Bringing buns outside

[Deleted User]

I bought this puppy pen off of amazon. It’s like a pop up thing with a vinyl bottom and netting on the sides and top. I was considering taking the buns out to sit on the grass tonight if it is as lovely as it was last night. They would not be directly on the grass, they would be in the enclosed pen but be able to see/smell through the netting.

But they’ve never been outside. They aren’t completely bonded, but have been getting along very well so far. Quincy is more sensitive to stress than Ophelia. I thought it might be nice to get them some fresh air, and around 7pm my apartment complex quiets down.

Is this a bad idea? Should I just not try this til they are bonded?

[Sirius&Luna]

That sounds fun!

It should be just another neutral space, possibly with a bit of stress, so I can’t see the harm myself (but as you know, I’m also a newbie to the bonding process!)

I took Luna to my parents garden, and she was terrified for the first 10 minutes. She kept climbing onto my lap and standing up for hugs, which is just incredibly unlike her. She’s never been a cuddly bunny. But after she got accustomed to the noises and smells, she loved the opportunity to run around.

So I would be prepared for it to be stressful for them, and I guess it depends how they react to the stress.

[joea64]

I believe I know the pen you’re referring to – I was looking at it myself this summer while I was shopping for bunny gear. It’s going to get too cold soon for the buns to go outside, and I would want to make dead sure there were no predators in the area (including cats or dogs) and to always be close by, but if I can ever find safe conditions, maybe one day I’ll get one of those.

[12345ABCDE]

I wouldn’t. The fact that it’s neutral could work in your favour but as neither bun has been outside before it could be too scary for them. They could then act out towards the other bun due to fear.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

My bun loves going outside in a pen, but it rarely happens because it’s often not warm enough for me to be out. I agree with Joe: make sure that there are no dogs or cats around. A friend of mine has take a water pistol into their garden, because they have neighbours with cats who are too agressive. Always stay with them, and make sure that the first time isn’t too long so they don’t get stressed.

It’s very handy that the pen is covered on the top against birds and cats. Maybe you’ll want to remove the vinyl someday, because bunnies love the feel (and the taste!) of fresh grass. If you let them outside during the day, make sure that they have shadow too, but that probably won’t be a big problem in the evening. Enjoy!

[Deleted User]

Oh I would definitely be staying next to the pen the whole time. I live in an apartment complex and there’s a nice area of grass right below my building, which is somewhat separated from the rest of the complex so it’s actually quite calm over by our building. There are some stray cats but I haven’t seen any in a while, we have one lady who feeds them at the front of the complex so they all usually hang out in that area. Of course it’s possible that they wander over but I was only going to start with maybe 10-15 minutes outside. Obviously if they are both in obvious distress I would just bring them back in. Here in FL, we don’t really have a winter at all XD I don’t want to take them out in the summer because it’s literally so hot out and I can’t imagine they would be comfortable at all. I would be bringing them out in the evening, so I don’t have to worry about shade. The kids in the neighborhood are usually out hootin an hollerin until about 7pm, so I would go once they have been called in for the night!

Sarah, that was my concern. I’d hate to affect their bonding. I think Ophelia would be fine, and she’s so adventurous. Quincy might be stressed, but they have been finding comfort in each other when they are scared by a loud noise, dishwasher, etc. I think it’s just a gamble honestly so I’m gonna think about it more cause it could go either way.

[Deleted User]

I had the idea yesterday because it had fallen to 83 degrees and felt absolutely awesome outside!! I just love fall so much and I wanted to share the nice weather with the buns

[Q8bunny]

It sounds fantastic. My only concern would be that the buns chew a hole in the base and get to the grass (in case it’s sprayed).

[Author]

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