Why an Indoor Bunny?
by Dana M. Krempels, Ph.D.
Every
year, thousands of "Easter bunnies" are taken home, played with for a
few hours and then dumped in a hutch to be forgotten for most of the rest of
their lives. Not all hutch bunnies get proper care, and many of those
"Easter bunnies" die before they reach the age of one year. Here are
some ways you can avoid the health problems so often seen in bunnies forced to
live outdoors.
SIZE
OF THE CAGE
A
rabbit needs at least four hours per day of running time inside the house or in
a fenced yard, supervised
by a human to prevent attack by predators. If
you find it necessary to keep your house rabbit confined while you are away,
then be sure the cage is at
least 3'
x 4' on the floor dimensions, and at least 2' high, so the rabbit can
comfortably stand on its haunches to look around. Large breeds (more than 6
lbs.) need an even larger hutch to be comfortable and healthy.
DEALING
WITH THE HEAT
Anywhere
the summer weather reaches 95+ (Farenheit) and 95%+ humidity, rabbits in outdoor
hutches die in droves. The domestic rabbit is the same species as the European
rabbit; it is not related to our wild rabbits. Domestic rabbits are not
physiologically equipped to handle temperatures any higher than about 78 degrees
Farenheit. When it gets hotter than that, the bunny *must* be brought indoors
where there is air conditioning.
Placing
a fan near the bunny will not help. Since rabbits cannot sweat, they cannot
benefit from the evaporation cooling that humans enjoy when the wind blows on
their sweat. If the sun shines directly on the bunny, even a half hour in
the direct sun can be fatal.
Sometimes,
the air conditioning fails or circumstances beyond our control have the power
off for a period of time. If the cage temperature rises above 78 degrees
Farenheit, place a plastic milk jug or soda bottle filled with frozen water
(keep a few of these in the freezer and rotate them into the cage) so that the
bunny can rest against it to keep cool, and also be able to get away from it if
he feels cool enough.
THE
DANGER OF PREDATORS
Most
people don't realize that there is *no such thing* as a hutch that is safe from
predators. No matter how sturdy the cage may be, a tenacious raccoon can grab an
exposed toe and proceed to chew off a foot or leg of the rabbit trapped inside.
Sometimes,
even the *sight* of a predator can stress a rabbit so badly that it dies of a
heart attack, since it knows it has no where to run or escape.
It
is vitally important to keep the bunny indoors, safe from predators.
GENERAL
HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING
The
sad truth is that rabbits living outdoors simply can't be constantly monitored
for the small changes in behavior that can signal health problems. Being prey
animals, rabbits tend to hide their symptoms until they are very sick. If they
live indoors, you can monitor them very well, and because you become familiar
with their behavior patterns, you will notice if they are the slightest bit
"off." Even not eating for one day or hunching quietly in an unusual
resting place can signify that something is terribly wrong with your rabbit. If
this happens, do NOT WAIT for the condition to get worse. If a rabbit does not
eat for 24 hours, it should be considered an emergency, and you should get her
to your rabbit vet immediately.
Leaving
a bunny alone in a hutch (or even inside) is not necessarily cruel in the sense
that a hutch bunny is in physical discomfort. However, having lived with rabbits
indoors for over 15 years now, I can say with certainty that most of them crave social
interaction and affection from their humans. They are, by nature, very social
and loving. Being stuck outside in a hutch all alone is NOT a fun life. I would
no sooner stick a bunny in an outdoor hutch all day than I would do that to a
Golden Retriever.
Rabbits
deserve love and interaction with their human families. They are not just giant
gerbils or hamsters. (In fact, they are not rodents at all!) Rabbits are
intelligent, sensitive and have delightfully strong personalities. What a tragic
waste of a spirit to put one in a cage. Give your bunny a chance to show
you what a wonderful member of the family s/he can be. Bring him/her indoors
where s/he belongs.
You'll
wonder how you ever went so long without a HOUSE rabbit!
.