Do Rabbits Need Lights On?

[SOOOSKA]

Hi, now here's a dumb question. Do you leave lights on for your bunnies?

If we are not home in the evening we always leave a lamp on for thebunnies. We have four bunnies in three different rooms.

We do have night lights that stay on during the night.

I guess I feel they need lights on so they can see what they are doing.

Looking forward to your replies.

Soooska:apollo:

 

[another_rabbit]

....

 

[m.e.]

I don'tknow...personally, I think constant lighting might get irritating, andcould affect their sleep patterns. They're not nocturnal, afterall.

I find that my rabbits do best when Ioffer as much natural lighting as possible, including long periods ofdark during the nighttime. Just my opinion, though.

~Emily and the Fuzzbutts~

 

[nose_twitch]

I agree with m.e. completely. While Ithink it's sweet that you have nightlights for your bunnies, I don'tthink this is necessarily the best thing, although I'm sure it doesn'thurt.

My opinion is that, as animal owners, it's our job to create as much ofa natural environment as possible. They are animals, notkids, and they are closer to being in tune with nature and theenvironment than we are as humans. They should have access today, night, sun, shade, etc.

 

[Bunman]

According to what i've read, total darkness atnight is best also for humans - there is a greater incidence of tumorswhen lights are on - & seems to make sense for buns also.

I do leave the radio playing softly for my bun when i'm away for morethan a short time, but no light unless its in the early part of theevening when i would normally have one on for myself; i think in thatcase it may be reassuring to her to maintain the routine.

 

[m.e.]

I found a couple threads you might be interested in:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=5996&forum_id=1

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=2664&forum_id=1

 

[Rembrant]

My rabbits have a sleeping box. So if they don't want any light they go in there and sleep.

 

[KatyG]

The room my bunnies are in has a big window soif i am not there I just leave the curtains open as I thought it wouldbe more natural for them to be able to see the light outside and knowwhat time of day it is. In the wild rabbits are mostly activeat dawn and dusk so I don't think they mind low light levels in theevening.

 

[bunnydude]

My bunnies sleep in my room, so I leave a lighton all evening until I go to bed. I used to put a nightlight by thecage, but Amber would be cranky in the morning. So it is almost pitchblack at night.

 

[Beckers]

I tried leaving a light on for Floppy at night,but I found that more light=more thumping. Now that he sleepsin the dark, he tends to sleep all night (until sunrise, then he'sdestructo-bunny banging his toys into his cage bars)

 

[AnnaS]

we used to leave light on too in the evenings, but since rabbits can see in the dark, I don't think its necessary.

 

My buns get natural lighting during the day andthen I have a Glade plug-in that has a dim nightlight on it for thenighttime. I only have it because I couldn't findmyotherGlade plug-in without the built-in nightlight.

 

[nose_twitch]

:bump

for maherwoman

 

[bunnylover78642]

Hmm.. I dont leave lights on for my bunnies atall. Of course they live outside so they have natural light (or nolight) when there is light outside. I dont think they really neeed itand find that when my bunnies did live inside that if I left a light onthey tended to think that making as much noise as possible was the bestway to go.

 

[Nadezhda]

I keep my curtains open from the time I wake upto the time I got to bed (about 11) If it's dark in the roomI'll leave a light on for them They calm down in the dark,and if they're in the dark for a while before I go to bed, they'er morelikely to rustle around at night.If there's a lighton, they usually settle down once the lights are low and let me sleep.

 

[peapoo_bunny]

i dont leave any lights on at nightbecause they keep me awake...we dont have any street lights either soits really dark.. i leave the radio on really low when im going to begone all day...and if we're all going to be gone and the house is emptyi leave a light on for peapoo and skittles (bird) because he usualllyhates being in the dark...sometimes he starts screaming..spoiledthing:disgust:

it seems like peapoo likes being in the dark...maybe she doesnt i dontknow:dunno:.. but as soon as the light goes out she starts runningaround and throwing her toys...she is really loud..just having a reallygood time i guess..it goes on for at least two hours...im usuallyasleep by then, so it might go on all night who knows... then the nextmorning she's really calm...and usually just lays around until i takeher outside later in the afternoon...:no:

 

[Lassie]

I always turn my light of at night for his bed time at night.

Light doesn't bother Buster at all.

 

[Eve]

I only have a night light on if one of my bunnieshas recently gotten a new cage.

When my bunny Rodney gothis new 3 story condo, I was worriedhe'd have trouble getting around the different levelsin thedark. I had the night light on for a week so he got used to whereeverything was.

 

[Bun~Bun]

Not a dumb question. Rabbits are said to be more active at night. I guess they need a little light.
I have my lights on in my room 24/7(Good thing their florestint.). LOL.
Bun-Bun actually doesn't like the dark. Back when Hurricane Isable'srage trampled us, where I lived, the lights where off for almost 1-2weeks!!
When the lights first whent out, Bun-Bun let out little squeals. Thewind and debris slamming against my apartment must of scared him aswell. He often still doesn't like the dark - especially durringthunderstorms. He some times whines but usually rigorouslyjitters fantrically in his cage.





SOOOSKA wrote:

Hi, now here's a dumb question. Do you leave lights on for your bunnies?

If we are not home in the evening we always leave a lamp on for thebunnies. We have four bunnies in three different rooms.

We do have night lights that stay on during the night.

I guess I feel they need lights on so they can see what they are doing.

Looking forward to your replies.

Soooska:apollo:

 

[BDSnareDrummer]

you should always keep it lit to a degree, notnessicarily really light, but a little. as with any eyes, too muchexposure to the dark will cause blindness