18 Comments
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James Wang's avatar

We have a pretty similar setup for our place and our two lionheads. This isn’t really a picture of the setup and more just them in their TV watching spot.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mf66w3ckt05m95u/IMG_0170.jpg?dl=0

Never would have known about the rabbits before, though a mutual friend (Mitch) did mention that you like them!

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Noah Smith's avatar

Awesome!! I want to visit sometime!!

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Peter Dowdy's avatar

While it is a pastime of rabbit-keepers to disagree vehemently with each other, I can't disagree with anything you've written. Have you told us their names?

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Noah Smith's avatar

Cinnamon (gray ears) and Giggles (black ears)!! :-)

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Jazzinart's avatar

Very cool keep it up

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Jerden's avatar

Interesting about the "not keeping them outside" part, that seems very counterintuitive to me. I'd assume they'd eat the lawn since grass is just fresh hay, and the digging could be a problem, but if you live in a suburban area with a fenced in garden, they should be pretty safe as long as they're locked away at night - my family hasn't lost any chickens to foxes yet!

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Noah Smith's avatar

They can go outside with supervision, but if left alone outside they'll eventually be killed.

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Jane none of your businesss's avatar

I have a fenced in yard with open access and a few "bolt holes" for the rabbits (and squirrels and, occasionally, trundling skunks and groundhogs). One of my rabbits really likes his out time, and I tend to sit in a chair in the garage and supervise while reading a book or tablet. All he does is hang out in his scrape, and if he can sneak out when I'm not looking, he'll visit the neighbours (which is a no-no, so when he does, he zoomies and binkies until he's busted). Sometimes he'll want to go outside that while I'm busy puttering around, so I leave the front door and garage door open and check on him from time to time until it's time to come in.

The only thing I'm afraid of is if someone who lacks sense and discipline comes around with an aggressive dog, but so far that hasn't happened yet – except for one woman with a yappy little toy dog, who indulged her pet's curious pursuit until I yelled "private property! my bunny is not a toy!" One of my bunnies is a Stand-Your-Ground type, though really because he's so super chill he just won't be provoked; the one who likes to go outside is vigilant but not paranoid; and the third will be in the house in a thump and a tail-flash as soon as a dog gets within 20 meters.

I used to have three rabbits at my parents' where we reinforced the base of the fence against escapes, but of course the Houdini rabbit and the wild cottontails always found a way out (or in). That year, my dad said he hardly ever had to mow the backyard. They went out at breakfast and came in after dinner, and they had lots of places to hide.

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Jane none of your businesss's avatar

OK I accept that this is posting my comments in a duplicated-paragraph fashion and letting it stand

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Jerden's avatar

I think it's just that I'd not encountered the idea of keeping rabbits indoors before and assumed that they preferred to be outside. That's mostly because I mainly see rabbits in the wild and so lump them in with the squirrels, but I do remember childhood friends keeping them in a hutch in the garden. Here in the UK there are fewer predators to worry about, so that's probably a factor. Thanks for the information, for some reason I feel more qualified to have opinions on this than on any of the economics even though I know even less about it!

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Robert's avatar

I had rabbits as a boy. They lived outside to a ripe old age but most kids in the neighborhood lost theirs to coyotes. Do house rabbits binky?

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Noah Smith's avatar

Mine binky all the time! Yeah, outside is not safe.

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Peter Dowdy's avatar

Yes, they do. They adapt really well to living indoors.

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Katie's avatar

Wonderful! I enjoyed rabbit companions for many years. All the work required to care for them was worth it for the moments when I lay on the floor face-to-face with one and rubbed noses - sheer delight! Also well worth the effort is the joy of when they kick up their heels and do a binky (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe7ZQuE5_cc ), which you don't mention. Better than Fred Astaire!

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Helen G's avatar

Hi, Noah! Love this post on how to befriend and take good care of a bunny. I met you ages ago at SaveABunny, and am glad to reconnect. I was thrilled to see you on The Bulwark podcast as a guest on Beg To Differ. I am a big fan of The Bulwark! Two things that made today's episode really shine: your beautifully expressed opinion on Freedom (as a take-off point from Syria's recent freedom from Assad) and of course your ending rave about bunnies. I hope our paths will cross again at SaveABunny. PS Sorry about the loss of your sweet Cinnamon.

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NoirMatt's avatar

It was a great post indeed! The rabbits are love. You can find the best information related to them at https://www.petpediapro.com/

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Max Kaehn's avatar

Will rabbits sleep on your ankles to help you keep warm on a cold night?

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Jane none of your businesss's avatar

No, but maybe they'll sleep next to your feet… or next to your face. Overnight, they're not cuddlers, more like nighwatchmen… they supervise

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