Lots of people don’t use harnesses here, as there is a huge potential for them to injure the rabbit. If the rabbit gets scared (eg. by a dog, hawk or loud child) they can bolt, and the harness could break their back or legs. I remember someone having to have their rabbits leg amputated on here, after it got broken after getting tangled in a harness.

It does also depend on the personality of the rabbit a lot. I used to take my old bunny out on a harness (before I found out how dangerous they were) and he used to enjoy it, but I don’t think any of my current bunnies would enjoy being in a park with strangers and dogs, and they also wouldn’t let me get a harness on them even if I wanted to.

It’s also good to consider what you mean by fun and playing – bunnies don’t really see things like that, and it might actually end up being an overall stressful experience – the travel, the smell and the noises might actually be very scary, and the benefit of vitamin d and fresh air aren’t really things rabbits understand.

Could you build a run in your back lawn for her, maybe with xpen grids and a roof to protect from hawks?

I have a park literally opposite my house, so there was no travelling to it. I took him to it twice, but then after doing more research I decided it wasn’t worth the risk, and even if you know how your bunny reacts, you only need one irresponsible dog owner for it to end in disaster.

Now, I occasionally take my rabbits to my parent’s house, where they have a garden, and the bunnies can run around freely without harnesses or danger.

You’re making excuses about the harness, which is fine if you’re set on it, but please don’t just dismiss the dangers. There isn’t a ‘safe’ type of harness that rabbits couldn’t get tangled in. Two threads here about bunnies that broke their legs in harnesses. It is not an unusual or freak accident.

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/154277/Default.aspx

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/106086/Default.aspx

It’s not like totally wrong and harmful to use the harness. Although some of us don’t use it, it doesn’t mean it’s bad for rabbits. If you go on Youtube and see this channel called Lennon the Bunny, who is a very experienced and caring rabbit owner, you can see that her rabbit is just fine with a harness. There’s nothing wrong with using it, just make sure to be safe. As long as you supervise your bun and make sure it’s in a safe environment with no predators or chemicals, then she should be fine. And that the harness is one that can’t allow a bun to injure its leg, such as the mesh ones, not the ones that are made of straps. I also suggest getting an elastic leash so that the bun is allowed more space to walk.

The pros and cons of taking a bun out on a leash can be debated. Whether its a good idea or not depends on several things, mainly on the rabbit’s personality and the place you’re going to. There are dangers, but there are also benefits. Some buns will hate going outside, and then it’s imo not a good idea to make it, seeing that the main benefit is enrichment. Rabbits’ need of vitamin D can also be debated, and it is being debated. Some rabbits specialists are really adamant that rabbits need sunshine and other rabbit specialists say they get the vitamin D they need from their food. What’s true is that rabbits have a different way of metabolizing dietary calcium than most other mammals do. Vitamin D doesn’t play the same role in the rabbit’s calcium metabolism as it does in humans or dogs.

Many of us here, myself included, do have a high risk-awareness. Maybe too high sometimes – that can be debated too. What we all have in common is that we want what’s best for our rabbits. What is best for our rabbits we must decide ourselves, and it’s not always so straightforward. Please don’t take warnings as anything but warnings. In the end it all comes down to making informed choices. Dangers lurk everywhere for rabbits and children and also for grown up humans. Many risks are undoubtedly worth taking. Some risks we don’t consider worth taking. We do have members that take their buns outside to play in parks/ on the beach.

I don’t take my bun out in a harness, but I have an outdoors run for him where he can spend time when the weather allows. My current vet advises against that, because there are insect-borne illnesses here that we don’t know how effective the available vaccines are at preventing. The vet I had before advocated as much outside time as possible for rabbits. So even among vets you’ll find differing opinions. My Bam gets to go out in his run, but I cover it with mosquito netting. My SO says I’m being over-protective. I very well might be.

Battlea, as a rabbit forum, we all care deeply about the welfare of our bunnies and other’s rabbits, and unfortunately harnesses can have very dire consequences. It is truly heartbreaking to hear about the fatalities of something that could have been prevented. I think if it’s something you are considering, it’s really important that you know the risks involved. You might think we’re being dramatic but stories of rabbits getting caught up and needing amputations are not really a rare occurrence. A lot of people aren’t aware of the risks, I certainly wasn’t – I bought harnesses for mine but before I used them, I did research and decided it wasn’t something I was prepared to do. At the end of the day, we just want everybody’s bunnies to be happy and safe. I’m sure you can appreciate that.

Having said all that, I do believe member Mikey uses a harness so perhaps they’ll be able to offer tips if it’s something you wish to do still

@ Battlea – Also, just another suggestion on where you can take your bunny – make sure if you go to a park or somewhere public that they don’t use a lot of pesticides on the grass. I’m not sure how you would find out for your area – but our city puts pesticides down everywhere – on the patches of grass beside the sidewalk, parks… everywhere. So I’m too scared to take my bunny out on adventures.
But I have a friend who’s town has a “Pesticide free” park list.
Not sure if that is something your area does.

No problem, Battlea. but you have to remember, a lot of people on here have seen horrible, terrible cases with rabbits, and just don’t want the same to happen to yours. Sometimes we worry that we aren’t getting the point across, and it causes us to SEEM rude, but really we’re just trying to do the best we can to help you out. So, yes, it may look that way at times. But, it seems that you are quite aware of the risks involved, and know how to make sure an area is safe for your rabbit. It seems that as long as you find a good spot that you should totally be able to use the harness. Please do find an area without pesticides as mentioned by Nutmeg. That’s one of the common issues with finding a safe spot.

I have had a bunny that loved it, absolutely loved it. He was unusual as the majority of my bunnies did not enjoy it. Forest though was different. I got him used to the harness inside first so that I could see how reacted if there was a tug or pull, as that can sometimes send some bunnies into a panic (feeling caught). Getting him used to the secure harness first for awhile, then the leash attachment. Forest thoroughly enjoyed himself outside and I did bring him to a large fenced in area that I felt was safe. (If I remember right I think it was also noted to be free of sprays). Been a long time so hard to remember. It was great to see him explore. There were a couple of issues though that I discovered the hard way and prefer someone else learn the easy way. Don’t give too long of a lead. I had one of those kind that allowed more lead and could retract. I allowed my bunny to get about 15 feet away from me on the leash. I didn’t see a problem with that at first since there were no dogs, or kids allowed in the area and the gate was closed. But one time, one kid saw Forest and went crazy, opened the gate and raced as fast as she could toward Forest. I was tell her No. Stop. She was just a little girl on mission to pet a bunny, with distracted parent too far away to stop her. But Forest, of course, saw her as a predator and started freaking out. And if I tried to real him in to safety of my arms, he freaked out even more. He started jumping and twisting. I tried to go toward him and give him more lead, but he already felt chased, so he’d run. And so we were all three running, all the while I was trying to stop the crazily excited hyper focused little girl. I was able to make her stop by saying NO! HE WILL BITE YOU!. But that was frightening – I was so afraid he was going to break his leg or his back. He could have easily done so.

Those of course were all my oversights and mistakes. Doesn’t mean that there isn’t a safer way or safer place. These are just some heads up of — don’t do what I did.

After that, I never went alone and had my husband watch the gate. But then a nearby resident came over and said he had seen another person there recently, who had their bunny taken by a hawk. That scared me as I thought even with a leash if the hawk grabs him, could kill him via shock or some horrible tug-a-war with the leash. Well, I was done there! I hated to deny Forest of the outdoor romps as he really enjoyed it. I ended up just created a space in our back area that was safer from predators (including crazy little girls LOL) It wasn’t as nice and big as the other place, but he still enjoyed exploring and sniffing everything.

I know it may seem like criticisms but I see it just as warnings. I am not anti-harness myself for the bunny that likes it; and if you are aware of all the dangers then you can minimize the risks. There are risks everywhere, even indoors. (like wires, rocking chairs, recliners,tripping on your bunny in dark,etc etc) so it’s more about knowing about what can go wrong and figuring out ways to avoid and protect.