Many owners choose to keep their bunnies outside all year round. After all, they live outside in the wild, and they have a thick fur coat to match most climates. However, choosing to house your rabbit in your yard or garden rather than in your house can be a big decision, and there are many things to take into consideration. Let’s take a look at the best way to keep your bunny outside.
Should My Rabbit Live Outside?
There are many advantages to keeping your rabbit outside, rather than in your house. First of all, rabbits can live a more “natural” life, and can dig, chew and tunnel outside without damaging any indoor property. Their fur coat can keep them warm in most climates, too, so most of the time you won’t have to worry about them being too cold.
If you or someone you live with suffer from allergies, then housing your bunny outdoors can be the best option to avoid bad reactions. This will also mean there is less rabbit fur and mess throughout your home, which can also help. You may live in an apartment of home that is rented, too, and you can’t risk your rabbit damaging furniture or the walls, or maybe your landlord doesn’t allow pets inside at all.
On the flip-side, you may already live with other pets — such as a dog with a high prey drive — and it could be unsafe for your rabbit to live in very close proximity to them. In this situation, you may have to have your bunny live outside.
One of the biggest benefits to housing your rabbit outdoors, particularly if you live in a small home or apartment, is the space. If you keep your bun in the garden or yard, you might be able to give them a much larger hutch and run, which will give them a better quality of life. After all, rabbits love to exercise!
Housing Your Rabbit Outdoors
If you do decide to house your rabbit outdoors, you will need to find them a suitable rabbit hutch to live in. In a rabbit hutch you will need a litter box, food bowls and water bowls or bottles. You may also want to include a hay feeder box and any toys.
There are some things you should take into consideration when choosing your bunny hutch, as we have laid out below.
Space
Despite being small animals, bunnies need space to move and exercise, and won’t enjoy being cramped into a tiny place. So, how big should a rabbit hutch be?
As a general rule, their hutch should be at least four times the size of the rabbit. A guide is 24″ by 36″ for smaller rabbits (less than 8 lbs) or 30″ by 36″ for larger rabbits. You can also purchase hutches that have two levels, with a ramp between the two, which gives your bunny more space and also allows them a little exercise. Within your rabbit’s hutch there should be ample room for all of their things, such as their food and water bowls and litter box.
Don’t forget that your bunny should get at least a couple of hours outside of their hutch every day for exercise. This could either be free rein out on the grass (with supervision, of course), or you could choose to attach a run to their hutch. You could use a puppy pen to do this — there are some great puppy pens on the market that can be used in conjunction with hutches. You may also decide to choose a hutch with a door, so your bunny can come and go from the run as they please.
Predators
Keeping your bunny outside makes them more at risk to predators. You will need to ensure that your rabbit hutch is secure enough that it can protect your pet from any wild animals that may try to attack, or even other pets you might own.
Predators such as foxes and coyotes are active at night, so we highly recommend your rabbit hutch has a lockable indoor area in which you can shut your bunny in when its dark. This indoor area should still allow them enough room to move around.
Add some hiding places to your rabbit’s hutch so they can feel safe. Even if a predator cannot get into the hutch, your bun will appreciate having an area to hide in, such as cardboard or wooden boxes, plastic tunnels or shelves. There should be at least one hiding place for every rabbit living in the hutch.
The hutch itself should be secure too, with the materials (usually wire and wood) strong enough to prevent attacks. Don’t place your hutch too far away from your house, either. You should be able to check on your rabbit with ease at any point so you can make sure they are safe.
Weather
The weather of the area you live in is very important when housing rabbits outside. While your bunny has a fur coat, they do not generally handle extreme weather or wet conditions very well.
If you live in a very cold or wet climate, you will need to cover your rabbit’s hutch in the worst of the weather. This could be with blankets or tarpaulin, but we recommend you bring your rabbit into a garage or other indoor area if you are experiencing heavy rain or below freezing temperatures.
If bringing your rabbit inside during adverse weather isn’t a possibility, then you should raise their hutch off the ground. Being cold, wet and damp can make your rabbits sick and lead to insect infestations. Always check their hutch for any cracks or leaks, too.
You should also check that your rabbit’s water bottle does not freeze in very low temperatures. If it does, you may need to change their water a few different times a day, or buy a heated water bottle.
Similarly, if you live in a very hot climate, you will need to ensure the hutch is placed in the shade and your rabbit isn’t sitting in direct sunlight. Rabbits can overheat very quickly and is can be fatal. We recommend placing a cooling pad or even a frozen water bottle in your bunny’s hutch which they can snuggle up against to keep cool.
If you’re worried about your rabbit in your climate, you can check whether they are too hot or too cold.
Security
Making sure no animal can get into your rabbit’s hutch is one thing, but you should also ensure the hutch is secure enough so your bunny can’t escape! Rabbit’s like to chew, dig and tunnel, so if your bunny’s home is on top of soil or grass, ensure there is a mesh or wire bottom, or, even better, wire that lies under level of the soil, too.
You should also place the hutch away from any plants that may harm your bunny. Rabbits tend to graze on whatever they can find, and this can make them very sick. Here are a list of poisonous plants that your rabbit should not have access to.
Loneliness
Rabbits are very social and intelligent rabbits and your bunny won’t enjoy being kept in a hutch outside on their own. If you do choose to house your rabbit outdoors, you should ensure you can spend plenty of time playing with them, otherwise they can become sad or depressed.
We recommend you think about getting your rabbit a bunny playmate, particularly if you can’t bring your rabbit inside to socialize with you. This will ensure they won’t become lonely and they will always have someone to play with. Keeping plenty of toys in their hutch and run is another way to keep them entertained and stimulated. Remember that your hutch will need to be large enough to house two rabbits.
If you do decide to get another rabbit as a companion to your bun, read our tips on bonding two bunnies. Two females will get along wall, as well as two males who have been neutered. If you want to keep a male and a female, make sure they are both fixed!
How Can I Move My Indoor Rabbit Outdoors?
If your rabbit currently lives inside your home but you are thinking of transitioning them to an outside hutch, or you have a baby bunny you want to move outside, you should do this carefully. You should start by introducing them to the outside enclosure for small amounts of time every day. This could be fifteen minutes to start with, and then lead up to longer over time.
If your bunny has never had fresh grass before, you might want to bring in a few blades to your bunny inside to try before you move them outside. When moving a baby outside, some breeders recommend to wait until about they are about three months old.
The best time of the year to transition your bun to the outside is in the spring or summer. When moving your rabbit, it is important you don’t do this suddenly in cold weather. Rabbits that have been kept inside for most of their life, and particularly over the winter, will not have the fur coat to match extreme weather. Moving them outside in this weather can cause shock which can be fatal.
If you don’t feel like keeping your rabbit outside is right for you, you can always choose to house them inside your home. Here is our guide on keeping rabbits indoors.
Cleaning Out Your Rabbit’s Home
It’s important that you regularly clean out your rabbit’s home, whether they live indoors or outdoors. There are three types of cleaning that should take place:
- Spot cleaning (every day): This involves removing any soiled bedding, old food and replacing their water with fresh water.
- Weekly cleaning (every week): This involves the above, but also includes cleaning out their litter tray, replacing bedding and washing their food and water bowls.
- Deep cleaning (every month): During a deep clean, everything should be removed from the hutch. The hutch should be wiped down and disinfected (with pet-safe products), and toys and hides should also be cleaned.
To learn more about cleaning out your rabbit’s hutch or cage, check out our article here.
