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Indoor / Outdoor

Inside or out...what is better for buns?

  • Inside

    Votes: 13 27.7%
  • Outside

    Votes: 10 21.3%
  • Either - I don't think they care!

    Votes: 24 51.1%

  • Total voters
    47

Buuny_Friend

Mama Doe
Do you guys think, rom a rabbit's point of view, that is is better to live inside or out?

All our buns live outside but we have a group of 4 inside at the moment as we are bonding them. The bond has been going realy well so I am allowing them to run round the living room at the moment...they are having a great time! :love:

It is so lovely to watch and it got me thinking... I:love:f we had indoor bunnies, I wouldn't have to CONSTANTLY worry about them being outside (rain, wind, foxes etc) BUT, is that a selfish way to look at it and is being indoors less natural for them?

What do you guys think?
 
I think it depends on the rabbit to be honest.

I have both indoor and outdoor buns.

I have some (one in particular) who gets incredibly depressed outside, and I have some outside buns who can't stand being inside.

So, like with most other things, I think its rabbit and circumstances dependent.
 
This is a subject I've been thinking about a lot lately. I had bunnies that started off outside, then ended up inside because they were too sick to remain outside. The reason I'm thinking about it, is because of future bunnies.

I think bunnies can be happy indoors, but it is probably more natural and healthy for them to be outside (with sun and fresh air), as long as they don't have a condition requiring a fairly constant temperature, there are no predators, etc.
 
i have voted either, i dont think they really care where they live :D

Alvin hates outside tho, on the few occasions i forced him to go out he went really depressed and was back under the sofa within 10 mins :lol::lol:
 
From a selfish point of view my bunnies are insiders! I know no fox / human will hurt them! I know they are well cleaned out, or my house would smell, I know i haven`t forgot to feed/ water / let them out as i can`t miss them! lol.:wave: They do go out in the garden in good weather. So i don`t feel they miss out on anything.
 
I may not be the most qualified person to answer this as I don't yet have any rabbits..... but it's something that I've thought a lot about.

I think it depends on what space etc. you can offer them.

There are a lot of plus points about having animals inside - I love having my Guinea Pigs inside and couldn't imagine having them outside. I can see them whenever I like and however I'm dressed! If it's raining and cold I can still be with them and be comfortable.

Also; they are safe from predators and protected from extremes of cold and heat etc. and I guess they are likely to get more attention from you.

However; for me personally - although I'd love to keep rabbits inside - I know that they couldn't have as much space as they could if I keep them outside. We already have a 'pet room' so there's no space there and the other spare room I would like to remain spare for my nieces / nephews etc. ;)

I plan to have a large shed/kennel type space for the rabbits I will eventually have with an attached run and give them free range of the garden when I'm inside the house. So they will have far more space than they would inside - as indoors they'd probably only have the range of one room. I plan for them to be on our 'patio' close to our house so that I can keep a close eye on them and give let them in the kitchen and dining room which back on to the house.

Will be interested to see what other people say on this .....
 
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I think bunnies can be happy indoors, but it is probably more natural and healthy for them to be outside (with sun and fresh air), as long as they don't have a condition requiring a fairly constant temperature, there are no predators, etc.

I think I have to agree with this! I have 2 indoor bunnies but if I think about it I made the decision selfishly because I wanted some furry friends indoors with me! Daisys had a full blown bout of stasis and a few averted ones and Im worried it's because she's eating non natural things like carpet, so maybe they would be better outside!
 
However; for me personally - although I'd love to keep rabbits inside - I know that they couldn't have as much space as they could if I keep them outside. We already have a 'pet room' so there's no space there and the other spare room I would like to remain spare for my nieces / nephews etc. ;)

Sounds a bit like my house - because the piggies have their own room, my indoor bunnies took over the house, so it became less of a house and more of a giant hutch! :shock::lol:
 
I voted either, before Pepi all my bunnies were outdoor and they loved it, after Pepi though, they're all insiders and love it too!:)
 
I voted either - much depends on the circumstance and the bunnies. I had Daisy & Gabriel inside and LOVED the company but when Gabe went to the bridge :)cry:) I got Daisy a new friend and she wouldn't let him upstairs so they both lived downstairs - which meant on the living room rug (6x4) as they hated the laminate.

Due to this and the fact that Ben refused to use his litter tray I moved them outside to a 7 x 4 carpeted home in my garage with free access to a 10x4 run outside, they also have a 2 tier hutch to play in in the garage. I have to say I have never seen them happier !!!! I would never have moved Gabriel outside though....
 
i gotta say i dont understand the more natural argument, i never have :oops::oops::oops:

we all lived outside once, dogs are still 90% wolf but happliy live indoors. why is it only more natural for a bunny to be outside and not other pets???
 
I have 4 outside buns and they are very happy. For the last 36 hours and for another 14 I have a house bun too. I have loved having him here and he obviously loves it. He has been free ranging in the living room all day which is loads more space than my outdoor buns get most days.

It has poured with rain here today and I know my outdoor buns are ok and dry under their covers but I havent been able to go outside and spend quality time with them in the same way as I have with Oscar.

I would dearly love to have a house bun. As soon as we move to a bigger house O/H has ok'ed it!:D

I am really going to miss Oscar tomorrow.:(
 
I'd love to have mine inside but don't really have any spare rooms in the house. They seem to enjoy it outside anyway. I bring them inside to run around the living room sometimes and Ruby especially seems to like it - I have suspicions she used to be a house bunny.
 
why is it only more natural for a bunny to be outside and not other pets???

My perception on this is that it is largely because of the peculiar behaviour and dietary requirements of rabbits. Being constant grazers, being outside in an environment that permits grazing, chewing, digging and snipping allows the rabbits to fulfil more of their natural instincts and dietary requirements than an indoor home (or indeed an outdoor home on concrete or permanently in a hutch) and potentially therefore has benefits for teeth in particular. There's also the thing about vitamin D and sunlight...at least humans and dogs go outside for good periods of time but house bunnies don't necessarily do that so have food supplements instead...which is less natural.

None of it is insurmountable though, I don't think either is necessarily any better or worse, it just depends on circumstances. Indoor bunnies may well get more space when someone is home, but they may also get shut in a cage or crate for long periods of time, to prevent that 'natural' chewing and destructive behaviour. Other owners may have totally free range housebunnies or entire rooms for the buns. Similarly, an outdoor rabbit in a hutch/shed and attached run may have more space on aggregate as they have it all 24/7, but others may be shut in a hutch with no run attached and therefore have less freedom.

So, in conclusion, it depends :lol:
 
My perception on this is that it is largely because of the peculiar behaviour and dietary requirements of rabbits. Being constant grazers, being outside in an environment that permits grazing, chewing, digging and snipping allows the rabbits to fulfil more of their natural instincts and dietary requirements than an indoor home (or indeed an outdoor home on concrete or permanently in a hutch) and potentially therefore has benefits for teeth in particular. There's also the thing about vitamin D and sunlight...at least humans and dogs go outside for good periods of time but house bunnies don't necessarily do that so have food supplements instead...which is less natural.

None of it is insurmountable though, I don't think either is necessarily any better or worse, it just depends on circumstances. Indoor bunnies may well get more space when someone is home, but they may also get shut in a cage or crate for long periods of time, to prevent that 'natural' chewing and destructive behaviour. Other owners may have totally free range housebunnies or entire rooms for the buns. Similarly, an outdoor rabbit in a hutch/shed and attached run may have more space on aggregate as they have it all 24/7, but others may be shut in a hutch with no run attached and therefore have less freedom.

So, in conclusion, it depends :lol:

oooooooh the grazing/destruction reason.. good point now i get it :D:D

ill just have to grass the bedroom :lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
Just buy a fluffy green carpet, I reckon they'd destroy it with the same relish as a lawn :lol:
 
I voted inside. I would never have an outside bunny here. The summers are way too hot and the winters not cold enough to kill off all the pest and parasites that could get them.
 
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