Hi all I'm looking for some advice. We've recently had to bring the bunnies indoors for a couple of weeks due to having workmen doing our garden and I wont beable to get outside to feed etc. I've brought them indoors where they spend most of the day in a large pen which takes up most of my living room and then put them in the kitchen at night away from my dogs where I can't observe them. This was the only way of doing it. I can't have them in indefinitely because there just isn't enough space so my question is will they be OK when moved back outdoors? I'm scared they're going to go from a warm home back out into the cold. They have plenty of blankets in their space outdoors, hay, toys, hideouts etc. They also have a thermal cover i put over at night. I'm just so worried they won't beable to take the cold now they've been indoors. I don't want it to shock them. I've tried to keep the house cooler so I've been freezing! Has anyone taken their bunnies inside for a while then back out? Thanks in advance.
Outdoors bunnies inside for 2 weeks
- Thread starter Chaos34
- Start date
It sounds like you don't really have any options. Can they stay dry outside? I would think, as long as your Rabbits are in good health, that they should be ok going back outside. If they are in a hutch I would try to ensure it is not on the ground where damp and cold can penetrate, lots of bedding, out of the wind. Where are you located and what breed are your Bunnies?
Preitler
Warren Scout
How warm is it in your home, and how cold outside?
Rabbits aren't easily bothered by cold, if it's not below freezing I wouldn't worry much, they'll do fine. It's just been 2 weeks anyway. reducing heating for a few days sure doesn't hurt.
I once had a rabbit in inside quarentine from August, that one I kept inside through winter for safety and because it really didn't have much enticement to grow proper winter fur, I thought (first year with rabbits for me).
Now my rabbits have free roam of house and garden, during night they have to stay indoors. All year long, never been an issue. I have it rather cool in my house, so the temperature difference is less than 15°C most of the year. They don't care about temperatures, they even sit out in the rain, grumpy about it but not going inside until they got wet enough.
Putting them in and out from warm inside to cold outside is more of a problem, the frequent change of temperature, than staying in one place.
Rabbits aren't easily bothered by cold, if it's not below freezing I wouldn't worry much, they'll do fine. It's just been 2 weeks anyway. reducing heating for a few days sure doesn't hurt.
I once had a rabbit in inside quarentine from August, that one I kept inside through winter for safety and because it really didn't have much enticement to grow proper winter fur, I thought (first year with rabbits for me).
Now my rabbits have free roam of house and garden, during night they have to stay indoors. All year long, never been an issue. I have it rather cool in my house, so the temperature difference is less than 15°C most of the year. They don't care about temperatures, they even sit out in the rain, grumpy about it but not going inside until they got wet enough.
Putting them in and out from warm inside to cold outside is more of a problem, the frequent change of temperature, than staying in one place.
Thanks for your replies. They are mini rex rabbits. 6 months old. I'm hoping the garden will be finished by the end of the week. The tempreture in my home right now is 16 degrees and outdoors is around 12. I've tried not to out the heating on, if I use the dryer I open the doors so it doesn't heat up too much. I do normally bring them in once a day for a roam before they go back out and it hasn't bothered them but I'm just concerned having them in for 2 weeks may make them more fragile to the cold. I've brought extra blankets for when they go back outside. They will be away from the wind etc.
