Harness that looks like a vest + taking indoor rabbits out?

I have a lot of harnesses at home but I wonder about the ones that look like a vest. They look comfortable but are they "escape-safe"? I´m thinking of buying one but would like to hear your opinions first:?:

I also wonder if you with indoor rabbits sometimes take them out for exercise (for a short while) now when it´s winter and quite cold outside:?: I haven´t done that (in wintertime) with mine, but I´ve been thinking if it´s a good idea with my girl, who is quite an active and restless little bunny. It´s about 0 C here now.

I think I have a vest harness (one of these right ?) and I personally think it's a lot more escape proof than the loop ones. I have previously taken mine out on walks but I think it's really important to ensure it's not on too tightly and if they seem stressed out, stop with the walk. Some people disagree with harnesses and may tell you not to do to for some of these points: http://www.wheekwheekthump.com/2013/09/08/reasons-harnesses-dangerous-rabbit/ but I think it's totally up to you. If you feel happy with it, then go for it.

I would be totally against taking a rabbit out on a lead/harness. Rabbits are prey species and need to feel safe and secure with bolt holes/hidey places. They need to be able to explore spacious safe places at their own pace. Using a lead/harness does not facilitate this natural behaviour and puts them under uneccessary stress. I would urge you to reconsider using these and look at other ways to provide daily exercise.

I would say that the personality of the rabbit is the most important factor in deciding on using a harness - I've seen some rabbits exercised on a lead and really enjoying it but that only seems to be the case with very confident buns and probably in an area that they know well (ie: not down the street or in a town!).

To answer the OP though, I wouldn't do it in winter if it's an indoor bun. She won't be climatised to the cold or have a winter coat that will keep her warm. Plus being an indoor bun the outside would be much more of a scary place (as opposed to the rabbit living in a shed/run setup, for example) so it's unlikely she'd feel comfortable on a lead, for the reasons mentioned above.

I have a vest harness for my buns. Some people don't agree with harnesses but it just depends on the individual bun's personality. If they don't mind a harness then no harm done.

I take my indoor buns outside year round but only because I live in a warm climate, I don't take them outside on cold days. Since you're in Sweden it wouldn't be good to do because she won't be acclimated to the cold and won't have a thick winter coat like outdoor buns do.

William said:

I have a vest harness for my buns. Some people don't agree with harnesses but it just depends on the individual bun's personality. If they don't mind a harness then no harm done.

I take my indoor buns outside year round but only because I live in a warm climate, I don't take them outside on cold days. Since you're in Sweden it wouldn't be good to do because she won't be acclimated to the cold and won't have a thick winter coat like outdoor buns do.

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But the only way to find this out for sure would be to put them in a harness and by then the damage is done.

I only ever use a harness as a training aid. I use them to teach the bun where they can and can't go in my garden. I'd never use it permanently because when a rabbit decides to go for a run and binky they can get tangled up and seriously hurt themselves. They can also run to the end of the lead and break their back. Some buns are ok on them but I wouldn't risk it.

mabels mum said:

But the only way to find this out for sure would be to put them in a harness and by then the damage is done.

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You can sort of tell by their personality though. For instance my bunnies aren't the type to freak out, they're quite calm. When I start using a harness with a new bunny I always put the harness on in a place they're used to first and let them walk around and see how they react before taking them outside. And I wouldn't use any type of harness besides a vest harness (they seem the safest to me) and I'd always use a stretchy leash. Never use like a dog leash because those are more likely to cause injury if they do run. So there are precautions you can take at least.

When I was younger (about age 12-13) I had a very lovely, confident male rabbit called Magic and I used to take him to the shop with me in a harness. :roll:It was a walk through a wooded alley and a cul-de-sac so no where near traffic and I sometimes used to take him to the field behind my house as well... Seems absolutely mad to me now but I do believe he genuinely enjoyed it, he lapped up the attention he got from passers by, he never appeared frightened at all nor did he ever try to escape or grapple with his harness. Having said all of that, I wouldn't try it with my buns now as with the benefit of hindsight (and age....) I can see the risks it would pose.... Obvisouly its up to you but my personal opinion now is that we should just try to give them as much room as we can to exercise without limiting them to a harness...x

I had a harness for my first rabbit Sumpy, I only used it to let him walk around the paddock and I must say he enjoyed it but the important thing was I didn't try to 'walk' him on it, there was never any tension in the lead, it was more for my peace of mind but he didn't mind in the slightest. He always started with a circuit of the hedgerows and then would have done some bounding across the field, and liked inspecting the cows and chickens. Having said that i wouldn't even attempt it on my current buns, they'd be having none of it!




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mabels mum said:

I would be totally against taking a rabbit out on a lead/harness. Rabbits are prey species and need to feel safe and secure with bolt holes/hidey places. They need to be able to explore spacious safe places at their own pace. Using a lead/harness does not facilitate this natural behaviour and puts them under uneccessary stress. I would urge you to reconsider using these and look at other ways to provide daily exercise.

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I agree with this. I have four buns and four unused harnesses! I was a bit dopey when the bunnies were new...

I clearly get your point, folks!
(Luckily I´ve never heard of anyone who had such a terrible accident with their bunny:shock:.)

We will wait for the warmth and then use their run in the yard, looking forward to that since they really love grass under their feet.

My buns have an outdoor setup for Summer so they can go out whilst I'm at work. I find this is the best thing for them if you want them to spend time outside. I also let them free range in the garden (with strict supervision) and they absolutely love this. In the winter I put them in the front room for a few hours on an evening for a change in scenery. They generally just sit and sleep. :lol: I think in winter bunnies slow right down anyway, so it's not the end of the world if they can't get out in the garden.