whats your experience?

I am just wondering if anyone who keeps their buns outside has experienced anything like what i have. A few times i have been made to feel like a leper (i dont mean in this forum) because my buns are outside all year round. These people also insinuate that somehow i dont love my buns like they do for keeping them outside. Im more angry than upset about it. I know i give my buns the best diet, accommodation and love and care that is possible. I dont think its right such people can make another person feel like that.Im just wondering if anyone has experienced similar. I know of one other person as they were quite upset about it and thought they were a terrible bunny mum because of it! Id be interested in any feedback on this. Thanks! xxx

i used to feel that way, but not any more. when you first join here so are looking for advicer and sometimes you get critism. Ive only been posting here since the summer but now if someone doesnt like the way i do things then its water of a ducks back to me now.

a tiny percentage may criticise you but there are many who dont. All of my rabbits are outside rabbits, never allowed indoors. and i think with all the advice thats going around sometimes you feel a little out your depth, especially when some people are cold with critism, it hurts, but dont let it get to you.

ive learnt that as long as you do the best for your rabbits, if sum1 criticises you, you will have ten people who back you up. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That's really strange, as I would have thought most bunnies are outdoor bunnies - in fact, I feel like people think I'm insane having mine running around indoors! :lol:

SarahP said:

That's really strange, as I would have thought most bunnies are outdoor bunnies - in fact, I feel like people think I'm insane having mine running around indoors! :lol:

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Ditto :lol:

Mine are outdoors all the time! :wave:

mine is an indoor bunny through and through although she goes outside at her own leisure............i think as long as they are cared for properly and their living quaters is a good size and clean it doesn' matter what anyone say's.
chin up!! :wave:

Mine are outdoors, is more natural, not that I'm saying that indoors is wrong. It's what evers right for you and your rabbit.

I had a bit of trouble with a taxi driver when I took mine back to vets for a check up last week. he kept asking me questions and tuting at my anwers. he didn't even agree with me having them both neutured:shock:, he seemed to think I was cruel for not letting them have litter after litter:shock: . I was so worried he would chuck me out the cab and run me over:shock:

I find that very odd :shock:

Never had a problem with outdoor bunnies that are well cared for and paired up.

All mine are outdoor too

I know of a couple of people (not on here) that keep what they call Houserabbits BUT this only means that they are kept in a tiny petshop bought cage in the house and don't get let out at all.

As long as they are fed and watered regularly, get plenty of good quality exercise and are kept clean then that is all that matters!

awwww its human nature to judge people cant help themselves, it all about individual choice where people keep thier pets and its got all to do with anyone else.... i do feel for all you outsiders this time of year its getting evil out there id never be able to face the cold for cleaning out.... im a wimp lolololololol

just tell the judgmental idiots to but out and concern themselves with thier own lives xxxxxxxx

I think once your rabbits are litter trained then cleaning out is quite easy, no matter what the weather!

In the morning it takes me about 2 minutes. I just replace the litter tray and give them their breakfast. In the evening, I sweep up any stray poo's from the run, give them their tea and that's it really.

They never wee or poo in the hutch so I just clean it out occasionally

Thanks for your replies everyone. Its nice to know people can accept other peoples way of keeping rabbits as different and notjust wrong! this forum seems very nice and openminded which is great! Its maybe just a case that some forums are much better than others. Im glad i have found this one anyway

I keep my two buns outside, because they prefer it. I bought them inside one week and they hated it. They were constantly overwhelmed by all the noise and things going on. They also hated the fact that they couldn't graze on grass all day. I felt I was being unreasonable to bring my hutch buns it, when they weren't ready.

I know they would have settled in evetually, but I felt it was my vanity that wanted them around me. I was so desprate for them to bond with me and accept me that I inflicted myself on them for a week. Now I have backed off, they have responed very favorably. I was convinced by all the website hype that indoors was best, but for mine it just wasn't. They like their own space, peace n quite and me aking in slower.

I have had a couple of people tut, that I was just another person abandoning my rabbits at the bottom of the garden. I know that I give my buns the best of everything and they are far from forgot and adandoned, which is he main thing.

I'm planning to let them wander in a out of the patio door in the summer months. That way they can come in, in their own time and leave when they are fed-up. Hopefully they will then have the best of both, but I know they will probably choose outside over in and I'm fine with that.

I think it sounds like your bunnys are well looked after! All my family and friends think i'm nut's for keeping mine inside! :lol:

We have one inside as it's best for him. He loves people and ther's always one of us around to keep him company.
The others are outside bunnies. Bobby I tried inside once - not a happy bunny! They are very happy,and love being in their natural environment. They also never use their hutches to sleep in, preferring to sleep on top of them, even if it's snowing. It's shelterd, but nevertheless.....!
I think as long as you know your buns are happy and well looked after, that's the main thing.

My buns are the same. Although they have a cozy inside place with plenty hay and heatpad etc, most of the time they are inclined to sit outside in their run in what i perceive to be the coldest of weather! I know my buns are happy. I bring them in for two nights a year when its firework time and thats it. They dont seem too bothered by bangs but people beside me have displays so id rather know they are safe!

I think bunnies are hugely adaptable. I never thought mine would adapt to being indoor rabbits (they were brought in for health reasons), as they were so outdoorsy, but they have adapted really well and lounge around on the carpet all day. I now can't imagine them outside again.

Minimallow said:

I am just wondering if anyone who keeps their buns outside has experienced anything like what i have. A few times i have been made to feel like a leper (i dont mean in this forum) because my buns are outside all year round. These people also insinuate that somehow i dont love my buns like they do for keeping them outside. Im more angry than upset about it. I know i give my buns the best diet, accommodation and love and care that is possible. I dont think its right such people can make another person feel like that.Im just wondering if anyone has experienced similar. I know of one other person as they were quite upset about it and thought they were a terrible bunny mum because of it! Id be interested in any feedback on this. Thanks! xxx

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I haven't read the other reactions yet, so I will answer only your question...
When I first joined the Swiss-forum, I was actually critisized for keeping my buns indoor. Apparently they think ,for a bun to be happy,they have to be outside, be able to run and most important to dig, because if a bun can't dig it's nit a happy one... I more or less convinced them, by showing they had all the space they needed to run. They actually have about 60 square meter at our place to run and play, I came back on my agressor on that forum asking him how much space his rabbits had in their runs outside. Offcourse it wasn't near that much. He then said to me that rabbits don't run or jump inside...:?

You get my point? Everybody has their own opinion and in Switzerland you would without any doubt be considered a better bunny-mum than me.

Personaly, I think lots of rabbits are still underestimated in the space they need and intelligence they posses. I think their are as many unhappy bunnies living in - or outside , just as there are many happy ones. Rabbits don't need us to be happy, at least not our company if they have a partner from their species.

There is only one thing I can't understand and that is people keeping rabbits alone. If that's inside, it can be ok, but outside, all alone without any form of social contact must be horrible for them. But that is my opinion...

I agree with Cliquot - bunnies can be happy or unhappy inside or out, it's all about the environment, stimulation and company they are given and their individual nature. My four are all outside and love it, they choose to sit in their run come rain, hail, wind, snow and as long as they have each other and I feed and clean them, they really couldn't care less if I'm there or not. I do prefer to see single buns as housebuns though.

Exactly - I know mine were happy as anything outside, and it was only the health problems that made me bring them indoors. I think we can try to 'humanise' these animals too much (it's quite hard not to once they are indoors).