Question
Our Bunny Setup
My husband and I recently bought 3 rabbits from a local petshop. (1 lionhead mix female, 1 lionhead mix male, 1 miniRex male) They were supposed to all be females and we intended to have them as house pets. I have had to move them outside because of how our other pets reacted & the mess they make w/ spray & litter. They are kept where no sun, rain, or wind gets to them but I can watch them from my livingroom/desk. I am concerned about the outdoor temperatures. We live in Alabama. What range of temps can they remain outdoors in? Right now they are very active at night and lay stretched out all afternoon. I'm giving them ice cubes and frozen carrots and limiting the corn in their diet. How can I make it comfortable for them when the temps get high/low?
AnswerDear TBM,
I found your question in the Question Pool here today, where another expert had placed it. Sorry for the delay, but I only now got this query.
To stop the spraying and mess, all the bunnies must be spayed/neutered, and then re-trained to the litterbox. Please see:
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html
and
www.bio.miami.edu/hare/training.html
and find a good rabbit vet to help you here:
www.rabbit.org/vets
For information on how to safely introduce dogs and/or cats to the bunnies without disaster, please see:
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-11/cats-and-rabbits.html
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/dogs.html
Outdoor summer temperatures are far more dangerous than winter temperatures, though the bunnies should be inside if it gets below about 45 Farenheit, when the time comes. Ideal temperatures for rabbit comfort range from about 48-75 Farenheit. Hotter than that, and the bunnies will need the type of relief you're providing with the ice and other materials. Frozen water jugs placed in the cage can help with a cool spot to lean, and wet, thin towels draped over the cage can provide evaporative cooling if there's a breeze.
The cage setup shown is going to be too small for the bunnies once they are grown: rabbits need a LOT of room to run and play, just as a dog does. If you can manage to create a screened in play area for them to have during free run hours, that will be ideal for them, especially if they have constant access to their hutch, if they want to go in for a snooze.
Hope this helps. Please write back if you have more questions.
Dana
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