bunnys out in the cold

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 23sd replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 6 months ago by Karla.

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- 04/10/2008 at 3:01 AM
  babewoman
  Participant
  21 posts
  how cold can it get before u have to bring them inside before its to cold for them outside?????
  
  it was really cold last night in the uk and i dont know it it was to cold for bunny????
- 04/10/2008 at 5:29 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Have you considered bringing your bunny into the house full-time? That is best for your bunny in any weather so she can be a part of the family. It’s lonely outside and most likely you will worry about her not being safe unless you bring her inside full-time.
- 04/10/2008 at 5:41 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Ooh poor bunny … freezing his little ears off!
  
  Oh yes, bring him inside … that way you won’t worry about him and he will be nice and warm.
  
  They make absolutely wonderful house pets …. Aaawwwwwww!
- 04/10/2008 at 6:39 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  and remember… summer heat is just as dangerous as the winter cold. you will probably need to have the bunny inside about 4-6 months out of the year due to weather, so you might as well just bring her in full-time.
- 04/10/2008 at 11:20 AM
  kimberleyanddarren
  Participant
  2520 posts
  it is always cold in the UK!!
  i would suggest bringing your bun indoors
- 04/10/2008 at 11:32 AM
  rabbitsmba
  Participant
  475 posts
  Not to mention predators that can litterally scare a rabbit to death. Keep her inside always, let her become a part of your family. Trust me, you will be so surprised at how loving, adorable, cute and entertaining a pet bunny can be, but only if you invest your time into the relationship. A rabbit left outside in a hutch is a depressed rabbit, IMO.
- 04/11/2008 at 2:41 AM
  babewoman
  Participant
  21 posts
  i went out yesterday and got a indoor cage now so she is warmer now
- 04/11/2008 at 5:35 AM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  That’s great – I’m glad you are bringing her inside and you have decided not to breed her. We are happy to answer any other questions you have to help you with Maisy too.
- 04/11/2008 at 3:41 PM
  BUNNYMAN
  Participant
  22 posts
  Posted By babewoman on 04/10/2008 3:01 AM
  
  how cold can it get before u have to bring them inside before its to cold for them outside?????
  
  it was really cold last night in the uk and i dont know it it was to cold for bunny????
  
  I too am from the uk and buns can cope fine with the cold more than heat,if you are concerned you can buy a snugglesafe or put a tarpaulin over there hutch to keep out the cold a bit more,rick
- 04/11/2008 at 4:52 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  Hi babewoman! I am so happy to hear you decided to share your indoor life with your rabbit, they make such wonderful indoor pets and their personalities really shine through. They are very social animals and love to be “with the family”! If there is anything we can help you with, just let us know!
- 04/12/2008 at 1:29 AM
  babewoman
  Participant
  21 posts
  thx bunny man do u keep u indoors or out doors?????
  
  im from the south west of the uk
- 04/12/2008 at 2:44 AM
  BUNNYMAN
  Participant
  22 posts
  Mine are all outside buns living in a playhouse with attached run and i have insulated the playhouse to keep it warmer.
- 04/12/2008 at 6:27 AM
  babewoman
  Participant
  21 posts
  ok thanks i think i might sort something out after i finish sorting out my garden
- 10/11/2010 at 8:21 PM
  NicoleP
  Participant
  6 posts
  I live in an area that can get below freezing in the winter. My two bunnies have a custom built, high above ground, secure hutch with an enclosed room which I consider their bedroom and a large caged play area. Their “bedroom” has a wire bottom. The hutch was built for room enough for the both of them. I bring them into their smaller cage inside my screened porch with a heater when it gets 32 degress or lower. I know they dont like the smaller cage because they stomp and grawl at me when I move them there. My questions is, if anyone knows, how cold is too cold? I want my bunnies to remain happy and I am sure they dont understand weather change.
- 10/11/2010 at 8:35 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  In Oregon, the winters we get are just too cold for bunnies. Wire bottoms aren’t very good for little bunny feet either. Have you considered full time indoors? They do enjoy it! And they are more social usually.
- 10/11/2010 at 8:51 PM
  NicoleP
  Participant
  6 posts
  They used to be 100% indoor and then I moved into a brand new house. I tried for almost a year to get them trained to their new litter box site. It wasnt sucessful. I am not sure what I was doing wrong. My attempts were the same as before, which was sucessful. One of the bunnies, Emmie, began digging in a few different spots around my new house. I would close off that area of which she was digging and then she would find a new spot to dig. They have been majority outside now for a bit over a year now.
- 10/11/2010 at 9:02 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Are they spayed and neutered?
- 10/11/2010 at 9:06 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22342 posts
  Oh that is a shame, especially since you were accustomed to having them indoors. Was the house brand new (as in newly built)? Or previously owned? They may have been other pets there previously. When you moved, did you keep the bunnies in a limited space at first?
  
  I have read (somewhere?) that rabbits are comfortable in temps ranging from 45 to around 72F (???? sorry, i’m used to talking celcius). They don’t do that well in heat at all. Outdoors, it’s important they are sheltered from wind and have plenty of straw to burrow into as that has insulating properties.
  
  Of course, this being a house rabbit community, we would really love to help you bring them indoors again.
- 10/11/2010 at 9:23 PM
  NicoleP
  Participant
  6 posts
  Yes, they both are spayed. Yes, my house was custom built and we are the first and only owners. It broke my heart having to put them outside. I do bring them inside a few times a week and close them off to only the large wide hall way. I still make attempts to box train them, but no luck. Now my question is, how small is too small of a cage for the two of them? Their smaller cage is 3’L by 3’W by 3’H. But like I said, they are not happy bunnies when I place them there.
- 10/11/2010 at 9:51 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22342 posts
  This is the smaller cage on the screened porch? I can only advise per the House Rabbit Society as i don’t really have experiences with cages. They advise 8 square feet. I guess it depends on the size of your rabbits too.
  
  Bigger is better! A cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny when he’s entirely stretched out–more if he is confined for a large amount of the day. Cage sizes also should be decided in conjunction with the amount of exercise time and space the rabbit has. One guideline to go by is at least 8 square feet of cage time combined with at least at least 24 square feet of exercise space, for 1-2 rabbits, in which the rabbit(s) can run and play at least 5 hours per day. You can build or buy your rabbit a two-storey “condo” with the floors connected by a ramp–they love this! http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/housing.html#size
  
  Is it a conventional pet store cage? Or can you modify it to give it levels perhaps making it more interesting for them?
  
  Edit to add: In this smaller habitat during the cooler season, this would be an idea time to work on their litter habits. Plus, it would make clean up a great deal easier for you. Do they have boxes in this cage?
- 10/12/2010 at 12:14 AM
  Karla
  Participant
  1624 posts
  I know breeders and others with outdoor bunnies here feed their bunnies sun flower seeds as it gets colder. The seeds contain a lot of fat, which makes it easier for the bunnies to keep warm. I’d recommend that for all outdoor bunnies as it greatly limits the death rate during winter.
  
  And make sure they have tons of straw to keep them warm.
  
  But yeah, I would definitely bring them inside as well for the winter and only have them outdoors from april to october. It is really hard to tell if a bunny is ill, if you don’t spend a lot of time with it. And honestly, regardless of how much we love our bunnies here, very few of us would actually stand the cold for several hours every day by sitting with the bunnies outside in the winter?
- 10/12/2010 at 1:24 AM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Sunflower seeds? The RAs say no to ANY seeds or nuts… so I wouldn’t recommend that at all
- 10/12/2010 at 2:20 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22342 posts
  Oh no, I’m in twouble with Monkeybun! I use to feed mine sunflower seeds and pepitas as a treat. It’s not unsafe for them, probably just not advised due to it being fattening. I stop giving it because I thought it was causing continual molting. Not real sure, but they’ve forgotten what they are now so no more begging for them.
- 10/12/2010 at 2:34 AM
  Karla
  Participant
  1624 posts
  MB, exactly as JG says. It is because it is fattening and there is no point in feeding them to house rabbits as they have no need for it. But outdoor bunnies should definitely get it. The risk is that they will die during winter otherwise. If you have house rabbits, then give them as a treat like bananas and apples, but with everything: in small amounts
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