One transition at a time or two together?

[Bville]

My husband has been building Pepper a hutch to go outside and he is almost finished so I am planning when and how to move her into it and wondering what might be the best way to do it. She has been living in the garage in a dog crate cage since we got her in October. I'm hoping the temperature of the garage has been helping her to get used to the cold. She has a really thick coat and doesn't seem to mind the cold at all. I gave her a heated mat to lie on, but she often prefers to sit in her litter box.

I'm wondering if I should move her into the hutch while it's in the garage for a few days (or longer) and then move her outside (breaking up the two changes to her living arrangements) or just move the hutch outside and put her directly in it (one big change). She will still have some of her familiar things in the hutch like her litter box, water bowl, food/hay dispenser, and blanket. Which do you think would stress her less?

 

[majorv]

If it were me, I'd probably do it in 2 stages. Sounds like the hutch will be in the garage so why not get her acclimated to it, then move it outside. If the hutch has any wire sides be sure to cover them to protect her from the cold wind.

 

[Bville]

If it were me, I'd probably do it in 2 stages. Sounds like the hutch will be in the garage so why not get her acclimated to it, then move it outside. If the hutch has any wire sides be sure to cover them to protect her from the cold wind.

Thanks for your reply. My husband wants to do it in two stages too, so that's what we're going to do. The only wire on the hutch is in the door and we made a "storm door" out of Plexiglass with some screen for a vent for the bad weather. The picture of it is out of focus, but you'll get the idea. Pepper's picture is hopelessly sideways!