Rabbits - indoors or outdoors?

[JumpJockey]

The DDs really want rabbits, and I said last year they could have them as a reward for extreme bravery (medical challenge). Since then DD2 hasn’t been able to as immunosuppressed, but now she can and they want to get stuck in. We’ve not had pets before, I’d be happy with a cat by DH and DD1 dead against. The question is, are rabbits best indoors or outdoors?
Pluses for outdoors:
More natural behaviour (i.e. access to grass, more space)
Would get the DDs out every day to tend to them
Minuses for outdoors:
Neighbours have cats and we know there is at least one fox in the area
Decent sized hutches/enclosures are v pricey
Our grass is full of things that the websites say they shouldn’t eat

Pluses for indoors:
DDs more likely to play with /interact with them
They’d probably need to come indoors in winter anyway
Minuses for indoors:
We don’t have a room to give over to them (only suitable one would be the utility, and that gets v hot and cold because of tumble dryer) and otherwise the kitchen/family room is full of stuff that would get nibbled
Less opportunity for natural behaviour, I’d have thought, unless you take them outdoors every day (is this expected for indoor rabbits?)

What advice can you offer? Thanks!

Also, I’ve seen lots of pics of outdoor bunnies in enclosures on concrete - I understand how this stops them digging out, but doesn’t it hurt their feet?

I have two free range indoor bunnies and they have access to the whole house (I have in the past woken up to a bunny sitting on my pillow next to me). I’m not house proud, thankfully, as lots of things have been nibbled and many wires etc chewed through. They also blew a lamp up by chewing through the cable and weeing on it.

Do your research into house rabbits. They are not easy pets and can be very expensive (get insurance, I have paid £000s for vet treatment for my two). They live for up to 10years and not all rabbits enjoy human interaction (my two have each other and frankly don’t need me) and do not enjoy being picked up or petted (they are Netherlandish dwarfs, which aren’t really suitable for children). I have three children (all under 3) and the rabbits hide when the kids are around and come out to play when they’re in bed. It works for us, but please don’t make the mistake of thinking rabbits are child friendly and simple to keep.

I originally bought them intending to keep them outside but in the end I didn’t want them trapped in a hutch with foxes/cats, without being able to escape/hide. I don’t take them out each day and instead they just run round my house.

*netherland dwarf, not Netherlandish!

They will wee and poo constantly everywhere. Chew wires, they are an electrical hazard, blah, blah blah. Never again....

Mine was an 11 year commitment. Don't enter into it lightly. The hair, the poo....the chewing wallpaper. Guinea pigs are a bit easier.

Need daily socialising or they can bite, and they bite hard.

If dropped they break their spines. They don't really like being handled and can kick and scratch.

Teeth issues can be expensive.

Need much more space than you'd think.

They are the most neglected animal of all the pets.

Have a look at this site, which is pretty frank: rabbitwelfare.co.uk

You can keep them on fleece inside, which cuts down on the dust from hay bedding. Flick the poo outside and wash in the machine, which works really well. And you can build runs from C+C shelving, have a google, some people have made really creative indoor runs. kaveecage.co.uk/products/c-and-c-cage-rabbit-6x2-uk?variant=32087671275609&currency=GBP&gclid=CjwKCAiA55mPBhBOEiwANmzoQpl1zpstWhprIe01nqN7UM-VRDkO0aGWEw_REL6sM7f4DtiGdY_lzBoC7R0QAvD_BwE

Agree, guinea pigs are more interactive, more sturdy, and easier. Get an inside run and an outside run, in when the weather's rubbish, out when it's not.

Mine are free range indoors and out, they scratch at the door to get out and come in every night. We no longer have a hutch or any sort of cage. Having had them I would never have a hutch, they need so much exercise. It is really cruel. They have a large litter tray they use, but we do have the odd wee on the floor. Poos are in the tray or just outside, it gets swept up daily. We have had some nibbles and a few cords chewed through. My cats are afraid of them and stay out of their way. I got them whilst I was a childminder and the kids learned not to pick them up. They are not snugglers. Seriously I'd get a cat, so much easier and more rewarding if you want cuddles!

They are hard pets! And expensive. And may actively hate you. (One of mine is a demon I'm sure...)

I have 2 out door buns with giant hutches and enclosures(5m by 3m) they can access 24/7.
Many rabbits dont like beinging handled and will actively avoid you.
If you have foxes around you need to be very careful!

And be prepared to do all the work as your dd will get bored.

I would agree with other comments. Rabbits are a long term commitment and require a huge amount of cleaning and work. I would say 1-2 hours a day minimum.

They need a space 2m x 3m so that is a room indoors or a large outdoor enclosure. Indoors they cause chaos! Each bun will shit about 300 times a day so that’s 600 shits to clean up. They are often not actually house trained as well!

I have had several rabbits and I love them but they are a real tie and involve a huge amount of work.

Cats and Guinea pigs are much easier options.

If they are outdoors and not enclosed you will really need to be there with them - cats / magpies and foxes are quick to attack. So that means sitting with them for ages.

Mine are not remotely cuddly either!

Thanks all. They have their hearts set on rabbits after one of Dd1s friends got them. I would suggest Guinea pigs as a starter but that would not go down very well! Basically DD2 needed a bone marrow transplant, DD1 was the donor and they said that when life gets back to normal they wanted rabbits as reward for getting through it all... But yes, all the research I do suggests they aren't the best option as a first pet. Argh. I wanted to get a cat when they were small so they would get used to having animals around, but DH grew up in an animal free house so didn't want to and now both girls are terrified of dogs and DD1 really doesn't like it when next door's cats are in the garden.

My DS moved his girlfriend into his flat which we'd carpeted for him.. We also bought him a sofa.. Only when she moved out and he sold did we see the utter distruction caused by the b*y thing! Less than a year old carpet torn up under the sofa and every corner in every room. Sofa destroyed from underneath... Every cable chewed.. TV, dvd, lamps, electric fire.. We had to throw it all away (recycling dump) as charities didn't want it.. Thousands of ££ down the drain.

A possibly harsh question, but people who are saying lots of bad things about bunnies, why do you have them as pets?!

They are fantastic pets. But SO much work. I found my pair much harder work than my dog.

Need daily cleaning out and a lot of fresh hay daily- gets very messy and you need somewhere to store it all!

They need a big space, mine had a 6x8 shed with a 6x8 run and then they still needed free range time on top of that.

Mine were great characters and very friendly and a lot of fun but they really do take an awful lot of work.

Bunny's are lovely pets! But you need to go in with your eyes open!

They ain't really for kids and take up alot of space and time.
They can be very loving when they want to be but also cause destruction.

Many bunnies live their lives neglected in a hutch, you need to be sure you can give them 12 years of love. People often don't understand what they are taking on.

Free range house bunnies with access to an outdoor run would be the best for the rabbits but outside comes with many hazards - diseases, predators, escape...

I would second that they don't make great pets for children and they aren't the easiest pet for anyone. They can be big characters and affectionate but very much on their terms. I would say they are similar to cats as a pet but a bit less cuddly, less keen on playing with humans and more destructive/hard work. They need a lot more care than a cat.

One of my DC had a bonded pair as a teenager. One the plus side, they did like to snuggle up next to you and wash you, not all rabbits do, and they enjoyed playing with toys but not people other than head butting you for treats and attention, they loved being fed by hand. Even though they were litter trained, there were always the odd stray poos every day to be cleared up they roll along way and sawdust/straw/hay that got everywhere. Some rabbits will scent mark, even though they are litter trained, so be prepared that they might wee and poo to mark their territory. They will chew anything and everything, however many chew toys you give them. You need to be constantly vigilant that any electrical wires are protected otherwise they will be nipped in half. They don't really like being picked up and can easily injure themselves trying to jump off.

Also, they are most active at dawn and dusk. Be prepared to be woken up by a bunny running around the house like a mad thing at sunrise or thumping because breakfast hasn't been served yet at 5am.

Adorable as they were, even though they weren't my responsibility, I was quite glad when the bunnies left home with DC!

We're reletively new rabbit owners (4 years) and they are much more work than I anticipated ad so much more input is needed than our cat They don't really like human interaction that much, they don't like being handled. My kids are teens and can understand the commitment and responsiblilty of their upkeep so it's worked out ok. I have hated to have them when the kids were younger as I would have had to do it all.
I hear what you are saying about the neighbours cats but I think if you got a young cat your children would be able to bond with it much more than with rabbits.
Also after seeing what the rabbits have done to my garden, I wouldn't want them in the house. I am not precious about the garden fortunately because they've eaten/chewed everything that was pretty.
That said, I love nothing more than sitting in the garden with a cuppa, watching them graze on the grass. It's very soothing and they are very entertaining.

@JumpJockey

A possibly harsh question, but people who are saying lots of bad things about bunnies, why do you have them as pets?!

I’m not saying bad things about bunnies, just ensuring that if you do get rabbits as pets that you go into it with eyes open and understand fully what you’re getting into. I love my two, they have such funny personalities and they make me happy - but when they shuffle off I won’t be replacing them with more! They’re hard work, expensive, destructive, infuriating - but ultimately awesome.

After reading your update ignore me! Investigate indoor hutches and runs.. Get a carpenter to build something.. Just don't give unsupervised access to the whole house... And take out INSURANCE! My DS ended up spending £1,000 in tooth treatment... Good luck OP and for your DDs future health...

Rabbits were the single worst decision Ive ever made. Initially kept inside, they were destructive messy and smelly. Outside they wrecked there house, run and lawn. They also were extremely unfriendly. I have other animals but none of them have been as much of a nightmare as the rabbits!!

Got them for almost exactly the same reason as you, @JumpJockey! Poorly kid had his heart set on having a pet rabbit. We "adopted" two house rabbits, and we gave them a good life, but I have to say, it was a nightmare.

Kid lost interest within about a week. Rabbits are pretty dull, unless you are lucky and get one which is actually friendly.

I think there are breeds which are more interested in human company, but they are prey animals and behave accordingly.

I was fond of them, it was lovely watching them boink when they were happy.

Wasn't at all sad when one died, don't know why - she was just dead one morning - and the other was PTS shortly after because of dental issue, and also, truthfully, because a lone rabbit is not a happy rabbit and I wasn't going to entertain trying to et an elderly bunny to bond.

I think the giant breeds are more friendly, but they are as big as a dog and need a lot of space.

TBH, if it was me, I'd be trying to engineer your kids away from rabbits and towards something less challenging.

Also, hope DD2 is doing really well now, @JumpJockey. That must have been rough.

I think you get out what you put in with any animal.

Any living thing in your house needs attention. It’s a pity they don’t want a cat, rabbits are classed as exotic pets iirc.

Actually, that's a point, @Fluffycloudland77. We had to go to the exotic vet which was miles away and eye waveringly expensive. Didn't have insurance...

I had rabbits as a child, but in hutches. I plan to have them again but in a heated shed with an attached run.