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Claire
Lv 4
Claire asked in PetsOther - Pets · 10 years ago

Keeping my rabbit outside, inside, or both?

I have a 5 year old, 3 pound Holland Lop rabbit. He has lived outside all his life. I understand there are many risks of rabbits living outside, but considering my situation, I believe I had alleviated many of those risks.

Predators- My rabbits cage is inside of a larger cage, that you can walk into (used to be an outdoor iguana cage). This makes it hard for a predator to get near the cage and the larger cage has a secure lock that locks behind you even if you put physically lock it. I understand rabbits can die just from the presence of a predator, but my rabbit is fairly calm and doesn't really know that predators are bad, so he just isn't as scared of him. Also, I have very few predators in my neighborhood.

Theft or teasing by humans- well, there really are no people in my area that would try to steal a rabbit.

Moldy or poisonous plants- my rabbit does not have access to the ground/plants

Toxic pesticides or fertilizers- we do not use those in our yard/garden

Exposure to sun, heat, wind, or wet- His cage is in an area that is fully shady all day in the summer, it does not get too hot where I live, and when it does we keep a very close eye on him and provide him with ways to cool down, sometimes we take him inside for a little bit. He has never gotten too hot or cold. In the winter the big cage is covered in plastic to protect form rain/wind but one side is left open for ventilation. This makes it so he does not get wet or hit by wind. The cage also has a roof

Bacteria contained in dirt- I bleach the dirt on the bottom of the big cage often, plus he is not allowed to play in it.

Diseases spread by flies and mosquitoes- we do not have mosquitoes or biting flies in my area

So, he has so far been totally healthy and never had a health problem. He is very happy and has a very large wire cage (10.5 square feet), he also gets to run around in a 36 square foot dog kennel in the grass, that has a roof and wire on the bottom. He gets to be in for a few hours at least a day.

So, my only concern is that he is getting older, and will probably be more susceptible to disease. My parents will not allow him to be in the house, but they might let me keep him in the basement. Our basement is a nice and cool in summer, but not too cold. I have a cage I could keep him in, but it is only 24 inches by 36 inches. I would still be able to let him out in the pen during some of the day, but not all the time. He doesn't really like being inside and is unhappy when he is in a smaller cage. He seems pretty happy outside, I am not sure what to do though, suggestions?input?

Update:

He has never gotten heatstroke when it is hot. When it is cold, he doesn't sleep, he hops around like everything is fine while I am shivering :) I am mainly worried about diseases from being outside

5 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    I have been keeping rabbits for years

    Most of my rabbits have been kept outside and i have never had a problem. At one point i moved into a flat and my rabbits had to move into the Garage for a little while - They hated it!

    Now my rabbits have free reign to the garden in the day and are locked in their hutch at night. All i do is bring them inside overnight in the harsh winters (and this is not inside but in the garage), in the summer I make sure that they have plenty of shade and access to fresh water. I actually find that the rabbits don't cope well with the adjustment to the heat of the house when they are used to being outside.

    In the past when i've not been able to bring them in i have insulated part of the hutch with foam insulation board and out a blanket over the top. WIth the disease, you can get your rabbit vaccinated against the main threats - speak to your vet :)

    I think outside is the way to go and it sounds like you are doing a great job. It stimulates them as well as being more like their natural habitat!

  • 10 years ago

    What i do with my rabbit is leave it in the cage, but i put the cage on my deck every so often.

    We have a big cage for her, so she has room to run in it, and she has a small cave in the cage if she gets hot.

    We put her out side once a week. (summer time)

    She's never gotten sick from it.

    Source(s): me
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Look I say bring him in on HOT days B/C he will have a heatstroke! I would also say bring him in when it is cold B/c most of them go to sleep and stay a sleep for the Winter and I had on B4 and it froze to death!

    Source(s): Hope this helps!
  • 10 years ago

    keep in inside and take him out for a few hours. just like a dog. when hes inside he should be secure i wouldnt want him too die. you can train him to use a litter box! (:

    Source(s): rabbit owner and breeder!
  • Anonymous
    10 years ago

    Both

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