Outdoor rabbit advice from Edgewood Vets
July 14, 2019
Does your rabbit live outside? Domestic rabbits love to be out in the open where they can enjoy the fresh air and the closeness to nature, but there are pros and cons whether your rabbit is an indoor or outdoor type.
Apart from anything else, the type of hutch you opt for is crucial to your pet’s comfort and wellbeing, and here our nurse, Emily, explains why. For any further advice on rabbit care simply contact us and we’ll be happy to oblige.
Outdoors bunnies need a hutch that’s big enough for them to stand up on their hind legs and be able to hop around a bit and stretch out. They also like to have a private space to retire to for sleeping or relaxing and, for this time of year, it’s important that it also provides shade.
In fact, the hutch should be in a sheltered spot away from direct sunlight, rain and wind. If you’re at all worried about the heat in your rabbit’s hutch when the temperature creeps up, you can cover it with a damp towel and maybe run a rotating fan over it for extra coolness.
The Blue Cross suggests the minimum hutch size for small or large rabbits should be 183cm x 90cm floor space, by 90cm tall.
Rabbits also need a decent run, but do bear in mind that they love to dig, so if you don’t want them doing a Great Escape on you, make sure their run isn’t something they can burrow through. It’s best not to let your bunny run freely around the garden as there may be plants around that are poisonous to it and they are prone to nibbling.
Make sure your rabbits hutch is clean and dry and also your rabbit, check their bottom area daily as fly’s love to lay maggot eggs in these dirty areas which can quickly turn into fly strike which can be painful or fatal if left.
It’s also important that any outdoor accommodation is predator-proof – make sure their hutch door is lockable and not easily accessible to cats, dogs or foxes.
For further advice on outdoor living for rabbits, the team in Purleigh are always on the end of a phone, so just call on 01621 828381.
