Hi Everyone
I have recently bought a ten week old lop. He's called Bob and is gorgeous. He has been living indoors because it suddenly got very cold and he had always been indoors before. My boyfriend is very allergic to him and says he has to go out again but I am worried that it will be too cold. Has anybody had a similar problem and could you advise me if it's best to wait til spring?
Bob is settling in very well, he has the run of the kitchen when I am there to watch him. He has tons of personality and seems very clever (especially when it comes to getting attention or some place he shouldn't be!). If I say 'kiss', he will run to me and get up on his back legs to give me a kiss! That is just one of the things he does which shows that he thinks he's a dog!
He is spoilt rotten with lots of toys to keep him busy.But despite all the money I've spent his favourite is a shoe box! Lots of his toys are either too big or probably not safe for me to leave in his hutch while I'm out. Does anyone have any suggestions for things to keep him entertained?
Thanks

Buy the boyfriend a tent for Christmas

If he is indoors now, he will have to stay indoors until it warms up in the Spring. As he has been indoors for a while, he won't have developed a thick winter coat so, if you put him outside, the poor mite will get too cold.

Is your boyfriend definately allergic to the rabbit and not the bedding or hay? If it is the bedding or hay, you might be able to make a few alterations there to make it more bearable for him.

There are some threads here about toys...I'll see if I can find them and post a link.

I forgot to say

Here are the threads about toys!

What is your bun's favorite toy?

bunny play time


Homemade Toys Your Rabbit Will Love

Hi Kazerieth and to PT! Both my bunnies live outside, well actually in a shed, which has their hutch inside.. Mine have always lived out there, and they have no problems with the cold.. Regarding toys, my old bunnies had a set of plastic skittles, which I would set up, and they loved knocking them down..
Tell me what you decide to do!

Welcome! If you absolutely must move him outside again, try getting him used to the cold in stages. Take him out for ten minutes the first day. Then take him out for 15 or 12. Keep increasing it until he is getting used to the cold. You can also give him things to keep him warm. A wooden box with plenty of hay will help, as will a hutch with solid back and sides.

As was mentioned, the allergies could be from the bedding. Shavings and straw will often cause allergies. Try a pelleted type of bedding. There is a pelleted pine bedding called Woody Pet (or you can use wood stove pellets), that would at least be better on allergies, though not perfect. There are also various pelleted newspaper litters, most made for cats or dogs, that would be even better for allergies.

Welcome to PT!
You really shouldn't put your bunny out now at all. It's too cold and it takes bunnies a long time to develop their full winter coat and Bob probably doesn't have one. Most likely he will freeze to death outside, bunnies are very sensitive to temperature changes. If there is any way to keep him inside, please do. And yes, it might be the hay of the bedding your boyfriend is allergic to. Good luck with Bob.

Thanks for the advice. My boyfriend is definately allergic to Bob because any pet hair affects him badly. Luckily Bob is such a charmer that my boyfriend doesn't mind him indoors. As for the suggestion of a tent, I had already thought of that- we have just moved into a brand new house and the shed is being delivered soon!!!!
Can anyone suggest exactly how much I should be feeding Bob? He is now about 13 weeks. He was very skinny when I got him, but he eats like a horse and is now a healthy size. I haven't been giving him anything other than his pellets at the moment because of his age, and to stop him being fussy. I try to weigh out his food each day but I'm not sure if the amount I am giving is too much or too little.
Thanks for the warm welcome!

At this age, give him all the pellets and timothy/grass hay that he wants. Once he gets to be about 4 months old, you can start to cut back to an amount based on his size and individual metabolism.