What's Best?

My bun is housed outdoor in a hutch. It has a nesting box with lots of hay and rests against a shed that breaks the prevailing winds. I have covered all sides of the hutch with aluminum backed bubble wrap, draped it with canvas and a waterproof tarp which I roll up during the day and when it's not raining. Attached to the hutch is a 4x6 fenced playpen area. During the day, I leave the hutch middle door open so he can go in or out and always have access to hay/food/water/nest. In the afternoons, I am out there playing with my dog and I leave him to run free in our very large fenced yard, putting him back in the pen as it gets dark. He likes when all the family is out together, runs around our feet, sits for petting, launches himself at my dog! He also flies up the stairs onto the deck and sometimes perches under the bench that is now covered with a tarp for winter.

This is my first bun. I've only had him since September and our fall was warmer and drier than usual so I encountered no problems. I did bring him inside to stay at night around Halloween, more for my peace of mind. But I was soon experiencing serious allergy issues and moved him back out within a few weeks.

Problem is, I am obsessively worried about him now that it is getting colder and we've had more rain. I'm considering moving him to my front basement room. There is no heat in there and the space is in front of a windowed door so he will have light. There are three doors between that room and my living area, so I'm thinking I won't be affected, allergy wise. The temp is in the low 60's in that room. Not too different than an underground warren.

Would it be possible to move him there and still have him outside in his pen for several hours during the day in the winter, or is that to extreme? Or is my set up outside good and I just need to chill.

Thank you for reading this lengthy book! I'm driving my poor husband crazy with all of this. He has helped me prepare everything and will continue to make improvements in the spring. But he is having hip surgery tomorrow and can't do anything more for a while.

My honest answer is that I would change his fenced area so that it is fully enclosed against predators (from above as well as those able to dig underneath) and then I would give him 24/7 access to his own area. Then I would go to my local rescue and find him a neutered friend that he can cuddle up to during those cold winter days and nights .

Can you also bring the run into your front basement so he has the same space as he has outside? Or, if his hutch is large enough, he could spend the winter in that and next year do something better for him. He will be fine at that temperature, 60s. He doesn't sound safe enough in his run, although I can't see it.

I could bring the hutch into the basement. But could he then stay out in his run (covered) through the day during the winter?

House Rabbit Society recommends bringing rabbits in at night, but nothing more is specified as to season, temps.

How cold does it get over winter where you live? The basement or inside the shed could be options if you don't think the hutch will be enough.

I'm bringing him in and hoping that he is far enough from me most of the day to not trigger an allergic response. I just set up his area and it looks pretty good. He's had this cage set up before, just in a different room, so he shouldn't stress too much.

Tamsin - PA winters can be unpredictable. We usually have cold snaps in January/February in which temps drop to 0F or lower, although not for much more than a few nights here and there. Average is probably teens at night and 20's during the day - fahrenheit. Same with snow - unpredictable. Last year we had a storm that dumped 3 feet of snow on us.

That does sound a bit tooo chilly! The same over the counter stuff you take for hayfever can help with rabbit allergies. The other thing is it the rabbit or the bedding? If it's the later there are alternatives you could try

Rabbits are not too good with varying temperatures so if there isn't a vast difference between inside and out then he could be ok. You don't need to put him outside if it's really cold, he would probably prefer to stay inside. At least he will be safe and warm.

He's in now and a bit hyper from the change. He's eating, drinking and munching on hay cubes. I am going to try orchard grass in place of timothy hay and see if there is a difference in how I react.

I hope it works out well for you and bunny.