In or Out - I don't know what is best.

Hello,

I am fairly new to the forum and rabbit owning. It has been a bumpy ride to say the least.

Background - I have 2 dogs, 3 guinea pigs and 2 rabbits (I also have fish and a darling hamster but they aren't relevant to this discussion)

The Plan - Originally the rabbits were going outside in a hutch with a runaround run tube to a run I bought. Aside from the runaround everything was too small. Plus the hutch attracted attention from the local foxes. Serious attention. Being in the garden, pooing in front of the hutch, urinating and digging on the grass around the run. The dogs were getting very stressed by all this - attempting to protect the rabbits wanting to go out all the time. The rabbits themselves were hardly seen hiding or sitting v still.

This is all in the context of my neighbours two doors down having to "replace" their rabbit twice due to foxes.

so we moved on to plan B

The shed - I have to empty the shed, line it put either the hutch or the dog crate in there as a base and using the run around attach a run outside. This isn't ideal as the shed is far from the house and has a fence in front of it so you can't see it from the house.

Clearing out the shed was a big job so meanwhile Milo and Penny are indoors. They are great indoors, some chewing but that is mostly my fault. They free range upstairs and have the (indoor) guinea pig hutch as their base. Fully litter trained. The guinea pigs have moved into an indoor cage which is currently on top of the hutch. The piggies have an indoor run and the dogs (tho love the rabbits) are downstairs.

I really like having them inside. We interact more and we have a routine. However the hutch/cage arrangement is a bit impractical for both sets of animals. the whole reason why the piggies had a hutch is that the cage kills my back so this is all v temporary.

I have a five foot double hutch (the too small one from the garden) which I was considering bringing inside and have the piggies live upstairs and the rabbits live down stairs - with the bottom as a base and free range in my room/upstairs. The rabbits and piggies would not be free ranging together.

The rabbits would then live like the guinea pigs do - as in run time on good days outside and indoors otherwise.

I just don't know if it is for the best or not.

Is it ok to have piggies at the top and rabbits at the bottom? - their door would be open all day.

If I put them in the shed....I am afraid something will happen to them. An outside hutch is out of the question.

I welcome opinions and ideas. I feel so stuck. Was going to have a lovely set up for them ouside and whilst I think they are happy indoors I am worried that they could be happier.

I did this with the piggies, moved them from cage to cage.

Where would the dogs and rabbits be in relation to each other if you put the rabbits downstairs? That would work as a summer plan but neither rabbits or pigs would do well going in and out during winter

Sorry, I didn't make it clear, the guinea pigs only go out if the weather is nice - in winter everyone is strictly indoors.


When I said I moved the gps from cage to cage, I meant they have had a lot of different set ups!

The dogs go in the garden quite often so the rabbits couldn't be downstairs. There isn't room and it is too open plan for free range and access to garden for the dogs.

I have bought mesh for the shed and the run around kit, I feel they should be used.

I just think realistically I wouldn't feel safe with them outside. Even in the shed. And now I am off to bed and will feed them and play with them. I love that.

If you are getting foxes coming into your garden then it's not going to be nice for the rabbits. They will feel frightened much of the time. Could you have an enclosure in your room, fairly bit say about 6' x 4'. this will mean the bunnies have space and are safe from foxes. You can put hidey holes (tunnels etc) in their enclosure with a nice big litter tray filled with hay. Meanwhile can you not make the garden a bit more foxproof, I know this is difficult if you have a large garden as it will cost the earth.

To make an enclosure you can use puppy pens or have a large one made with wood and wire as in a rabbit run.

Don't forget foxes are also around during the day.

I agree re the foxes and the rabbits not being happy - they are totally different inside.

The base of the hutch I might use is 5 by 2, but I have been leaving them out in my room whilst at work and then all of the hall when I am home. As I have had the guinea pigs for so long most of it is gp/rabbit proof and the rest is sectioned off with (stylish!) grid squares. My only issue is Milo getting on the bed and weeing(gross!) but he has only done that twice and they have been indoors for about a month. Otherwise they are fully litter trained (I wondered if he did this cos he get stuck on the bed?). They have a tray(plus hay) in the hutch and have toys around the room.

I am worried about two things

1. living in such close proximity to the guinea pigs (who would be in the top section of the hutch) Would this be stressful for them? or the gps?
2. Them not getting enough exercise

I am also gutted I spent so much on the run around. And the mesh stuff! That is kind of beside the point tho! I could spend more money and buy a huge run for them to connect to one of the smaller hutches just for supervised outside time. I may have to set up a kind of play room (!) in the shed as I am decorating in a couple of weeks and although the guinea pigs can be downstairs there isn't room for the rabbits too (as they were meant to be outside by now). That is part of the reason I am so stressed about whether they live inside or outside. To accommodate the hutch in my room will mean some re planning and decisions about other furniture. I need to make those decisions now.


thank you for the suggestions and comments so far. Very appreciated as I am at a bit of a loss.

Guinea pigs and rabbits don't stress one another out at all. You could possibly sell the stuff you bought or maybe take it back if it is still like new. I can understand your problems, rabbits are not easy animals to accommodate with their needs annd being prey animals but safety has to be your main priority or the fox will have them.

I have guinea pigs on a table (in a cage) in the quad's shed and no one seems at all stressed. The rabbits can't get anywhere near the g.pigs cage.

I think the indoor set up for them sounds fine. You could always put some kind of tarp/shower curtain onto your bed. It is quite a common problem.

This is when Mottle and Peaches were indoors and the whistlers were on the table in the cage in their room;

well that makes me feel a better about the rabbits and guinea pigs being near each other. Thank you. And yes the whole outside thing does really worry me!


When the gps are in the run Abby (GP) and Penny (rabbit) always greet each other through the bars. Milo doesn't seem interested in them at all.

Milo has just peed on the bed again. Is it anything to do with me (coming from the dog walk) being soaked so stripping off and jumping in the shower - leaving my wet clothes on the floor. He hadn't done it whilst I was out with the dogs.

I have a duvet to wash again. So best get on!

I think quite a few people keep both and I don't see any reason why they shouldn't share a room as long as you've got them separate, which sounds like what you have planned Just watch for nose nipping through the bars as sometimes rabbits can get a little worked up about territory boundaries.

Rabbits are very scent orientated and soft furnishings like beds/sofas tend to hold scent well so they can be tricky spots for toilet habits. I imagine wet clothes from a walk would have a lot of interesting scents too. If it's a habit, you can try popping a tray on top of the covers and then once he's using it gradually moving it to a more appropriate spot.

thank you for the ideas

I think I am going to try inside and for the summer they can have access to a run on nice days. I came home from four days away and I swear the rabbits were pleased to see me! much binkying and head butting my legs.

They aren't going back outside now!

Plus I have the fun of setting up the "new" indoor hutch

Having continued to struggle with how to house the rabbits, I wanted to ask your opinions,

If they were indoors they would have 20ft squared cage during the day and in the evening the run of upstairs. Is that enough??

I am (Still) clearing out the shed...... if needs be... but I really don't want them outside unsupervised. thanks for any help