How many people keep their pet rabbits indoors.?

Question

We have just bought a netherland dwarf rabbit (am sure some of you will know cos I have asked a couple of questions recently lol) but just wondered if there were a few of yous keep your rabbits indoors and how do you get on. We bought an indoor cage which she has settled down nicely in but also a hutch for the garden which we havent tried yet. Am thinking at moment I dont want her to be kept in the hutch at night but maybe just keep her in it during the day and then back in her cage indoors for night time .....what does anyone think of that. Best of both worlds perhaps

Meant to say any advice at all would be grateful. thanks

Answer 1

If you keep your bunn indoors with you, she'll really become attached to you. Our bunn lives in his cage, in the corner of our lounge, and we let him out every afternoon and evening for a couple of hours with us there - we are very careful to cover all electrical wires, and block behind the couch and tv with fat cushions - we've also got many electrical wires running high up along our walls, attached by plastic hooks - and the electrical wires that need to be on the ground are well-covered by oriental rugs as well as cushions. Als be very very careful of house plants - many house plants are deadly poisonous. Also, bunnies can indeed be toilet trained - I've written a little article myself about this -
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html#toilet

The very best way to get close to your bunn is to sit on the floor while you let her explore the room, and she'll eventually come and explore you - and have some food with you, so that when she approaches you, you can show her that you're her friend with this food - a little slice of carrot, or apple, or banana. But don't try to force her, wait until she approaches you. Another thing you can try is laying on your stomach on the floor ... when we do this, our bunn comes right up to my face and sits on the floor in front of me. But this will only happen when she's had plenty of hours and days to explore your room first! The longer you have her out of her cage, and with you, the more she will become familiar with your room, and then she will settle down, sit down and relax, and then you can pet her. Another tip, keep things the same around your room, so that she doesn't have to begin her explorations from scratch every time. Bunnies need their areas to be the same every day ... this is how they feel safest and become calmest and more interested in you.

Have a read of these great detailed rabbit sites too -
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html (this one is SO good - how to translate bunny behaviour and language!)
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rabbits/a/?once=true&
http://www.tagyerit.com/hopline/cold.htm
http://www.rabbit.org/
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/
http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyhouserabbits.html - http://au.geocities.com/leaswebsite/bunnyfood.html - my own site - please have a browse and very, very best of luck to you!

Answer 2

Iv had my dwarf lop for about a year and a half now and I keep her inside. Shes in my bedroom. I think its really lovely having an indoor bunny because they get a lot more attention than being outside. She likes to run round the house, just have to watch her with wires and she sometimes tries to pull up the carpet. Its better now that shes toilet trained because when she needs to go she runs back into her cage. Like you, Iv been thinking about putting her into a hutch in the garden. She loves it in the garden but I dont think Id like to keep her in a hutch out there permanently. Because my bunny has been indoors for a year and a half its too late for her to live out there all the time because she wouldnt be used to the cold. If I wanted to, Id keep her in her hutch in summer and bring her back in in winter. Or, bringing her back in at night is a good idea too, its safer i think. Best of both worlds. Good Luck.

Answer 3

We did that with our old rabbit. We kept him inside during cold months and outside on the porch in the summer. He seemed to adjust fine. The rabbit I have now we always keep indoors, she's a mini-lop. She has a cage but I always let her have run of the house when I'm home. She's a good bunny. My best friend kept her rabbit outside in a hutch sometimes and sometimes inside, and he lived to be a ripe old age.

Answer 4

We have the same kind of bunny and the same problem. We live in Arizona when it gets hot during the days, but cool during the nights.

During the summer, we keep the bunny outside during the night and take him in about 8 or 9 AM. He stays inside until about 5 or 6 PM when the evening begins to cool off. Other seasons we keep the rabbit outside. Sometimes during the fall or spring it can get warm, so we have a large piece of cardboard that we lean against the cage for shade.

We have lost 1 bunny to heat and sunlight, so please be careful of direct sunlight when it is hot outside. AND ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS make water available for the rabbit at all times.

Answer 5

I think, outdoors during the day (in shade) and indoors at night, is the better combination. Stray and wild animals wander at nighttime, and it's more likely that one will pry open your hutch and think your new rabbit is a nice late-night snack.
I had a mixed breed rabbit that had an inside hutch. He didn't go outside unless he was on a harness.

Answer 6

i have a dutch rabbit that has the run of garden during the day (well fenced off) it can also hop into house as well (she is litter trained) she has an open hutch in garden for shelter from rain and she comes and goes from that as she pleases. then at night she has an indoor cage where she sleeps. = one happy rabbit

Answer 7

I keep my bunny inside. She has a large (ish) cage in the dining room with a cute little wooden rabbit house inside it. She really likes having all the people moving around to watch and the temp inside is steady. We let her out to jump around and play whenever we can. I think all pet rabbits should have a place inside the house where they can be part of the family. Next door somebody had a rabbit but they ignored him outside and it would cry.

Answer 8

No I keep him in a hutch outdoors, with a chicken-wire pen about 4mtrs x 3mtrs around it, he is not locked into the hutch he can go around his pen which I move to a new part of the garden every 2 days, I also have the wire on top as I get hawks and kestrels coming by, I've seen them perched on a nearby tree eyeing him up. also foxes at night come into my garden looking for a take away I suppose so that is why I keep him protected.

Answer 9

Lots of people keep pet rabbits indoors. However, I think your idea of some"out " time is really the best of both worlds. Just be sure your outdoor space is predator proof and that the bunnie is well supervised during that time. They are great escape artists! Good Luck.

Answer 10

i have my rabbit indoor and outdoor. During the day (if its not too hot or cold) i like to keep her outside with some fresh air. At night i always bring her in so i dont have to worry about anything happening to her.