rabbit roaming free in garden overnight

trout

My 7 year old daughter was given a rabbit as a birthday gift back in April. I posted here looking for advice on caring for rabbits, and thanks to the replies and links we've been managing quite well ever since.

The kids are very fond of the rabbit, scrupulous about cleaning the hutch out, and the rabbit has fresh food & water, and clean dry bedding at all times. (they use rubber gloves when cleaning the hutch). The rabbit seems very content to be a pet, and will bound up to the kids and allow them to pet it.

When the weather was really cold in April & early May, we used bring the hutch in at night. Now that the weather is milder, we leave the hutch out on the deck in all weathers ... it is protected from rain & wind, and seems like a perfect haven for any rabbit.

I hate to see the rabbit (or any animal) cooped up, so the kids are used to letting it out first thing in the morning, and it has the run of the back garden (walled & secure) pretty much all day. The hutch is positioned so the rabbit can go in & out as it pleases.

Lately we've been having a very hard time catching the rabbit, to put it in the hutch at night. It seems to have made several haunts in the garden, in the rockery and under the shed, and it much prefers to sleep there.

Question : Is it safe / advisable to leave the rabbit out overnight, regardless of the weather ?

On the one hand, the rabbit is clearly thriving at the moment, and seems to be really enjoying the semi-feral lifestyle. On the other hand, I don't think any rabbit will outwit a cat intent on hunting at night.

Any advice ?

Tabitharose

I would say it's not safe at all to leave a rabbit out of his / her hutch at night, not only are there cats, there are also foxes

doctor evil

Not safe at all, a fox will nab it.

trout

I live by the coast in Dublin, so my main concern was cats ... I've never seen a fox where I live. The most exotic creature ever seen in our garden was a hedgehog, and that was many years ago.

Catching the rabbit has now become a family activity, as the kids herd it into a dead end between the house and the garden wall, and I lurch after it until I can grab hold. I'm sure this is not good for the rabbit (or me).

A friend has suggested using a large net on a stick, like an angler would use.
I think this would distress the rabbit, but I'm sure the sight of me pounding after it also causes distress.

Bernard Hopkins

lol,...thats the funniest thread on the board !!!!

think of the excercise you're getting !!

wish there was a spell-cheque on the forum.

Our man in Havana

A secure run would be better - they can dig out of a garden. You can buy or build a large secure run for the bunny.

trout

I like the idea of a run, but I know nothing about them.

How big a run would a dwarf rabbit need ? How expensive are they ?

My preference would be to buy and not build myself ... anyone have links or recommendations for rabbit runs ?

I'm based in Dublin 5 - but I'm happy to travel within reason.

Sigma Force

The more freedom the rabbit gets the more likely they will want to stay out for longer. This is understandable. Domestic rabbits still have all the habits/traits or whatever you call it that a wild rabbit would have. I would suggest a large run instead, building one is the cheapest option.
Leaving a bun out at night isn't safe as said between foxes but esp. cats and also the digging their way out there are too many risks. Plus if there's any unexpected downpours and the bun gets caught out he/she could get a chill.

With some hutches you can get runs that attach neatly to them. Many runs are much too low so the rabbit can't jump as high as they could if running free or in a high run. I found, although it's a very expensive option is the Cill Dara runs, the small one would be excellent and the hutch could be places inside it. If you have a wall it can be put up against then only 3 panels would be needed. You would need to cover the roof with chicken wire (which is easy to do) to protect from cats and birds of prey. This is the most expensive option though I would say it could cost the guts of 300-400 euro.

Many pet shops sell runs but they aren't great. Most are either flimsy, too small or not enough wire or the holes in the wire are too large. You need to go for a 1/4 aviary wire to stop any rodents getting in. You could buy a large run from a pet shop and then adapt it a bit that would probably be the most economical option.
The pet shop in Bray sells runs or you could buy one of those hutches that sit on top of a run with a ramp going from the hutch to the run below.
It's amazing what some shops will charge for a bit of timber and wire if you could find someone that was any good at D.I.Y. it would be the cheapest option. All you need is a timber frames and then wire it top and bottom and sides with a door for access.

I know it's not nice to see the bun cooped up that's why I suggest to people to go for something like a small potting shed and a run attached. With the price of hutches these days a potting shed isn't much more.

Oo just found a link for you for an outdoor pen, it's prob not ideal but would be a safer option for now. Best to keep rabbit in and when buns is hopping around outside there should always be someone there supervising.
http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing/35638

If you used this for during the day and then don't feed the rabbit his/her favourite tid bit until he/she is going to bed at night. E.g. if bun likes his/her rabbit mix the most wait until the evening and place it in the hutch and then he/she should pop right in. Rabbits are canny enough so you might have to change the treats around a bit.

shanew

my niece's rabbit gets the run our back garden ...with two cats,
two guinea pigs and a Lab. She can sometimes be also hard to
catch but what we do is put a small harness-lead on her - she
got used to this very quickly and it doesnt bother her at all.

Makes it much easier to catch her - once you trap the lead and
the rabbit smoothly and quickly.


S.

dclifford

We had a large male rabbit a few years ago. It lived outside the hutch on a permanent basis. It had dug a huge hole underder the driveway and lived in there.
We had no problems with cats or foxes.

doctor evil

trout wrote:

I like the idea of a run, but I know nothing about them.

How big a run would a dwarf rabbit need ? How expensive are they ?

My preference would be to buy and not build myself ... anyone have links or recommendations for rabbit runs ?

I'm based in Dublin 5 - but I'm happy to travel within reason.

You`ll bet better value for money if you do it DIY, I find shop bought hutches/runs to be a rip off.

Sigma Force

We had a large male rabbit a few years ago. It lived outside the hutch on a permanent basis. It had dug a huge hole underder the driveway and lived in there.
We had no problems with cats or foxes

I wouldn't advise it for the health and saftey of your pet. Some bunnys may be luckier than others but tbh any rabbit or guinea pig owner that lets their animal free to run at night or unsupervised during the day is asking for trouble. It's just as bad as letting a dog or cat wander the streets at night.
Rabbits deserve the same care and consideration as dogs or cats.