BunBuns Human, I personally think those replies were rude and immature. The way you flip off people and insult them over very serious and genuine concerns is disheartening. Whilst I do agree that we often fail to give rabbits enough credit, I think it is simple delusional to think that they are able to fend for themselves to THAT extent. Your rabbit isn't trained. Your rabbit barely acknowledges you, he's just doing what he wants, when he wants. I didn't even let my puppy off his leash until we had mastered basic commands and I don't have to repeat myself a million times for him to look at me either. Post a video where he walks only on the sidewalk, stops and looks at you every time you speak, obeys your commands, and walks WITH you rather than away from you, and maybe then I'll be impressed.
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Beatrixpoppy,
When I lived in Montreal, I didn't have access to a yard but the landowners had a bit of grass in front. They allowed me to take the bunnies in it and said they wouldn't use any chemicals on the lawn. I did this with leashes and harnesses. I did take some of my bunnies on walks as well. Again, on a leash and harness and we'd walk up and down the street and eventually to the park. (Most parks with children's playgrounds won't use chemicals) Before this though, I got the bunny used to being in a harness and leash indoors, so that the bunny wouldn't freak out with it on. I also made a ' sweater' with a fleece sock to keep the harness nice and snug because sometimes, in a moment of panic, they can roll and get out of a harness (I was using kitten ones for medium/large rabbits) so the fleece prevented that from happening. The only thing I did was make sure nails were trimmed so they wouldn't catch in the sweater.
Now, in the Netherlands, however, I do not take the bunnies anywhere. I simply don't trust it since there are way too many dogs here. Most of them are off leash as well. We took them by the lake once, but I spent the whole time looking out for dogs and then we agreed that it wasn't smart. Our bunnies play in the yard now. Whilst I do think they are safe from predators and leave them out at will (fully fenced in and on pave so they cannot dig out) they have several hiding spots to run into to keep away from predators and I am always nearby. My girls are big imposing buns full of attitude so it works with them. However, my Crumble is yet just a baby, and is far too much of a softie for me to trust on his own. I let him out in a playpen under supervision only and even then, he has figured how to escape his playpen so I will have to find a different solution.
Personally, I don't think it's 'necessary' but of course it's quite lovely for them. You'd have to see what the risks are involved in your area. Are you able to bring a playpen along? If so, that could be fun. I would get those camping picks to anchor the playpen down into the grass (since Crumble grabs the bottom with his teeth, flings it in the air, and crawls under) and something to pin to the top so she couldn't jump out from there. If that's too hard, you could still do the harness/leash outings but I would train her on it gradually and make sure to find a rather safe spot.
It could be a good idea to just walk around with her in a carrier as well to get her used to the sounds so it's less stressful for her, especially if she's a jumpy rabbit. Most of mine didn't care much or would freeze on the spot but luckily they didn't have the 'bolt' reaction. I did have one bunny that bolted once but luckily nothing came of it since the harness was on and I caught her quickly so she didn't tangle in the leash.
I think judging the rabbit's reactions will tell you a lot. Some love it and do really well, while others totally hate it and are too scared to even enjoy it. For those that are too scared, I don't push it.
If you feel taking her outside is too much, maybe considering bringing the outdoors to her would work better for you. Perhaps a kiddie pool filled with digging material and growing herbs indoors that she could eat from directly could be fun.
