By Lucy Miranda Rabbit
March 2003

One of the most common questions that Oliver and I receive in the e-mail bag goes something like this:

"Hello, I just bought a rabbit as a pet and I would like to know where I can find free plans on how to build an outdoor rabbit hutch for my rabbit. “

The first thing that goes through my mind is” Why would you want to do that?”

Just put yourself in our fur for a moment.

 Would you want to stay outside, in a small wooden structure with walls and floors made from wire? The only protection is maybe a small built- in enclosure filled with straw for warmth?

In the winter months as the temperature outside dips, you get colder. You have fur, and your coat offers a little protection from the elements but not enough to keep you comfortable. During the day, you try to hop outside the enclosure in the hutch, but even as the sun shines it’s still too cold! Your human caretaker comes out for a little while to pet you, and perhaps change your water out. Because the temperature is so cold, he or she can stay with you but a little while. After a few minutes of friendship, he or she has to go back inside their well heated home.

But you are still outside, shivering, with the long winter night fast approaching.

You watch as your human caretaker goes off, and the only emotion your sense is loneliness.

Later that night, you feel yourself getting thirsty so you cautiously hop outside the small enclosure to get a drink, only to find that your water bottle is frozen solid.  Around you are the creatures of the night, skulking about. You know you are a prey animal and it makes you VERY nervous and scared. Some have one goal: breaking into your home, capturing you, and having you over for dinner, with YOU as the main course! If your hutch is overturned, there isn’t much you can do to protect yourself, except run and hope you are not caught. 

Summertime is no better. The air is now very warm and humid. Your heavy winter fur has long since been shed and your lighter summer coat is now in. Still it's fur, and its not doing much to help you keep cool.

You hop over to the water bottle that your caretaker has left for you which gives you at least a little respite from the heat. You hope that the water bottle in your cage is full but sometimes with all of the summer activities, your caretaker sometimes forgets you are in there, and the water may be stagnate.

Because of the weather, your caretaker is inside  enjoying the breeze from a fan, or an air conditioner or somewhere at the local park enjoying the day. Visits to see you outside may be few and far between.

 You still feel lonely.

Insects are now a problem. You try your best to keep them away but they still trouble you at every turn. If even a fly should bite you, it could mean a medical catastrophe, perhaps even lead to your demise.

And the creatures of the night are still there, with the same goal in mind: Having YOU for dinner!

Now if you are kept inside the home, you become a member of the family! You are protected from the cold of the winter winds, and the heat of summer. Your food and water are replenished daily and not disturbed by the elements or insects.

Inside a home, your natural predators cannot reach you! You feel far more at ease.

Most importantly, since you are indoors, your receive more attention from your human family! Everyone inside recognizes you not as some inanimate object outside that is just a chore to take care of, but as a member of the family, to be cared for and loved!

The most fun part of having us around is getting to know our personalities, and for us bunnies getting to know you! We can’t do that from and outside hutch without being around you. We bunnies are very social creatures and would love to get to know you better, and in return we have a lot of love and affection to give you!

This is why when my first human friend found out that her new dog and I just were not going to get along, she loved me enough to be very particular about the home that I would go to. She wanted to make sure that I would be kept indoors inside the house and be treated like I was a member of the family, not kept outdoors with limited human contact, limited protection from the elements, and little protection from potential predators!

So if you are thinking about keeping one of us outside away from the shelter of your home and your attention, please think twice about keeping us rabbits in an outdoor hutch. We will be much more safer within your home, and we bunnies can get to know you a LOT better!

 easons Not to
 Leave Your Rabbit
 Outdoors

Rabbits are social animals. They appreciate the company of their own kind and the affection of people.

The best way to look at the problem is put yourself in your rabbit's place: Would YOU enjoy it out there exposed to so much? Or would you prefer to be in a comfortable safe environment surrounded by those who care for you?
The choice is yours.