Do rabbits need sunlight

[MadRabbit]

Hi

Do rabbits need natural light?  Our rabbits are in a finished basement right now, with little natural light.  All they have is a fluroscent light on a timer for 10 hours.  I would put them upstairs but I’m afraid they will scratch up the hard wood floors. 

[Alicia Conklin]

I’d like to know this too.  My rabbit get indirect..very indirect sunlight but where her condo is she rarely gets any actual pure sunlight going through.

 

If you go their nails trimmed though I doubt they’d do damage to the floors. 

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

Yes, just like most mammals, rabbits benefit from sunlight! It can help process calcium and provide vitamin D if they’re not getting enough in the their diet. Of course, they also need to avoid prolonged expsure to the sun. But natural light is good for them!

[Sage Cat]

I trim my buns nails every 1 to 2 months. They have never scratched the hardwood floors – which is good, cause I live in a rental.

I try to think of things this way – would I only want fluorescent light for 10 hours a day?

[Deleted User]

HI Mad Rabbit. If your floors can take heels and chair legs, bunny toe nails should be no problem I read your other post about gaining their trust, so I know nail clipping is going to be an issue till then, LOL. You can set up an xpen by their cage on a piece of remnant flooring or cardboard. It may help with the bonding process if they saw you more often, even in passing.

Failing that, they do have natural light bulbs that simulate sunlight, but really the best thing for many reasons is to have them a more family active environment.

[Ana]

I’m going to mooch off this thread instead of creating another.

Is taking your bun for a walk a good way of getting sunlight? I live in Seattle in an apartment– very little sunlight even for humans. Any suggestions?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Well actually according to this textbook of rabbit medicine they do need sunlight to synthesize vitamin D just like we do.

http://books.google.ca/books?id=xT9MWYDBIwEC&pg=PT15&lpg=PT15&dq=rabbits+vitamin+D+sunlight&source=web&ots=DKM4Z4N5go&sig=EdiOmvrTrCmNbtuTG4uIFGA9HtA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result

[Lightchick]

I have hardwood floors in a rental, and my bunnies nails (properly trimmed) do not damage my floors…

That being said, they are also afraid of the hardwood flloors, because they can’t get any traction. They pretty much stick to my throw-rugs. Which is nice…invisible bunny-barricades…

I know nothing about science, but if you locked me in a basement, I’d be pretty sad. My buns LOVE it when I open a window, and they can take in the breezes from outside…

[kimberleyanddarren]

i would imagine they do but not in huge quantaties, ie no point in sitting them outside for 12hrs a day just so they can get direct sunlight, they shouldnt scratch your floors though.

[MarkBun]

As an FYI, some people do not believe buns in the outdoors in any fashion is a good idea. Between pests like mites and other things that may be left behind by other animals, there is also the predator issue. You may think that your bun is safe in an x-pen or on a leash but we had someone here who recently had a bun hopping back into their house with a hawk attached to its back – and the owner was only away for 10 seconds (a walk to the fridge and back). And desperate animals have been known to attack small animals on leashes. But if you keep them really close to you and make sure to give them a good going over when you get home for pests, you should be fine.

Maryann turns into a puddle when she’s outside. I’m certain she’s had an encounter with a bird of prey before and she will not move… ever.

[RabbitPam]

I read somewhere that you shouldn’t put a rabbit’s cage in direct sunlight in a room, but indirect daylight is fine. I had my cage situated so the sun would come past the window would directly hit less than 1/3 of the cage for an hour or so. Funny thing was that he would often lie down in the sunny part, sometimes half in half out. It was nice that he had a choice. He also had shade from his platform above him.

I agree with the idea of socializing your bunny more. I had hardwood floors in an apt. and he just skidded some. Carpet samples are a good compromise. I have a natural light reading lamp for myself and it just isn’t the same.

[MooBunnay]

I try to make sure that my bunnies always get some natural sunlight because I can’t imagine that it would be healthy for them to not have any at all, just based off the fact that when I spend all day indoors at work without any fresh air or sunlight, I start to feel sick myself! I am of the school of not taking my bunnies outdoors, it is recommended not to do so here in Texas (recommended by the local rabbit rescues that is) – just due to the high amount of insects that we have around like misquitos, gnats, all kinds of flies, beetle looking things that I can’t even name, etc. So I opt not to risk it.

[Author]

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