Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Provide proper rabbit care
• Method 2 of 2: Protect your rabbit outdoors
• Warnings

If you choose to keep a rabbit outside as a pet, either all the time or some of the time, proper precautions must be taken to keep your rabbit happy and healthy. Domesticated rabbits require an outdoor cage that is spacious, sturdy, clean, dry, neither too hot nor too cold, well supplied with food and water, and not insulated with regular contact with humans and any rabbit friends. Help your furry friend live a life long enough and enjoyable enough to hop around!

To step

Method 1 of 2: Provide proper rabbit care

1. Decide if your rabbit should stay outside. Traditionally, rabbits were often kept outside in a run or “hutch” as pets. And, since you will always see wild rabbits hopping around, you can assume that your pet will do just fine outside too. But there are many factors to consider.
   • Some organizations now strongly insist that you keep house rabbits indoors at all times. Domesticated rabbits have lost the instincts and skills that keep their wild counterparts alive, and are unsuitable for isolation, extreme conditions, and surprises (predators or otherwise).
   • Others argue that it is acceptable to keep rabbits outside during the day when the risk of predators is lower. Domestic rabbits can die or go into shock at the sight of a predator, so even a secure enclosure may not keep your rabbit safe from a nearby fox, dog, or cat.
   • Yet others still say keeping out completely is fine with proper preparation and care. As a caretaker of your rabbits, the decision is yours.
2. Feed your rabbit more than carrots. Bugs Bunny may have done well on a diet of one vegetable, but real rabbits need a lot of hay and variety in their diet.
   • Most of your rabbit's diet should be hay, which you can find at your pet store. This should make up about 75% of his diet.
   • Add some leafy greens and a handful of rabbit pellets every day, which provide important nutrients. Add various vegetables (yes, including carrots) and a few fruits to the mixture.
3. Keep his cage clean. A rabbit will usually determine one or two toilet areas in its hutch (let the rabbit determine where, then place a litter box), but it is important to health and satisfaction to keep the area generally clean.
   • Do the general cleaning daily, removing soiled straw, etc. Clean more thoroughly at least once every one to two months, removing and replacing the backing and the rest.
   • A soiled and / or damp substrate will attract flies, which can bring in maggots that can infest your rabbit and cause “myasis,” a potentially deadly disease.
4. Never let your rabbit sit alone. Wild rabbits are social creatures, and that quality was not bred from it by their domesticated cousins. So, if you are bringing a rabbit as a pet, spend time with him and consider giving him one or two friends.
   • Check how your rabbit is doing at least once or twice a day and spend some time with him. Hold it, or let it walk around for a while (for example, in your bathroom, or in an “outdoor rabbit run”).
   • Many rabbits want company, so consider a second matching rabbit - ideally one of the same size and age.Make sure they are spayed or neutered, especially if you put male and female rabbits together - you know what they say about rabbits!
5. Give your rabbit exercise and play time daily. Rabbits are meant to be active creatures, hopping and running around, and they have at least three hours free space time per day to move.
   • Free space does not mean, however, that you leave them loose and unattended in the garden, unless you want your bunny to be lunch for the neighbor's cat. Your rabbit should either be watched or in a secure place rabbit run where there is plenty of room for horizontal and vertical movement.
   • Rabbits are also inquisitive, sociable and intelligent, so they benefit from playtime (and so do you!) Games like rabbit bowling (with the rabbit knocking over plastic cones), to fetch (where you retrieve!) and cardboard castle (which is inevitably destroyed) are just a few of the many play options.
   • Rabbits also enjoy playing with paper, cardboard, hard plastic, or untreated wooden toys. Avoid treated wood and some varieties such as cherry wood, redwood and peach wood, as these can be toxic.

Method 2 of 2: Protect your rabbit outdoors

1. Make a suitable house. Gone are the days when you may think it is acceptable to keep a pet rabbit in a small, secluded “hutch”. Rabbits need a dry, clean, well-ventilated, safe, well-placed and relatively spacious home to feel comfortable in.
   • Modern outdoor “hutches” with several floors and / or rooms are suitable for rabbits. You can also make your own bunny house. Look for building plans online, but make sure the hutch is safe and relatively weatherproof.
   • As an example, you can make a rabbit run for your rabbit for everyday use, from a wooden frame, rabbit mesh, and a plywood bottom and roof. It should be at least 8 '' deep, 8 '' wide and 8 '' high to give your rabbit enough room to run and jump around.
2. Protect your rabbit from predators and itself. As mentioned, domestic rabbits can die from the shock of seeing a predator, so it is essential to keep other animals from entering and your rabbit from getting out.
   • If you've ever had wild rabbits invading your flower bed or vegetable garden, you know they'll eat just about anything. So, especially if your rabbit occasionally runs around freely in your enclosed garden, be careful not to put poisonous plants in your yard. Also, wherever your rabbit will go, make sure to check the electrical wiring and keep it out of reach of their teeth.
   • About plants that can be poisonous to rabbits, the list is in fact quite extensive, so consult it carefully. Just a few examples are: aloe vera, begonia, daffodil bulbs, grave lily, and geranium.
3. Keep everything dry. When it comes to an outside cage for a rabbit, moisture leads to dirt and diseases, such as "myasis", mentioned above.
   • Give your rabbit hutch a roof that is rain resistant - that could be plywood, corrugated iron, or even a plastic sheeting or tarpaulin. Repair or replace the roof as needed to keep out the rain.
   • In heavy rain or snow, consider moving your rabbit (by having a mobile cage) to a drier location such as an canopy, garage, basement, or just your home. A heavy thunderstorm can literally terrify a tame rabbit, so bring it indoors if you can.
4. Beat the summer heat. If you saw wild rabbits in the area during the summer, they were probably lounging in the shade or in a hole they dug in your yard. Rabbits like to be comfortably cool all year round.
   • Place your rabbit's cage in a shady spot, and / or provide shade by means of a roof or a screen. However, make sure the enclosure is well ventilated to avoid overheating.
   • You can also try freezing plastic water bottles and putting them in the straw base. This will give your rabbit some cool places to rest.
   • Make sure your rabbit always has a supply of fresh water when the weather is warm.
5. Make the winter warmer. With a well-insulated and protected hutch, rabbits can handle the winter cold well, although you may want to consider keeping them indoors - at least at night - during the coldest time of the year.
   • Repair the rabbit's hutch before winter sets in, taking extra care of any leaks or damp spots. Moisture is bad, and moisture with cold is much worse for your rabbit's health.
   • Add extra underlay for insulation. You can also cover the walls and floors with layers of newspaper. Consider covering areas with mesh with plastic sheeting, and covering the hutch at night with tarpaulin or a blanket. You want to reduce drafts and keep the heat in, but make sure you allow ventilation.
   • You can buy special heaters for a rabbit hutch, but make sure any electrical wiring is out of reach. There are also special heating pads for rabbits, or you can put (tightly closed) plastic bottles with warm (not hot) water in the bottom layer several times a day.
   • In the cold weather, check that your bunny friend is doing well more often than usual. Make sure his water supply is not frozen and provide extra food to give him the energy he needs to handle the cold weather.

Warnings

• If the weather gets really bad, or if water gets into your rabbit's cage, you should allow the rabbit to sleep in the house or other protected area.
• Scaring rabbits will cause them to jump up high and possibly injure themselves, or even cause a heart attack.
• If you let your rabbit in, make sure to protect it from household hazards such as electrical wiring.