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Indoor or outdoor rabbits?

S

Shortone

New Kit
Hi

My 10 yr old son is desperat for a pet rabbit and I have been doing some research into rabbit care. I understand that it's best to keep a pair so am intending to get 2 either young siblings or already bonded from a rescue centre.

I am now debating whether to get an outdoor hutch or an indoor cage. If the rabbits lived indoors they would have to be caged at night and when we were out because there are too many wires behind the TV et that they could chew if left unsupervised! The intention would be to let them have the run of the dining-room, hallway and kitchen when we're in and occasionally the lounge under very close supervision!

What are the pros & cons of each option and what type of housing would you recommend for indoor/outdoor rabbits? I assume I'd need an outdoor run for them even if they live indoors? If outdoors, would a single layer hutch be best, or one with a run underneath? The woman at the rescue centre said sometimes they don't like using ramps - is that correct?
 
Well I don't know much about indoor rabbits but yes you would need some kind of run like area for them to be able to move around in whilst you are out.

Most rabbits cope fine with a ramp it's only really disabled or old rabbits that would struggle. Make sure you check what the size recommendations of the rescue you plan on using are because you don't want to spend lots of money on a hutch that is unsuitable. All hutches should have a permanent run attached. The generally accepted minimum size for a hutch is 6ftx2ftx2ft. A 4ftx2ft(x2)x2ft ie 'double decker' hutch provides about the same floorspace depending on how the ramp is done. A 6ft x 6ft run is also recommended.
 
We've got both and indoor and an outdoor pair and I can't really say one is much different to the other. The indoor guys get a lot more one-on-one time with us in the evenings, but the outdoor guys have access to a large shed and attached run which they can use when they like. Neither pair seem unhappy with their lot :).

There's a lot of options regarding housing for indoor rabbits. Personally i'd say using an outdoor run is the least suitable There's a few posts with some ideas further down the page.

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=147291
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=147237&page=2

and LOTS of others to search through :).

For outdoor ideas, check out the sticky at the top of the housing page. There are plenty of options here too in addition to the typical hutch and run combo, have a look through the numerous posts on sheds and playhouse conversions.
 
If you get from a Rescue they will already be neutered & bonded & possibly vaccinated - it works out tonnes cheaper:D They will also provide advise after you have the buns home. I've had a lot of support from Rescues I have adopted buns off. The buns personalities are established, there's no "terrible teens" as their hormone hit & they can find the best buns for your circumstances.

Rescues often have their own requirements as far as hutch size - so you could perhaps contact these before you buy anything.

My buns are indoors, but they have trashed their rooms & can be hard work when loose in my "living rooms". There are 9 loose at a time though & I just stand in the middle telling them off! That said I spend more time with them than I would if they were outside:D
 
I've only had one bun so far and she was inside during winter and outside in summer. Even when there were 5 people in the house she still managed to eat 11 phone cables in her lifetime (!!!!) and take the wallpaper off in several rooms and a few other things, so if you have them indoors you do need to keep an eye on them all the time that they are loose. Its better if you have a big pen they can run around in most of the time where they cant destroy anything precious, and can use when you are out - not really fair to keep them in the cage all that time. Outside, my bun had a 6x2x2 hutch as standard and free range supervised and a 6x4x2 run when not, and she loved both set ups. she also came in for cuddles and exercise in the summer. If you are out a lot, i.e. your 10 year old is at school, outside buns with access to a run, toys, grass might be better, then they can come if for some cuddles etc and a bit of roaming without mass destruction!! especially with 2 buns they may end up in different parts of the house so need twice the supervision!
 
I've had bunnies outdoors and now indoors, and I much prefer indoor, due to the amount of interaction the bunnies get - particularly given what the weather is like these days. But, on the other hand, they do make a lot of mess! It's not so much wee and poo, as they will generally use a litter tray OK, but hay that gets absolutely everywhere.

I only have one bunny now, and she has the run of the kitchen, hallway, stairs and landing. Dog crates are quite good indoors, due to the height of them, but you'd obviously need quite a big one, or a smaller hutch/cage, plus a home-made run.

I've not known any issues with ramps - my bunnies used to absolutely bound up the ramp when they were outside.
 
i ve recently rescued 2 rabbits, they are now indoor buns- live in ex large dog crate, and have a puppy play pen as their run- when they need to be secure. live in my daughters room( she's a teenager so spends MUCH time up there) and when its not raining, we take then outdoors for some fresh air
 
Hmmmm it's a tricky one, I really can't decide!

I'd like the fact that we could play with/interact with the rabbits more if they live indoors, but the mess does concern me a bit (I have enough trouble keeping my house tidy as it is!:lol:)

I'm also not sure whether we have enough space indoors for them to have a decent-sized cage/run.

On the other hand I'd hate for them to be stuck outside in the cold and not get enough attention. I would try me best to play with them daily and so on, even if my son lost interest, but with hectic lifestyles there are limits on how much time you have!

Is it possible to play with outdoor bunnies inside, or do they generally not like the change of environment?
 
Unfortunately not - rabbits cope well with low temperatures but sudden changes are dangerous, such as bringing an outdoor bunny from the cold into a warm house (unless they are ill and need a higher temperature).

The main areas that get messy are around the litter tray, but hay does tend to get trodden around. If you had a contained area (ie cage and run) you could contain the mess better though - my bunny is free range, and so is the mess!
 
My bun is a housebunny.

He is kept in his cage when there is no-one in the house, i did try attaching a run to this, but he freaked out (but i think thats because he has head tilt) and we let out as soon as we get in.....he mainly gets to run about the living room, for some reason he doesnt like the wooden floor in the hall, so wont go out there.

There is a bit of a mess with hay, but i just keep a handheld vacuum near his cage and clean it up when it gets messy.

I like him being indoors, he is such a wee mummys boy and likes to snuggle into me when im sitting on the floor watching TV.

I think an indoor cage with a run attached, even a removable run that you can set up when your out for a long time, would be good
 
The other possible outdoor option - if my husband would let me, would be to clear out our shed and convert that into a rabbit house!

At the moment it's full or junk, but if we would move the junk to the garage the shed would be empty. What's involved in doing such a conversion - any links?

Or we could clear out the garage & keep them in there - but what would I do about light? They'd only have electric light in there except if I was home and could keep the door open..........

Ugh, I wish he wanted a hamster or something - I know where I am with them, but rabbits are a whole new ball game!!! I am off to measure bits of the house to see whether a cage would fit anywhere!
 
I feel your pain :). After I gave in to Lara's demands for a bun I went all around the house trying to find a big enough area to house them in.

My work area (that I spent a year planning and putting the electrics and telephone line in for) all got cleared into the spare room and replaced with the bunny house. So now i'm in the spare room :).
 
Unfortunately I can't do that. I am about to start a doctorate and am in the process of moving my daughter into bedroom 3 so I can turn bedroom 4 into a study. I really need a study - I don't think I can sacrifice it to become a bunny zone! Unfortunately as she's not quite 4 yet, there's no waythe rabbits could live in her room as I couldn't trust her with them unsupervised.

Having measured, the only big enough areas are next to radiators, which is probably not a very good idea. It's looking more and more like I need to look into the outdoor option unfortunately. Hutches are so expensive though - well, decent sized ones are anyway. Then there's the issue of foxes to worry about, and flies etc!

Really what I need is a conservatory or an extension, but I don't think my husband will agree to that on the grounds that I want space for rabbits!:lol:
 
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I have exactly the same problem as you, and it is the reason why I will have to think again about taking on more rabbits in the future. It's hard finding an area that can be made exclusively for bunnies, but housing them outdoors isn't always easy either, as you say.

The shed conversion sounds a good idea, as you can then sit in the shed with the bunnies, in your winter woolies! You might need to start a separate thread on it, so the right people see it. You will definitely need some natural light, or the bunnies won't get any vitamin D when the weather is poor. Some people have a run attached to the shed, and others have a separate run that the bunny is put into.
 
Shortone said:
Unfortunately I can't do that. I am about to start a doctorate and am in the process of moving my daughter into bedroom 3 so I can turn bedroom 4 into a study. I really need a study - I don't think I can sacrifice it to become a bunny zone! Unfortunately as she's not quite 4 yet, there's no waythe rabbits could live in her room as I couldn't trust her with them unsupervised.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that. I was half way through my PhD at the time :D.
 
Really LaraJay? What's your PhD on?

I'm starting a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology!

In some ways bedroom 4 would be a good bunny area as it has laminate flooring. I do really think I need somewhere to work though......

Hmmmm it's a conundrum!

I will sound my other half out about the shed idea. We are hopefully car-booting this weekend in a bid to clear out the garage, so maybe the lawnmower etc could be re-housed. There is grass next to the shed so we could cut a hole/flap into it and attach a run possibly. Only thing is there's lots of big spiders in there!

Failing that, would something like this be any good for small bunnies?

http://www.thepetpads.co.uk/index.php?page=shop&shop_cat_id=19641

The woman at the re-homing centre was satisfied with a 4x2x2 hutch, but I know the RSPCA recommends a 5' minimum. I have been looking for 6' ones too but there don't seem to be many about - not that I could afford anyway. Most 2nd hand hutches on the market seem to be 3' or 4' too.:?
 
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Can you share with the bunny? ;)

Personally, I wouldn't go for anything less than 6 x 2 x 2 ft - I made the expensive mistake of not doing my research first, and ended up buying 2 hutch/runs in the end. I bought a 4 ft one, which was way too small. I know what you mean though - they are bloomin' expensive on the whole. :(

edit: forgot to say, I still think the converted shed might be your best option, as you can spend time with the bunnies in there in the cold/rain, whereas it's harder with a hutch, despite all best intentions sometimes.
 
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I am keeping an eye out in the papers/ebay for 2nd hand sheds or playhouses locally in case I'm not allowed to convert our existing shed. There is a larger Hutch on ebay for £119 someone has posted in another thread though, that might be worth considering.

I'm going to pop over to the pet shop at our local farm park later and see what they have on offer. I am really struggling online to find anything much that is 2' deep and 2' high as well as 5 or 6' long - many seem to be only 18" or so.
 
That looks quite complicated to me..........is the cladding essential or was that just your preference?

Looks fab though, best the rabbits loved it!
 
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