Inside or out

[Flopsygirl]

Hi all
My family and I are new to bunny ownership.
We are a family of 4 adults.
We just ‘rescued’ a bunny from an elderly man who had bunny in an outdoor cage and spent very rare time with her. Only to clean cage and feed. We don’t know her age but she is definitely adult.
We thought she was a boy but after ‘uh hum’ inspection, turns out she’s a girl.
We bought her a beautiful hutch that is two stories with intention to having her outside with runs in the garden about 1/2 hour a day and playtime with us for about another 1/2 hour outside. She will be living on her own as she always has.
But after doing a lot of google research I feel guilty and want to bring her indoors so she’s always around us with a playpen in a quiet corner of the house but free run for most of the daytime. I’m already researching toys and games.
Hubby doesn’t like to idea nor does one daughter as they think she will wee and poop everywhere and get smelly. I and my other daughter think as long as we kitty litter train her and change it daily she should be fine indoors with us.
So we are torn.
Hubby says she can come indoors sometimes but my response to that is that she won’t be properly toilet trained if that were the case.
What will be best for bunny?

 

[Hermelin]

Best would be indoors, if you let your bunny live outdoors they need to be two and not one bunny. Also bunnies need to at least have 4 hours outside the cage, depends on how big the cage are.

Myself have two outdoors bunnies and one free roaming bunny. Bunnies need quite a big space to be happy. My own outdoor bunnies have a run of 15 sqm while the larges hutch have 3 sqm. But it’s still too small for my outdoors bunnies to play on.

Toilet training it’s quite easy and it will be easier to train if she’s spayed.

My own parents was the same with my bunny Odin. That he was not supposed to live indoors. Because he would smell and destroy the furniture. But there’s no smell.

The litter box won’t smell as long you clean, myself clean the litter boxes once every week. When you litter train you start with a small area and slowly expand her space. Will be easier to clean up, when she’s in a controlled area.

 

[zuppa]

Indoors you will surely have more time to interact you'll be surprised how intelligent rabbits are and they are easily toilet-trained, some of them only good at their toilet after neutering though. If you decide to have her indoor you just need to plan and set up her place properly, you did some research already so sure you can build her corner playpen or something where she will feel comfortable, think about flooring too, rabbits have no pads their feet are fluffy and they feel uncomfortable on shiny floors so bear in mind that. You're good for doing a research, there are tons of advice on the internet, you're right 1/2 hour a day free-run would be too bad for her, at least 2-5 hours a day and in reality when she's outside you don't see her you will be forgetting that too often, unless you open her door every morning and close in the evening, but that's if you have a run attached or her own space in your backyard. When she's indoor you see her and talk to her and interact as with your family member rabbits are very smart and learn quickly, you just need to provide a proper setup and hide places so she knows there's her homebase with her food, her toilet and her toys, where she can hide and no one can disturb her in there.

 

[Blue eyes]

I know that the concept of housing rabbits indoors seems foreign to some but is actually quite common these days. I'm glad you found this forum!

Aside from the indoor housing ideas found in the Housing section (2019 Cages, & 2020 Indoor Cages), I'd also like to offer my website as a resource for indoor care of rabbits. It discusses that litter training, and bunny proofing, diet, saving costs, etc.
Https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com

A rabbit can be an integral part of the family just as a dog or cat can be...when housed indoors. You really get to know their personality and enjoy their antics when seeing them throughout the day.

 

[Orrin]

The average person on the street will associate rabbits with outdoor hutches. That has been the prevailing notion all along; it was what I understood until I learned otherwise. Thankfully, humane and considerate people have given it some thought and decided that is all wrong. Rabbits evolved to run. They need space. Keeping a rabbit in an outdoor hutch is like raising a horse in a stall and never letting it out.

An outdoor rabbit is a forgotten rabbit. In this busy day and age a person does not have the time to go outside and spend enough time with their bunny/bunnies.

We have two rabbits that share part of our living quarters. We are constantly interacting with them and the rest of the time we are usually watching and admiring them. At this instant, as I type, my little Alfie jumped up on his special perch and put his front feet on my leg, begging for attention. It just doesn't get any better than that.

If you do bring your bun inside, make sure it is kept away from everything chew-able: wires, woodwork, important paperwork, carpet and the like. Otherwise, bunstruction takes place and the rest of your family will say, "I told you so."

 

[Augustus&HazelGrace]

I just want to mention to not use regular cat litter this is toxic to rabbits. Use horse stall wood pellets (can be found at your local hardware store).
I see that you are in Australia, Stay Safe!

 

[Blue eyes]

^^ Good catch! Didn't realize OP is in Australia. @Flopsygirl , if you aren't already aware, pet rabbits there need certain immunization shots.

 

[Flopsygirl]

Thxs everyone for their replys!
So we have come to a compromise and Bunny ( which is actually her name ) has now got a play pen inside with free range of the living room for most of the day. At night she goes inside her outdoor hutch for safety reasons, as we have an elderly dog I like to keep my eye on. They are pretty good together apart from Bunny trying to hump my dog, so she is getting desexed in about a week or 2. Later today she is getting immunised.
Even hubby has softened and was playing with her last night. Seems Bunny has a foot fetish and loved to be stroked with his feet. LOL she also loves when my daughter wears a long skirt and she hops in and out of it while she walks or sits down.
As I'm typing she's playing in my daughters hair whilst she lays on the floor.
So happy she's inside

 

[Flopsygirl]

Pic of her inside pen

 

[Flopsygirl]

Indoor pen

• Flopsygirl
• Jan 15, 2020

Our very first rabbit play pen. I'm sure in months to come it will be upgraded

 

[Blue eyes]

Glad she's doing well inside. Not sure what part of Australia you're in but when the weather gets cold there, then putting bunny outside every night probably is not going to be an option. They have a difficult time regulating their body temperature so it isn't advised to have them going from a warm indoors to a cold outdoors every day. It would be quite stressful on her body.

...just wanted to put that bug in your ear beforehand. Hopefully she'll do so well indoors that it will just become a permanent arrangement. Another possibility when the weather cools is to get a sturdy indoor cage she can go in just for nighttime (if the dog is a concern).

 

[Flopsygirl]

Thxs for the tip! Yes I hope to have an indoor bunny condo one day. But one step at a time

 

[Flopsygirl]

By the way funny fact .... took bunny to vet for her shots and turns out bunny is a boy! So Bunny is now renamed Bailey...

 

[jess24rose]

I live in Australia as well and you need to be careful having her outside at dusk and dawn because that's when mosquitoes are out and your bunny could get myxomatosis.

 

[Flopsygirl]

Yes vet told us to get a flynet to cover the cage but bunny is winning us over and is now officially an inside bunny