Do you leave your rabbit outside when it's cold?
By hcromer
@hcromer (2710)
United States
November 12, 2007 8:20am CST
I was wondering if someone could tell me if I should bring my rabbit inside for the winter. She's a lop, I'm not sure if that matters or not. I've been keeping her inside because I wasn't sure, but she stinks and she tries to chew on the walls when I let her run around so I want to keep her outside. What temperatures can a rabbit handle living outside in a hutch?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@liltripp_91 (69)
• United States
12 Nov 07
you should leave it inside because you dont know how cold its going to be this winter. You dont want it to die. If its in a heated cage outside that my be fine but more than likely its going to die if you leave it outside.
@simplyman2006 (1706)
• India
12 Nov 07
well idonot know any thing about that what temp. can a rabbit handle living outside in a hatch.but i thinks if u put some hot blanket on the hatch . then rabbits can stay there
1 person likes this
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
12 Nov 07
Well if I had a rabbit I wouldnt leave it outstide when its cold. You can put your rabbit in a cage a bring it in. Im pretty sure they cant take the cold. If you dont bring your rabbit in it will die. And that would be sad for you.
@copperkitten (3473)
• United States
12 Nov 07
You can leave it out side if you take the proper steps. You have to have a nice wooden cage, no windows just a door. Cover the outside with a tarp to keep out drips of snow and wind. Put lots of hay in the cage. We had a friend who used a mud flap for a door on her rabbit cage. It kept out the snow and allowed for them to feed the rabbits. They stayed out all winter and did fine. Now I suppose if it gets into the negative numbers you might want to bring them in. Oh, My friends would give there rabbits hot water bottles to keep warm. That way they could stay warm but not have to worry about the hay catching on fire. They would give them one at night and one in the morning. The rabbits seemed to like it.
1 person likes this
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
12 Nov 07
When we had rabbits we kept them in a shed out back year round. It was not warm, earn, but it was better than them being outside all winter long. They were no tin cages either. They had free run of the shed. They enjoyed getting to run around.
1 person likes this
@ellie333 (21016)
•
14 Jan 08
If your rabbit is used to being indoors i'd get a indoor hutch and keep her in. I personally have two rabbits that stay outdoors but they are used to it and I always make sure they have extra bedding and that the hutch is sheltered from the wind and rain. They also have each others bodyheat to help with warmth.
@vicky_lane4987 (980)
•
14 Jan 08
personally i keep my rabbit inside all the time. her cage is in my bedroom...she is allowed out to go outside with me. but i do not think that it is fair to keep her outside in a hutch in these freezing cold weathers.
@Seraphine (385)
• Finland
12 Nov 07
Rabbits can tolerate cold to a certain degree assuming proper heated shelter is available but personally I think she would do much better indoors. If she smells, I doubt there's any harm in giving her a bath occasionally.