Bunny on the balcony or free in the house?

[QueenMab]

Hello,
we live in a small apartment in the city with our bunny, at the moment Emilio stays in his cage when we're out and when we're in the house he's free to run around (which is at least 8 hours a day and we play together). He's now 7 months old and I feel the cage is getting too small for him, I have these options:

- he could live on the balcony, it's safe with solid balustrade and no intrusions from cats or predators. Downside: it's noisy for the traffic. Temperature wise, we live in Sydney, winter is temperate and summer can get hot.
- he could just stay free in the house but I'm so scared he could get hurt jumping around; the house is bunny-proofed with cable protectors but you never know what a bunny could do!
- he could stay in the bathroom, it's very big with nothing dangerous but there is no natural light

At the beginning I thought the balcony was the best idea but he seems to not love it, when he hears a motorbike he comes inside.
We are usually out during working hours and he sleeps most of the time during the day, what would you do?

 

[MiserySmith]

I would use the bathroom for the few hours hes locked up. Large space: good. And as long as he still gets to run around he'll still get natural light, just not for the length of time he'd be in his 'cage'
If you really wanted you could get a uva/uvb bulb for him, and could always allow him run of the whole place later if he gets really good about not messing anything up.

 

[Imbrium]

I'd go with the bathroom as well, since he doesn't seem to like the balcony much and they tend to sleep through the middle of the day anyway. (plus iirc sydney can get to at least 26-27C in the summers which is around the "too hot for bunnies" cut-off)

if you keep anything under the sink (like cleaning chemicals, etc.), I'd recommend getting child-locks for the cabinet because otherwise he's liable to find his way into it sooner or later and could do some chewing once he's in.

 

[Nelsons_Mom]

Is an xpen an option? They fold up thin when not in use and can fit beneath a bed or behind a door.

With those options, I'd invest in a baby gate and use that instead of closing the bathroom door all day so that he can get natural light from the rest of the apartment. As long as he has some rugs so he has some grip, a proofed bathroom could be a good home

 

[ldoerr]

I agree with the bathroom. I would like to add that you should close the toilet so that he does not accedently fall in.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Bathroom or a pen--either way he's inside.

 

[QueenMab]

Hello,
thanks for the replies, the xpen wouldn't fit so it will be the bathroom I guess
I wish I could bring my bunny at work with me!