Different pens for different parts of the day?

[Jia-Ling Loo]

Hello, I’m thinking of getting a couple bunnies and have a few questions. Is it okay to move the bunnies to two different locations over the span of a day, everyday?

Reason I’m asking is I plan to keep my bunnies on the balcony long term but there is construction going on next door which is likely to go on for a year or two. The construction noise only occurs during the day - 8 am to 6pm but will be way too loud for the bunnies.

I would like to keep the bunnies on the balcony overnight (screened and I’m on the 5th floor so predators are not a problem) and then move them indoors to a different pen away from the noise during the day while I’m away at work.

I think my balcony will be more pleasant - more space to roam around, greenery, visiting birds, morning sun - than keeping them in my bathroom that doesn’t get direct sunlight. Will this confuse the bunnies? How well do they take to being moved around so much? I live in a tropical climate so cold is not an issue. I’m wondering if the bunnies will have trouble establishing their safe zones if I do this or if they will just get used to it. I don’t plan on using a cage. Just a bunny pen indoors and free roam on the balcony. thank you!

 

[krbshappy71]

My only concern with the balcony is the temperatures, are you currently in Malaysia? It appears to get quite warm there, will they have air conditioning indoors? They will be fine to be moved to different areas. Mine has a crate during the day and a free-roam area both indoors and outdoors depending on the temperatures outdoors; she doesn't mind being offered different areas as long as she has food and water and is safe from predators. I hope this helps.

 

[Jia-Ling Loo]

Hi thanks for your response. It helps . Night time temperatures, which is when the bunnies will be outside tend to fall between 72 - 75 degrees, which should be ok? Daytime temps can reach up to 90 degrees at midday, which is when they'll be brought indoors where it is noticeably cooler than outside with the ceiling fan turned on and the doors to the outside kept closed. I do have AC in every room though I tend not to use it save for very hot days. I try not to use AC too much as I find that being in AC a lot tends to make it more difficult to regulate body temperature naturally and be more comfortable in the heat.. I'm wondering maybe if that is true for bunnies too. If not, I can always programme the AC to turn on for a couple hours during the hottest part of the day. But AC 24/7 is out of the question as my electricity bill will be insane.

 

[krbshappy71]

Hi again, I'm still learning but I found this other post that I thought would help you (and me!) regarding higher heat temps and rabbits. https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/emergency-rabbits-outside-in-the-heat.54214/

 

[Jia-Ling Loo]

Hi, I got my rabbit on Sunday . A 7 month old doe Netherland dwarf. One look at her and I knew I couldn’t keep her outside. She is tiny and the cutest thing ever. So right now she’s indoors 24/7 in an x-pen with free roaming in the evening when I can keep my eye on her. The heat is manageable inside (marble floors help a lot) but I have been leaving the ceiling fan on and put a marble slab in her pen for her to lay on. So far she hasn’t shown signs of discomfort or overheating. I have set the a/c to turn on for a couple hours during the hottest part of the day while I’m at work too just to be sure. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Lauren Kiernan]

Hi, I got my rabbit on Sunday . A 7 month old doe Netherland dwarf. One look at her and I knew I couldn’t keep her outside. She is tiny and the cutest thing ever. So right now she’s indoors 24/7 in an x-pen with free roaming in the evening when I can keep my eye on her. The heat is manageable inside (marble floors help a lot) but I have been leaving the ceiling fan on and put a marble slab in her pen for her to lay on. So far she hasn’t shown signs of discomfort or overheating. I have set the a/c to turn on for a couple hours during the hottest part of the day while I’m at work too just to be sure. Thanks for the tips!

Pictures please!

 

[krbshappy71]

Hi, I got my rabbit on Sunday . A 7 month old doe Netherland dwarf. One look at her and I knew I couldn’t keep her outside. She is tiny and the cutest thing ever. So right now she’s indoors 24/7 in an x-pen with free roaming in the evening when I can keep my eye on her. The heat is manageable inside (marble floors help a lot) but I have been leaving the ceiling fan on and put a marble slab in her pen for her to lay on.

Marble slab for her to lay on? That's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that, I have one from counter tops-sample that is just sitting around. Thanks for YOUR tip!

 

[Jia-Ling Loo]

Here she is

 

[MrB]

You mentioned a ceiling fan?

Just be mindful that the fan isn't circulating the air on your bunny in a way where he cannot escape it should he need to

I'm only thinking in regards to a fast moving fan, a show moving fan that just slowly moves the air shouldn't be an issue

Just thought I'd mention it just in case, although you do seen to be someone who thinks things through a great deal before acting

When my bunnies lived inside before we moved them outside, we had air conditioning that we would set to come on at certain times during the hot days. It's ducted throughout the house so we cannot change the distribution outlet points but made sure they had a carrier etc they could hide under away from any direct cool air flow if they needed to