help for new owner

I hope you can answer my quereies. I rescued Silvester from our animal sanctuary 2 weeks ago and he will be neutered next monday, he is absolutely gorgeous and very friendly, My questions are: he is ina trixie 150 in the evenings and when the weather is wet, he has an outside hutch which is the largest we could find with a run attatched, I have also secured another sanctuary female rabbit who is being neutered this week called Patricia. We have bought her a trixie 140 indoor housing and an even larger outside house and run. How soon after neutering can I introduce them both as I would like them both to use the very large outside enclosure so I can donate Silvesters to the sanctuary and how long if they get along will they be able to share the indoor house if at all.
Many thanks

You should wait 6 weeks after neutering to let everything heal and for hormones to die down, with will give you a greater success in bonding the two rabbits.

I don't know what size you indoor cages are, but RSPCA guide lines say that a rabbit should have permenant acces to around 50sq ft of space on a permenant basis.

If your buns are outside then it would be best getting them a minimum of 6ftx2ftx2ft hutch and a 6ftx4ftx2ft run. you could consider a shed with a run attached.

thanks

The outdoor runs are well over 50sq ft, what about weather, Silvester has been indoors today because it is wet will he be ok outside even when it's raining

My guys are outside buns, and I cover their run and open areas of the hutch with clear plastic. I picked up some clear shower curtains and fixed them to the outside fo the run so they have enough dry areas to go into

I really appreciate

your quick response and I will go and get some shower curtains then pop him out, I will of course bring him in later as he likes to settle down with company in the evening. One other thing if I may, I am a bit confused about where best to locate the runs, at present the hutch is on slabs and the run is on grass, we dug up the turf and laid chicken wire under the turf then relaid it, an operation that took the best part of saturday morning. What is better grass or slabs and also I read somewhere that the chicken wire can be laid directly on top of the grass, would this damage thir feet?

So long as your around to supervise grass is fine, just be sure that he doesn't eat more grass than he is used to and it can upset his stomach. Concrete slabs are much safer in terms of the rabbit digging out or predatores digging in, as although chicken wire provides some protection foxes have found they can chew through some chicken wires, if you were to do it again I would suggest welded mesh as it is much tougher.

You mention your rabbit comes in and out of the house? is he indoors or out doors during the winter?

Hi

I would like to keep them outside in the day and inside in the evenings

I really wouldn't do that, presuming you are in the uk. Rabbits need time to grow their fur coats to protect them against the winter weather, they do this by moulting in their winter coats as it gets colder, so from September (as it starts to get cold) they either need to be full time indoor bunnies or full time outdoor bunnies.

Being darted between the outside cold, and centrally heated inside, their poor bodies will not know what to do. Grow a thick coat, they will be too hot inside, and moulting out the thick coat, they will be too cold outside.

You have a bit of time to decide

lottielouise said:

I really wouldn't do that, presuming you are in the uk. Rabbits need time to grow their fur coats to protect them against the winter weather, they do this by moulting in their winter coats as it gets colder, so from September (as it starts to get cold) they either need to be full time indoor bunnies or full time outdoor bunnies.

Being darted between the outside cold, and centrally heated inside, their poor bodies will not know what to do. Grow a thick coat, they will be too hot inside, and moulting out the thick coat, they will be too cold outside.

Click to expand...

I learn something new everytime I come on here.

lottielouise said:

I really wouldn't do that, presuming you are in the uk. Rabbits need time to grow their fur coats to protect them against the winter weather, they do this by moulting in their winter coats as it gets colder, so from September (as it starts to get cold) they either need to be full time indoor bunnies or full time outdoor bunnies.

Being darted between the outside cold, and centrally heated inside, their poor bodies will not know what to do. Grow a thick coat, they will be too hot inside, and moulting out the thick coat, they will be too cold outside.

You have a bit of time to decide

Click to expand...

This is correct. It is thought that the biggest shock to rabbits is any SUDDEN changes in temperature as opposed to low or high temperatures. Rabbits can tolerate down to zero degrees and below provided they have enough warm bedding and shelter, ample food for energy and have had time to grow their coats thick enough. Rabbit burrows tend to stay a constant 10 degrees below ground all year round.