Can You Keep Rabbits Outdoors?

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic
Published:  September 9th, 2022
Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock

While rabbits are gentle and delicate pets that are most often kept indoors, they can also live and be happy outdoors, provided that they have the right accommodation. After all, a rabbit in the wild is an outdoor animal, hardy and enduring – in every season of the year. As a result, some pet rabbit breeds do just fine when housed outdoors in a comfy, insulated hutch where they are protected from harsh elements and potential predators.


Basic Care Requirements for Outdoor Rabbits


 If you plan on keeping your pet rabbit outdoors, there are a number of things you need to consider beforehand. Naturally, this pertains to protection from the elements, as well as the necessary free space and a chance to run and exercise. For starters, rabbits cannot – and should not – be kept outside on the hottest and coldest days of the year. Even with suitable protection, these days can be potentially hazardous for the fragile health of the rabbits. While rabbits have plenty of fluffy fur and thick paw pads, which can both protect them from moderately cold temperatures, the same is not true for dog days of the summer. Excess heat can be trickier to endure, so you’ll need to make sure their enclosure is in the shade and has good ventilation to promote that cooling airflow. 


Rabbits that are kept outside will need a protective enclosure – a special outdoor hutch for rabbits. Bunnies love little nooks, hiding spots, tunnels, and burrows, and your enclosure should have some of these included. Plenty of hay, shade, protective nooks and proper ventilation are also all mandatory. Needless to say, this enclosure needs to be spacious, so your bunny won’t feel constrained and confined. What is more, rabbits will need to run freely and exercise outside the hutch at least once per day. If you have a yard, let them run free under your supervision, and make sure that they cannot elope. Afterward, they can rest in their enclosure. Of course, you will need to provide protection against predators. As a prey animal, rabbits are quite vulnerable, especially if there are coyotes, foxes, owls, eagles, and other similar predators nearby. A sturdy enclosure, covered with roofing or strong chicken wire, is a must to keep them safe from danger.


Other things to keep in mind are less likely to occur – but not impossible. Rabbits love to dig and burrow, and they could dig their way outside of a fence and run free. Also, you will have to make sure that your property does not have odd vegetation that can be potentially poisonous and deadly for rabbits. And lastly, keep loneliness in mind. A solitary rabbit, alone in an enclosure, can grow lonesome and develop apathy, and loss of appetite. In an outdoor setting, it is best to keep several rabbits, preferably spayed and neutered. Otherwise, you will have to provide a lot of company and interaction.  


Conclusion


Keeping rabbits outside is all about adapting to different conditions and always providing adequate shelter depending on the specific situation. With each new season and temperature shift, you should make sure that your bunny is not in immediate danger. In summer, shady spots, ventilation, and plenty of fresh water will be needed. In winter, provide warmth, dry spots, and cozy nooks away from harsh winds. Additionally, you should never leave your bunny without supervision, especially if you are living in an area with natural predators. Also, if you notice that the weather is going to the extremes, you might have to transfer your rabbit indoors, where temperatures are cooler or warmer – a garage or a barn can work if you’re unable to house a bunny inside your home.

WOW
Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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Dog Who "Cried Endlessly" at Indiana Shelter Gets Adopted

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Microchip Helps Reunite Owners With a Lost Cat 5 Years Later

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Can Cats Get Frostbite?

When a cat is exposed to extremely cold conditions, they are at risk of frostbite, which may require professional veterinary care. But what is frostbite, what puts a cat at risk of frostbite, and what can be done to treat it? Here’s a short guide to help you better understand this condition and keep your cat safe.

Audio, a 4-Eared Kitten, Is Turning Heads in Tennessee

Tales of rescue cats often capture our hearts online, overcoming rough beginnings and finding loving forever homes. However, a recent story out of Tennessee has captured the attention of people around the world online. Earlier this summer, True Rescue, an animal rescue based out of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, shared the newest kitties to come into their care. Among them was an 8–9-week-old kitten with a surprising genetic defect – he has 4 ears. Named Audio due to his ability to hear the world in surround sound (100% an intentional pun), this sweet boy weighed just over 2 pounds, but don’t let his small size surprise you. This little guy is full of personality, and he’s showing the world that, in some situations, more really is more!Four kittens came into the care of True Rescue after being dumped in a mechanic’s shop in a duct-taped box with no air holes. The kittens all required antibiotics and veterinary care for their condition due to an upper respiratory infection. They continue to take antibiotics as of the last update that the rescue provided to their followers but were doing well. After sharing the story of Audio on their Facebook, it was clear the people wanted to know more. The rescue shared this viral video, introducing the sweet young boy:

Wish Your Dog Could Understand You? New Study Says They Can!

You don’t have to be a dog owner to know that dogs can learn and understand commands like “sit” or “come”. But, a new study has made a groundbreaking discovery that dogs also know that certain words stand for specific objects. This finding won’t come as a big surprise to any dog owner who has ever asked their pup to “go get your toy” and, a minute later, been handed a chewed-up rubber ball or slobbery stuffed animal. Scientists have long been interested in learning whether dogs can truly associate words with objects. However, researchers couldn’t figure out whether dogs and other animals get a mental image when they hear an object's name. This would suggest that dogs have a better understanding of language than believed before. Researchers in Hungary have discovered that in addition to being able to respond to commands such as “sit”, “roll over”, or “stay” dogs can also grasp the essence of nouns. This relationship with language is called referential understanding, and it has been unproven in dogs until now. “When we are talking about objects, objects are external to the dogs and dogs have to learn that words refer, they stand for something that is external to them,” explained the study’s co-lead author, Marianna Boros, of the Department of Ethology at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.To get some answers about what is happening in the dog brain when it processes words, Boros and her colleagues asked 18 dog owners to bring their pooches to the lab along with five objects the dogs knew well. The objects included balls, slippers, leads, rubber toys, frisbees, and other items.Researchers instructed the owners to say the words for the items before showing their dog either the correct object or a different one. For example, the owner might say “Rover, look, the ball”, but hold up a lead instead. During the tests, the researchers measured the dogs’ brain activity using non-invasive electroencephalography, or EEG. The idea was to see whether EEG could offer a better insight into dogs’ understanding of language. The brain recordings showed different patterns in the brain when the dogs were shown an object that matched or didn’t match the owner’s spoken word. The difference was even greater for the words owners believed their dogs knew well.The same results were seen when humans performed these tests and are widely accepted as people understanding the word well enough to form a mental image of the object they were later shown. “We expected that if a dog really understands the meaning of the object’s word, it will expect to see that object. And if the owner shows a different one, there will be a so-called surprise reaction in the brain. And this is exactly what we found,” said Boros according to ABC News.Lilla Magyari, also of Eötvös Loránd University, and the other co-first author, said that although some other animals have shown some degree of referential understanding of language, they have typically been trained to do so. In dogs, she explained, such capacities seem to be inborn and don’t require any particular training or talent. Researchers stress they aren’t claiming that dogs understand words as well as humans. Future studies are needed to determine whether dogs can generalize in the same way humans learn to as children.This study raises an interesting question of why, if dogs understand nouns, more of them don’t show it. One possible answer is that dogs know more than they are willing to show us.Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

Backyard Airbnbs Give Dog Owners A Private Leash-Free Space to Play

Hourly backyard rentals provide a perfect alternative to the crowded leash-free environment.

'PrePup' Agreement Helps Owners Co-Parent After a Breakup

When you end a relationship, things can get messy – even more so when you have a pet whose ownership you share with your ex. Your pooch shouldn’t be affected by the new state of things, though, which is why Rover.com created the “ PrePup Checklist”, specifically for this reason – to help couples that want a pet together consider what they would to ensure their dog’s well-being do in case their relationship doesn’t work out. The classic prenuptial agreement requires couples to think ahead and consider what would happen to their shared assets, specifically in the case of the death of a spouse or divorce. Similarly, Rover’s “PrePup Checklist” helps couples to consider how the shared responsibilities of pet ownership would be handled if – somewhere down the line – they were to split up. Of course, in difference to the prenuptial agreement, the “PrePup Checklist” is not a legally binding contract. Kristina Bergsten of The Animal Law Firm advises those who look to protect their pets legally to add “some paragraphs about who any pets belong to or what you're going to do if you adopt a pet during the marriage" to a prenuptial agreement. In August 2023, Bergsten told PEOPLE that if pets are not mentioned in a prenup, “the property settlement agreement will determine who gets the pet” in a divorce. And now, the “PrePup Checklist” wants to avoid making couples rely on property agreements so they can determine what happens to their pets during a divorce. Rover came to the idea of the checklist after conducting a survey that revealed that 56% of pet owners never discussed with their partner who would get the pet if they broke up.Rover’s checklist starts with prompts specifically asking owners to assign responsibilities for each “pet parent”. For example, who would be in charge of the walking schedule, and who would be in charge of the feeding, etc.The second part of this agreement asks new couples to consider “having difficult conversations about the future”, which includes the splitting of financial responsibilities of pet ownership, and deciding who the pet will live with in case of an eventual breakup."It's important for couples to elevate animal well-being and commit to co-parenting in healthy ways for the health and well-being of their dogs. It is widely recognized in animal welfare science that dogs and other animals can self-regulate and find innate strategies for coping with stress and anxiety when they are feeling safe, secure, and familiar with their social relationships," said Philip Tedeschi, a professor, and researcher on the human-animal bond who works with Rover."One of the most prominent indicators of their sense of security comes from their proximity to other members of the family. Having conversations about the future and what may happen if there is a disruption to a pet's life would benefit them, offer predictability, and keep them close to the ones they connect with," he added.The PrePup Checklist also includes a place where the couple’s new pet can “cosign” on anything that was discussed and agreed upon. The ultimate goal of Rover is to strengthen the bond between couples, but also between pets and their new owners.

Can Stress or Anxiety Cause Diarrhea in Dogs?

Dogs are no strangers to stress and anxiety. While most pooches are the picture of the tail-wagging, carefree dog whose only stress is that they have to wait for their next meal, some have it a bit more ruff. Anxiety in dogs can vary from mild to severe, triggered by specific and occasional stressors (such as  fireworks, for example) or present on a daily level. Naturally, your pet’s state of mind has a big impact on their overall health, so it doesn’t surprise that dogs with anxiety often have tummy issues. But does that mean that a stressful situation or anxiety can directly cause diarrhea in dogs? Having in mind that, in a way, your pet’s mental health is connected to their digestion, it sounds highly probable.How Stress and Anxiety Can Cause DiarrheaSo how does it work? The connection between the brain and the gut, often referred to as the gut-brain axis, plays a crucial role in the overall health and well-being of dogs. When dogs experience stress or anxiety, it can trigger a cascade of physiological responses, including changes in gut motility, secretion of digestive enzymes, and alterations in the composition of gut microbiota. These disruptions can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.When stress or anxiety takes hold, it's not just a matter of frazzled nerves. These emotional states can set off a domino effect within your dog's digestive system. Rather than a simple list of effects, think of it as a cascade of events:Picture your dog feeling anxious during a  thunderstorm or while being left alone. This emotional response triggers a surge of adrenaline, part of the body's "fight or flight" response. Blood flow shifts away from the digestive organs and toward the muscles, heart, and lungs, hastening gut motility.Meanwhile, the delicate balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut, known as the microbiome, is disrupted by stress. This dysbiosis can lead to inflammation, changes in gut permeability, and an upset stomach.Furthermore, chronic stress weakens the immune system, leaving your dog more susceptible to infections and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.Beyond these physiological effects, stress-related behaviors like excessive chewing,  licking, or ingesting non-food items can irritate the digestive tract, exacerbating diarrhea.How To Deal With Stress-Related Diarrhea in DogsIf your dog is experiencing stress-related diarrhea, there are several things you can do to alleviate their discomfort and ensure a speedier recovery.Before anything else, it’s essential to identify and address stressors. Determine the underlying causes of your dog's stress or anxiety and take steps to minimize or eliminate them where possible. This may involve providing a calm, predictable environment, addressing separation anxiety, or using  desensitization techniques for noise phobias.Next, support their digestion with a mild, nurturing diet and the right supplements. Your pet’s tummy is upset, so you shouldn’t neglect the importance of rebalancing their gut biome and helping their digestion. Instead of their usual kibble, offer them a bit of broth, some cooked rice, or boiled chicken breast. Additionally, a digestive supplement such as  Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora Powder can work wonders in managing symptoms of diarrhea. With a combination of special probiotics and antioxidants, this powdered supplement will quickly restore your pet’s GI tract and help their stool get back to its normal consistency. And since it’s packed with live microorganisms to benefit beneficial intestinal microflora, it can also help treat excessive gas and other digestion-related troubles, so it’s good to keep stocked in your pet’s first aid kit, especially if they have a sensitive stomach. 

The US National Park Service is Being Sued Over Stray Cats

The US National Park Service was sued by a non-profit organization due to its controversial plan to remove the famous stray cats of Puerto Rico, a historic district in the US territory. The lawsuit was filed by  Alley Cat Allies, a non-profit based in Maryland, and it comes four months after the radical announcement that left many in shock. The Federal agency revealed that it would contract an animal welfare organization to remove around 200 stray cats that live in Puerto Rico’s historic seaside fortress in Old San Juan. What the organization still hasn’t decided upon is whether the captured stray cats would be placed in foster homes, kept in shelters, adopted, or face a different fate. What is more, the federal agency did not reveal if a third-party organization has been hired yet. The National Park Service also added that it would hire a “removal agency” if the organization it contracted ultimately failed to remove the cats within a six-month period. The news caught many by surprise, as many locals – and tourists alike – loved the cats, and many considered them a delight and a local attraction. Alas, many considered the cats a nuisance too, as the National Park Service stated in a report in 2022 that the cat population in the city had grown out of proportions and that the smell of feces and urine in the area was becoming too strong.The announcement of their plan roused many animal rights activists, who say that six months is not enough to remove such a great number of cats. They fear that, as a result, many cats would be killed. Ultimately, the Alley Cat Allies filed its lawsuit in an effort to ensure the best possible outcome for the felines in question. They requested additional environmental statements from the National Park Service, and asked that “a judge find its actions allegedly violate acts including the National Environmental Protection Act.” It remains to be seen what will be the fate of these kitties – but one can only hope they won’t be harmed in the process. 

Is It Safe For Dogs To Swim In The Ocean?

Most dogs are very capable swimmers. And many of them love to take a dip whenever possible. They might not like baths at home, but they will surely love to dive right into a lake, pond, or river. But what about those big bodies of water – lakes, seas, and more importantly, the ocean? These can be a bit scary and sometimes unpredictable, so owners are naturally apprehensive when it comes to their precious pet swimming in them. However, swimming in the ocean can be a fun and invigorating activity for dogs, offering them a chance to cool off, exercise, and explore a new environment. But even so, as a responsible pet owner, it's essential to understand the potential risks and take appropriate precautions to keep your furry friend safe. Here’s what you need to know before your pooch splashes around.Is It Safe For Dogs To Swim In The Ocean?While most dogs naturally enjoy splashing in the waves, the ocean presents unique challenges that require careful consideration. There are some important factors to keep in mind to ensure a safe and enjoyable ocean swimming experience for your dog and to fully enjoy your carefree days at the beach.Of course, it goes without saying that you should first observe the water and its surface, and to try and determine if it is safe to swim in. Ensure the water is clean and free of potentially harmful bacteria, algae, or pollutants. Avoid areas with red tides, dead fish, or signs warning of contamination. The next logical step is to consider the elements. If the weather is rough and the ocean seems “rowdy”, then it is best to avoid swimming. Be aware of the strength of its currents and waves that can be unpredictable. Strong undertows or large waves can be dangerous, especially for smaller dogs or less skilled swimmers. If your pet is not a proficient swimmer, you should make sure to get them a dog life jacket even when the water seems perfectly calm. Pick one in bright colors so your pet is easier to spot in case of an emergency – ideally with reflective details, too, for better visibility in low light conditions.

Scientists Reveal Why Cats Scratch Furniture and How to Stop It

Many cat owners get used to seeing torn cushions, carpets, and furniture that bear their felines’ claw marks. Scratching is normal behavior for cats but is often considered a behavioral problem by cat owners who sometimes turn to painful procedures, like declawing, as a quick fix.This has prompted an international team of researchers to investigate which factors influence undesired scratching behavior in domestic cats. The team surveyed over 1,200 cat owners in France about the daily lives and characteristics, as well as undesired scratching behavior of their cats. Their findings were published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. “Here we show that certain factors - such as the presence of children at home, personality traits of cats and their activity levels -significantly impact the extent of scratching behavior,” explained Dr. Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas, the first author of the study and a veterinary researcher at Ankara University. “Our findings can help caregivers manage and redirect scratching to appropriate materials, which could help foster a more harmonious living environment for both cats and their caregivers.”Researchers discovered a link between certain behavioral and environmental factors and increased scratching behavior in cats. “Specifically, the presence of children in the home as well as high levels of play and nocturnal activity significantly contribute to increased scratching,” explained Salgirli Demirbas. Nocturnal activity in cats consists of behaviors exhibited at night. Heightened vocalization and playfulness during the night are usually the result of poor daytime stimulation or lack of social interactions. But it may also be a cat’s way of seeking attention. “While cats are naturally nocturnal, they can adjust to a human diurnal schedule if provided with structured and engaging activities during the day,” said the survey’s lead author.However, researchers found that stress is the main reason behind increased scratching. For example, the presence of children in the home, especially while they’re small, might increase stress levels and be one of several factors that can cause cats to scratch. Although it may seem unlikely, playfulness is another factor that can be associated with stress. You see, when cats play for a long time without a break, their stress levels can become high because of uninterrupted stimulation. Unsurprisingly, researchers discovered that cats described as aggressive and troublesome also exhibited higher levels of unwanted scratching. Although some factors that contribute to unwanted scratching - such as the cat’s personality and the presence of young children at home - can’t be changed, others can. For example, placing scratching posts in areas a cat spends a lot of time in or near their favorite resting spot can lessen the cat’s urge to scratch the furniture. Using pheromone diffusers and sprays is also an effective way to help your cat feel calm and confident in their environment. Pheromone therapy is often used for cats that show signs of anxiety and can prevent stress behaviors like scratching, crying, and hiding. “Providing safe hiding places, elevated observation spots, and ample play opportunities can also help alleviate stress and engage the cat in more constructive activities,” explained researchers.Engaging a cat in multiple play sessions that mimic hunting behavior is a great strategy to reduce stress and excessive scratching. This type of play will keep the cat mentally stimulated and help deepen the bond between the owner and the cat.“Understanding the underlying emotional motivations of scratching behavior, such as frustration, which seem to be linked to personality traits and environmental factors, allows the caregivers to address these issues directly.” Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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