When you are thinking of bringing a rabbit into your life as a new family member, then it is natural that you will want it to feel comfortable. You will want to keep the little bunny at a place where it feels safe and secure. Hence, before making a decision, you should carefully consider the places where you can keep the cage of your rabbit. It is right that you can make any room of your house suitable for your furry friend, but all the places are not advisable.
If you are considering keeping your rabbit in the garage, let me tell you that it is not an ideal place for it to live. If you want to make the garage your rabbit’s home, you need to rabbit-proof it extensively. It’s not at all arguable that the garage is one of the safest places for your little friend when it comes to protection against predators, weather, and other threats. But, a garage is not a place where the rabbit can be the healthiest and feel happiest.
So, the first thing that you should keep in your mind is that garage can have several dangerous features. These features make it a precarious place to let your rabbit live.
A rabbit maybe a small animal, but raising it is not an easy task. You have to give it sufficient space to eat, sleep, drink, play, run, and socialize. If you are going to use the garage exclusively for the rabbit, there are not many things you should worry about.
But if you are thinking of using your garage as a multi-purpose room, then it will be better to keep your rabbit in a different place.
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The Basics
Just like we humans, to be happy and healthy, rabbits also need food, shelter, as well as companions. These are the basic necessities for a rabbit. So, prioritize these things while deciding the correct place for your rabbit to live.
The behavior of each rabbit varies, and different houses have different living environments too. So, it is up to the rabbit owner to create a friendly, healthy, and secure home environment for the rabbit, considering what is best for it.
Let’s look at some pros and cons of housing your rabbit in the garage.
Pros
Each point in this list mainly depends on the specifications as well as technicalities of your household. But, they are worth taking into consideration.
- A garage is inside your home, which means it is one of the safest places to keep your rabbit away from predators.
- It works as an excellent shelter. The rabbits make burrows as a shelter for keeping themselves warm in the wild. The four walls of the garage will keep them warm and safe from outside weather, just like burrows.
- Adjustable temperature. It is highly probable that you can control and regulate your garage temperature using a thermostat. In such a case, your rabbit will not have to deal with drastic temperature changes as you can keep it at a comfortable temperature.
- Socializing is possible. As you are keeping your rabbit inside the house, you and your family members can frequently visit your rabbit’s space. The frequent interaction will benefit it and keeps it happy.
Cons
We are not saying that the garage is the worst place for your rabbit to live, but it is challenging to make your rabbit feel happiest there.
- It is a loud place. Your rabbit has to deal with the noise of cars, tools, doors, air conditioners, etc.
- Not a bright place. Without a proper light set up, the garage usually remains dark with a small amount of natural light coming inside. Such a dimly place can frighten your rabbit.
- Too hot temperature. If you do not keep a check on the temperature of the garage, it can get too hot. Rabbits are too much sensitive to heat, and high temperature can be detrimental to their health.
- Feeling of loneliness. Rabbits like socializing and interacting with people. When the garage is not in much use, there will be no activity, and your rabbit can get lonely.
- In addition to this, whenever your pet is not in your plain sight, it is highly likely that you will forget about it. This can become a severe problem when you forget to feed or water your rabbit and even forget to clean its space from time to time.
- Material, tools, and equipment can be dangerous. As we know that rabbits are highly active creatures. They need a good amount of space to move around, stretch themselves, and play. With some potentially dangerous tools and equipment lying around in the garage, it is risky for the rabbits to roam around.
Choosing The Right Space
The health and safety of your pet rabbit should be your priority while choosing the right place for it to live.
If you are of the opinion that your little friend will be happiest, safe, and healthiest in the garage, then you can go for it. But, if you think that your bunny will be much happier and comfortable living in the dining or living room, then put your pet’s happiness first and let it live there.
Temperature
We have mentioned temperature on both pros and cons list. So, let’s discuss this factor in detail.
The main aim behind housing the rabbit inside the house is to protect it from too much outside exposure. Rabbits can easily withstand average temperature changes like the usual amount of rain, wind, snow, or sunlight. But when it comes to extreme weather changes, you will have to provide it a durable shelter. Keeping this in mind, you should always keep your rabbit at a place where it does not experience intense variation in temperature.
Inside the house, you can conveniently regulate the temperature using the thermostat. You can set the temperature as per the comfort of your furry friend. During cold weather days, living inside can protect the rabbit from cold, freezing nights and bitter winds. On the other hand, during warmer days, living inside the garage can keep the rabbit out from direct sun exposure and swampy humidity.
However, due to the thick fur on their body, rabbits are pre-insulated to withstand cold weather. They can easily survive in a nicely insulated hutch at a temperature of 30 degrees but thrive when the temperature goes up to 40 to 50 degrees.
Heat Can Be Dangerous
Rabbits come amongst those animals who are better suited for cold weather conditions. But, they are susceptible to hot weather and can react negatively when it’s too hot.
That’s why you need to be mindful during the winter days. Using a heater or igniting intense fire near a rabbit’s cage can be too much for it to handle. In such a situation, the garage is a better place to live for it.
It may come to your mind to transition your rabbit from one place of your house to another with the change in season. But it is not a good idea. Frequent change in the living space can be stressful for this little animal.
To deal with this problem, look for a place which has got the best of both worlds. But, if finding such a place is not possible, you can make the changes periodically on the basis of available facilities and geographical location.
Many rabbit owners keep their rabbits in hutches and house them in barns and sheds. The hutches provide a sufficient amount of insulation for keeping the rabbit warm in colder temperatures.
Once you have dealt with the temperature problem, now you need to consider the isolation issue too.
Traffic
Rabbit is a playful creature who likes to socialize and roam here and there. If you keep it in a space where people don’t visit often, or if the space is not big enough for the bunny to stretch or play, then it can get depressed and sad.
Too Much Traffic
The traffic of people is good to keep your rabbit happy and playful. But, too much noise can irritate the bunny or frighten it. If you are housing your rabbit in a garage, then it all depends on your usage of the garage. If there is a lot of foot and other noises, you need to think twice before keeping your rabbit there. If you use your garage exclusively to park your vehicles and do other loud stuff, it is not an ideal place to keep your furry friend. It is because noises can get too loud there, and the room is also dark and isolated.
Even the garage door makes a loud sound while opening and closing. If the door of the garage is used frequently, the noise can scare your rabbit. So, it is better to avoid keeping your rabbit there.
As rabbits are prey animals, they are highly sensitive to even a minor noise. They can get anxious listening to noise as they start feeling unsafe. Letting your rabbit live in an environment where frequent noises can scare it can be detrimental to its health.
Low Traffic
If your garage is not that frequently used, or you use it as a yoga or art studio, it is acceptable to keep your rabbit there. Rabbits can live happily in a peaceful atmosphere and be more cheerful by socializing.
Positive and friendly visits will create a delightful and joyous environment for your little friend.
If you have an empty garage, then also your rabbit can comfortably live there. It is because your little friend will have a lot of space to stretch, run, and play. But, to ensure rabbit’s safety, rabbit-proof your whole garage. Set a series of pens to secure the perimeters of the space. Also, make sure to close the doors properly so that your rabbit doesn’t slip out through the cracks.
While raising your rabbit in the garage, check the condition of the space from time to time, and be mindful of your rabbit’s requirements. Also, be aware of the potential risks. If you love your pet a lot and pay special attention to its needs, then your rabbit can live happily at any place.
The Major Issues
One thing that you have to understand is that garage can be one of the most dangerous places in your house for rabbits.
In addition to the kitchen, a garage is a place where most traumatic as well as painful accidents can happen with your rabbit. Bunny-proofing garage is also not an easy task.
There are several things in the garage that can prove to be fatal for your rabbit. It mainly includes the electrical wires present in the garage along with other sharp and heavy equipment. Mechanical fumes and car fluid leaks can also be hazardous for your rabbit’s death.
There can be many situations that can be extremely precarious to your rabbit. For example, a tool can slip from the hook and fall on your rabbit, or any hazardous chemical can spill, or the little bunny can get stuck under heavy equipment. All these things are even dangerous for us humans, so imagine how risky they can be to the bunny.
Considering The Unexpected
We need to consider every situation in advance in order to keep the rabbit safe. One of the scenarios to consider is in case your rabbit escapes from the cage.
Accidents can happen at any time, but if you are well prepared for them beforehand, then controlling the situation becomes more manageable.
If, in any case, you are unable to find your rabbit in its cage, don’t panic. Just keep calm and try to search for your pet.
The garage has a lot of stuff in there. There are many small spaces where your rabbit can go and hide. It is not only scary for your little pet but can also prove to be highly fatal for it. Sometimes, your rabbit can get into the crevices while roaming around and can get trapped. In an attempt to get free, the rabbit can also hurt itself.
It was just one example; there can be several other things that can go wrong. So, the best thing is not to overreact and deal with the situation calmly and mindfully. Planning in advance to tackle any situation can help you a lot.
Planning In Advance
If your rabbit has a habit of escaping the cage and roaming here and there, regardless of the room you keep it in, then it would be wise if you already have a plan in place to overcome the situation.
You can put in place a smart system for locating the rabbit. It may include training your rabbit to respond to your gentle call, or offering the rabbit some of its favorite treats to lure it out, or you can use your rabbit’s toy to bait it out. In addition to this, it will be better if you have a friend or two to help you. It can be beneficial if you have an extra pair of hands for searching the rabbit, freeing it if trapped, or keeping it calm while you retrieve it safely.
Keep in mind to do everything with caution so that your rabbit does not feel stressed, panic, or hurt itself.
Your primary aim should be to keep your rabbit safe and healthy at any cost!