Winter and my bunny

Question
Well i was letting my bunny run around the house all day and night but potty training isn't going to well and I've caught him chewing up our cords and wallpaper and i feel terrible about keeping him in his cage all day so I've been letting him go outside to roam our big back yard (Equipped with a 6 ft fence and coverage) Hes usually out there for a good 6 hours and i bring him in right before dark I've got a bin outside for him and i cut a little hole in it so it would be a little warmer and kind of like a burrow lol its full of cedar hes got his food and water outside as well as inside He looks like hes lovin life hopping around and playing in the grass the weather ranges from 39-46 degrees currently I check on him about every hour but theres just no way for me to be sure if hes warm or not and does it effect him bringing him in and out of the house the temperature change? I don't feel so bad putting him in his indoor cage if i let him play outside for a few hours but i really want to be sure this is safe for him Hes a dwarf bunny about 9 weeks old and I've been doing this routine for about a week Thank you

Answer
Dear Jenny,

Rabbits can handle cold much better than heat (which can kill), and temperatures in the 40s are usually tolerated well as long as he has a warm refuge box where he can hide to warm up, if he wants to.  But remember:  he's got a permanent fur coat.  At the age of only 9 weeks, he may still not have a thick fur coat, so be sure to keep an eye on him and make sure he's not huddling and miserable.  If he's running around and playing, then he's likely not feeling cold, and keeping warm with his exercise.

Litterbox training will be much easier once he's neutered, which can be done as soon as his testicles descend:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

and you can read all about bunny-proofing the house and other aspects of living with your new pal here:

http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html

and

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/rabbit-proofing.html

Hope this helps!

Dana