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Risks of putting house bun out at this stage of the year? -advice needed-

Ariana

Ariana

Young Bun
Eurgh... my friend has taken in a bun who has clearly been a well trained house bunny... but as they have a new born baby it has been put outside -.- It's in a shed so I'm trying to talk him into using a space heater but with them using so much electricity he is extremely reluctant :(

I'm worried about the bun, as I've always been told not to put buns out after August... What are the risks of doing it so late? What do I need to look out for when I'm round - and does anyone have suggestions of how to keep the poor thing comfortable?
 
The Rabbit will not have a thick enough coat and should not be housed outside now. Night-time temperatures are low enough to cause ground frosts. The Rabbit is a risk of hypothermia. He could find a dead Rabbit :cry:

Why cant the Rabbit be indoors ? How does having a baby effect that :?

A heater of some sort is an essential IMO. As is good insulation of the shed and lots of deep hay, a snugglesafe etc.
 
I know this =( Mine have been outside since July, but he is being pig-headed and in my opinion, stupid! His attitude is that if all the other rabbits are outside, this one should be too and that its poo is going to make the newborn ill if it's kept inside -.- I'm going to try again to persuade him, but I'm not sure it'll be enough, he's often stubborn!

I'm going to go and buy a load of fleeces and stuff today, along with a whole lot of straw/hay to make it like, a snuggle shelf in the shed as well as it's hay box.
 
IMO I don't think he should be outside. Like JJ said he stands a risk of hypothermia and this weekend is going to be the coldest this year. Not a good time to be put outside especially as he is on his own.

If you make him a box there is a good chance he won't use it. Ours don't.

Can you take the rabbit in??? And tere is no way a rabbit will make the baby sick unless the baby ingested it's waste which as a new born will not happen.

Please don't put him outside.
 
Ariana, we're just down the road from you in Marske, near Redcar, and we had a ground frost last night.

Do your best to encourage your friend to take the bunny back inside until spring when all risk of frost has gone; then they can turn him into an outdoor bunny.

However, if they absolutely refuse then there's not much you can do I'm afraid.

I expect you will have stressed that the bunny is house trained/litter trained and unless the newborn can crawl over, pick up the bunny poo/food/etc and eat it, he/she's at no risk.

It's not like the rabbit will suddenly savage the baby either, unlike a dog. Nor sit on its face, like a cat would (and they only do that due to the heat the face emits).
 
I have this dilemma now,
With one of my buns coming in with a bad eye to keep a close eye on his and his eating etc, he wont be able to stay inside all winter, We have had to rearrange the whole room to fit him in, but it had to be done and has been in since Monday, We are going to have to put him in the shed with a heater overnight,
He is still going in the run during the day, but is inside when the temp drops overnight, Im hoping he has a partial winter coat where he was out, and he should be able to go back out max 2 weeks (until his eye is fully healed)

So will keep an eye on this thread for peoples views.

ETA - Id try to get them to keep him in until spring, the new born is not going to be able to do much for a good few months, and by the time baby is up and about, it will be warm again, and bunny can go outside without risk to its health/life
 
I got Ailsa last Sunday, she's been a house bun for the last 3 years. Well I don't do house bunnies, so she spent two nights in my (ver cold) house, and has now had two nights in the shed with Harris. She seems fine so far. I don't think its too cold really at the moment, especially in my shed, but I wouldn't leave it much longer if you are going to do it.
 
the coldest it is going to be here according to Met office over night, is 9 on friday and sat, he will still be in then, Monday is going to be 15 overnight, and I cant see any more.
 
happysaz133 said:
I got Ailsa last Sunday, she's been a house bun for the last 3 years. Well I don't do house bunnies, so she spent two nights in my (ver cold) house, and has now had two nights in the shed with Harris. She seems fine so far. I don't think its too cold really at the moment, especially in my shed, but I wouldn't leave it much longer if you are going to do it.
Click to expand...

I assume Harris is a bun, but this little bun in this thread will be on his own with no other bun to snuggle with. :(
 
personally if they wont change their mind i would suggest a carrier being put in the shed to snuggle into filled with hay, some blankets on the floor, and snugglesafes for overnight i think its not so bad now as winter gets so if they have to put bunny outdoors now is better than later, i would suggest also doing it before any heating gets put on in the house ensuring deep layers of hay in the shed for overnight and possibly suggest bonding it in with other bunnies they already have (more bunny heat to snuggle up to)? obviously you would probebly have to bond for them as sounds like they wont want the hassel right now.
 
How much thicker will an outside rabbits coat be compared to a houserabbit? :? Louie has a thick coat and is a houserabbit!

I'm sure the rabbit will be fine outside.
 
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