The Bunny Chat Thread - For Bunny Owners

[ChocolateMouse]

Eventually a rabbit will dig under or slip through a fence given the opportunity. I always supervise outdoor time, personally, but I know people who have built rabbit safe pens with dig guards and just let 'em go wild out there.

 

[FortCluck]

Eventually a rabbit will dig under or slip through a fence given the opportunity. I always supervise outdoor time, personally, but I know people who have built rabbit safe pens with dig guards and just let 'em go wild out there.

So I shouldn't do it

 

[ChocolateMouse]

So I shouldn't do it

Not without regular observation or careful preparation, probably not.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

So I shouldn't do it

This is a pretty good article on housing for pet rabbits that includes outdoor spaces.
https://www.thecapecoop.com/setting-up-an-outdoor-rabbit-space/

I like their recommendation for a wider, thinner hutch that lets the rabbit move and stretch better in their hutch.

(I should note their description of how fast the bunnies dig doesn't meet my experiences. I've had bunnies tunnel a full foot on a few hours. But those were new zealand whites which are big boiz.)

 

[EverythingDucks]

I'm happy to find this thread as we're planning on getting 2 bunnies as pets and I have a question. Should we get 2 females or a male and a female? We would get them neutered/spayed. We're leaning towards getting Mini Lops if we can find some. My husband will build an outdoor hutch and they'll live together out there. Thanks!

I would get a male and a female.
If your getting them as pets I would avoid getting a hutch. They cannot regulate their own body temperature and can get very overheated, which can lead to many issues. Though they do much better in the cold, it's something to be aware of.
They are also vulnerable to predators. They could have a heart attack even if the animal doesn't touch them.
Hutches don't provide enough space as well. Especially for two. Even the large ones. Rabbits need room to exercise and do zoomies around the house.
Which is why I strongly recommend free roaming indoors.
All it takes is some inexpensive bunny proofing. Much cheaper and easier than building a hutch. Your rabbits will be much happier and healthier too. If you have other pets they can get along if you introduce them properly. Some dogs do have a high prey drive, but you can setup babybgates, or playpen gates, to block off areas that your dog and rabbit cant cross. You can also setup a large playpen as a home-base for them. It could be as simple as a dog exercise pen. I would get one about 10ft long, but the bigger the better. Be sure to give them at least 4 hours of free roaming time for exercise, and mental stimulation. If you have other pets that don't get along with the rabbits, you can setup the gates so the rabbits can exercise without the risk of getting hurt.
If your worried an about their poop and pee, you can easily litter train them.
I would get a large hooded cat litter box. The litter pans are just to small. Fill it up with hay, with a bit of litter. Don't use cat litter, it has clay that kill the rabbits if ingested.
I'm just finishing my article on free roaming rabbits and rabbit care if your interested.

Lennon The Bunny is a YouTuber that's has lots of great info on keeping rabbits as pets. She has things on grooming, diet, setup, bunny proofing, and more

 

[ChocolateMouse]

@EverythingDucks
"They cannot regulate their own body temperature and can get very overheated, and cold. "

Uh, no offense but... They're mammals with a serious fur coat. Tons of bunnies live outdoors without problems with the cold. So I'm just curious why you think this?

Overheated, sure. I know a lot of breeders who don't breed in June-August because of this. We give out stone tiles and frozen water bottles, do swamp cooling and have lots of shade. But... Why can't they stay warm if they're dry?

 

[EverythingDucks]

" They cannot regulate their own body temperature and can get very overheated, and cold. "

Uh, no offense but... They're mammals with a serious fur coat. Tons of bunnies live outdoors without problems with the cold. So I'm just curious why you think this?

Overheated, sure. I know a lot of breeders who don't breed in June-August because of this. We give out stone tiles and frozen water bottles, do swamp cooling and have lots of shade. But... Why can't they stay warm if they're dry?

Oh I didn't mean that they had issues with the cold, I really just meant the heat, but that they could be uncomfortable in extreme cold.
I'll edit my post so it makes more sense

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Ok, I was really confused. Thanks for clarifying. My bunnies don't like using their shelters unless they're scared/nervous, even when it's like -10*F and snowing, and they cheerfully raise litters of naked babies in those temps, so I can't imagine other rabbit breeds having substantially more problems.

'Course our bunnies get through the heat too, but we do a lot more to make sure they are OK than have a box full of hay. We don't have AC so they wouldn't fare that much better indoors, tbh.

 

[orloffer]

Hutches don't provide enough space as well. Especially for two. Even the large ones. Rabbits need room to exercise and do zoomies around the house.
Which is why I strongly recommend free roaming indoors.

I wish I could do that with my rabbits! But we are all highly allergic to them, and they would probably get lost or stepped on. Our house is far from rabbit-proof.

All it takes is some inexpensive bunny proofing. Much cheaper and easier than building a hutch. Your rabbits will be much happier and healthier too. Be sure to give them at least 4 hours of free roaming time for exercise, and mental stimulation.

I have a Himalayan rabbit who is about 5 years old, and he doesn't seem to like being outdoors very much. Could it be because his red-colored eyes are more sensitive to light? I don't let him outside very often at all, but when I do, he just sits still and does nothing, or tries to go back indoors. And my other rabbit, a chinchilla Dutch, is rather skittish and nervous. Before we put a top on his enclosure, which is a dog exercise pen in the garage, he would jump out of it and hide.

If your worried an about their poop and pee, you can easily litter train them.

Mine are kind of litter trained, but I still find poop in places where it shouldn't be, even in their food containers sometimes. The Dutch rabbit used to have a problem where he would get his pee on himself, and even now he doesn't always pee in the litter box.

Does anyone else have rabbits who do not like certain treats or toys? One of my rabbits will not eat apple & banana flavored treats, and neither of them like those toys that have blocks of wood and plastic rings and bells.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Red eyes shouldn't change anything much. It could just be that being outdoors isn't as comfy and they're not excited by what's there. They could be scared and don't wanna move. Rabbits are skittish - they're prey animals after all. Everything tries to eat them.
Consider trying to put them out in the evening. The slightly darker light might make them more comfortable in general since that's when rabbits like to be active.

Rabbits have a lot of individual personality. I have some that don't like fresh vegetation much at all and some who freak out if they see it coming. Some love toys, some won't touch them. Some of my rabbits love having boxes to lay in, some will just chew on them, and some sit as far away from them as possible.

I've personally had no luck litter training rabbits. Especially with their pellet poops, they just don't care about those at all. Easy enough to clean up but still. If they're not fixed, getting them fixed can help.