keeping my bunnys warm

[mocha200]

I can’t keep my bunnys in the house for good because we don’t have a spot for them, But my bunnys look so cold even though they have a winter coat but it is only 18 digrees out. How can i keep them warm?

 

[jerseygirl]

Try draught proof their hutch and provide plenty of clean bedding straw.

[BinkyBunny]

BRRRR! So is that 18F or 18C? Either way, cold but 18F would be way too cold! How many bunnies do you have? There is NO place in the house at least for the coldest times? Isn’t there any possibility of putting them in a pen in the corner of a room somewhere? Are there other reasons they are not inside like litter habits etc?

Otherwise, I’m not the best expert for outdoor bunnies. You can also try the “snuggle safe” discs that are supposed to stay warm for about 8 hours. but they would have to be put safely underneath bedding. Also, bunnies will eat more when it’s cold as they need more energy to keep warm.

You also have to watch that their water bottles don’t freeze as well. What kind of hutch/housing are they in currently?  Are they pretty well covered, or do they have at least part of the area that is out of the elements? Do you have a photo so we could really get specific with suggestions.

[Monkeybun]

Oh dear, thats cold Can you put up walls on their hutch, leaving only a tiny gap for fresh air to go through that may help with the chill, and lots of straw for them to snuggle in, straw retains heat well as far I’ve learned. If there is no way to bring them in, is it possible as well to move their hutch to a side of the house where it is more sheltered, out of wind and snow and such. Also, do they have a shelter or nest box at all? ne with just a little opening to jump in and out of? If not, i suggest one so they can hide out of the wind. Fill it with straw too.

[Beka27]

All good suggestions above. Like BB said, I also don’t have any experience with outdoor housing. Often times, our members who choose to have buns outside, will still bring them indoors in the winter. Realistically, an outdoor hutch is NOT a year-round shelter. Is there a shed or well-ventilated garage they can be relocated to, so they are out of the elements?

[mocha200]

well they are in the garage right now but they still seem pretty cold. they are not in the house because one of my bunny digs in his litter box and pees over the edge. they are not bonded yet because they just turned 6 months old. and i only have one porteble cadge but i do have a pet carryer that i could put one of them in would that work?

[Monkeybun]

Can I suggest a covered litter box for the one that pees over the edge and digs in it? It will keep the pee from escaping, and help the litter to stay in. If thats the only reason keeping them outside, try it! House bunnies are great fun

[MooBunnay]

A pet carrier wouldn’t be very good for more than a couple hours just because it is such a small space. I also have bunnies that dig and pee over the edge, and I use the cat litterboxes that have a lid to keep everything inside – I know what a mess it can make! Can you give them some fleece blankets for the garage? If you do, just check them for holes often, and if they get some big holes remove the blanket and replace it, one of my bunnies got her head stuck in the hole of a fleece blanket and if my husband hadn’t gotten home in time she could have really hurt herself. So we always make sure to replace all blankets with holes.

[mocha200]

OK, maybe i will try a covered litter box. and i have a friend that might let us barrow a cadge.

[mocha200]

but I just got a new bunny and she didn’t have a litter box were she was before, and now that she has a litter box she is kind of using it but not all the time

[RabbitPam]

I would definitely borrow the second cage and bring them inside.
The covered litter box is a good idea. Also, you could put a sheet of plastic or acrylic under the cage for any leaks and easy cleaning, sort of a fake floor. And you could prop up a piece of acrylic around the back and sides so the pee won’t spray on the walls. It is so much less trouble than if one gets sick from the cold.

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By mocha200 on 12/05/2009 02:56 PM
but I just got a new bunny and she didn’t have a litter box were she was before, and now that she has a litter box she is kind of using it but not all the time

What is the temperature in the garage? 

So if I am understanding it correctly the main reason they are not in the house is because they have sketchy litterbox habits and they are not bonded.  These are challenges that actually may have some solutions:  Do you have additional challenges like other animals in the house or family members that object to the rabbits being in the house? 

So as far as digging, you’ve gotten some good suggestions.  There are also litterboxes with a little lip on it if you don’t have room for a full covered box. 

As far as the new bunny not using her box all time, it could be that she is 6 months old and is territorial. I am assuming that both bunnies are not spayed/neutered yet.  Are you planning on doing this?   If so, that will help with the territorial marking and litterbox habits.  As well as the smell of the urine won’t be as strong, and of course if they are both altered, then  you can try and bond them. 

Are they housed near each other right now? 

 

[mocha200]

the litter habits are partly the reason and we don’t have room and my mom said she doesn’t want them in the house. i have a apointment for my male bunny Mocha but my vet doesn’t so females so we are trying to find a place for her to get fixed. we are going to try to bring them in at night if we can.

[BinkyBunny]

Did your mom say why? Does she think they are smelly, destructive or ??. What are some of her concerns and maybe we can help address those so we can help both you, your mom and the bunnies.

[mocha200]

she said we don’t have a place and they would stink

[BinkyBunny]

Check out the cool habitats section and you can see how people have adapted bunny space into their home. Pretty neat ideas!
Right now you mom may be going off what’s happening with the bunnies. Not being spayed/neutered they are definitely going to be more territorial, and urine of unaltered bunnies is MUCH stronger. When I volunteered at a rescue, I would be surrounded by a ton of bunnies, but WOW, I could tell right off the area that an unaltered bunny was being housed – quite pungent! Plus, if you have two bunnies that are not bonded they may spray and/or mark their territory with a little extra scent. So, I do understand why she may feel the way she does.

However, once you get them altered and they are bonded, the “stinky” problem will be solved. Are you and your mom planning on getting the bunnies spayed/neutered?

[mocha200]

yes we are, mocha is going to be neutered in two weeks after are vacation so we can keep an eye on him but are vet does not do girls so we are still looking to see where we could get her fixed.

[RachelB]

If you clean out their litter boxes on a regular basis they are not smelly at all!!! I actually clean my two’s box every morning (just because then its a habit and I never forget) and it doesnt smell at all. Since I change their box every day I just use newspaper and hay [I dont use any odor control litter (but there are lots of good posts on here that list good ones)]. I use a jumbo size cat litterbox (just a big plastic rectangle with high sides) and its perfect. They have to jump up into it and if they dig at the hay at all then it all stays in the box…. and theres no chance of peeing over the side! For my two I found that the bigger the box the better their litter habbits.

As for keeping them inside you really dont need that much space inside if you give them a few hours of play time out of their cage per day (seperate until theyre both neutered). Do you have room in your bedroom thats a like 2 ft by 5 ft or so. You could make up two areas for the bunnies with at least a few inches between (so they dont mate or bite one another). Many people on here use those NIC cube grids or exercise pens. You can buy scrap lineoleum for really cheap at any home reno store for the ground and then just add a litterbox, food and water dishes and some toys and then the bunnies will be inside, safe and happy. Keeping them in one cage location will also help with litter training!

When I was a kid we had outdoor bunnies and my parents (like yours) believed that they belonged outside. I convinced my parents to let me keep my bunny Chewy inside for a one week trial period. He lived in the kitchen for the week. My parents were impressed with how little he smelled. It was a lot of work that first week because my bunny was not at all litter trained- so I cleaned up lots and lots of pee and poo….. but eveually I won them over and Chewy moved into my room. My room was a much better place for him because it was quieter and he setteled in. I didnt know as much about bunnies as I do now so Chewy was never neutered and started spraying (which was really stinky and messy) so about 2 yrs of being indoors he moved back outside with my sister and brothers bunnies- I know I still feel bad about it but I was young and stupid. Anyways I really think that you can convince your parents to let you bring the bunnies inside (which will be better for all of you). You can spend more time with them, they will be warm, and after theyre both neutered you can start bonding.

In the meantime you can try putting warm water bottles in their cage to keep them warm (wrap them in towels or socks). Good luck convincing the parents to let them come inside!

[mocha200]

well i have an x pen for my bunnies it just i am afraid if i put the girl in their and then the boy after if he will smell her and spray but their cadges are next to each other, so i don’t now

[BinkyBunny]

That’s great to hear you are trying to get them both altered! It does take at least a month after surgery for the hormones to die down, and also you will have to be sure to keep the male away from the female for a month after surgery because amazingly, he can still get her pregnant within a month after surgery).

I like the “trial” idea of bringing them inside that RachelB suggested, but to prevent them from going back outside permanently, I would wait on doing the trial until after they are altered and bonded. (though you may have to do some bonding sessions inside as you’ll need a neutral territory).

Maybe you and your mom can try this together. She is welcome to come here and ask questions with you too so we can really address her concerns directly too. Many of us here are most likely her age. And even one of our most members had said she had gotten a bunny for her 18 year old daughter but then fell in love with bunny herself too! So you just never know what good things can come from getting your mom involved here. We welcome both of you.

Here’s a link that may be helpful in finding a rabbit-savvy vet for you female bunny http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html

[mocha200]

ok thanks

[Barbie]

Everyone had a lots of good suggestions for you. Hopefully you’ll be able to convince your parents to do a trial indoor period.  It might be best to wait until they’re both altered so they don’t terri-mark as much and the pee doesn’t stink as much – you want to make a good first impression making a good first impression also means that you’ll have to be on hardcore cleaning duty if their litter box habits are a bit lacking. Bring your mom to this site to ask questions, and maybe even show her some youtube videos of indoor bunnies behaving nicely (make sure to pre-screen the vids before showing her!) Btw… Leroy’s got a youtube account…. http://www.youtube.com/LeroyTheBunny… *hint hint nudge nudge * Good luck!

[kralspace]

Sounds like you have gotten lots of good suggestions Barbie, good luck and tell your mom she’s welcome to come here too!

Here’s how my Lola and Callie the cat stay warm, I know when it’s time to put another log in because they’re sitting up staring at me like Duh!

 

 

 

[mocha200]

Lulu is in the house for a play date (my mom lets her come in for play dates) and she is running around and she has a winter coat so now she is laying down and she is laying next to a ice block and i have a fan blowing on a wet towel.

[mocha200]

do you think she will be ok?

[mocha200]

never mind i figured it out

[Author]

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