People with outdoor bunnies

How much time do you spend with your bunnys each day?

We have discussed putting Strawberry and Snowdrop outside now the weather is improving but are worried that they wont get much attention from us anymore. We both work full time and so usually they are free range from about 5pm-11pm every night and usually alternate between playing with each other and coming to us for attention (strawberry especially).

My other concern is that my garden is not directly behind my house. Its hard to explain but we live in a terrace and instead of having really narrow but long gardens they spilt them the other way, so our neighbour has the front garden and ours is behind theirs accessible via a path round the side of theirs. This means I would not be able to see them from the house and it would be more difficult to keep nipping out to check up on them- espcially over the winter or in bad weather.

They would also have less space outside as our garden is not secure and so they would have to be in a hutch all the time. We would obviously buy a big run but I still dont think it would compare to having 5 hours a day free range of the downstairs of our house.

Opinions anyone?

I don't spend hardly any time with the bunnies. I visit them loads during the day, but I don't sit with them etc hardly at all. But they have each other so they don't need me.

I spend hours outside with my bunnies, so that I can supervise them while they are free range x

You've said why you perhaps don't want to put them outside, but not why you DO want to put them outside. Is there any reason, or is it 'just because'?

I have no choice but to keep my bun as an indoor bun at the mo, but when I had Gilbert and Muffin I had a garden, but still had them as indoor bunnies, for exactly the reason you mention - I knew I personally wouldn't spend as much time with them as I would like if they were outside. I would always keep my bunnies indoors, because I know I'm lazy and sensitive to the cold and selfish lol and they get spoilt for attention if they're inside with me!!

I keep my rabbits outside all the time, in a hutch/run. I try to bring them in every evening after I get home from work. They either get a blocked-off, rabbit proof section of the hallway, or they hang out with me in the kitchen when I'm cooking dinner. Then later, if we're staying in and watching a film or something, I put their litter tray on the sofa and they sit with me (they are too afraid of the height to jump down!).

On weekends when it is nice weather, I put them in their larger run and sit with them there during the day. Of course, I spend more time with them in the summer than in the winter because of the weather...but they seem pretty happy with their own company most of the time.

Ours were inside and have now been in the garage/outside for about a month, they do seem to love being on the grass Even when they were inside they were lucky to own the living room so could have the patio doors open to outside, then they came in and out as they want. Now they live in the garage it was a case of putting them out and in.

Yesturday I made a big effort to create an "alleyway" from the garage door to their cage door so they cant come in and hide in all the **** in our garage lol. So our buns can come and go as they please again. It seems 90% of the time their on the grass

Now its warm i often am out their sunbathing with them so it gives you a great excuse to see the buns/sunbathe/do the gardening/read etc. :lol: Mine all terrorise me while I'm out their if this counts as 'spending time' with them haha. They have already attempted to steal my loaf of bread, the other day they tried to run off with a bag of donuts, and then yesturday I caught Spice carrying round my rubber glove... :shock: I think there trying their hardest to me off or scare me to death with worry so its probably good I spend less time with them the terrors! hehe :lol:


...and still I love them ridiculously...

The plus sides were mainly just that Strawberry can be rather destructive and eats carpet, plaster off the walls, the doors and anything else he can get his teeth into! Were in a rental property so any damage will be coming out of my deposit at the end so we cant really afford for them to be too destructive. The other plus is that Snowdrop seems much happier outside. We have a small space at the side of our house and we let them out there for a few hours after work and Snowdrop loves it!

I dont have hours that I could spend out in the garden. I work as a teacher so even when im home I still have planning and marking to do in the evenings so I wouldnt be able to sit with them outside for long.

My fidge has just moved outside now she's bonded with frankie and i go outside to watch them a few times a day (mainly when its ciggie time ) and they come in at about 9pm after their dinner for a play inside til my bedtime . This will have to be different in winter as moving from one temperature o another will be bad for them but they are moving into a shad soon so i plan to make a comfy sitting area in there for me. You thought about a shed at all?

We're in a rented house so cant put a shed up. We do already have a shed but cant make adaptations to it.

I am tempted to get a hutch/run combo and adopt a bonded pair from a rescue who are close to each other and dont need much human interaction. There are loads of oldies in rescue at the minute who are looking for a home.

Strawberry is so close to me and my OH I dont think it would be fair to put him out but I would love some outdoor bunnies as well and im financially in a position to have a few more.

I think you should keep them as indoor bunnies...

I would have a hard time putting any of mine out as they are not used to being in cages or hutches... I think if they were spending the majority of time in a hutch it would make them very miserable, especially Strawberry as he has always lived indoors. That's just my personal opinion though!! I also wouldn't like the fact that I couldn't see them from the house

Mine all do go out in the garden though, but all I have to do is open the back door and they come and go as they please. Some choose not to even go out!

Adopting a rescue pair sounds like a fab idea!!