house/outdoor living

Ok I need some advice re Buster. I am thinking of putting Buster's thistle hall hutch outside the backdoor in May so he will be an outside bunny. However, we live in the countryside so I can't leave him out their over night because of foxes. So my thought is to have a dog crate in my bedroom for him to come in at teatime, he will be a free range house bunny from tea time til bed time and then go in his crate to sleep. If the weather is he can stay in and play in his pen.

He had a similar arrangement last summer when he went to his play pen at 7 am and stayed there until 6pm and loved it. He loved the fresh air but is it fair in the winter? I am torn because I think if it's raining or exceptionally cold he will be inside anyways. (I should note my rents are about most of the time so would bring him in if the weather turned nasty while I was out).

So what do you all think

In all honesty I can't see a fox chewing it's way through a hutch to get your bunny, especially when you're in the country and they have wild buns to eat.
I've never heard of that happening anyways.
I can understand you being worried though, I am a compulsive worrier over my animals.
Also, if he is in and out a lot I would imagine he may have problems adjusting to the changes in temp? That may lead to runny noses and stuff?

Its not all bad having outdoor buns. During the evenings Arthur has the run of the house, his hutch and run, and the garden. He prefers to be in the garden no matter the weather. Even in the rain he will sit the munching the grass (I do dry him off)

I am happy that although we live in the country Arthur is safe at night. His run and hutch are bolted together and I have fox proof and rodent proof wire.

You have to follow your heart though. If your going to lose sleep because he is outside then thats no good. I agree about the temperature difference though.

You would be suprised at what a fox could get into. They have to work to get a wild bunny. I would also worry if they tried to get him the shock would kill him.

If it was that cold/wet outside he wouldn't be out. Our vet actually reccomended bringing him in at night because of where we live (on the coast) less health risks or preditor risks.

Kay said:

Its not all bad having outdoor buns. During the evenings Arthur has the run of the house, his hutch and run, and the garden. He prefers to be in the garden no matter the weather. Even in the rain he will sit the munching the grass (I do dry him off)

I am happy that although we live in the country Arthur is safe at night. His run and hutch are bolted together and I have fox proof and rodent proof wire.

You have to follow your heart though. If your going to lose sleep because he is outside then thats no good. I agree about the temperature difference though.

Click to expand...

He will be in the house on the coldest days so temp shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Aww the coast well that is different. The temperature changes can be severe as well as a biting wind.

I know what menaces foxes can be and am not taking risks with my beloved bun's life. We have security lights for anything that comes into the garden (had to install them after someone tried to steal my bike), which scares most things away. Plus although we are rural I live in a normal street so people walking about, cars and the train track, plus 6ft fencing on our side and 12ft high and very thick (annoying) conifers on both neighbours sides over side of the fence. Plus our patio is hugged by conversatories on both sides. It would have to be a very determind, 12ft high jumping, nerves of steel fox to get in here.

If you think your rabbit is safe from fox attack in a pen in the garden during the day then he will be just as safe in a secure hutch during the night. I think what you are suggesting is that you have a house bunny who goes out to play when the weather is fine. Either way, you have to do what you are most comfortable with.

Yeah, in the majority he will be a house bunny but he will go outside, even in winter, if the weather isn't too bad. We back onto a farm and live on the coast so the storms and tempratures would likely be too much for little Buster to be out overnight. The people down the road lost their outdoor bunnies in the storms They don't even care - only a rabbit