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Actually a "house rabbit" is exactly that. A rabbit that lives in the house. There is no reason to let your rabbit live outside. We have already seen in this thread that even people without their own rabbit can appreciate their personality and intelligence. Here are a few quotes from https://www.rabbit.org which is the "House Rabbit Society" that explains their philosophy of outside rabbits, even part time. Under no circumstances should rabbits be left outside after dark. Predators are possums, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, dogs and occasionally cats. If you have an outside enclosure that you feel is very secure, a rabbit can still die of fright while a predator taunts the rabbit from outside. What is the greatest outdoor risk for rabbits? The greatest threat is attack by predators. These occur primarily at night, but can also happen occasionally in the daytime. Hutches or cages do not provide enough protection to make it safe to leave the rabbit outdoors 24 hours a day. The House Rabbit Society receives many calls every week from baffled people whose rabbit died during the night while confined in a hutch. "I don't understand � the hutch wasn't even unlocked, and the rabbit didn't have a mark on him. What happened?" With her acute vision, hearing, and smell, a rabbit can sense the presence of a predator such as a raccoon even in your neighbor's yard. She may panic and injure herself, or she may die of shock. Many raccoons can open hutches. Other predators include coyotes, owls, hawks, possums, cats and dogs. 11.3 I live in the city. Do I still need to worry about predators? Don't think your yard is free of predators just because you live in the city. Raccoons come up through storm drains and arrive in very urban areas. These agile animals can climb tress and open doors. Wire cages are no protection for your bunny. If your bunny cannot stay in your house at night, make sure that he's enclosed within solid walls and behind a solid door � a garage, shed, or basement � with a good lock. 11.4 My rabbit has lived outside for a long time without harm from predators - why should I consider bringing her inside now? Some outdoor rabbits avoid death by predator or the other risks mentioned. But what is the quality of life for an animal living outdoors all the time? And what sort of relationship can you build if your bunny is out there and you're indoors? A life spent confined to a hutch is boring, depressing, and stressful for a sensitive creature such as a rabbit. A life spent unconfined but outdoors is simply too dangerous for domestic animals. By domesticating them, we have deprived them of whatever natural ability they had for survival on their own. If your rabbit currently lives outdoors, we strongly urge you to bring her in at least during the night, when predators are most common. Even if she's confined to a smaller cage, or a bathroom or utility room, she's safe, and she's making a first step to being part of your family. There's no magic in turning an "outdoor rabbit" into a house rabbit. It can begin in a single evening.
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Jul 10, 2007 04:28
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I don't really want to become known as just a link poster, but animals are important to me. Here is a really important petition to sign to show PetSmart that they shouldn't start selling house rabbits: http://network.bestfriends.org/truth/news/17169.html
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Jul 29, 2007 00:00
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Tricknee Hacksaw posted:Last I heard, rabbits had been removed from stores...are they thinking about putting them back in?? Petco has sold rabbits in the past. PetSmart only sold "small" mammals and have never sold house rabbits. The link to Best Friends has some great info.
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Jul 29, 2007 08:09
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