Rabbits - Out or In?

[m.kitchengirl]

I am not sure why this debate bothers me so much, but I just can't choose.
I have a Holland Lop bunny. I adopted her, and she is not very social. She is friendly, calm, and playful, but not big into people.
She seems to like the kids better than me, and that is fine.
We also have an English Angora.

The Lop, Macy, was inside for a while, but she seemed bored & under stimulated. She has toys, gets out of cage time, and all that, but I felt like she was just inside all day when I work. I put her out in her exercise pen when weather got nicer & she just seemed so happy & stimulated outside. So, I moved her outside.
Now, I feel like she is getting less social - though I am sure she is more stimulated & she is still friendly, enjoys out of cage time, and all. She is just not in a central location. She is in the side yard where she can get shade. She has the ducks to watch back there, and the birds at the feeders... I just can't decide.
Half of the things I read say I should never keep a rabbit outside, the other half say it is best. So, how does the panel feel?
I'm tempted to move the Macy back in - but is it worst to keep moving her around?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

We have the opposite situation with our Mini Rex bunny. He lives in the house happily, but seems very nervous/scared when we try to give him outdoor time. Will spend most of the time hiding, poor guy. We had a Flemish Giant who loved to go outside. It was hard to catch him to put him in at night. This was a good thing though, because indoor life for him was not a good option (he never litter box trained and, well, he was HUGE). So, when not outside, he lived in the garage in a big cage built up on a table, and got tons of attention because our garage is like Grand Central Station (without the trains, and without cars, oddly enough).

I think it's fine to keep bunnies outside. For us, full time outdoors it isn't a good option due to extreme heat in the summer, parasites, and predators (we didn't want to invest in a permanent maximum security bunny habitat). The other big reason is my fear that they will be a bit neglected. This happened to our outside rabbits when I was a kid (long ago...

...before internet and the information age) and they got really mean and territorial. They were cared for, but after the novelty wore off, we didn't give them enough attention, and they started attacking and clawing when we fed or cleaned the cage. Luckily for them, my mom knew a "rabbit lady" who took them in and gave them a better life.

I think you know your bun best, and it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with her. Moving her around is probably a good thing, lots of stimulation, as long as she's not freaking out. I think loneliness is the biggest worry.

I hope I hear more of your story. Good luck!
(((The only thing cuter than chicken butt is bunny butt!!

)))