Outside during day...Inside at night

[Mandyvk]

Hello everyone,

I first want to say thanks to all the greatinfo that I haveread here. It has really helped me because I am a new bunnymom. I bought Snickers about 6 weeks ago. She is aHolland Lop, the store said she was a Rex, but after finding this siteI found out different. Then when I took her to the vet to bespayed the vet confirmed she was a holland.

My question is, Snickers has been in her indoor cage for the last 4weeks. I purchased an outdoor hutch a few weeks ago. So nowsince the weather is starting to improve(I live in upstate NY) I puther outside during the day and bring her inside at night. Ido have a fenced in yard so I am not worried about four leggedintruders bothering her when I not home during the day. I cantell she is more comfortable when she is in her indoor cage.When she is outdoors she sits in the corner w/ her back tome. Is this confusing for her? Should it be one orthe other?

And what about temperature? Whats too cold and too hot for arabbit to be exposed to? I just love her dearly and want herto be happy.

Thanks

 

[CorkysMom]

Ahh...she's giving you the bunny butt when you put her out there huh?

Mine live inside but I try to take them outside for awhile everyevening....they like to eat the grass and hop around and play outthere. I have harnesses I take them out on usually...somepeople make like an outdoor playpen type thing. I most likelywill at some point. Right now I have to take Corky outwithout his harness due to a sore on his side. Thats notreally recommended for safety reasons and cats/dogs and such.I always make sure I'm right there with him and he stays pretty closeanyway.

I dunno if your confusing Snickers or not...but if your afraid that youare, you might try small trips outside and work into more time...mighthelp with getting used to the strange sounds and smells andsuch. Just a thought.

 

[sophiebun]

Your bunny may be more nervous thanconfused. New things seem to make bunnies nervous atfirst. I think it's good for buns to get some fresh air everynow and then. Try giving your bun some favorite greens in thecage when you put her outside, so she will associate going outside withsomething pleasant. and then hang out with her, instead ofjust leaving her alone at there at first. Also, provide herwith a tiny cardboard box to have somewhere to hide and feel safe,rather than like a sitting duck in the yard. If you find abox only slightly larger than your bunny, cut it so it has no bottom,just a top and two exit holes.( cut off two sides, or cut outdoorways, one on either end, they don't like only one exit)

You need to worry more about heat than cold. Bunnies do nothandle heat very well, so keep her out of direct sunshine on warmdays. You can quickly cool her down by rubbing ice cubes onher ears. There are big veins in a bunny's ears so it coolsthe whole body, putting rubbing alcohol on the ears works too, but Iprefer ice. You can also freeze a bottle of water,plastic,and put it in the cage with her to provide some cooling. Makesure she has fresh drinking water too, a bottle not a bowl that mightbe spilled.

I'll bet Snickers will get used to going outside in no time, and willactually look forward to her change of scenery and fresh air.

 

[Alice]

Keeping buns outside when you can't personallywatch them is an individual decision. Personally, I wouldn't do it...but I'm certain that I personally do other things that some rabbit"parents" would be apoplectic over. ;}

First of all, it's easier to keep a close eye over a strictly indoor rabbit (or dog, or cat, or any pet, really).

Rabbits *can* benefit from being outdoors, just keep in mind the following points:

~ Rabbits are *incredibly* susceptible to warm weather. You can helpthis by providing an outside bun w/ slate/marble/tile squares to layon, and/or giving them frozen soda bottles of water to lie againstand/or lick (even better if you have enough bottles to give the bunsone while your're re-freezing the next one). You can also put ice cubesin a rabbit's water bowl, or rub their ears w/ cold water, ice cubes,or rubbing alcohol... but it's easier to prevent heat exhaustian inrabbits by keeping them in climate-controlled conditions in the firstplace.

~ If you can keep your rabbits at an ideal temperature while they'reoutdoors, you still have to consider other factors. Is your bun'soutdoor hutch *completely* safe from any predator that might comealong? Think about it again, considering that rabbits have been knownto have a heart attack & die just from being pursued by a predator.Granted, most predators attack at night, but what about neighborhooddogs run amuck? Or non-domestic predators who're rabid or otherwiselost the sense of staying out of Man's Way during daylight hours?

~ There are other "attackers" to consider while your rabbit is outside.Any fly can lay eggs on a rabbit, though they're much more attracted torabbits living in unsanitary conditions, especially wool breeds thataren't being groomed often enough. Still, even completely responsiblerabbit breeders have had to stand by & do nothing (other thanauthorize the euthanasia of their rabbit(s)) because of "fly strike".It sound ludicrous, but it really doesn't take long between when a flylays its eggs & a rabbit is being eaten alive by maggots. And oncemaggots infect a rabbit, there's often nothing that can be done forthem, outside of euthanasia.

I know it seems like I'm throwing a bunch of horror stories at you tokeep you from letting your bun outside ever... but that's really notthe case. I just hope that you understand that domestic rabbits don'tnecessarily need to go outdoors. If you do want to take your bun out(and I do take Meat out, so please don't think I'm a hypocrite), pleasespend some time researching all of the many things that could go wrong(no matter how unlikely), & have a plan to deal with any of them.Beyond that, I'd say look to your bun for guidance. It's not unusualfor her to feel overwhelmed by being outside if she's never been outbefore, but if she continues to act uncomfortable outside, then it maybe better just to keep her indoors... at least when you can't be thereto work with her.

 

[bunnydude]

Alice wrote:

Keeping buns outside when you can't personally watch them is anindividual decision. Personally, I wouldn't do it... but I'm certainthat I personally do other things that some rabbit "parents" would beapoplectic over. ;}

I would have to agree with Alice. I wouldn't keep my bunny outsidemostly because of heat and predators. Not only can birds get in, butcats can easily scale a fence. Plus, I've heard that just seeing apredator can litteraly cause the bunny to die of shock or a heartattack.

 

[Mandyvk]

Thanks so much for the feedback.Actually I did notice Snickers was stretched out in her outdoor hutchlater yesterday afternoon, instead of the bunny butt that putergeekgilsaid she has been giving me. So maybe she isadjusting. I will most definitely keep on eye on thetemperature. It's was 60 degrees yesterday and her hutch isin the shade. I will also start saving severalsodabottles to freeze. I will not put her out on very warmdays. Today I will plan on giving her a treat like sophiebunsuggested when I take her out.

I will also go to Lowes and buy some tile squares for her to layon. What a great idea Alice. Soif shechews it a little, itmust be okayand won't hurt herdigestive system. I hope I'm right here but I feel okay w/keeping her out during the day. My husband is home when I'mworking and he keeps in eye on her. Her hutch is located nextto our back door and my dog Sidney adores Snickers. Sidneywill sleep right next to her cage when they are outside. Itsso cute to see them together when snickers is having her out of cagehouse bunny time. I do appreciate and respect your concernsAlice and bunnydude.