I promised by daughter a rabbit for a pet. But I am the one cleaning the smelly cage. Ok in the summer and spring. But winter worries me. I dont want a indoor cage .
2006-08-17 04:11:13 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Yes, you can. All the house rabbit folks will tell you no, but a rabbit's natural habitat is outdoors...cottontails do not go extinct in my area in the winter! Rabbits actually handle cold much better than they handle heat. Wind is the real enemy in the winter.
You will just need to make sure that your rabbit is in an area that is protected from drafts. A garage is fine, but a very sheltered outdoor area will also work. It should have some sort of solid-floored "house" in its cage that it can go into. Many outdoor hutches are made with one end as a solid box, and you can put hay or straw in this to help your rabbit stay warm.
I am extremely rabbit savvy, having owned them for over 20 years, and can tell you that water and vinegar don't do much to neutralize the smell and neither does spaying or neutering. The smell from a rabbit's urine is caused by the amount of ammonia they produce, this is a metabolic thing and there isn't much you can do about it.
Rabbits can also make perfectly wonderful pets for children, you just have to choose one that has a good personality and teach your daughter the right way to handle it. I have had them since I was a very little kid and always handled them a lot on my own.
2006-08-17 08:25:35 · answer #1 · answered by BB 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Rabbits are fine outdoors in the winter. Actually if I was you I would be more worried about the summer heat. Just make sure the hutch is out of the wind, and closeable, and in the worst weather, you can put straw in their cage for extra insulation from the weather. The main thing is you have to make sure they have water available, so if its freezing, you have to go out a few times a day and dump out the ice and give them fresh. I found it best to replace the water bottles in the winter with bread pans, and when I had to refill them, use lukewarm water so it wouldn't freeze as quickly.
Added later:
Please don't pay attention to the people who say rabbits are to delicate to be kept outside in the cold. Rabbits do a LOT better in the cold than the heat. Yes, they can be kept inside and smelling good, but I understand that it's not your pet, and if your daughter wont keep it clean, you are more than justified in moving it outside. A lot less work that way, and it will be just as happy.
2006-08-17 07:26:18 · answer #2 · answered by Carpet Shark Luver 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm sure that plenty of people will scold you for not thinking about this ahead of time, but let's move on and come up with a new solution.
Rabbits don't do well outdoors. Domestic rabbits are different from their wild cousins and they're badly suited for extreme temperatures.
Indoor rabbits can be clean, excellent pets. If your rabbit's cage smells, either it's not being cleaned enough or your rabbit is sick. Rabbits can easily be taught to use a litterbox, just like a cat. Litterboxes are small and easy to clean; it should only take 5 minutes or so to change a litterbox each day. If you choose to littertrain your rabbit, do NOT use clumping cat litter - it can lead to major health problems and death.
How much time each day does your rabbit spend outside of the cage? Rabbits need at least a couple hours of daily exercise.
The best advice that I can give you is to move your rabbit indoors and read up on some rabbit information. You could also benefit from talking to someone at your local animal shelter or rabbit rescue group.
Be sure to check the links below for some good rabbit information.
2006-08-17 05:01:07 · answer #3 · answered by CanineHeroTahoe 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think that your rabbit will be fine outside as long as he has a covered hutch for shelter. Make sure you have some hay in the covered hutch part. Or a warm blanket. I had my bunnies inside during their first winter but only because I got them in the winter when they were babies. I have a 3 month old dwarf lop who is an outside rabbit, and even though it's summer here it's still quite cold during the night. I got a heat pad for her from my local vet. I heat it up at about 10pm when it gets cold & put it in her hutch on a blanket. It stays warm all night & she loves it. Hot water bottle are also good but if your bunny tends to chew things then it's not such a great idea.
2016-03-27 06:04:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What material is in the litter box? You should use wood stove pellets they are great odor absorbers. You can also use several of these products. http://www.rabbitcentral.com/cleanup.html Rabbit savvy people know that when cleaning the litter box you use water and vinegar to neutralize the smell. Is your rabbit fixed? That will help with hormones and the smell. Rabbits are very suseptible to heat stroke. Also rabbits and kids don't mix. You should've done some reading before getting one.
2006-08-17 05:05:43 · answer #5 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
W raised rabbits. We live in NY state...gets cold here. Just make sure bunny has a enclosed bunny box inside it's cage with LOTS of hay in it and bunny will be fine. Or I hate to say it...get 2...keep eachother warm...IM me if you need details:)
I would hope you will be having your daughter help you as it is a responsibility to have pets that every child should learn....
2006-08-17 04:23:55 · answer #6 · answered by AQHA34 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
when it gets clod enough for frezzing water the it could frezz the bunny. I use to havew bunnys and during the winter i would put platic around the cage. It will help the cold stay out. try giving the bunny leaves of somthing to that sort in the cage as well
2006-08-17 04:27:06 · answer #7 · answered by ANGEL 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
when i had 3 rabbits and what we did in the winter, was put them in the green house, keep the door or windows open, and cover the front with a old towel to keep the cold out, it worked great when it snowed, as they wasnt that old,
2006-08-17 04:44:04 · answer #8 · answered by saralouise_uk2002 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should of thought of that before buying the bunny...thats why most rabbits end up in shelters, its not the breeders its the people who buy them on inpulse for their kids and then find out they dont want to take care of them in the winter etc. But to answer your question as long as you have proper shelter for it and some straw so it can snuggle down into it , it should stay pretty warm
2006-08-17 05:44:54 · answer #9 · answered by Tiffany D 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
As long as the rabbit is kept outdoors and allowed to become accustomed to the cold weather,it should be alright. Temps below freezing may harm it though,due to it's ears getting frost bite.I would provide it with some heat on those really cold days.
2006-08-17 04:22:51 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋