Rabbits can live quite happily indoors and they should be provided with secure accommodation where they can feel safe, sleep, use a particular area as a toilet, and be confined to when unsupervised.
Indoor rabbits will probably live longer. They are safer from poor weather conditions, threatening animals, and are generally happier rabbits.
They should be brought inside overnight. They can only stay outside at night too from mid-May when there is no longer any ground frost. If your rabbits have first been gradually accustomed to being kept outdoors, they can stay outdoors all year round from then. Even the ground frost won't bother them after that.
In general, house rabbits tend to form deeper bonds with their owners due to the closer contact. Allowing rabbits to live indoors also means they're kept warm in the winter, and having them close by means you'll be able to quickly spot any changes in their behaviour that could indicate discomfort or disease.
No they don't! Rabbits themselves are very clean animals with odourless fur and they fastidiously groom themselves all day. Only their urine smells so as long as you keep their living area clean (spot clean every few days and a full clean-out once a week) you shouldn't have a problem.
They miss out on the companionship they could get when they spend time with you inside every day. Like with humans, loneliness in rabbits leads to a shorter lifespan. If you want your rabbit to live the best life possible, you need to spend time with them.
Allowing your rabbit to roam freely through your home comes with its own unique challenges, but it is definitely achievable with a bit of effort and education on how to take care of your pet rabbit. Best of all, it can be incredibly rewarding, creating a more intimate and open bond with your pet.
Rabbits are social creatures, so they'll need a lot of attention while you're awake. They might be thumping and rattling the sides of the enclosure all night because they are lonely and bored and just want to spend more time with you. They get frustrated overnight and end up making noise to try to get your attention.
A lonely rabbit may become hyperactive and angry. They may display destructive behaviour such as gnawing at the carpets and other furniture. Lonely rabbits may pull at their fur and overeat.
Rabbits are social animals, and, like us, can suffer from loneliness. Though there are exceptions, most rabbits want and need another rabbit for company. For this reason, we always recommend keeping rabbits in groups of two or more.
Disadvantage: money, space and work
As rabbits have a tendency to be messy, you will need to devote a certain amount of time to cleaning up after them. Rabbits need hay for fodder as well as for comfort in a hutch.
They sleep about 12 to 14 hours a day, according to the Ohio State University website. The most active times for rabbits are early morning, night and dusk. The rabbit is quietest during the day, usually between noon and four in the afternoon.
For indoor pet rabbits, bedding is not necessary to include in your rabbit's habitat as long as your rabbit has access to soft flooring. Outdoor rabbits will require bedding for insulation to help them stay warm in the night and during the cold months of the year.
Do rabbits sleep at night or during the day? Rabbits are not nocturnal (active at night) or diurnal (active during the day) animals. Instead they are classified as crepuscular. This means that rabbits are actually most active around the dim light hours of dusk and dawn.
Whether you allow your rabbit to sleep with you or not is a matter of preference. Observe where your rabbit feels most comfortable, and go with it. If you want to train it to sleep with you, then you can do it slowly while making your rabbit's safety your utmost priority.
Rabbits can be kept outdoors all year round but ideally their resting area should be brought into a shed or unused garage with natural light and ventilation for the winter months or else protected with tarpaulin from bad weather. Also, an exercise run should always be available.
Signs of stress may include: appearing nervous (freezing, hunched up with ears flat against the body) being excessively jumpy and watchful (bulging eyes) being aggressive to people or other rabbits, particularly if the behaviour is unusual.
In a small hutch her body fills the whole living area. She certainly can't stretch and run freely, and there is nothing in here to keep her occupied. In reality, all she can do is sit. Rabbits need to run, jump, stretch up, dig and forage – it's cruel to keep a rabbit alone and in a hutch.
Companionship for your rabbit
Rabbits are social species and prefer to live in groups. If you decide to own a rabbit, always have at least 2 rabbits. However, if you don't have the room or time or money to keep two rabbits you will need to become your rabbit's companion.
The term rabbit starvation originates from the fact that rabbit meat is very lean, with almost all of its caloric content from protein rather than fat, and therefore a food which, if consumed exclusively, would cause protein poisoning.
Rabbits spend a lot of time sleeping, mostly during the day. The perfect sleeping area for rabbits is a place which approximates a burrow i.e. a roof over their heads and an entrance and exit route. Therefore, house rabbits tend to like sleeping behind sofas or under tables or beds.