My mom is alergic to bunnies

[KatyG]

It probably depends on how severe the allergyis. My friend is allergic to all kinds of animal fur and sheis asthmatic. If she comes round I have to hoover the houseand put the bunnies away and even then she might have areaction. Also I can't hold the bunnies then go near her orit sets her off. But if your mum is only allergic to bunniesand not other animals then maybe it is not so serious and she would beok with it in the basement. It's a shame there isn't some wayto test it out before you get one. Could you offer to look after afriend's bunny for a few days and see how your mum tolerates it?

 

[DanzaDanza]

I don't have friends who have bunnies. When wego to the pet store and she holds them she tell me that it startsreacting a little, but she doesn't have to use her enhairer (sp?).Obviously she wouldn't be aloud to hold it if we had one, which wouldbe hard for her because she loves him so much.

 

[DanzaDanza]

I don't have friends who have bunnies. When wego to the pet store and she holds them she tell me that it startsreacting a little, but she doesn't have to use her enhairer (sp?).Obviously she wouldn't be aloud to hold it if we had one, which wouldbe hard for her because she loves him so much.

 

[Dutches_Rock]

My bunnies (1 dutch, 2 mini lops) stayoutside for most of the year. When it gets below 32 degrees, they'reput in the garage. Sometimes the lops stay outside until it's about 20,since they're put in a place out of the wind and snow, but only becausethey have thicker fur and seem to deal with the weather better. Mydutch, on the other hand is a total city rabbit and freezes hertootsies off!

So it really depends on what kind of rabbit you have and if you have space in the garage.

 

[DanzaDanza]

We have a three car garage but we have 3 cars init. I've never thought about putting an animal in there. My dad smokesin there and I don't want them to be around that or the gasoline smell.

 

[Dutches_Rock]

Yeah, I could understand. We have a 3 cargarage, too, but we only have 2 cars in it. The car that's actuallyused is at one end, and the rabbits are in my dad's workshop area. Thecar in the middle isn't used much.
Do you have some kind of shed outside anywhere?

 

[rabbitgirl]

dootsmom wrote:

Danza, My concern is that the rabbit/rabbits willbe outside, in the cold, without socialization.....formonths! You're also going to have to go out there, in thecold, when it's snowing, sleeting, raining, hailing, with the windblowing.......everyday!!! In the winter, you have to go outthere more often to give them unfrozen water. Those waterbottles freeze up pretty fast and have to be changed at least 3 times aday. I'll tell you,
the first time I went outside to feed my "hutch buns" & thewind was blowing the freezing rain so hard that it felt like needleswere hitting my face, that I wanted to cry, that the next day, I builtindoor cages for them!!!! Now they come in late fall and goback out in the early spring. In the heat of summer, when thetemps rise above 85 degrees, they come back inside so that they don'tsuffer from heat stroke. There's more to consider here thanyour Mothers allergies. You have to think about the quality of
life you are going to give the rabbit.

This is all true, and a valid concern. However, I will say, as analternate perspective, that all my rabbits for the last 13 yrs. havebeen completely outdoors, in the Northwest, winter and summer. I havenever lost one to cold or heat, but it takes some thought and effort toavoid problems. It gets down to 40 below here (F) and up to nearly 100,so the point about water in winter and care in summer heat isimportant. One difference between me and dootsmom is that Iuseplastic bowlsandnot bottles, becausethe fuzzieslick a little hole and keep it open for severalhours or more. Quite ingenious little squirts. For warmth, I have asmallish sleeping box stuffed with hay, and they burrow through.Sometimes they need help to learn the best tunnel methods.

Summer solutions include frozen soda bottles to lay on,plenty of fresh water,and cages in full shade (alight-colored hutch and roof is vital).

Although they are exposed to extremes, they seem quite happy and well-adjusted (and love to dig in dirt and play in snow).

It is a hard decision, but I thought I would put in a word for outdoorliving--it's not cruel if you're committed to taking care of them, asdootsmom said.

Rose

 

[DanzaDanza]

No we don't have a shed.

 

[rabbitgirl]

A wooden hutch enclosed on three sides plusroof, with a sleeping box and a wire bottom, raised off the groundabout three ft.--works great if no shed.

Rose

 

[dootsmom]

I am not saying that keeping a rabbit outside iscruel. I just think it defeats the purpose of it being apet. A pet is an animal that gets our attention more oftenthan just when it's fed or when its box needs to be cleanedout. Even "hutch buns" need excercise so, Danza will alsohave to consider where she's going to be able to let the rabbits run,everyday. (Mine love the snow, too...they have also destroyedmy garden..LOL!!!) My feelings are that "hutch rabbits" thatare just kept in their hutches are not really pets....they are justanimals kept in a cage...outside.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

Ok I'm posting my experience. My house is fullof allergy suffering people, including myself. But I'm not nearly asbad as my dad, if he so much sits in the same room as a rabbit, hisallergies go nuts. It's why I have all 3 of my bunnies outside all yeararound.

My older bunnies have been outside since they day they were born andabsolutely hate it inside. They get a lot of attention outside, just asmuch as they would inside so if the comitments there, the rabbit shouldnot be getting more attention inside than outside.

I used to say I'd never put a small rabbit outside but I recently got aHolland Lop (she's 4 lbs) and is more than happy to be outside all thetime. So I've changed my mind about size. But there are some rabbits Iwould never keep outside -- Rex's, Mini Rex's, and English Lops.Generally I think the bigger the rabbit, the better off it is outdoors.But you have to watch because big rabbits can't be housed on wirebottomed hutches and the bigger the rabbit, the bigger the cage needsto be!

If you do get a rabbit, I would advise going to your shelter, mixedbreeds are just as great as pure breds. I would also advise not to buya hutch from a store. Store bought hutches are not built for life incold places. They are not insulated properly nor are they very big. Webuilt an 8' by 2.5' hutch for less than $20 and you can't buy a hutchfor that price.

Rabbits do perfectly well outside if they are protected from theelements. I'm not sure how cold it gets there but here we can get -40and my bunnies come into the garage when that happens but they stayoutside otherwise -- they always have lots of straw so it's ok.

So as my conclusion, rabbits can live outside just as happily as theycan live indoors. But never put a rabbit outside in the winter! Waituntil summer to get a rabbit. But make sure you are willing to committo this rabbit, if you're not willing to spend an hour (at least) everyday with it outside, then it's not fair to the rabbit. That means -40weather and all.

 

[DanzaDanza]

Horses are pets and they have to be keptoutside. Are you sayin that no one with a horse treats it like a petbecause it has to live in a barn? Of course not. Its all about what youdo with the animal once you established that its going to live its liveout doors. Not everyone that keeps they pets outside just leave them inthe cage. That's crazy talk.

 

[m.e.]

Many people,either by choice or necessity, keep their pet rabbits outside, and itdoes not make them any less of a caring owner. Likewise, having anoutdoor rabbit does not necessarily mean they are neglected orunsocialized.

 

[DanzaDanza]

The coldest it can get here is 20 below 0, butit almost never happens. MI has crazy weather. Most of the time in thewinter there is no snow. Heck, you can get three out of the fourseasons regularly in the same week in a typical MI winter.

 

[rabbitgirl]

Speaking of snow buns, here's my herd--they all live outdoors.

Fenwick, who doesn't like playing in snowdrifts because he gets hislittle self lost, but loves to run on packed snow and dirt (ever seen arabbit do donuts?)

Bub, who likes to play chasing games and--like his dad--isn't afraid of any ol' snowdrift.

Gotcha!

Pandemonium, who is dumb as a rock, deaf and blind, and still lovesbumbling around the run and digging holes. And stealing food.

I posted these--I know MyBunnyBoys has some good ones too--to showhealthy, well-adjusted rabbits who live outside. There are many factorswhich can make it difficult or impossible to have an indoor rabbit, anda committed and caring owner can still get to experience the fun ofrabbits, even if they can't live in the house.I live in thefrigid north too, so Danza, this will be similar climate issues as youmentioned.

Rose

P.S. when they are in the run, they are always supervised in case of escape, injury, or predatory birds.

 

[Linz_1987]

I also think that it doesnt matter if yourrabbit lives outside or inside. All that matters is the attention it isgiven, and that it is kept warm.

All my rabbitsare keptoutside in hutches. My lasttwo lived outside all their lifes and livedto the good oldage of 10! I rescued them from being in a hutch and being neglected, tobeing in a hutch and being happy, and they certainly loved it outside.

Aslong as it is kept in a hutch that is shelteredin so me way and secure, with a big run during the day, it doesnt matter.

You should be prepared to go outside and pay attention to it in allweathers. Although that is thepleasure of keeping animalsanyway!

I say go for it! Im sure there is a rabbit out there waiting for a lovely home.

I would also think that mixed breeds are probually stronger to living outside, but I will have to ask that question myself?

I would go to a rescue shelter and adopt a bun bun from there.

Also I wouldnt get a rabbit that has been a house rabbit all its live,and then put it in a hutch. So ask at the shelter firstbefore you deside to adopt a rabbit, if you do go to a shelter that is.

Good luck!

 

[rabbitgirl]

Linz_1987 wrote:

I would also think that mixed breeds are probually stronger to livingoutside, but I will have to ask that question myself?

Some purebreds that are physically more fragile, such as dwarfs andHollands or other breeds that are bred for a finer/thinner coat (i.e.Rex, etc.)aren't as suited for outdoor living, although it'snot impossible (I've had mini-rex, dwarf and Holland, all outside, butthey needed more TLC).

Sturdier large breeds like Palominos, Californians, and NewZealands--to name a few--do just fine. Healthy, sturdy mixed breedslike MyBunnyBoys' crew also thrive outdoors.

Good question, and good point!

Rose

 

[bunnydude]

Rose, I love those pictures!

 

[Dutches_Rock]

 

[DanzaDanza]

ditto