Rabbits - outside or in?

We had rabbits for our girls when they were pretty young. My husband built a rabbit hutch about 2 feet off the ground. In the winter time we put lots of hay or straw in for the winter and having them together they would huddle up and it was surprising how warm their "house" would be. BUT, you always still have the frozen water bowls etc.
In the summer time I would fill 1 gallon milk jugs w/ water and freeze them and place them in with the rabbits to help keep them cool.
I guess it's how each individual feels about their pets. Now, in my later years I would worry about them getting too cold outside..and would probably keep them in the house.LOL I hope this will help you to decide .

I have owned rabbits all my life, and I currently have 4. I also have a lab, border collie and a beagle. All my pets are indoor pets.

Outdoor rabbits do not live as long as indoor rabbits, nor will they be as tame as indoor rabbits.

Do you live in a warm climate, or are the winters cold?

The most important thing to remember when keeping rabbits outdoors is to make sure that they have a very good rabbit hutch to live in. There should be a sheltered area for your rabbits to get out of the weather, there should be a space that they can hop around and look outside. The hutch should be off the ground to help protect the rabbits from predators.

If you go back to the original forum where you posted this question, you'll see a sticky about rabbits. All the information you need to care for these wonderful animals is there.

For myself, I would never keep a rabbit outdoors, but many people do and have success. The choice is yours.

Good luck.

We've had three bunnies growing up, and they were kept in outside hutches. Two of the three were snake bitten and the third had a heat stroke. The cages were off the ground four feet and well wired, but if a snake finds even the tiniest of opening, then its game over. Since I had my own home I've owned two rabbits, and both were inside bunnies and we did not face those problems and risks. They were healthier and happier.

I have 4 indoor bunnies and I have to agree.

Growing up we always had bunnies and they were always outdoors. The life expectancy of an outdoor bunny is considerably less then that of an indoor bunny. Predators, disease, weather, they all play a factor in an outdoor bunnies life.

Many people think their home will stink if they keep their bunnies indoors, that's not the case. If they're litter box trained and their cages are cleaned daily, there is no noticeable smell, unless you have a male that you don't neuter as they will spray when they reach sexual maturity at around 6 months of age.

Indoor will always be my first choice.