Fifteen years ago

Today marks fifteen years since we brought Mabel and Dijon home to join our family.

We had lost Neroli in July 2011, and during her last weeks, as we cared for her (she had developed spondylosis of the spine), we decided we would adopt a pair of rabbits when the time came, rather than having another single rabbit. Our three children had never known their home without Nelly, and had utmost respect for her; however, even though they were to be family rabbits, not the children’s pets, local rescues were (understandably) reluctant to rehome rabbits in a house with young children (aged 9, 5, and 3). Rather than buy from a pet shop, we went to a breeder – something we wouldn’t contemplate now. 

We spotted the breeder’s advert in a local newspaper – last remaining rabbits from two litters for sale, Dutch rabbits, and their website stated that these were to be the final litters. 

Although it was very soon after losing Neroli, we decided to contact them, as we particularly wanted more Dutch rabbits, preferably babies (again, not the way we’d choose to select rabbits nowadays), and this seemed like a perfect opportunity – besides, we wouldn’t be collecting them for a few weeks, and might feel more ready by then. ‘Cottage Dutch Rabbits’ was a small enterprise run by two teenage girls in their parents’ back garden, in a village a couple of miles from our home. They emailed some more photos of the babies. 

 We visited, and the girls introduced us to the babies.

  

We also met the parents. The two litters shared the same father, Luigi – a yellow Dutch; the mothers were Lily – a yellow Dutch, and Coco – a chocolate brown Dutch. 

It was obvious that they adored their rabbits and were relatively knowledgeable. We chose a yellow male from Lily’s litter – Dijon, and a black Dutch from Coco’s litter – Mabel. We were told that the half-siblings would be put in a hutch together, to bond, as soon as they were ready to leave their mothers.

In preparation for their arrival, we bought a larger puppy crate as their base in our living room – in line with the welfare standards at that time! 

 

A month later, the babies were ready to be collected, and we brought them home. Here they are, exploring their cage, with our children watching. 

 

Right from the start, we could see their personalities. 

“We've named the black doe 'Mabel' and the yellow buck 'Dijon'. Even at just 8wks they have such different appearances and personalities. Dijon is very stocky already, I think he will be muscular like his father, Luiji. He's a very happy-go-lucky clown of a boy, lots of running around, crazy binkies, then flopping over on his side in a very undignified manner. Very affectionate like his mother (Lily). He is intent on coming out of the cage when we open the door, either pushing through or making a sudden run at us as we sit at the door! Mabel is very slim, dainty, with a longer nose, like her mother (Coco – a chocolate Dutch). She is gentle and quiet, not as excitable, and a bit shy. Apparently, her mother used to usher all the babies back into the bedroom part of the hutch when they ventured out and so for most of this morning, she chose to sit in the darkest corner of the cage. She loves her cuddles, and comes forward as we approach, but more carefully. I think she's the silent leader – Dijon copies everything she does!”

(Bunnymad archives, August 2011)

We followed RWAF advice at that time, keeping them in the crate for a few days before allowing them to explore our living room. Now, we remember Dijon as a big softie, and a cuddle monster, so it’s hard to believe that in those first few days, he would sometimes lunge and nip fingers! 

“I think Dijon's going to be hard work. She's a little angel, so affectionate, but he is a bundle of energy, mounting her, racing around the cage, nibbling fingers if they're poked in the cage, and this morning he deliberately bit me as I put my hand in. I caught him trying to do it a few times today but each time I've seen it coming and just cuddled him firmly instead. Have told the children no fingers through the cage!”

(Bunnymad archives, August 2011)

It was hard work, caring for two energetic baby bunnies, having been used to an elderly disabled rabbit, but they soon settled down, and saw the children through the majority of their school years… Dijon even lived to see our eldest son leave home and adopt his own four-legged small furry companion, Clementine the hamster.

Tuppence-worth

This photo, taken in the late 1950s, is the only picture of Tuppence, my Mum’s childhood rabbit. It appears that Tuppence looked a lot like Mr Snoop… although I’m certain Mr Snoop would have something to say about being wheeled down the road in a doll’s pram for his nails to be trimmed at the vet’s (my Mum says she was never charged!).

Apparently, my Mum’s friend, who attended Dartford Grammar, brought home a couple of baby rabbits when one of the classroom rabbits had a litter. She kept one rabbit, Penny, and gave Tuppence to my Mum (the babies were all named after coinage denominations). My Mum remembers buying bran to mix with warm water in cold weather, with chopped carrot and other veggies. She also recalls putting potato peelings in the oven until crisp, which Tuppence loved!

Tuppence lived in a hutch in the garden, built by my Grandad, who, each night, went out with a wooden cover that fitted across the front, for protection – obviously they loved her, and gave her the best care available at that time. My Mum was about eleven years old when she got Tuppence, and had started work when Tuppence died. It’s incredible that this bunny lived for over six years, given her diet.

I was reminded of Tuppence by a recent encounter. A friend told me that her rabbit was very unwell with stasis; however, my attempts to convince her that the rabbit needed to see a vet were futile: she was treating the rabbit at home, using her own “tried-and-tested” stasis remedy (that included pain killers for humans). From the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years, I was able to state exactly why this treatment could do more harm than good, but it did not help. Why? Because her rabbits had each recovered from stasis when she’d used this remedy in the past. I had to bite my lip, but kept thinking of the anti-elephant powder story: an old man sprinkled a white powder on the roads every day. When he was asked what he was doing, he answered that it was elephant powder. The person then remarked, “But there are no elephants!”, to which he replied, “It must be working then!”.

My friend’s satisfaction with the ‘success’ of her home remedy made me think of Tuppence: Tuppence lived a relatively long life on a diet of bran, carrots, and potato peelings; however, with the knowledge I’ve acquired, I know that this was not a suitable diet. Tuppence was just lucky, or perhaps any problems went undetected, and so her diet was never changed. The difference between these two rabbit examples is the availability of information. Rabbit care information in the 1950s was scarce and still mostly focussed on raising rabbits for meat; nowadays, we have easy access to a massive repository of specialist knowledge, and even rabbit welfare organisations. Of course, we do need to be careful when choosing which advice to follow, so it’s always safest to check the information available from the most reputable source – RWAF.

We have made mistakes when caring for our rabbits, and can certainly see, in hindsight, where things could have been improved, especially with the knowledge we have today. However, we have tried, over the years, to keep up to date with the latest welfare advice and to improve care of our bunnies as we learn. Just because we’ve always done something in the past and encountered no problems does not mean it is the correct thing to do or that it’s working. The lesson is to avoid confirmation bias, question outdated habits, and, above all, keep learning!

 

Hot cross buns

 Mr Snoop turning off his fan.

 

Today is the hottest May day on record. Yesterday, the temperature here reached around 32°C, and last night, records were broken, with temperatures remaining in the high teens. It’s currently 33°C here in southeast England, and is forecast to be a ‘tropical night’, with temperatures staying above 20°C.

As temperatures surge, it’s hard to know what to do to help the bunnies. Heat health alerts are in place for humans, but rabbits cope even more poorly with heat than we do. Anything above 25°C is too hot for them, as they struggle to regulate their body temperature. In the wild, rabbits can retreat to their underground burrows to avoid the heat (they also tend to be active only during the cooler twilight hours), but our domestic rabbits don’t have that option, and, to make matters worse, many breeds have thicker fur than their wild cousins; also, they don’t have the option to move so freely to find a place to keep cool.

In high temperatures, rabbits can suffer from heatstroke, and the heat also increases the risk of gut stasis, due to dehydration, and the risk of flystrike.

The current exceptional heat was very sudden, demonstrating that we need plans in place for making them comfortable and keeping them healthy. This late-May heatwave might be exceptional, but the temperature records are being rewritten every year now.

So, what can we do? Bringing them into an air-conditioned room is ideal, but not all of us have that option, so here are some suggestions.

Monitor

Probably the most obvious but also the most vital measure is to keep an eye on the weather, so that we can take steps in time, and to monitor our rabbits’ behaviour and health, so we can respond accordingly.

Provide shade and ensure airflow

Check that rabbits have large areas of shade throughout the day (shadows move!). The air needs to be moving to keep them cool. A gazebo could be placed over the enclosure, or a damp towel draped over (but not enclosing them) can give an evaporative cooling effect. If temperatures are high, it’s often safest to bring outdoor rabbits inside to a cool, quiet room. Sheds might seem like they offer shade, but they can become dangerously hot without appropriate measures to keep them cool. For indoor rabbits, close curtains/blinds, and move them to a cooler room if necessary. Most rabbits are sensible about moving to shade if temperatures soar, but elderly and other less mobile rabbits might find it harder to move out of direct sunlight, so they should be restricted to shady areas during daytime.

Dijon often chose to lie in full sun.

Standing an iced bottle of water in front of an electric fan can create a cool breeze, but ensure any cables are out of reach (USB rechargeable fans are best), and that rabbits can move away from the airflow if they wish. For indoor rabbits, close the windows, especially on the sunny side, during the hottest hours, and open in the evening and first thing in the morning, before temperatures rise.

Keep rabbits hydrated

Ensure water is refreshed regularly, and easily accessible, especially for less mobile rabbits. Provide a few extra bowls near their favourite resting places, to remind them to drink. It’s helpful to offer leaves which have been soaked in cold water.

Mabel was usually too busy to go indoors for water, so we provided extra bowls in the enclosure.

Provide cool items

All our rabbits have enjoyed resting against cooler items during hot weather. We use an ice pack and frozen water bottles – generally, the advice is to wrap these in old towels, so they’re not too cold, but Mr Snoop likes to chew fabric, so, for our bunnies, it’s safer not to. Ceramic tiles can also provide a patch for cooling down.

Yesterday, we bought a couple of SnuggleSafe Cool Pods – our bunnies often refuse to use anything we think is a good idea worth the price, but they took to them straightaway. The pads don’t need to be frozen – instead, they cool as the rabbit sits on/against them. As with the ice pack and water bottles, check for any signs of chewing.

Keep their trays and enclosure clean

Flystrike is more common during hot weather, especially if rabbits are sitting in a dirty area, so it’s even more important to keep their trays and environment clean.

Keep on top of brushing

Rabbits shed fur as the weather warms up, but it takes time – they can’t just switch to their summer clothes. Regular brushing helps remove excess fur, and reduces the amount ingested during grooming themselves/their companions, which could lead to gut stasis when combined with dehydration during hot weather. Long-haired rabbits should be trimmed.

Ebony having some help to remove her winter coat.

Dampen their ears

Rabbits can’t lose heat by sweating or panting, like other animals. They regulate their body temperature primarily through their ears, via the network of blood vessels. So, if they’re hot, some rabbits like to have their ears dampened with a cool wet cloth or mist spray, which creates an evaporative cooling effect.

Recognise heatstroke and act immediately

Knowing our rabbits well enough to spot signs of illness is essential, as they’ve retained their prey creature instinct to hide symptoms. Heatstroke develops quickly, so it’s important to be able to spot it. A rabbit suffering from heatstroke may be weak, lethargic, and panting. Their ears will be hot, there may be wetness around their nose, and as the heatstroke progresses, they may be confused and even suffer convulsions. It’s an extremely serious condition, which can be fatal, so requires immediate veterinary attention. Rabbits should be cooled down by dampening their ears with cool water, but they should never be submerged in cold water.

Here, the bunnies have been sensible today – they enjoyed some time on the patio first thing this morning, before the sun reached it. Then we closed the patio door and the curtains, and they’ve spent the day resting beneath the table, next to the various cold items, enjoying the occasional extra bunch of wet coriander. Stay cool everybun! 

 

 

 

Vaccination vet visit

Ebony and Mr Snoop have, today, been vaccinated against the new strain of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease. 

Mr Snoop trying to hide the dog photo on his vaccination record card.

It’s taken a while to get hold of the new vaccine – many practices have been unable to source any from suppliers, but our vet kindly managed to order a pack of 10 vials – she now needs more rabbits to be brought to the surgery for this vaccine, to use the remaining vials. 

A look of disdain as they are shut in the carrier – Ebony saw it coming and evaded for nearly long enough to make us miss the appointment. 

The bunnies are already vaccinated against myxomatosis, the classic strain RHD (RHDV-1), and the variant strain RHD (RHDV-2) (they receive an annual injection of Nobivac® Myxo-RHD PLUS), but today’s vaccine (YURVAC® RHD) is to protect them against all strains of RHD, including the new “highly virulent strain” of RVHD-2. From now on, they’ll have two vaccinations a year: Nobivac and YURVAC. 

Two cross buns on the journey home.

The new strain has been found in mainland Europe. There’s no surveillance data available yet, to confirm its presence in the UK (even with post-mortems, there’s no test to identify which strain caused death), but it’s likely that it exists here; in December, the RWAF announced reports of rabbits who were vaccinated but died of RVHD2, which rang alarm bells for us. 

RHD is a horrendous disease (read more about it here), and rabbits who are affected often show few signs of illness, and die suddenly. It spreads quickly and easily, and can enter rabbits’ homes on hay, insects, or from guardians’ contaminated clothes or shoes. Hopefully, this new strain won't take a hold in the UK but it's good to know the bunnies are vaccinated.  

Below: Ebony and Mr Snoop realising they were finally free and angrily washing away the smell of hoomins.

 

 

Ding dong Neroli on high

On Christmas Day 2001, two days after we’d adopted Neroli, we had a radio request played for her on Classic FM: 

"Merry Christmas to you, here’s one from L in Kent, who says ‘please play a piece of music for my wife D, who’s 7 months pregnant with our first child, and for our houserabbit, Neroli, whom we adopted from the RSPCA on Sunday 23rd December, who appears to have been born without a tail’". 

We did indeed think Neroli had been born without a tail, but the vet confirmed she had a very small tail, which was hardly visible!

Seven years with Ebony 'Thunder Cloud'

Ebony today, with her bunny. 

Today marks seven years since Ebony joined our family. This is the story of how she came to live here. 

At the end of November 2018, when we lost Mabel, we knew we had to find a new companion for Dijon quickly, but our local rescue centres didn’t have any single female rabbits available for adoption at the time. 

On 6 December, we saw an advert for Ebony – or ‘Thunder Cloud’, as she was called – as we browsed the Rabbit Rehome UK website (a database of rabbits, both at rescue centres and living with individuals (but not from breeders), needing new homes). We were drawn to her as she had also recently lost her partner, and was living in a home not far from us.

Ebony’s previous family called her ‘Thunder Cloud’. 

 

Apparently Ebony did that same feet-out flop in her former home.

 

We contacted the owner, late that night, to find whether Thunder Cloud was still available, ask for more information, and tell her about our situation and setup. We received a reply early the next morning. 

Unlike many of the rabbits waiting for homes, Thunder Cloud was by no means unwanted or neglected. Three months before, in September, her owners had become ‘accidental bunny parents’ when a small white bunny (male) had turned up at their house. Realising he needed company, they had adopted Cloud from the Pets at Home rehoming section, and bonded them. 

They didn’t know much about Cloud's background – they believed she had been one of the rabbits who had been returned to store, rather than old/unsold Pets at Home ‘stock’; her exact age was unknown, but they guessed she was a couple of years old (our vet later said she was probably younger than that). Cloud (she is black with a white cloud-like marking) was called ‘Thunder Cloud’ by their young daughter. They had been informed by Pets at Home that Cloud had been spayed and vaccinated, but didn’t have any records (we later confirmed with the vet in that store that she had been spayed, but they had no record of her vaccinations! To avoid any risk, she was vaccinated by our vet, as soon as we adopted her). She mostly had free roam of their living room, with a large puppy crate as her shelter. 

Just like Dijon, Cloud had lost her former partner (Pipkin) in the last week of November. They had noticed his teeth looked long, and their vet had confirmed it was a problem, which would require an operation to remove the teeth, then further operations each time they re-grew. Alternatively, he would need the teeth filed down every 8 weeks (possibly that was why Pipkin had been abandoned). The owners were given a stark choice: they thought the expense, and the stress to Pipkin, would be too much and made the heart-breaking decision to have him put to sleep. They were still missing Pipkin, who had been “a lovely wee spirit, a proper mad march hare, very full of magic”. 

Her owner told us that Cloud seemed fine, and was still eating well, but she knew that the pair had been close – Cloud had spent hours cleaning his ears (maybe also trimming his whiskers, as she’s done for her next partners?!). She added, “I am sure she needs another bun to cuddle up with; she has been sitting on the sofa in the spot that they used to sit together”. 

We were told that Cloud was quieter than Pipkin had been – Pipkin had been the one to binky, run in mad circles, and climb the bookcase. When we enquired whether Cloud might be bored living with a 7.5-year-old rabbit, she replied, “I don't think Cloud will mind a quiet life”! 

We learned that Cloud was a little shy, and didn’t like being picked up, but that she would allow them to stroke her ears; she loved parsley and would eat from their hands. She was “not super friendly, but not aggressive at all”. 

Cloud’s owner was still 50/50 about whether to find a new home for Cloud, or to adopt another bunny (she had also checked for rabbits available in local centres), but, after consulting her children, had decided “whichever seems best for Cloud is what we will do”. 

We decided to visit with Dijon, as we’d heard that you can tell from the rabbits’ initial reaction whether the bond is likely to work. In the end, we decided against taking him, knowing it would be stressful, but the owner told us she was more than happy to have Cloud back, if it didn’t work out. 

We arranged a date, Sunday 9 December, and agreed that if we thought Cloud was the one, we would take her that afternoon; we would also take her cage and belongings, to minimise stress of being in a new home. 

When we entered the living room where Cloud was living, she was under the sofa. Eventually, when she emerged, we saw a beautiful black, fluffy, slightly timid rabbit. It was agreed with the slightly tearful owner that we would take her home. We stressed that they were welcome to visit at any time, and that we would keep them updated. As we were about to leave, the little girl gave us Cloud’s fluffy bunny companion, to place in the carrier alongside her. We still have that bunny, remarkably unscathed, compared with everything else in our living room… perhaps the bunnies realise the significance. 

In the carrier with her bunny.

Introducing Dijon to his new partner, as soon as she arrived home... 

... but Dijon was more interested in the soft toy bunny...

... and stole Ebony's piece of kale!

Ebony spent the first couple of days in her puppy crate, alongside Dijon's enclosure.

She was keen to explore her new territory. 

 

The next step was side-by-side enclosures – Dijon was desperate to meet her properly... 

... but Ebony tormented him, by flopping by the fence with her back to him. 

 

An urgent vet visit for vaccinations and a check-up.

Queen Ebony discovering her throne 7 years ago...

... and still reigning today. 

Our first houserabbit: Lupin

29 November 1998, a pivotal moment: An impulse purchase on a Sunday afternoon visit to a garden centre resulted in 27 years of rabbits in our home, to date. We didn’t discuss where we’d put Lupin, along with her hutch and paraphernalia (cost: £81.18 – a figure etched in our memory), but due to freezing weather, she stayed in our living room, and it’s never been without a rabbit since. 

  

Can you spot our mistakes?

• Bought from a store (AND without any preparation)
• Locked in a small hutch when unsupervised
• Fed muesli-based diet, carrot, apple, toast, …
• No rabbit companion
• Access to cables and houseplants (rabbit-proofed ad lib)
• Lots of picking up for cuddles
• Used a harness (at least we tried – quite rightly, she wouldn’t tolerate it)

 

But we did some things correctly: we joined the British House Rabbit Association (now Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund), applied our new knowledge to Lupin’s care, and let her steal our hearts.

In this compilation of scanned photos, you’ll see Lupin in her favourite place, on top of her hutch – she liked to jump up there to be a part of whatever we were doing, watching us at the table or joining on the piano for a duet. We only have a small collection of photos of Lupin, and many are blurry or red-eyed pictures – she lived in the days before we had a digital camera, let alone mobile phones that take photos, so these are treasured memories. Here is some of the 27-year-old camcorder footage we have of Lupin. 

 

Houserabbits and the Great Outdoors

Ebony and Snoop in their outdoor enclosure.

 

Houserabbits were a novel concept back in the 1990s. So, when we bought our first rabbit, Lupin, from a garden centre one Sunday afternoon in November 1998, along with her hutch and all the paraphernalia, we assumed she’d live in the garden. However, by the time we arrived home, it was cold and dark. After letting her hop around our living room, we kept her in the hutch in our house overnight... she stayed there the next day, as we had to go to work, and we enjoyed watching her explore the living room again that evening… by which time, we couldn’t think of putting her outdoors. Besides, the neighbourhood foxes constituted a risk... 

Some of our garden visitors captured on our wildlife camera.

  

That’s how Lupin became a houserabbit, and since then, we’ve always had rabbits in our living room... and none have lived in a hutch. 

Lupin, our first houserabbit.

Aware she couldn’t stay locked in a hutch, but wary of her hopping around on the new carpet in our recently refurbished home, we wanted to know whether a rabbit could be house trained. Today, we'd search online, but in 1998, the ‘World Wide Web’ didn’t have all the answers. However, we did stumble across the British House Rabbit Association (now Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund) website, and discovered that other people had rabbits living happily (and litter trained) in their homes. As we learned to share our living space with a mischievous little bunny, we realised how much we valued her companionship and the social interaction. She was a member of the family, and we couldn’t imagine her living outdoors. 

Our home became Lupin's home.

All our rabbits – that's seven since Lupin – have been houserabbits, not because we think it’s wrong to house rabbits outdoors (given suitable housing, care, and the companionship of another rabbit), but we love having rabbits living in our home.

Today, it’s widely acknowledged that rabbits can live indoors. However, a more recent recognition is the importance of allowing houserabbits time outside, preferably in a predator-proof enclosure. Time spent in the great outdoors offers many benefits:

• Rabbits tend to be more active outside, which helps to maintain musculoskeletal health, decrease the risk of obesity, and keep their guts moving.
• The greater variety of stimuli outside – things to see, hear, and smell – keeps them entertained and happy.
• Opportunities for grazing and foraging can be provided, through access to a lawn or planters – great for their digestive systems and teeth.
• An enclosure on grass or soil provides an uneven surface which is good for muscle tone, and allows feet to sit in their natural position, with their nails sinking into the ground, reducing risk of pododermatitis; it’s also perfect for digging behaviour. A paved enclosure with a rough surface helps to wear down nails.
• Sunlight exposure (UVB rays) allows rabbits to synthesize vitamin D through their skin (not possible from sunshine streaming through windows, as the UVB rays are filtered out by glass).

This last point is significant – currently, research is limited but indicates a possible risk of vitamin D deficiency for indoor-only rabbits. Vitamin D is important for the immune system, kidney function, and cardiovascular health, and it boosts calcium absorption, which is essential if there's not enough in the diet. A deficiency may cause the rabbit's body to start taking its calcium requirement from the bones, which weakens them, and can cause arthritis and osteoporosis. Although there are many other factors involved in dental disease, a deficiency may increase the risk – with insufficient calcium, bone density decreases, and teeth can become unstable and misaligned in the weakened supporting (alveolar) bone; roots may become elongated, teeth start to wear down unevenly where they don't meet properly, and abscesses may form from the bacteria which gets into the gum in gaps between wobbly, wonky teeth. Although artificial UVB lights, sun-dried hay, and dietary supplements can also help rabbits obtain their vitamin D requirements, it seems exposure to unfiltered sunlight is significant. 

Look out for a feature on the importance of UV light exposure in the Spring 2026 issue of Rabbiting On! 

Sadly, Lupin didn’t have a chance, in her short life, to spend time in an outdoor run, but we constructed an enclosure for our next bunny, Charlie.

Charlie in our first outdoor enclosure – 
obviously not large enough by today's standards.

 

The enclosure was used for our rabbits for many years. In conducive weather, when we could be outdoors to supervise, our rabbits were placed in their carrier and taken to the enclosure on the lawn. They enjoyed grazing, and seemed relaxed, but of course they couldn’t go indoors until we took them, and their time outside was restricted to when it suited us. 

Neroli and Rosie training their first Baby Servant.

 

Two years later, and the original Baby Servant is growing up fast but there's a new one to train.

 

A third small hoomin joins Neroli's staff, and waits on her in the enclosure.

Mabel and Dijon were energetic young bunnies when they came to live with us, and transporting them to and from the enclosure was not simple. 

Mabel and Dijon (3 mths old) loved the enclosure, but not being put in the carrier.

We had an idea: we set up a temporary enclosure on the patio – one which they could access through the patio doors from the living room, without the need for us to pick them up. 

 Watch to the end to see Dijon run indoors to safety when scared by a breeze.

They loved it, and so the enclosure became a permanent fixture, clipped securely to the wall either side of the patio doors. 

Mabel and Dijon exploring new territory (June 2012).

  
We still use this enclosure today, for Ebony and Snoop. It has increased in size from one puppy pen to three linked together. We attached mesh to the bars, following Ebony’s accident with a puppy pen. Plastic clematis trellis is fixed to the top, to stop the bunnies jumping out or predators climbing in. It’s not entirely predator proof – an animal could chew through the plastic trellis, and the enclosure is not fully covered, due to the patio door, but hopefully it’s sufficient to deter predators. When the bunnies are outside, we ensure they’re within our sight.

The enclosure is on paving, so we’ve provided planters of grass and rabbit-safe plants to allow the bunnies to graze. 

Ebony inspecting the hazel prunings.

In autumn, our apple and hazel tree prunings are placed in the enclosure. The bunnies enjoy eating some of the leaves and twigs, and are kept busy by their innate need to clear the branches from their usual routes, moving them by scrabbling and chewing (which has the bonus of keeping their teeth in trim). 

 Ebony clearing some bay tree prunings.

 

They have a tunnel, a sheltered/hiding area, and a digging pit. The digging pit was made in 2021, from parts of our children’s old playhouse, to celebrate Dijon’s 10th Birthday, although he preferred to roll in the soil than dig, and Ebony claimed it as her territory, rarely allowing poor Dijon in.

Dijon having fun in his 'digging pit' 
(edit with music here).

Ebony soon took ownership of the soil, and despite watching (not always from a safe distance), Dijon never really mastered digging. Watch to the end to see how Ebony even tried bringing the contents of the pit into the house to encourage him, but to no avail… Dijon preferred rolling in the soil 
(edit with music here).

 
As a senior bun, Dijon began struggling to negotiate the threshold – his knee injury (a ligament tear) became arthritic, and decreasing muscle mass made him quite wobbly. We added a ramp from the patio door, and removed the larger planters, in case he tried to jump from one and hurt himself.

The bunnies love going outdoors, and, early most mornings, Ebony scrabbles the door to tell us to open it… whatever the weather. In fact, our rabbits spend more time outside on dull days – this could be their prey animal instinct (less easily spotted by a predator when it’s gloomy, and they don’t have strong shadows), and a preference for low lighting (wild rabbits spend their days in dark warrens, and come out to graze/forage when it’s twilight). Fortunately, we're not completely exposed to the elements, as the insulated curtain is quite effective at preventing the indoor temperature from plummeting too rapidly.

Whatever the weather, there's always a good reason to have the door open, even if it's just to sit on the threshold and make the hoomins cold 
(edit with music here). 

If we don’t open the door by mid-morning, the bunnies show their annoyance: chasing one another, giving us their hard stare, or destroying our furniture.

Fortunately for the bunnies, there’s usually someone at home, so during the daytime, they can venture outside whenever they wish, and (even more importantly) they can return indoors at any time. If they hear, see, or smell something they think represents a threat, they race indoors. We’re honoured to see that they perceive our living room as their secure home. We’ve realised our domestic rabbits are hard-wired to recognise predators – they’re not bothered by wood pigeons flapping nearby, squirrels bounding along the fence, or robins entering their enclosure, but if they hear a crow or a magpie, they shoot indoors. Their time outside tends to reflect their crepuscular nature – usually, they choose to go outdoors in the morning, and, in spring/summer, late afternoon.

We’ve been able to let our bunnies enjoy time in the snow, knowing that they won’t go out if they think it’s too cold, and they can come back indoors when they want to warm up. Click here for a compilation of the bunnies having fun in the snow.  

Mabel and Dijon were always very excited about snow.

 
Through observing our bunnies’ behaviour, we’ve realised it’s important for rabbits to have as much choice as possible. As houserabbits, they see our home as their home, but being able to go outdoors is highly desirable to them. Future goals? A hole through the living room wall, with tube to the enclosure… then maybe another tunnel over the garden wall to an enclosure on the lawn…