House bunny to Outdoor bunny...

:wave: Hi guys!

I've not been on here in planets but it's coming to that time were my big wedding day is approaching fast and also my big move and I need advice on my Jack's new housing situation.

I'm moving to an army marriage quarters housing estate and this means that apparently they can come round and do spot checks whenever they feel like it. The thing is I was going to give Jack her own room but what with the amount of kit and stuff my husband to be has this isn't going to be possible. Plus she has took to chewing anything in sight these days and I just can't afford to risk her chewing the carpet or skirting board of the house.

So we have decided to make the shed into a lovely wee house for her and we are going to insulate it and also attach a run to it soshe can hop in and out when she feels like it and make it as cosy as possible but my worry is she is so used to beinh a house bunny and with the winter coming in is this a good idea? Somebody told me it would kill her so obviously if that's a risk i'll have to find somewhere in the house to put her!!

I also thought we could put her out in the shut during the day while we are at work and then at night time put her in the box room, only thing is the box room is really small and it has no windoe and i was worried about this to!!

any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated xx

It's too late to put them outside now i think, its too cold :/

ETA: sorry, i don't really know what else to suggest.

March/April time is the time to move them outside i believe, so could you possibly keep them indoors until then? :?

GrahamL said:

It's too late to put them outside now i think, its too cold :/

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Yeah I was thinking that.....back to the drawing board!!

Would it be possible to get heating in the shed? Along with heating, snuggle safes and lots and lots of straw i reckon she would be ok?? x

neenee said:

Would it be possible to get heating in the shed? Along with heating, snuggle safes and lots and lots of straw i reckon she would be ok?? x

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Agreed, I have a brick outhouse in my current house. And when I walk into there it's really warm, sometimes warmer than the house :roll:

If insulated rightly, sheds can be just as warm as houses, just don't add the run until March/April next year.

Mandy, what size is the shed?

Kermit said:

Mandy, what size is the shed?

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It's pretty big actually I think she would love it in there and it's right next to the house i'll see if Lee can pop over and take some photo's of it. I might be picking him up tonight so I can even go over myself and take photos' x

PixieRabbit said:

Agreed, I have a brick outhouse in my current house. And when I walk into there it's really warm, sometimes warmer than the house :roll:

If insulated rightly, sheds can be just as warm as houses, just don't add the run until March/April next year.

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Hmm heating might be an issue but it's something we can look into I guess.
I mean she would of course be brought into the house all the time cos it will be strange for me not to see her every minute of the day like i'm used to.

I'm also hoping to get her a wee friend to keep her company out there x

I think it's a little too late in the year for her to go outside now personally.

Temperatures have plummeted over the last few nights especially; I'm not worried about my two as they've been moulting furiously into their winter coats for a good few weeks but an indoor bunny would definitely feel it.

If you do get some form of heating in the shed etc, I would still be wary of bringing her in and out all the time, unless the room you're bringing her into is unheated - if she goes outside, then really she should be out all the time as bunnies don't cope with changes of temperature (hot to cold and vice versa) very well.

Could you keep her inside but block her access to things that she can chew?

Aye, if she is out then she will have to stay out. No coming into the warm house for snuggles. You would have to go out there to her. Plus she really needs a friend if she s going to be outside.

I am sure that collielover fosters for a place in edinburgh, she might be able to help with a friend.

KarenM said:

I think it's a little too late in the year for her to go outside now personally.

Temperatures have plummeted over the last few nights especially; I'm not worried about my two as they've been moulting furiously into their winter coats for a good few weeks but an indoor bunny would definitely feel it.

If you do get some form of heating in the shed etc, I would still be wary of bringing her in and out all the time, unless the room you're bringing her into is unheated - if she goes outside, then really she should be out all the time as bunnies don't cope with changes of temperature (hot to cold and vice versa) very well.

Could you keep her inside but block her access to things that she can chew?

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Yeah Jack has been moulting to thankfully she now has her lovely fluffy coat back to normal!
The only room I have available to put her into is a box room that has no window and is pretty dark and not that big to be honest. I was really set on making her, her own space in the shed cos it would be ideal for her but now from the feedback I've had I'm a bit worried now!
The only reason I'm allowed to even take her to the new house is cos I told the army people she was kept in a cage and not a free range bunny! x

Jaki5 said:

Yeah Jack has been moulting to thankfully she now has her lovely fluffy coat back to normal!
The only room I have available to put her into is a box room that has no window and is pretty dark and not that big to be honest. I was really set on making her, her own space in the shed cos it would be ideal for her but now from the feedback I've had I'm a bit worried now!
The only reason I'm allowed to even take her to the new house is cos I told the army people she was kept in a cage and not a free range bunny! x

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So you woudn't be lying if she was in a indoor cage with a pen around it? Or a pen made of NIC cubes?

Jaki5 said:

Yeah Jack has been moulting to thankfully she now has her lovely fluffy coat back to normal!
The only room I have available to put her into is a box room that has no window and is pretty dark and not that big to be honest. I was really set on making her, her own space in the shed cos it would be ideal for her but now from the feedback I've had I'm a bit worried now!
The only reason I'm allowed to even take her to the new house is cos I told the army people she was kept in a cage and not a free range bunny! x

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I understand your predicament. She may well cope ok, but we're just giving our opinions based on what we would do in the same situation.

If it was even just a month earlier in the year I think it would have been fine (as long as she has somebunny else to snuggle up with).

I know it's a good 6 mths now till it starts warming up again, but is there a way you could rig something up for her indoors now, with a view to her going outside in the spring?

How many bedrooms will you have? Can you squeeze oh's belongings into the box room to make room for jack elsewhere? Or just bin them. :lol::lol:

Presumably you would get notice before any inspections, so could put her in a cage at those times?

Is there electricity in the shed? If so a tube heater would help heat it.

Has she had her winter moult yet? Some of mine are still to moult or have just started.

If you are looking for a friend for her I have a couple here that are fosters. One of them has already been neutered and has been looking for a home for some time. He is lovely and a huge softie .

KarenM said:

I understand your predicament. She may well cope ok, but we're just giving our opinions based on what we would do in the same situation.

If it was even just a month earlier in the year I think it would have been fine (as long as she has somebunny else to snuggle up with).

I know it's a good 6 mths now till it starts warming up again, but is there a way you could rig something up for her indoors now, with a view to her going outside in the spring?

How many bedrooms will you have? Can you squeeze oh's belongings into the box room to make room for jack elsewhere? Or just bin them. :lol::lol:

Presumably you would get notice before any inspections, so could put her in a cage at those times?

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I'll really need to have a look once we are moved in to see what i can do.
There is 2 bedrooms and a box room. Obv a room for us and my fiance needs a room for his stuff. Lol no chance of binning it it's all his important army kit for afghan and what not so he does need it.
I'd like to think we would get notice but you never know with them lot!!
I do't even have a cage for her just she has a set up in my room for her the now where she is free range with like a cage type thing to keep her from roaming around the full room!!
The drama's she causes lol x

weedug said:

Is there electricity in the shed? If so a tube heater would help heat it.

Has she had her winter moult yet? Some of mine are still to moult or have just started.

If you are looking for a friend for her I have a couple here that are fosters. One of them has already been neutered and has been looking for a home for some time. He is lovely and a huge softie .

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No there isn't any electricity but it's pretty close to the back door so i think it'd be easy to set up??

Oh that's interesting do you happen to do the bonding to or would i need to do that on my own? :? x

Jaki5 said:

No there isn't any electricity but it's pretty close to the back door so i think it'd be easy to set up??

Oh that's interesting do you happen to do the bonding to or would i need to do that on my own? :? x

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Sounds like it would be easy to get power into the shed then.

Unfortunately I'm a learner at bonding . Let me know if you want more details of the 2 fosters I have .

weedug said:

Sounds like it would be easy to get power into the shed then.

Unfortunately I'm a learner at bonding . Let me know if you want more details of the 2 fosters I have .

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Can you send me any pics of the fosters you have? I'm not sure if i could handle with the bonding on my own though thats the only thing x

Here's a couple of photos of the shed

Inside the shed




Side shot of the shed even has a wee window

Personally I would say it's too late in the year to be moving indoor buns outside.. It's extremely cold at night now & even living indoors with no heating is much warmer than living in a shed.
Most outdoor buns will have a much denser coat by now, that indoor buns will just not have.
Bunnies cope very well with the cold, but do not cope so well with a dramatic change in temperature.