Taking my rabbit out in the garden for the first time

:wave:

Hi everyone, pleased to meet you!

My husband and I adopted a rabbit named Leon yesterday and he is settling well indoors; we have let him out for free reign a couple of times under supervision.

We are planning on giving him approximately a week to settle in before trying to take him outside in our garden in a run. We were told by the shelter he doesn't like being handled so we are avoiding doing so and it seems manageable while he's indoors and hopping in and out of his hutch. I think we might have to choose an enclosed run for him outside and one that we can transport back indoors without handling him. Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Becky

Doughnut is an indoor bunny and has free range downstairs. She hates being picked up. She has learnt to jump in her carrier if she thinks she is going to the garden. I open the back door and put the carrier in the way and she normally jumps in, but obviously you will need to teach your little one this. Below is the run I have got, it's fox proof and I put her tunnel in it and also a hidey hole.

Could you let your bunny stay out permanently if you bunny proof your room?

I won't be letting doughnut out in the garden soon as it is getting colder now as she is used to a nice warm house!

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/rabbit-folding-run

I would get an enclosed run anyway so the foxes can't get to your little one. You can keep the carrier also in the run, I find if you put a treat in it they jump in quickly!!

Daphne & Phoebe are house bunnies.

They get free roam of the entire house 24/7 and they have their own bedroom.

They get access to the garden when supervised. They do recall to come back in.

We started with runs in the garden and would just carry them to it. We then started picking them up quickly into a box to transport them. Now we've no need to pick them up and just shout "garden time".

Free roam in the garden does come with risks even if we stay with them the whole time as a predator won't necessarily be put off by a human. (We've decided quality over quantity in terms of life). It's taken almost 1.5years to train them to recall when in the garden.

This was their run.... we still have it to provide a bolt space but it's got no doors/mesh roof now

http://m.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/runs_fencing/73299/157924

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Leon said:

:wave:

Hi everyone, pleased to meet you!

My husband and I adopted a rabbit named Leon yesterday and he is settling well indoors; we have let him out for free reign a couple of times under supervision.

We are planning on giving him approximately a week to settle in before trying to take him outside in our garden in a run. We were told by the shelter he doesn't like being handled so we are avoiding doing so and it seems manageable while he's indoors and hopping in and out of his hutch. I think we might have to choose an enclosed run for him outside and one that we can transport back indoors without handling him. Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Becky

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Welcome to the Forum Becky :wave:

Most rabbits don't like being handled, and you could use a pet carrier that he's familiar with to transport him back and forth.

I usually get my rabbits used to tolerating being handled, so that when it's necessary (i.e.. vet visits) I can get them without too much stress all round.