smiledreamlove
Active Member
Hi 
As a semi inexperienced rabbit owner, I have a few questions regarding our outdoor rabbits. We rescued them a couple of years ago and they are slowly warming up to people, however they're still very wary due to a terrible past. The cage they're currently in is not suitable, and it has actually been causing damage to our garden. We have decided we need to change their setup.
We have two perfectly good sized hutches that we're not using that were for our guinea pigs - sadly they have all passed away except for one who now lives indoors with my baby rabbit. Both rabbits are netherland dwarfs x rex and are quite little. They fit with ease into these hutches as I tested them today. If I was to move them into one each it will mean they would have more room. They also have a run they can play and exercise in although both of them have not had much room to move around in their lives and I have been told by the vet that they are too weak/unfit to have a lot of room to move around in and could injure themselves with excessive room.
It's winter here in NZ so I am namely concerned about the warmth. They are made of plywood I believe, and whilst well made and strong looking, they do not have a thick wooden frame like their cage now. They are on wheels and can be shifted around with ease, unlike their house now which is extremely heavy. They get good quality straw for bedding, adlib hay, pellets and water, and fresh veges.
If I were to separate them, especially now as its in the colder months, what would I need to look at doing to replace the heat source of each other that they've lost? My friend puts a hot water bottle in with her rabbit, however, she did this from birth and I'm not sure how well that will go with our girls. Is it safe to shift them from their cage now, to separate ones? I'm sure if they were apart, their issues of being difficult to catch and relying on each other to avoid humans will lessen and bonding can be approached singularly rather than together. However all this could have a bad reaction also.
Is this all a bad idea? I'm just worried with their cage they're in now, its starting to become a problem despite being made for rabbits, it's got some flaws in it and is killing our grass.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
As a semi inexperienced rabbit owner, I have a few questions regarding our outdoor rabbits. We rescued them a couple of years ago and they are slowly warming up to people, however they're still very wary due to a terrible past. The cage they're currently in is not suitable, and it has actually been causing damage to our garden. We have decided we need to change their setup.
We have two perfectly good sized hutches that we're not using that were for our guinea pigs - sadly they have all passed away except for one who now lives indoors with my baby rabbit. Both rabbits are netherland dwarfs x rex and are quite little. They fit with ease into these hutches as I tested them today. If I was to move them into one each it will mean they would have more room. They also have a run they can play and exercise in although both of them have not had much room to move around in their lives and I have been told by the vet that they are too weak/unfit to have a lot of room to move around in and could injure themselves with excessive room.
It's winter here in NZ so I am namely concerned about the warmth. They are made of plywood I believe, and whilst well made and strong looking, they do not have a thick wooden frame like their cage now. They are on wheels and can be shifted around with ease, unlike their house now which is extremely heavy. They get good quality straw for bedding, adlib hay, pellets and water, and fresh veges.
If I were to separate them, especially now as its in the colder months, what would I need to look at doing to replace the heat source of each other that they've lost? My friend puts a hot water bottle in with her rabbit, however, she did this from birth and I'm not sure how well that will go with our girls. Is it safe to shift them from their cage now, to separate ones? I'm sure if they were apart, their issues of being difficult to catch and relying on each other to avoid humans will lessen and bonding can be approached singularly rather than together. However all this could have a bad reaction also.
Is this all a bad idea? I'm just worried with their cage they're in now, its starting to become a problem despite being made for rabbits, it's got some flaws in it and is killing our grass.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
