Rabbits

[Shellywba]

Is it okay for Rabbits to be left in the garden in this typical British weather? He has a decent hutch and my Dad covers her cage with the a big massive sheet of the stuff you put in ponds, at the bottom. But is it okay to keep her outside? She won't freeze or anything? Because I have had a new Rabbit and I feel sorry for her in the cold weather outside. My dad won't put her in the shed yet because he has to clean it out and he feels she'll be okay.

[New Forester]

Yes, it'll be fine, even in really snowy weather. Have a look at previous answer: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals_and_Nature/Question56 808.html

[Shellywba]

OK thank you..

[Doolallygirl]

My rabbit lived for two years in our garden come rain or shine and he was absolutely fine. He only died when we let him run in the garden one summer and a fox caught him. Poor Thumper...

[OBonio]

The only huge drawback is the possibility of flystrike. Two of our rabbits have had it (only one survived the op). Make sure you RearGuard them every summer! They've got a good coat of fur to keep them warm in winter.

[Shellywba]

What is flystrike?

[New Forester]

Not sure you really want to know, Shelleywba. Refer to question on fly longevity (http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Animals_and_Nature/Question57 039.html), and think of a rabbit's behind as the food source. Ugh, ugh and double ugh. The main thing is to make sure your bunnies are clean and dry, and don't get too hot. Ours always had plenty of good natural food such as vegetable peelings and hay, and we never had any problems. I think it's squishy droppings which tend to give the flies somewhere to start by sticking to the fur. A friend of mine had a human bot fly last year, but I don't think even that was as bad...