Bringing the buns indoors during the winter?

Hello all

I haven't been here for some time as I got a new job and life has been very busy! Our French Lops, Daisy and Gatsby are gorgeous and so very friendly and we love them lots!

I'm posting for advice about bringing the bunnies indoors for the winter.

At the moment, they've got a converted dog kennel and a run (and they are largely free range in our secure garden when there's someone in the house) but when they're out in the garden, they spend their time looking longingly indoors and standing at our french doors asking to be in. If they can get in, they're straight in there!

Obviously we've been lucky with the weather so far, but it's definitely getting colder now. I have decided that we should bring them indoors - reasons being that it's warmer, they'll get more interaction and can free range in the house when people are in (we are all now out during the day 9-3)

Questions:

Is a large dog crate ok? They tend to sleep most of the day from about 10-4ish, they're quite dozy!
Can I let them out to play into the garden for a short time even if it is cold?

Any other advice very welcome, thank you

Oh and another thing - I presume they can go back outside in May/June time when the weather warms up?

I'm afraid a dog crate wouldn't be big enough for any rabbit to be closed into, unless you could attach puppy pens to make a large run on to it, or better still rabbit proof a full room. They'd need just as much space indoors as they have outdoors. It's not recommended to bring rabbits in and out as the rapid change in temperatures is bad for them. They could go back out once the weather is warm as you say :thumb:

I've got a puppy pen I could attach, that's no problem, so they would near enough have as much space as they have outdoors. And at the end of January (logistics until then!) they could have the full room, rabbit proofed.

So once they're in, they have to stay in? No short runs around the garden? That might be a no go then, as it would be hard to keep them in as there's always someone going in and out and the door in this room is open quite a bit.

Oh I really don't know

Pros for keeping them outside

Their kennel is quite insulated, I've carpeted the walls and they have snuggle boxes etc (although they use them as chew toys!). DH put plastic on the windows of the run (with air holes) so there's no draughts, but that doesn't get away from the cold.
They really enjoy free range time.
They've been out all winter so far (although it hasn't been freezing).

Cons
It's cold
They won't get as much company

Pros for bringing them inside
It's warm
They'd get more interaction outside of working hours.

Cons
Not as much free ranging outside (I feel they'd hate not going out)

I know a lot of people don't agree with it but my Louie was a houserabbit but went outside freeranging in the garden every single day, no matter what the weather.

I think space outside trumps being inside in a much smaller place. Bunnies tolerate the cold very well and it sounds like their outdoor setup is lovely and spacious, as well as nice and cosy. My bunnies always try to sneak into our utility room but if I moved them inside they'd go nuts!

Bringing them indoors and outdoors often is not recommended, especially at this time of year, because it can and does bring on respiratory issues such as snuffles. It's also confusing for them and they won't know whether to grow a winter coat or not.

I think they've already grown a winter coat........at least, it's really thick and snuggly. Does that make a difference to my decision? Might they be too warm?

Their setup is definitely draught free.

Katex said:

I think they've already grown a winter coat........at least, it's really thick and snuggly. Does that make a difference to my decision? Might they be too warm?

Their setup is definitely draught free.

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If you move them inside they'll then lose the winter coat, so if you were to let them outside again they'd be cold. If you kept them permanently inside they'd lose their winter coat and like you've said you would only be able to move them back outside when it gets much warmer. To move them inside you'd need to turn off the radiator in the room you're bringing them into, and slowly adjust the temperature. There will be a lot of moulting!

As much as I dream of having the bunnies indoors, I can offer them much more outside. How about turning off the radiator in whichever room has the back door in, then opening the back door and letting them roam about in there once a week or so? It gives you time to interact with them, and gives them time to investigate inside!

It sounds like they have a lovely weather-proofed kennel outside, so I don't think the cold will be too much of a bother for them. I'd add a cosy small space, like a box or small hutch, that you can fill with hay and that they can both cuddle up in together, and it may be worth getting some snuggle safes to help at night, but it does sound like they will be fine in the winter. You could also look at getting a tube heater if you can have electricity in the kennel. They have each other for company so really they don't need human interaction, they won't get lonely outside.

I have a large (42 inch) dog crate at the moment for shutting Barney in for food/meds (he has to eat separately) and I wouldn't say it was big enough for two normal rabbits to live in properly, never-mind french lops. You can get bigger crates, but not much bigger in the mainstream market. I think with french lops, especially as they are used to a lot of space, you'd really need a room. It doesn't have to be a room just for them, you could have them free-range full-time in a room the family uses. A kitchen or utility room are usually the easiest to bunny-proof, although watch out for cleaning chemicals.

The issue with bringing them inside is that if it didn't work out you can't put them back out till April at the earliest. It's not recommended for them to go from a heated house to outside to exercise, so they'd need to stay in full-time. You'll also be surprised at the mess an indoor bunny makes, if you don't like hay and poo on your carpet you'll need to hoover everyday, often more. If they are chewers then they can also cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to furniture, carpet, doors and skirting boards.

So what I would say is to think about what you would do if they lost their litter training or started chewing stuff, whether it is feasible for you and your family and how you would deal with the situation. Then, if you still think its worth it, look at what you can offer them inside. If you can offer them a better environment inside, move them in, but if you can't offer them this, I'd leave them out and don't feel guilty, as it sounds like they have a big cosy setup outside. I loved having house bunnies, but they can be a pain and you need to adapt your home to their needs, which can be hard work.

Thanks everyone

I DO feel guilty, especially when I see them squeezing into the house as soon as a door is cracked open!

Their kennel is definitely draught proofed, but it will still be cold. I've added boxes for them to snuggle in and carpeted the walls (I must be mad!) but they don't snuggle in the boxes at all - in fact I think they sit in the run under the shelf to sleep. Presumably they are warm enough like this - after all, wouldn't you think they'd actually sit in the snuggle boxes to keep warm if they were cold?

The only thing stopping me is the fact they can't exercise outside daily. I would feel I was removing their right to be a bit "wild" if you know what I mean? (not that they are, they're proper softies and nowhere near wild!).

They could share our family room and have a 48" dog crate with pen and although they're French Lops, they are small ones. They're not chewers, (except for their snuggle boxes) and took absolutely NO litter training, they were reliable from Day 1.

I do appreciate the replies, and I can't believe how much I am overthinking this - the guilt is huge!

I think you're suffering from what I do in winter too... the lack of spending time with them, combined with the fact that the weather is miserable for us humans can tend to make us think that we're somehow being cruel and neglectful. When in reality, the bunnies are loving the nice cold weather and all their space, and couldn't give much of a stuff whether we're around to play with them or not! They're enjoying the lack of lawnmowers at all hours, BBQ smells in the evenings and generally just enjoying not being too hot to move :lol: I'm definitely guilty of it... you spend less time with them and think that their behaviour has somehow changed, but it's the same as always really!

Do they try to come in the house in the summer too? It could be as simple as you have the back door open in summer so they don't give much of a thought to explore it, whereas in the winter when you're closing it straight away they get the impression that there's something exciting :lol: I find that N&T don't particularly want to come inside during the summer for that reason!

Space is very important for bunnies, and I think restricting it to a dog crate for any amount of time at all wouldn't be fair. They're clearly not bothered about the cold because, like you say, they don't snuggle in their lovely warm boxes but instead just lie wherever they want! I think we underestimate how toasty and warm their winter coats are. If you're ever worried about them being cold then feel the very base of their ears where it meets their skull and if it's warm then they're absolutely toasty warm

Oh Yaretzi I think that's it! I feel guilty because I think it's cold and damp, not them! Their behaviour is exactly the same as it would be in the summer.

They do come in the house in the summer too, they just like being with humans.

I have felt the base of their ears this morning as it's quite chilly here and they feel quite warm. Their ears at the end are cold though, but that's probably because they have huge floppy ears and it's like any extremity I suppose..... Anyway they are sitting on the damp grass in the garden so presumably it's not too uncomfortable.....!

Thanks for all your help everyone, much appreciated! I don't remember worrying about my own BABIES as much as these two!

yaretzi said:

I think you're suffering from what I do in winter too... the lack of spending time with them, combined with the fact that the weather is miserable for us humans can tend to make us think that we're somehow being cruel and neglectful. When in reality, the bunnies are loving the nice cold weather and all their space, and couldn't give much of a stuff whether we're around to play with them or not! They're enjoying the lack of lawnmowers at all hours, BBQ smells in the evenings and generally just enjoying not being too hot to move :lol: I'm definitely guilty of it... you spend less time with them and think that their behaviour has somehow changed, but it's the same as always really!

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Aww.. that is such a lovely way of describing it.. I also feel guilty at the mo, about spending less time with the buns..
it's a nice day today, so I'm going out to hang out / play with them, but on freezing, windy days I can't and I also feel bad for that.

It is important to be reminded that our buns are safe, warm and happy because we care so much for them, and they do know it

My indoor bunny keeps sneaking outdoors, every time we open a door!