Keeping a rabbit outdoors?

annaoconnor21

Hi,
So myself and my sister really want pet rabbits. My mom is on board. My dad doesn't mind us getting animals once they live outside. We have one well mannered indoor dog and our indoor/outdoor cat recently died. We want to get two rabbits so that they're never lonely and every day we will bring them inside for cuddles and social time etc. We would get them a really big hutch and run and lots of hay etc for outside so that they can keep warm. We have a big garden so I'm worried about the fact that we have foxes roaming around. We also have millions of wild rabbits, would they pass on diseases? If we protected the hutch and run with even more wire would it prevent predators from getting in? We were considering the possibility of putting the hutch in the garage (we don't keep cars there) but we previously had mice in there so we are worried about them getting into the hutch and run. What are your thoughts on all of this? Would they be ok outdoors? Would they have a nice and happy life?
Thanks!

SCOOP 64

We have 2 Guinea pigs, the hutch is in the house during winter and outside during summer, we also have a big garden and very open at back, never had any problems, if Guinea pigs cant get out then nothing should be able to get in, but you have the advantage of a garage which you can put the rabbits in during winter.

ps, had them 3 yrs now, 2 very happy and playful Guinea pigs.

Cherry Blossom

Rabbits are the most neglected pets OP. They can't live out in cold weather and yes they can get myxomatosis from wild rabbits. Any pets would need to be vaccinated for it. Even if an enclosure is secure from predators their presence is very distressing and stressful for rabbits. Personally, I wouldn't keep them anyway other than in the house.

Knine

Rabbits are more suited to being kept outdoors then Guinea Pigs however they would be much safer & happier in the house. Rabbits do not tolerate stress very well. You would need a very large hutch with a run attached. The run needs to be wired underneath to prevent the ranbits digging out or predators digging in if you do decide to keep them outside. Most Petshops sell hutches that are far too small.

Your rabbits would need to be vaccinated to prevent them catching diseases from their wild relatives. Spaying/ neutering is a good idea as mixed sexes tend to get on better.
You could move the rabbits into the gargage in winter/bad weather.
Hay is actually needed for eating rather then bedding. They need a high quality pellet feed such as Burgess Bunny rather then the crap muesli stuff many petshops sell. Their main diet must include free access to hay. Smaller amounts of washed human grade veggies & fruit can also be fed. Don't give lettuce. Bedding can be straw, shavings etc. I find straw tends to have mites present.

Research breeds/types of rabbits as some make better pets then others e.g Lops tend to be more gentle then dwarfs or Lionheads. Female rabbits can get very aggressive when they want to breed.

Think very carefully about getting rabbits as many end up living their lives locked in a hutch in the garden when kids get bored with them.

murphf

All great advice above! We keep and breed rabbits and ours live outside in insulated hutches (we did have them specially made) and a heavy tarp over the top, and brought in if very cold. We do small animal boarding though and find most people who use our service do keep theirs indoors as house rabbits, a lot depends on how much time and attention you can give them! Do take into account the fact they can live about 10 years so it is a long term commitment and vet fees can be costly, including vaccinations yearly and neutering. A pair is a good idea. And as said above a mixed sex pair often bond better but two sisters from the same litter can also get on well (although may later fight if unneutered and hormones kick in)!

Here is a very helpful group on Facebook who will help with any research you want to do first or issues you encounter after getting your buns,, they do make fabulous pets - enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/243930592370115/

Bunnyslippers

Good advice above, they are a time consuming pet and do need a lot of space, things to do and like to be kept clean. I worked for years as a vet nurse and used to get given bunnies from folk who had bought them for their kids, only for them to have lost intrest or the bunny not being friendly. They can be quite cantankerous pets, some are lovely - I had a beautiful friendly Belgium hare called Harley who was a bit delicate so would spend winter either in a double stable with my stallion or in the house if it was really cold as he loved the cats and would curl up next to the aga with them!, some just don't like being picked up or petted so do bear in mind they are not always cute and cuddly!

The ones I had, about 10 at any one time - all neutered!, I kept in an acre that we fenced in for chickens, there were some huge old mounds of rubble and soil that had been dumped in the paddock decades before so the bunnies had a great time turning it into a warren. We also had a small shed with straw and their feed in it for them as an option in winter if they wanted, or they'd sit in with the chickens, but if a very cold wet spell I'd bring them in and stick them in with the sheep or deer as they are not too fond of being wet as they have very little body fat to keep themselves warm so didn't want them getting ill.
Care wise other than making sure they had food, water and clean straw/ shavings they are pretty easy, you just need to check their bums for fly eggs in the summer, keep and eye on their nails if they don't get to dig much, watch their teeth as some get overgrown ones which need trimming, check their ears too as some can get dirty ears, vaccinations and flea treatments are a good idea if you have wild bunnies about and definitly neuter them, so they do cost a good bit of money to look after them properly the same as a cat or dog.

Am not a fan of hutches to be honest unless they are really decent sizes with a huge run - most you buy in pet shops etc are fine if you want to fatten rabbits for the table but for pets they love space to roam and do their thing, the amount of flat out running and leaping about mine did was incredible so can't imagine confining them to a tiny cage 24/7 like so many poor bunnies are -- the worst bunny I was given had been kept in a hutch about the size of 3 shoe boxes, the woman's toddlers had broken her leg fighting over who wanted to play with her, needless to say she was a biter as a result, but I got her leg fixed and she lived happily out in our paddock until she was 9!:).
So do loads of research, get the biggest hutch or even better a large shed/dog run with a run attached and look into rescuing a bunny - lots out there needing good homes, or check your local for sale adds for folk who don't want theirs anymore, the bunnies are always very grateful!:). Also be careful. If you do bring them indoors never leave unattended as they seem to love chewing wires - you don't want your bunny or someone getting electrocuted from a chewed wire!:0