How to Care for an Outdoor Rabbit
Decide if your rabbit should stay outdoors at all., Feed your rabbit more than carrots., Keep its home clean., Don’t leave your rabbit lonely., Give your rabbit daily exercise and play time.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if your rabbit should stay outdoors at all.
Traditionally, pet rabbits have often been kept outside in a pen or “hutch.” And, since you see wild bunnies hopping around all the time, you may assume that your pet will do fine outside as well.
But there are many factors to consider.
Some organizations now strongly urge that you keep house rabbits indoors at all times.
Domesticated rabbits have lost the instincts and skills that keep their wild companions alive, and are not creatures that are suited to isolation, extreme conditions, or surprises (from predators or otherwise).Others contend that it is acceptable to keep rabbits outside during the daytime, when the risk of predators is lower.
Domesticated rabbits can die of shock from the mere sight of a predator, so even a secure enclosure may not keep your bunny safe from a raccoon, fox, or neighborhood cat.Still others still say that, with proper preparation and care, full-time outdoor living is fine.
As your rabbit’s caretaker, the decision is yours. -
Step 2: Feed your rabbit more than carrots.
Bugs Bunny may have done fine with a single-veggie diet, but real rabbits require lots of hay and diet diversity.
The staple of your rabbit’s diet should be hay, which should be available at your pet supply store.
This should make up about 75% of its diet.Each day, add in some leafy greens and a handful of rabbit pellets, which offer important nutrients.
Add various vegetables (yes, including carrots) and some fruits to the mix., A rabbit will typically establish one or two litter areas in its enclosure (let the rabbit decide where, and then place a bunny litter box there), but keeping the area clean in general is important for health and happiness.
Do some general clean-up daily, removing soiled straw, etc.
Perform a more thorough cleaning at least every one-to-two months, removing and replacing bedding materials and the like.Soiled and/or damp bedding will encourage flies, which can bring on maggots that can infest your rabbit and cause “fly strike,” a potentially fatal illness., Wild rabbits are sociable creatures, and that quality has not been bred out of their domesticated cousins.
So, if you’re going to have a pet rabbit, spend time with it, and consider giving it a friend or two.
Check on your rabbit at least once or twice a day, and spend some time with it.
Hold it, or let it roam free a bit (in your bathroom, for instance, or an outdoor “rabbit run” enclosure).
Many rabbits prefer a companion, so think about adding another compatible bunny — ideally one of similar size and age.
Make sure they are spayed or neutered, especially if you have boy and girl bunnies together — you know what they say about rabbits!, Rabbits are meant to be active creatures, running and hopping about, and need at least three hours of "free range" time per day for exercise."Free range," however, does not mean loose and unsupervised in the yard, unless you want your bunny pal to become lunch for your neighbor's cat.
Your rabbit must either be supervised or placed in a secure "bunny run" that allows plenty of room for horizontal and vertical movement.
Rabbits are also curious, sociable, and intelligent, and thus benefit from play time (and so will you!).
Games like "bunny bowling" (the rabbit knocking over plastic pins), "fetch" (with you doing the fetching!), and "cardboard castle" (which is inevitably destroyed) are among the many play options.Rabbits enjoy playing with paper, cardboard, hard plastic, or untreated wood toys as well.
Avoid treated wood and some varieties such as cherry, redwood, and peach, as these may be toxic. -
Step 3: Keep its home clean.
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Step 4: Don’t leave your rabbit lonely.
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Step 5: Give your rabbit daily exercise and play time.
Detailed Guide
Traditionally, pet rabbits have often been kept outside in a pen or “hutch.” And, since you see wild bunnies hopping around all the time, you may assume that your pet will do fine outside as well.
But there are many factors to consider.
Some organizations now strongly urge that you keep house rabbits indoors at all times.
Domesticated rabbits have lost the instincts and skills that keep their wild companions alive, and are not creatures that are suited to isolation, extreme conditions, or surprises (from predators or otherwise).Others contend that it is acceptable to keep rabbits outside during the daytime, when the risk of predators is lower.
Domesticated rabbits can die of shock from the mere sight of a predator, so even a secure enclosure may not keep your bunny safe from a raccoon, fox, or neighborhood cat.Still others still say that, with proper preparation and care, full-time outdoor living is fine.
As your rabbit’s caretaker, the decision is yours.
Bugs Bunny may have done fine with a single-veggie diet, but real rabbits require lots of hay and diet diversity.
The staple of your rabbit’s diet should be hay, which should be available at your pet supply store.
This should make up about 75% of its diet.Each day, add in some leafy greens and a handful of rabbit pellets, which offer important nutrients.
Add various vegetables (yes, including carrots) and some fruits to the mix., A rabbit will typically establish one or two litter areas in its enclosure (let the rabbit decide where, and then place a bunny litter box there), but keeping the area clean in general is important for health and happiness.
Do some general clean-up daily, removing soiled straw, etc.
Perform a more thorough cleaning at least every one-to-two months, removing and replacing bedding materials and the like.Soiled and/or damp bedding will encourage flies, which can bring on maggots that can infest your rabbit and cause “fly strike,” a potentially fatal illness., Wild rabbits are sociable creatures, and that quality has not been bred out of their domesticated cousins.
So, if you’re going to have a pet rabbit, spend time with it, and consider giving it a friend or two.
Check on your rabbit at least once or twice a day, and spend some time with it.
Hold it, or let it roam free a bit (in your bathroom, for instance, or an outdoor “rabbit run” enclosure).
Many rabbits prefer a companion, so think about adding another compatible bunny — ideally one of similar size and age.
Make sure they are spayed or neutered, especially if you have boy and girl bunnies together — you know what they say about rabbits!, Rabbits are meant to be active creatures, running and hopping about, and need at least three hours of "free range" time per day for exercise."Free range," however, does not mean loose and unsupervised in the yard, unless you want your bunny pal to become lunch for your neighbor's cat.
Your rabbit must either be supervised or placed in a secure "bunny run" that allows plenty of room for horizontal and vertical movement.
Rabbits are also curious, sociable, and intelligent, and thus benefit from play time (and so will you!).
Games like "bunny bowling" (the rabbit knocking over plastic pins), "fetch" (with you doing the fetching!), and "cardboard castle" (which is inevitably destroyed) are among the many play options.Rabbits enjoy playing with paper, cardboard, hard plastic, or untreated wood toys as well.
Avoid treated wood and some varieties such as cherry, redwood, and peach, as these may be toxic.
About the Author
Katherine Mendoza
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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