Outdoor Bunnies

[Mika77]

Hi Everyone, I have three bunnies that lived in the house in the past however they do not like people and I have been having problems with them, mostly peeing outside the litter box (they are fixed). So this past spring we moved them outside. As far as I can tell they are happy and doing well. They have an insulated house and a totally fenced (top and bottom as well) area where they can play and dig. I have been letting them out of the cage in the begining but it was very hard to get them to go back in, once one went missing and I found her down the street three days later (she seemed very happy to be back with the other bunnies). Also they destroyed our garden plus hawks are common where we live, so unfortunately they have to be restricted to the protected area. So far winter has been mild and the bunnies enjoy the weather and are active playing and digging (they are more active then they have when living indoors).
I was wondering if anyone on here keeps their bunnies outside and if you have any advice for me. Particularly about ways of providing water when its freezing. Thanks

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

I've had 5 outdoor bunnies, and they've always done great out there. Keep giving them lots of daily attention, love, cuddles and treats and they'll be great!

As for the water bottles, they sell bunny bottles online that you can plug in. The don't freeze and work great.
Here's a link to what we got:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TZ7496/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Mika77]

Thanks, that looks like a good idea.

Today is a really nice day and I spent some time watching the bunnies, they are digging like crazy They like when I feed them treats but do not like me touching them.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Sounds like my bunnies except Serena-she's a lap bunny.

 

[Kizza]

There might be a reason the bunnies don't like people, this isn't very common unless they aren't being handled correctly.

Perhaps they just haven't bonded with you as they have their bunny friends and don't 'need' you, that sounds harsh but I didn't know a better way to say it

as long as they are protected from extreme weather, food and a place to hop around they should be fine. I would keep them in their enclosure if there are hawks around too.

when they were inside did you try to bond with them? That might be why they don't like to be touched. It would be a lot easier with taking them to a vet or inspecting them for problems if you can get them to not mind being touched

 

[Mika77]

Kizza, I have tried to bond with these bunnies but did not have much luck. I got the male when I still had my old bunny who unfortunately passed away. My first bunny did not like to be touched at first and it took me a long time but she bonded to me and was a good pet. The male came from a barn where he lived with many other rabbits (they were all rescued by a girl who worked at a vet clinic), the owner was moving and had to find homes for all. Clover did okay at first and because Hoppy was very friendly he did what she did and he was friendly towards me too. Then Hoppy died and I was totaly heartbroken so I went to the shelter and adopted Lilly. Lilly hated people and because of this was at the shelter a very long time. She bonded with Clover and I made some progres with her but she still did not like to be touched and prefered to stay in the cage more often then not. Few months later we saw Bindi for adoption and she was so cute and friendly that i fell in love. At first Clover and Lilly hated her and Bindi was friendly with us, I wish I kept it like that. But after about a month Bindi bonded with the other two and started to change, she seemd to like us less and less and I do not know why and despite all my efforts in about a year she acted totally wild towards people. Clover would still let me pet him but did not seem to enjoy it, Bindi and Lilly would run as soon as I came close.