My rabbits are indoor pets. I want to build an outdoor habitat for my bunnies this spring. They are always happiest when I let them roam the backyard, and get in a huff when we catch them to bring them back inside. I also have a few cats that never go outside. My rabbits are as big as the cats and they usually ignore each other. The most they ever do is go up and have a smell.
My idea is to use the same concept as a "catio" and make a caged area that's attached to the house so that they can go in and out through a window as they please. But modified in a way that can keep the rabbits from escaping. I want to turn the basement guest room into a rabbit room and give them outdoor access through the window.
My house has two guest rooms that we don't use other than for storage. One in the basement and one upstairs. The windows to these two rooms are lined up perfectly in the backyard. The basement window sits right at ground level. I thought I could make the lower room a rabbit room. With the caged area outside accessible from the window. And eventually, the upper room a cat room, also accessible through the window. So that we can put all the pets away without the animals feeling super confined whenever we have company over. Particularly company with children. My pets don't like kids.
My main concern is that the rabbits like to dig when they are outside. We've had to ruin several of their attempts to dig a burrow in the yard. I don't want them digging their way under the house or into the neighbor's yards. There are dogs on both sides. I want to figure out a way for them to be able to dig without actually being able to escape.
Funny story:
They were quite clever with their last burrow attempt. I have a hutch attached to a covered play pen outside, so they can be in the yard without being closely watched. I went back outside to check on the rabbits. They were all gone! I thought maybe the kid next door hopped the fence and let them out. After panicking for a while searching for them, I spotted a bunny back inside their hutch. I discovered that they had dug the entrance of the burrow in the corner of the hutch where I couldn't see and carved out a rather large burrow under the middle of the yard. I think they worked on it through most of the season right under my nose!
Anyway, I would love to hear other people's thoughts on how to go about an outdoor habitat project like this.
Sorry for the lengthy post.
My idea is to use the same concept as a "catio" and make a caged area that's attached to the house so that they can go in and out through a window as they please. But modified in a way that can keep the rabbits from escaping. I want to turn the basement guest room into a rabbit room and give them outdoor access through the window.
My house has two guest rooms that we don't use other than for storage. One in the basement and one upstairs. The windows to these two rooms are lined up perfectly in the backyard. The basement window sits right at ground level. I thought I could make the lower room a rabbit room. With the caged area outside accessible from the window. And eventually, the upper room a cat room, also accessible through the window. So that we can put all the pets away without the animals feeling super confined whenever we have company over. Particularly company with children. My pets don't like kids.
My main concern is that the rabbits like to dig when they are outside. We've had to ruin several of their attempts to dig a burrow in the yard. I don't want them digging their way under the house or into the neighbor's yards. There are dogs on both sides. I want to figure out a way for them to be able to dig without actually being able to escape.
Funny story:
They were quite clever with their last burrow attempt. I have a hutch attached to a covered play pen outside, so they can be in the yard without being closely watched. I went back outside to check on the rabbits. They were all gone! I thought maybe the kid next door hopped the fence and let them out. After panicking for a while searching for them, I spotted a bunny back inside their hutch. I discovered that they had dug the entrance of the burrow in the corner of the hutch where I couldn't see and carved out a rather large burrow under the middle of the yard. I think they worked on it through most of the season right under my nose!
Anyway, I would love to hear other people's thoughts on how to go about an outdoor habitat project like this.
Sorry for the lengthy post.
