We own 2 pet rabbits, and my dad just made a hutch for them. We keep it in the shade during the day, so they wont overheat, but is it safe to keep them out all year long? We live in the maryland suburbs, and it can got way past freezing in the winter. Will they get used to it, or should I keep them inside?
2007-05-23 11:06:03 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Rodents
They should be fine in the winter as long as they are dry and out of the wind. The heat of summer might actually be more dangerous, so keep them in the shade and, if it's really hot, put a 2-liter soda bottle of frozen water in the cage to cool off with.
2007-05-23 18:55:30 · answer #1 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keeping them cool- place a cool tile in their cage that they can rest on. There are also products on the market that do the same job. Make sure that in the summer there is somewhere for the rabbits to shelter, so that they don't get overheated. I don't know what your winters are like, but you can get covers for hutches to keep the heat in and there are also water bottle protectors that keep water from getting to hot or from freezing. Do lots of reading before you get your rabbits! They can be quite a handful and vets bills (such as neutering) can be almost as much as a cat or dog! Also, make sure you get a nice run (if it is one of the cage ones, place a towel or something over for a shaded area) for your rabbits or a hutch with an in-built run. Good luck :)
2016-05-21 02:04:38 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rabbits can actually stand 50 below zero for a short time as long as there in no wind on them, however that is not a good idea and somehow I don't think it gets that cold in Maryland.
What they can't stand is the heat, high heat is deadly, It's best not to go over 80 degrees, even that is almost to hot, 75 degrees would be prime, the cooler the better though.
2007-05-23 22:16:57 · answer #3 · answered by Axe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live where it's extremely cold. We kept rabbits for years outside in tempatures as low as -40 below zero. They did just fine with proper bedding and wind protection. They need a large amount of clean fresh water during the colder times than most people would think. That's a challenge when it's 30 to 40 below zero but the wild rabbits here live and thrive in those tempatures and so can yours if they have good bedding and wind protection. They will get used to it and will not mind at all. Keep giving them fresh water.
2007-05-23 11:20:21 · answer #4 · answered by Sheriff of Yahoo! 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It is fine for rabbits to stay outside in their hutch all year round but I am thinking the temperatures where you are may drop a little too low. Although rabbits are hardy creatures, in the wild they go underground to keep warm. If possible I would move them indoors during the winter. I move my rabbits into our disused garage over winter.
2007-05-23 11:18:51 · answer #5 · answered by RoseS 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rabbits shed like dogs and will get a thicker coat in the winter if they are outside when the seasons start to change. make sure they have a little area they can get into (usually a wooden box built onto the side of the hutch with a hole in it for them to get in/out) and pack it with pine bedding and timothy hay. also make sure that the top of the hutch has a roof so they can stay dry when it's raining and out of the sun when it's hot.
2007-05-23 11:12:09 · answer #6 · answered by raven 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
We live in California, and when it gets too cold her my grandparents always bring in the rabbits. My grandpa made a smaller hutch on wheels so it can easily be moved out of the way during the winter.
2007-05-23 11:10:05 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My sister kept her kids' pet rabbit outdoors in a hutch for years and it survived even though it didn't have a companion to help keep it warm, like yours will. She lives in northeastern Ohio, where it gets quite cold in the winters. Like the other poster said, have a weatherproof box with hay or something to help keep their body heat in - the box shouldn't be too big, so they don't have to heat as much space. That way it will act kinda like a blanket.
2007-05-23 11:19:34 · answer #8 · answered by cmm_home 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you can leave them out for the spring and the summer and the fall. But once it starts getting colder, and once it starts snowing, I think its a better idea to bring them inside. This way they won't get nemonia or anything else. I had a rabbit in a hutch once and that's what I did.
2007-05-23 11:32:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely! They're wild animals, and would otherwise be outside without the hutch all year.
Since you're such a concerned pet owner (thanks!), you might give them some blankets to offer additional protection when it's extra cold.
Also, please keep in mind that rabbits make EXCELLENT house pets! I know it seems odd, but they take to litter boxes as if it were the natural thing for them to do...virtually no training needed. And as long as they have plenty of carrots & things, they won't chew any of the indoor items.
2007-05-23 11:14:48 · answer #10 · answered by abfabmom1 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋