough time she can’t help but explore her surroundings) and loves to run around. I don’t know if I would be comfortable giving her a harness as she really loves her freedom as most bunnies do and probably wouldn’t appreciate this at all, but I will have to shop around a bit more for a less restrictive one like what you’re talking about. Thanks

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

Thanks for your informative response. I think my biggest concern would be watching for predators, but like another poster on here said… it is ok for some people if you’re just vigilant about it and keep a close eye on your bun. I think I am leaning more towards taking her out for about an hour or so, to see if she likes it. Thanks

[Chelsea]

I think it really depends on where you live. We let Silas out in a fenced garden area (there is wire buried a foot underground and tall deer fencing) anytime we are home and the weather is nice.I was very concerned about it, and asked our vet if I it was a bad idea to let him go outside. Her response was: “Getting to graze fresh grass is the best possible thing for him. There are no dangerous tics or parasites here, you don’t have a dog or cat, it’s well-fenced, and you always supervise him. I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.” We do have to treat him with advantix though, and I’m sure it’s because of him picking up fleas from outside.

[DorothyTheMiniSatinBun]

The more I think about it, the risks do outweigh the benefits of taking her outside. And I do not think I have the appropriate play space for her outside. It is fenced, it’s just a small patch of grass, but it is shared amongst the rest of the building’s tenants and I know our upstairs neighbor has dogs that they let out there. I also live in the city, apartments are close quarters, so I feel like a hidden predator could just jump in and get at her. Thanks guys.

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