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Moving your rabbit indoors permanently advice?

Hi My rabbit is nearly four years old and has had blocked tear ducts recently and his breathing is louder which the vet said could be mild pneumonia so he is on antibiotics.
Also ive noticed last couple of days his ears sometimes go cold instead of being usually warm?
Would it be better for me to move him indoors into an inside cage rather then staying outdoors in his hutch?

Also ive considered him becoming an indoor rabbit for quite a while now what are the possibilities of this?

Grateful for any answers
Thank You
Original post by dhill
Hi My rabbit is nearly four years old and has had blocked tear ducts recently and his breathing is louder which the vet said could be mild pneumonia so he is on antibiotics.
Also ive noticed last couple of days his ears sometimes go cold instead of being usually warm?
Would it be better for me to move him indoors into an inside cage rather then staying outdoors in his hutch?

Also ive considered him becoming an indoor rabbit for quite a while now what are the possibilities of this?

Grateful for any answers
Thank You


I don't see why not :smile: he'll obviously be warmer which will obviously benefit his health. Mine live inside in an indoor cage and are perfectly happy!

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Reply 2
Original post by Lucy96
I don't see why not :smile: he'll obviously be warmer which will obviously benefit his health. Mine live inside in an indoor cage and are perfectly happy!

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Thank you for your reply :smile:
those are my thoughts exactly ive just read up on the internet and get stressed about the heat maybe being too much going from outdoors to inside sort or thing and then i get worried if leaving him outside is too bad?
Also i wonder if it will stress him too much changing him to an indoor cage rather than an outdoor hutch.

Thanks You :smile:
Reply 3
Our rabbit lived outdoors in the summer and indoors during the winter. She was perfectly happy with it, as I'm sure yours will be too.
Reply 4
Original post by Annie72
Our rabbit lived outdoors in the summer and indoors during the winter. She was perfectly happy with it, as I'm sure yours will be too.


Ah thank you that has made me feel a lot more comfortable with the situation :biggrin: did you have an indoor cage and an outdoor hutch if you dont mind me asking?

Thank You
Reply 5
Hi , my rabbit goes out in the summer and we put the rabbit hutch in the conservatory during winter! But we always let her in the house and she usually roams around the conservatory or goes in the living room (we have wooden floors) and watches tv (no reallly she loves coronation street!) and leave the hutch door open so she can do her business when she needs to! But we only let her out when someone's in!


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Original post by dhill
Thank you for your reply :smile:
those are my thoughts exactly ive just read up on the internet and get stressed about the heat maybe being too much going from outdoors to inside sort or thing and then i get worried if leaving him outside is too bad?
Also i wonder if it will stress him too much changing him to an indoor cage rather than an outdoor hutch.

Thanks You :smile:


You're welcome :smile: well my rabbits have the run of the garden even in the winter just so they can exercise their legs, and I think they love coming in to the heat :tongue: It does get very cold and if he's living alone, I'd say it's even more important to bring him indoors! I doubt it will, I've had guinea pigs and rabbits my whole life and some have been moved around a fair bit and they don't seem to mind. In fact, they quite like a change of scenery :tongue:

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Reply 7
Original post by dhill
Ah thank you that has made me feel a lot more comfortable with the situation :biggrin: did you have an indoor cage and an outdoor hutch if you dont mind me asking?

Thank You


We had a hutch outside and a cage inside
Reply 8
Original post by Lucy96
You're welcome :smile: well my rabbits have the run of the garden even in the winter just so they can exercise their legs, and I think they love coming in to the heat :tongue: It does get very cold and if he's living alone, I'd say it's even more important to bring him indoors! I doubt it will, I've had guinea pigs and rabbits my whole life and some have been moved around a fair bit and they don't seem to mind. In fact, they quite like a change of scenery :tongue:

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aw thank you so much youve really helped :biggrin:
he has a follow up visit to the vets monday so i will also ask what their opinion is on the matter whilst i order an indoor cage:smile:
Reply 9
Original post by dhill
Hi My rabbit is nearly four years old and has had blocked tear ducts recently and his breathing is louder which the vet said could be mild pneumonia so he is on antibiotics.
Also ive noticed last couple of days his ears sometimes go cold instead of being usually warm?
Would it be better for me to move him indoors into an inside cage rather then staying outdoors in his hutch?

Also ive considered him becoming an indoor rabbit for quite a while now what are the possibilities of this?

Grateful for any answers
Thank You


If it will benefit its health then its definitely worth it. When I first wanted a rabbit the people at pets at home warned me not to keep it outside (due to its health) since it had been kept inside at the shop. However I eventually got a rabbit from a breeder that could be kept outside and I wouldn't dream of him being inside cos he smells real bad and does dodgy things

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Definitely possible. When I had a rabbit, I kept her inside every day because the foxes in my garden would terrify her. You'll have to clean the cage more often than you do her outdoor cage and if you're okay with letting your rabbit roam around outside the cage every once in a while then he should be fine. I didn't do this for a long time with my rabbit and she got so fat, my vet diagnosed her as obese. :lol:

If you want you could even rabbit proof your home, toilet train your rabbit and just let him loose. My mum ended up doing this with my rabbit because she felt horrible about keeping it locked in a cage.
Reply 11
Original post by NormalGirl
If it will benefit its health then its definitely worth it. When I first wanted a rabbit the people at pets at home warned me not to keep it outside (due to its health) since it had been kept inside at the shop. However I eventually got a rabbit from a breeder that could be kept outside and I wouldn't dream of him being inside cos he smells real bad and does dodgy things

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Thanks for your response :smile:
i believe it will but i shall also ask the vet for advice with regards to his health.

No i honestly dont think rabbits smell, ive had dogs who smell worse haha, and my hamsters i currently have absolutely stink and i have no choice but to have them inside!
:ahee:
Original post by Vixen47
Definitely possible. When I had a rabbit, I kept her inside every day because the foxes in my garden would terrify her. You'll have to clean the cage more often than you do her outdoor cage and if you're okay with letting your rabbit roam around outside the cage every once in a while then he should be fine. I didn't do this for a long time with my rabbit and she got so fat, my vet diagnosed her as obese. :lol:

If you want you could even rabbit proof your home, toilet train your rabbit and just let him loose. My mum ended up doing this with my rabbit because she felt horrible about keeping it locked in a cage.


That's not funny.
Reply 13
Original post by Vixen47
Definitely possible. When I had a rabbit, I kept her inside every day because the foxes in my garden would terrify her. You'll have to clean the cage more often than you do her outdoor cage and if you're okay with letting your rabbit roam around outside the cage every once in a while then he should be fine. I didn't do this for a long time with my rabbit and she got so fat, my vet diagnosed her as obese. :lol:

If you want you could even rabbit proof your home, toilet train your rabbit and just let him loose. My mum ended up doing this with my rabbit because she felt horrible about keeping it locked in a cage.


He roams around inside atm anyway and is fine but i would definitely rabbit proof the home and he tends to have a toilet spot which is very lucky :biggrin:
i also worry about predators even though hes lived outside for four years and lived in 3 different gardens/areas its still a concern.
The indoor cage i was looking at also has a run attached to it.

I actually think he would have more exercise if he lived indoors

Thank You for your help :biggrin:
Reply 14
Original post by J56
Hi , my rabbit goes out in the summer and we put the rabbit hutch in the conservatory during winter! But we always let her in the house and she usually roams around the conservatory or goes in the living room (we have wooden floors) and watches tv (no reallly she loves coronation street!) and leave the hutch door open so she can do her business when she needs to! But we only let her out when someone's in!


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Have you always done this? As mine has always lived completely outdoors apart from in one house we did used to move his hutch into the shed at winter but it wasnt secured, which also concerns me as i dont have a shed this year.

Thank You for your help :biggrin:
Original post by sosadsosad
That's not funny.


I was expecting this reaction, but in hindsight (this happened 5 years ago) it's hilarious. She ended up losing the weight -- turned out literally every single person in my house excluding my dad was feeding her so she was getting 5 times the amount of food she needed. We put her on a diet. Only I fed her so she was eating less and moving more and everything turned out fine.
Original post by Vixen47
I was expecting this reaction, but in hindsight (this happened 5 years ago) it's hilarious. She ended up losing the weight -- turned out literally every single person in my house excluding my dad was feeding her so she was getting 5 times the amount of food she needed. We put her on a diet. Only I fed her so she was eating less and moving more and everything turned out fine.


Poor bunny. I don't think that's hilarious at all. :s-smilie:
At least she lost the weight in the end.
Reply 17
Original post by dhill
Have you always done this? As mine has always lived completely outdoors apart from in one house we did used to move his hutch into the shed at winter but it wasnt secured, which also concerns me as i dont have a shed this year.

Thank You for your help :biggrin:


It's okay!:smile: since we got her yes but the breeder who we brought her off keeps her rabbits outdoors! What about a garage? Or even like a hallway or utility room? :smile:


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