photo credit: animalfair.com
- Pet rabbits are domestic rabbits.
- Domestic rabbits are not the same as wild rabbits.
- Only wild rabbits can live outdoors.
- Domestic pet rabbits are house rabbits.
PET RABBITS MUST LIVE INDOORS. NO EXCEPTIONS.
photo credit: pineterest.com
Rabbits are, of course, prey animals. Even if predators cannot actually get in to your rabbit’s hutch, the terror alone is horrible. Your rabbit will have to survive onslaught after onslaught of attempted attacks. Your rabbit will be stuck in a terrifying situation with no ability to even attempt an escape by running away at full speed. Imagine it. Really. Take a minute and put yourself in your rabbit’s place. You have a great sense of smell, and you can tell there is something bad coming. You are tiny, you know you must be vigilant and evade predators. You are stuck in a hutch, and you can only shrink back as far as the walls will let you and watch as the fox/raccoon/possum/hawk/dog/thing that wants to tear you apart snarls and grabs and you and tears at your walls. DOMESTIC RABBITS HOUSED OUTDOORS DIE OF FRIGHT AND SHOCK ALL THE TIME.
photo credit: burnhamonsea.com
Predators CAN dig under, pry apart, reach through, and get into hutches. Attacks can come from under hutches, or from above. Your rabbit can be killed pretty easily by a predator who remains OUTSIDE the hutch. Many predators can reach in to a hutch through wire, or can break a part of the cage to get partial access. These predators may not be able to get all the way in to carry your rabbit away, but CAN AND DO terrible damage to your rabbit’s legs, ears…whatever they can grab.
photo credit: gumtree.com
On top of the predator threat (and accompanying terror), there are other concerns. Heatstroke and hypothermia, of course. Heatstroke can happen with temps as low as the mid- seventies. Summer is no time for a rabbit to be left outdoors. Domestic rabbits are somewhat better at dealing with cold, but not winter. No domestic rabbit should be out in the cold.
There are also parasites and infestations – bot flies, flystrike, fleas.
And lastly, there is the human threat. There are mean people out there, even in the nicest neighborhoods. Animal abuse happens regardless of economic class or social standing. Your outdoor rabbit is a target for teasing, abuse, theft, and other human horribleness.
BTW: if you are unable to care for your rabbit any longer, DO NOT RELEASE YOUR RABBIT into your neighborhood, nearby woods, etc. Domestic rabbits have been bred for domesticity for hundreds of years. They are not the same as wild rabbits. Domestic rabbits were not raised by their rabbit moms learning about survival skills. Domestic rabbits will die if left outside to fend for themselves. TAKE YOUR RABBIT TO A SHELTER OR RESCUE.
We hope this post reaches at least on person and convinces them to bring their rabbits indoors. Share this. Advocate every chance you get. Tell people you run across. Every rabbit moved indoors is a victory.
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