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Indoor or out - whats better?

louise and Gus

Wise Old Thumper
Following on from another thread. Do you think there is a preference and why?

I have two house bunnies, I live in a flat so they don't really get to go outside much, I take them to the inlaws for a run around now and then.
I can see why this isn't ideal, however my buns have a room to themselves all day and night so get more room and exercise than a hutch bun? I have much more contact with them as they are always there.

Thoughts please?
 
I preferred having buns in my room, you could interact with them all through the day, even if it was just sitting next to the crate for 5 minutes 'chatting' through the bars (Mary used to have the whole room to himself but when I had the trio and the pair they had to be shut in when I wasn't in the room as Joey and Nina were mean and bit through the bars :roll: )
Although Ben gets more fresh air and that being in the shed, I miss the constant interaction side of things and I'm definately going to have indoor buns when I have a place of my own (still live at home and my mum's become allergic)
 
Mine are all outside. I did try Benny, Tia (died at Christmas) and Maa as house bunnies, but they all prefer it outside - they were very subdued indoors, and Benny was extremely destructive so it wasn't a realistic option.
I think it depends on the individual bunny, and on your own needs (yes folks - your needs matter too!) :)
 
My ideal is outdoor bunnies, we have one house bun and love her to bits, but the outdoor buns are happier where they are, i don't dare bring them into the house as they get a bit miserable. I do think it depends on the buns, as all mine have lived outside since they have lived with me the don't know anything different. Im also a very outdoorsy person so the buns see me more outside!
 
It's raining! house buns are the way to go:lol:

I do sometimes feel bad when mine are trapped indoors on a sunny day, but i try & get them on the grass when I'm in:D & they have more room than hutch/run bunnies:D (although they need it when there's that many:lol: )
 
It's raining! house buns are the way to go:lol:

I do sometimes feel bad when mine are trapped indoors on a sunny day, but i try & get them on the grass when I'm in:D & they have more room than hutch/run bunnies:D (although they need it when there's that many:lol: )

Very true. I work full time so its easier for me to spend time with the bunnies as houserabbits so all 5 of mine live indoors. In winter, in the rain, it still means I can sit with them.

They also have a lot more room than I could give them in hutches & runs and I find it easier to keep them clean. Also i worry less about flystrike. I also feel that I can check them better indoors - when Frida got GI stasis in april i happened to check on her at midnight on my way to bed - if she was outdoors i wouldnt have checked on her at that time.

In summer I put them in the garden on an evening which they all enjoy. But I also know that Gus & Bracken (even though she spent 6 years in a hutch) both prefer the feeling of carpet under their posteriors and are happier living indoors.

It might change if I ever move to the country but I also wouldnt feel safe having them outside at the moment. They get 2 weeks in hoppy holidays every year outdoors and they love it, but they are also happy to come home and return to their rooms.
 
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I agree with Elve...depends on the individual bunns I think.

Although it would not be my preference to have rabbit indoors because they are too destructive I wouldn't have them outside again here cos of predators.

Edited to add: i think if you have a nervous rabbit it really does wonders to have them live indoors for a while where they are forced to confront their fear of you.
 
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I keep my fosters inside as much at first, as having me in the same room as them all day helps with the 'fear' issue.

My ideal seems to be - big shed at night, run on grass for about 6 hours a day, rest of time spent with me in house.
 
Well, my 2 are house bunnies but Shadow currently enjoys the sunshine on his harness in the garden sometimes and loves to explore out there :)

In an ideal world [when I buy my own house.. if the house prices ever drop!!] I think I would have bunnies based indoors for the interaction but out in a nice big safe run/hutch combo during the day when I'm at work. I'm positive Shadow would love that kind of lifestyle as he loves exploring new places. Not sure about Kitten yet but we shall see. I'll get her a harness too and if she likes it then she can come outside to play too :)
 
I have toyed with the idea of moving Frida & Zeb outside during the day as I think those 2 really do love the outdoors in nice weather. It would only be in summer though. I just need to confront my fear of someone vaulting over 4 6foot fences to get to my garden to hurt them which realistically wouldnt happen.

I would still prefer them to be inside in winter and on a night. Frida especially likes to sit with me on an evening and be fussed.

Gail & I are looking at sheds and aviary panels at the moment but I think it will probably be next summer, rather than this year before we built outdoor enclosures for them. In the meantime, they get run time in the garden every night and most of the day on Sunday as well as the full run of the house most evenings.
 
All mine are outdoor buns, Casper loves the outdoors more than an nd runs around on the grass for hours he never tires out, bless. The girls will play on the grass run for a couple of hours but any more and they pile in the plastic house and don' come backout prefering there big hutch my dad built. Buttons is pure lazy though and never runs around alot outside in his run unless you go out to see him then he livens up but unless i camp out by his hutch i can't e there to see him 24/7:roll: We brought buttons in the house a few times before when his rain canopy leaked through and he loved it, never seen him so happy and full of energy. he follows you around everywhere like a puppy and runs around the whole house, except you can't clean wih him inside, lol cos he decided to play with the brush when sweeping like a cat. I'm convinced he would love to be inside with u all the time cos he's a proper people rabbit, soaks up the attention, lol. I have been trying to convince my mam to let him come inside for months:(
 
I think its an individual choice for the bunny and the two-foot parents. Neither choice of indoor or outdoor is wrong.

Personally, I will always prefer indoor rabbit as I hate hutches and cages so won't use them (but I do understand the need for them). I like having buns with the run of the home, interacting as family. For me, a house just isn't a home without a rabbit.:D
 
Mine live outdoors in a playhouse with an attached run and they love it!

Having said that, my plan is to have them as house rabbits when they are elderly, particularly in the winter because Smokey particularly feels the cold.

However, I think if bunnies have lots of space to move around in and bunny company, they don't really mind.
 
I think it depends on the bunny. Bobby started off as an indoor bun, but he was very obviously unhappy and much preferred his time outside in the run, so he and Patch became outdoor bunnies. Ruby is most definitely an outdoor bun too.
I think Salt and Pepper could live as house bunnies, but they are happy outside. Also, Salt has snuffles, so is better off in the fresh air.
Squidgy is an incisorless bun and he decided he wanted to be an inside bun. He was brought to me by a friend who'd found him abandonned :cry: I brought him inside for a health check and a cuddle, and he jumped straight up on the sofa. He's ruled the house ever since!
 
Ha! :rolleyes: After spending half an hour longer than usual doing bunny supper, and getting soaked in spite of wearing a winter coat and wellies, and the fact that the bunnies have been locked in their hutches since yesterday morning :rolleyes: I think I'll build a conservatory and have indoor bunnies :D When I win the lottery :rolleyes:
 
I think indoor is better without a doubt (for my rabbits). I dont have any garden so they dont have much choice, I would love to be able to let them have a run around outside every so often but its not possible. My rabbits seem to love being indoors. Even Anna who grew up in a breeding shed has calmed down enough to flop on my feet and watch TV every evening. If my two were out side rabbits i think I would mmiss out on so much of their personalities. I dont think we would have built up the bond and trust that we have with the rabbits now.
 
mine love being outside, they still get to go in their run even if it rains cos it is covered

whilst it was raining yesterday i took them into the house instead of their usually free range run about in the evening, both of them spent 20 minutes sat by the back door waiting to go outside:roll:
 
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