IS OUTSIDE OK?

Question
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
My builder husband has built an enormous outdoor run for our 2 bunnies which has both grassy and paved areas, as well as chimney pots etc. for them to hide out in.  It is completely predator proofed.  The bunnies have an enormous hutch set within the run.  Now, when I had my one bunny, very friendly no problem, used to put him in the hutch at night, during the day he has access to both run and hutch.  However, I have recently got him a friend from a rescue centre. They are getting along great, but she is still a bit on the nervous side of us humans and basically is almost impossible to catch.  Initially, she would go to the hutch for food in the evening and I would close the door.  However, now she is wise to this and I just cannot get her into the hutch at night. I have been leaving them out for a couple of weeks now. I leave a small opening tallowing them access to the hutch, where there is a huge, warm bedding area.  However, I do not think that they ever go in there as the bedding remains untouched.  I am really concerned reading articles about bunnies dying of cold, especially with winter coming.  However, surely if they were cold they would go into the lovely warm sleeping area of their hutch.  Help.
-----Answer-----
Hi Heather,

first, congratulations on your new rescue rabbit!  Glad you decided to save two lives there.

My own opinion is that you first have to decide if you want indoor or outdoor rabbits.

If it is outdoors, you have to re-train them to enjoy the hutch.  And that means catching them and putting them in there, and having them get used to it again.  Having their meals in there.  Limiting their time outside of it and limiting the amount of space they can be in outside of it.  

One possible solution is to leave all the food and water inside the hutch, in a couple of hours most rabbits will come back in for a drink or something to nibble.  Especially if it is something they REALLY like.

The problem is with your arrangement, your adopted girl is reverting away from people rather than towards you.  This is typical of rabbits who are kept in hutches and do not get as much attention and exposure to people than if they were kept indoors.  It is physically impossible.  And I  think it's not helping you with her shyness.

I am a strong proponent of indoor house rabbits.  I wanted a full-blown pet to live with, and I want them around me, living their lives, and I didn't want taking care of them to feel like it is a chore.  And to me, hutch bunnies feel like a chore - gotta trudge outside, and in the cold, and regularly check hay and water...when it's freezing out you're not going to pet them long and they don't want to be cold either.  Hutch rabbits live only about half as long as indoor house rabbits, primarliy because of a poorer environment and their owners pick up on health problems a lot quicker than with a hutch bunny.

If you guys like the hutch, you could always take it inside and bunny-proof a room or area of a room and let them use it as their cage part of the time, and during the day let them have the room/part of the room for exercise and play.  And then you can be with them in the room and start them bonding better with you.

So I think that's your first decision.  Feel free to write back anytime.  Lee

Thanks for your advice.  However, much as I would love indoor bunnies, its not gonna happen - I've discussed it with hubby and it's a definite no no!!  So, we're all going to have the make the best of it outside.  Shy bunny is getting better, she will feed out of my hand now etc., but the fact remains that at the moment, I can't get her in the hutch regularly.  If the door is left adjar, allowing them access to the hutch, and it is really really cold, would a bunny just stay outside and die when they know that it is nice and warm in the hutch?

Answer
Hi Heather,

What I would do is try to hand feed her closer and closer to the hutch.  Or hand feed her part of the food and place the rest inside the hutch by the door.  As she gets used to eating at the door, keep putting the food a little more back each time.

You will have to make sure the hutch is warm enough and inviting.  She needs to know water is in there for her, and hay to eat and keep warm in, if you have some old cotton tshirts you can use them on the floors for warmth (have enough so that you can change them out when they are wet (like with the hay too - no wet hay in there).  I'd place a litterpan in there for her with some Yesterday's News litter (easy to change, etc).  If she isn't fixed, or if she's a digger, get a litter pan with higher sides so she won't dig it out.  It also can help from having urine freeze in places she likes to rest (less likely for illness to occur).

Now if the rabbit is outside and exposed to the elements, they could freeze to death if they don't know where to go.  I would think she would know to go to her hutch, especially if you get her used to it as the place food and hay and water is.  

Lee