Outside vs. inside bunny

[bigsis7]

Hi everyone! I was wondering I know most of you have inside bunnies and thats what most of you think is the best way to go, but what if you took amazing care of a rabbit outside? Like it got 2+ hours of playtime inside, came inside when it was really cold, saw the vet at least once a year, was in a really big hutch, and it’s cage was kept super clean? I am not sure if it would just be better for me to wait or to get an out doors bunny  and when my mom understands that they are not stinky animals it would be an indoors bunny. What do you think?

[bunnytowne]

wht I did when I was in elementary school was bring my bun in when I got home from school and taught him where to potty etc. while I did my homework. my mom hated animals in the house but she made that exception. we had wire around the bottom of his old outside cage too to protect from dogs etc getting under there and running then to death and coons can do the same thing to them. my dad had built a pen for them I had lot more  buns for show etc back then and he built a big fence from the roof of their housing to the ground and seperate cages hanging off the side of our shed and stuff to keep them real safe from predators etc. worked out good when it got real cold he put big plastic sheets we could let down like blinds and protect them from the wind. they stayed healthy too I would much prefer you keep them in the house I can today cuz I am an adult now however in your case can you build a play area around his outdoor cage and make it safe from coons cats dogs etc from getting in there and getting at the bun? remember coons and cats can climb and make then run in their cages and scare them to death. and you can bring your bun in when you get home from school and potty train him and maybe mom will notice and see he is very clean and nice to have. a lady told me she had hers outside and fenced in yard she would let them out and play with hers and they lived 10 yrs. they dont ‘ take heat very well..  if you have a patio you could keep his cage there for a while til mom saw what a fine job of litter box training  you did.  I know  a lot of people do not recommend outdoor buns tho. I am just telling you  myexperience when I was young and maybe you can get some ideas for yourself . I wish you the best on your success on an indoor bunny oh on my  bunny I did not have to worry about bunny proffing the living room as I trained him to stay on the rug til I was done then I went outside or in my room to play with him. and I watched him.  now remember you will have to bunny proof the wires in your room or where ever your bun would stay in the house. sling tubing from radio shack or hardware store works good. get the thick kind my bun chewed thru the thin kind that is one other problem you would have with your house bun. you can work on it as you go along. spray perfume on it or put camphor on the wires you have to reapply every week or so tho. it does wear off as I foudn out the hard way ahaa. yes spliced wires umhmm. I wish you the best. hey can you show y our mom this site or house rabbit society.org  and she can read up too?

[Beka27]

some rabbits are cared for well outside, but i would not recommend it.  1st off, how do you know your mom would let you bring the “stinky bunny” inside during the winter?  would she wait until it was 10 below zero before letting bunny come in?  2nd, bringing the bunny in, he or she would be likely to mark the house everyday as it’s “new territory”.  that would absolutely negate what you are trying to prove.  i think most rescues would not adopt to you if they knew the bun would be outside.  you know how quickly a bun can take a turn for the worse, esp. if out in the elements.  extreme heat is just as dangerous (or more so?) than cold.  so your mom would need to let the bun inside about 4-6 months out of the year.  might as well just have an indoor bun.  the rabbit would still need vet care, more often probably, and there’s the chance of predators and the dreaded fly disease.

i think you know the right answer bigsis.  i know you want a rabbit so bad, but this isn’t the way to do it.  you should definitely wait until you can provide the right environment for a rabbit.

[bigsis7]

bunnytowne- I am able to make the hutch protected. My mom most likley won’t want to read about rabbits, but I could try!
beka-I am not sure my mom would even let me I am just getting opions. She would most likely let the bun come in once it got cold and to warm. Around here it usually doesn’t get below 30 degrees (maybe at night). I will have to research more and talk to my mom about it.

[Hedi]

I think my biggest fear for outside buns is the fact that buns can literally be scared to death. No matter how large the hutch, no matter how far off the ground the hutch is, prey animals CAN get to them. A hawk seeing them swooping down and pecking thru the hutch wire could scare a bun to death. Not to mention raccoons, stray dog, stray cat, and all those other outside animals. The animal doesnt have to get in the hutch, just scratching at the hutch could scare the bun to death.

The daughter of my dads secretary took good care of their bun, but it lived out in a hutch and was dead for no reason one day. Chances are that was what happened to this bun.

And, if a bun gets sick, they go down hill very quickly. If you dont catch GI statis quickly they can die pretty fast.

 

[Deleted User]

I definitely prefer my pets inside but then again I have my own house and no-one to answer to LOL.  (Thank goodness).

It is so much nicer to have your bunny inside … that way you can see him/her and I consider your pets bond to you much easier, as well as noticing any signs of illness. 

Bunnies can be messy creatures and once their hormones kick in well ‘look out’.  They can be very destructive to cords, furniture and anything else that they consider chewable.  Having a bunny is a big responsibility and having said that they can live up to 10 years of age plus.  Vet bills are also extremely expensive.  They love interaction with humans (most of them do) or they may like a bunny friend.

There are lots of things to consider … But it is good that you are doing your research and checking out as much information as you can before you go out and buy a bunny.  If you do decide and Mum is happy for your bunny to be inside the house, please check out the bunny rescues … so many nice adoptable bunnies there which are all looking for a loving home.

Good Luck and do come back here if you need further advice. 

Dawn xx

[Scarlet_Rose]

Bigsis, I know that you really, really, really want a rabbit very badly, but keeping one outside is not the answer. They need to be inside. They are very social animals and need close attention and care that outside living does not afford. They are just too easily forgotten about outdoors. Also, there are so many predators outside, like Hedi said they can quite literally be scared to death. Just a few examples of predators: cats, dogs, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, falcons, hawks, eagles, badgers, possums, raccoons, skunks and ill-meaning neighbor children with pellet guns or are out to torture a poor innocent animal.
It would really be best if you waited until you had your own place to care for a rabbit properly and not a less than desireable way just to suit the needs of your mother. It can be hard I know, but maybe really focus on your rats that you are allowed to have and keep working on your mom to learn more about rabbits.

[Sarita]

Being outside is scary and lonely. I would not recommend it especially when you know that inside is the best thing for your pet.

[Author]

Messages