Do I bring bunny in from the cold?

Miss_Havisham

my neighbour has created a lovely rabbit shed, complete with skylight, double glazed window, electric light, kettle, radio and one of those low cost electric radiators. He clears off to his shed when he has a row with the wife - most days it seems !

Blackpool_Saver

It's VERY simple, would you want to be out there? animals INSIDE in winter NO exceptions

krlyr

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

It's VERY simple, would you want to be out there? animals INSIDE in winter NO exceptions

Providing that their basic care needs are met and their environment is large enough, warm enough for their species-specific needs and provides enough environmental enrichment, I don't see the harm in some animals living outside. I fostered ferrets and I certainly wouldn't have moved them from their lovely big aviary and summerhouse (or even if they just had the hutch in their aviary, which would have been more than adequate) into what would have had to be a smaller cage indoors, when they've got coats perfectly capable of keeping them warm in cold weather. Ditto my rabbits, the sheds were more than suitable for keeping them warm and dry in winter, and while in my particular situation hutches weren't an option (I lived on a farm with lots of foxes so hutches weren't secure enough - even sturdy ones would run the risk of the rabbits dying from fright at a fox attempting to get in), I think they can be made suitable with the suggestions OP's been given.

Hillbilly1

Even with insulation and extensive heating out tortoises shed has been as low as 12 degrees overnight (heating meant to keep it over 20 degrees). Cue more insulation!

It would mean even carpet on a hutch is exposing the rabbits regularly to zero and below zero temps at night. A hutch and hay etc will never provide the same warmth as a good few feet of earth in a burrow.

Therefore I would recommend insulate the hutch as much as possible - the carpet idea is good. Keep an eye on water sources as these will freeze.

This gives some good practical advice:-
http://content.www.rspca.org.uk/cmsprd/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheader=application%2Fpdf&blobkey=id&blobnocache=false&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1233005179201&ssbinary=true

georgiesmum

don;t rabbits live outside in the wild anyway?
Their fur grows very thick to compensate for the cold

rosie383

I can't bring her indoors as I am very allergic to rabbits. She is not stuck down at the bottom of the garden with no attention. We all take time to go out and talk to her, play with her and she still gets lots of cuddles.
I will be insulating the hutch as much as possible and making sure she has a nice cosy nest of hay. And I will be checking it every day to make sure it is nice and dry.
I will do the best I can for this wee bunny who came to us unexpectedly.
I am not an irresponsible pet owner. She has a much better, happier home with us than with her previous owner.

krlyr

georgiesmum wrote: »

don;t rabbits live outside in the wild anyway?
Their fur grows very thick to compensate for the cold

They do, but they live in burrows away from the elements and in large groups so a little effort is needed to keep a hutch warm enough but its certainly not impossible

ihateyes

I have 5 rabbits out the back....
Jerry lives in a hutch that is on top of a run. i built a moveable roof the top of the run, as the water was running of the roof into the run.
I never close the hatch, is the run is well protected from the rain and Jerry sits upstairs when it rains anyway. thats the only time. rest of the time he sits in the run watching the world go by.
The other hutch is a big square hutch, that has a felted roof. this one houses 3 rabbits.... Tipsy (mummy) and her 2 daughter, Spud and Junior. They are such a wee family always grooming and sitting in a line of 3 being all cosy. the other hutch is a normal rectangtular hutch with a manmade run attatched, and with a roof protecting the run.
Only on this cage do i have a cover, as the other 2 are well protected.

The only time i bring them in is when the snow is on the ground for more than 2 days or if temp drops below -10.
I have indoor cages if the needs arise.

Last year they spent the whole winter outside, whereas the year before taht the spent most of the winter indoors.

Just remember to keep an eye on the water freezing in freezing conditions.

sammy_kaye18

Im glad I found this thread.

We rescued three bunnies this year. We only went for two but the man had them stuck in a cage in a barn and they were destined for the pot because he didnt want them and couldnt sell them, when we went to collect two bunnies that we said we'd take off his hands we took pity on the third and last rabbit and brought him home as well.

3 unneutered male bunnies - you can imagine how this turned out. Anyway we have all intentions of neutering them but no vet will touch them until they are 6 months, ours were 12 weeks so we have gotten them each their own hutches until that time comes and they are all outside in a little alcove outside the back door so they are somewhat protected from the elements and we have blocked it off so they can have some out of hutch fun too in turns on the grass. They are fighting when they are together but we are hoping to try and bond them again after they have had their operations in 2 months time.

They each have a bedding area and its filled with hay and they each have a cover for their hutch but I was wondering too how to make sure they are snug in their hutches because ive just been out again to refill their bottles and its freezing.

Fosterdog

jayme1 wrote: »

Great shove a rabbit in the shed, in the depths of winter I bet it's going to have loads of fun sat there in the cold by itself how often will you honestly go play with it when it's really cold outside.
Better option bring it inside and have it as a house rabbit, they are very similar to cats without the downsides, they will happily use a litter tray, run around and sleep looking cute they'll even come sit with you to be stroked, but because they are vegetarians they don't smell, they don't bring you dead stuff, they aren't noisy and you don't have to let them out as they will run around the house, mine also never once chewed a single wire but you should take steps to prevent that.

You can put a reasonable cage with the litter tray in if you put some it's waste in the tray it will know to always go there in the future, and if you need to you can put it in the cage temporarily if you were going to have the doors open to outside so it doesn't run away.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_rabbit

My two will get put in the shed overnight during the winter, does that make me a bad owner too?

Yes I could bring them in the house but that would put them at risk of being eaten by my dogs and also my landlord wouldn't be happy, my tenancy agreement specifically says the rabbits must live outside the house.

Being in a shed doesn't mean they will be neglected. My shed has a heater, running water, electric (stone built shed not wooden). Every winter since we've had the rabbits they have been moved into the shed overnight. They get put into their large hutch and run throughout the day so they have the choice of frolicking in the run or snuggling in the hutch and they get tucked away in the shed again each night.