Hey everyone! I've had a couple people asking about how to house their bunny and what is recommended for them.. So, I decided to hop on here and give everyone some tips/ advice with Christmas right around the corner lots of people will be adding a bunny to there home so I want to give help in anyway possible. :)
Can bunnies live outside and survive? YES!! They can, BUT you have to be sure of a few things first. Like is your bunny going to stay warm, do you have something on your bunny so that your bunny doesn't get wet? Well lets go over the checklist below...
Cage or Hutch? We ONLY use cages as they are so much easier to clean up and yes I know what you may be thinking "that bunny just sits on wire all the time" well not entirely you see there is resting boards that you can buy that will help your bunny rest its feet instead of being on wire 24/7. Hutches can come in handy in the winter time, but here's why we don't prefer them (Please NOTE this is our opinion lots of people have good luck with hutches but we didn't)
We don't like using hutches because they can become something else to clean, the bunnies we put in hutches thought they should use the bathroom inside the hutch (Not were the wire is so it would drop down into the pan) so it became a mess to keep clean. It's nearly a everyday cleaning process with hutches for us so we just moved to catches which is so much easier keeping pens clean every 2-3 days is so much easier. OK, so here's where it may get tricky though! When using a cage outside you have to be sure you use a tarp to keep your bunny from getting wet, but you also have to drop the tarp down in the back and on both sides because you don't want the wind to blow in rain and don't want the wind to cause phenomena. This is where hutches are great because if you purchase one that goes outside its normally going to be pretty enclosed while still allowing breathing room of course for your bunny, but it works great to keep wind and rain off your bunny.
What could keep your bunny warm? HAY... We buy Horse hay for our bunnies to stay warm in plus something for them to chew on as well. Horse hay can be bought at your local feed store or Tractor Supply near you. When giving the hay you can give a double handful of hay to ensure your bunny should have enough to munch on plus lay in to keep warmth if they want. (There is no forcing your bunny to use the hay for warmth we have some that would rather lay any where else other than the hay :(. )
There is also a couple treats you could give them to be sure it helps keep them warm... (Be on the lookout for this Blog Post Soon)...
I hope this really helps everyone and if you have anymore questions please be sure to contact us at Hopes Rabbitry on Facebook! I would be happy to answer any further questions you may have.
I would also like to note to be on the lookout for the "Winter Bunny Treats" & "Is it to Cold for my bunny" Blogs coming very SOON.... :) Again I hope this is really helpful for everyone planning to add a bunny to there family this Christmas ;).
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