You should always make sure your rabbits’ housing is protected from the elements and well away from any predators or loud noises that could scare them.
The list is endless to what people are doing this day & age to provide their bunnies with the most luxurious suitable accommodation. The more people that are made aware of these ideas the more chance we will have of ridding rabbits kept cruelly in small cramped cages/hutches.
Some great ideas
-Outhouses converted to bunny homes with secure outside run attached
-Hutches placed within an aviary enclosure
-Dog kennels with the runs attached (these come in all shapes and sizes).
-Playhouses with secure outside run attached
-Large 6ft, 7ft or 8 ft hutches, 3ft deep and 3ft high with runs attached
-Shed with secure outdoor run attached.
If you are using a hutch only, then a fantastic decent size would be be at least 6, 7 or 8ft in length and 3ft high and 3ft wide. They will need an additional area for their exercise time, nothing smaller than 8ft by 4ft by 3ft. If you cannot attach a run direct to the hutch you could attach a runaround tunnel to link them from afar. Always place runs on concrete slabs to stop your rabbit digging out and to stop a predator digging in!
To make a pop up exercise area quickly for your rabbit you can use metal puppy pens as they are reasonably priced and great as they fold away when they are not being used and you can set them up anywhere. You can also buy more than one and make the pen even bigger. Please note: Make sure you supervise your rabbit at all times whilst they are exercising in these as they are in no way predator proof. Never leave them unattended.
Building your own enclosure
Remember the bigger the better for your rabbits and for you too, as it will be easier to clean out and you will get so much more entertainment watching your rabbits binky and run at great speeds around an enclosure that is big enough to allow them to do this.
The Rabbit Welfare Association (RWFA) size recommendations:
Minimum hutch 6ft by 2ft by 2ft.(3ft high and 3ft wide is much better)
Run minimum 8ft by 4ft by 2ft.(again 3ft is better)
Ply wood and pine are safe woods: two types of pine wood, Whitewood and Redwood untreated.
Treat with Cuprinol.
Galvanised wire no bigger than 1inch by half inch should be size of squares. Never use wiring with large squares as rats and stoats could get in or cats/foxes could injure your bunny through these gaps. Prime welded wire mesh is best.
Predator proofing
It is extremely important that all enclosures are made predator proof.
You need to place your rabbit’s accommodation on slabs to avoid a fox digging in or your rabbit digging out. Make sure doors are secure with bolts at the top and bottom for extra security.
Always provide hideouts – safe places to hide when they get spooked or feel threatened
Tunnels are good for hide outs. Place boards at the front of your enclosure to add extra privacy & to help stop your rabbit getting easily spooked.
Indoors
You should make sure your rabbits’ housing is away from any predators or loud noises which could scare them, and any wires/sockets are covered or out of reach. Also, it is good to mix up your indoor rabbit’s environment by giving them access to an outdoor run during good weather. If this is not possible, provide fresh growing grass for them to graze on.
-Outhouses converted to bunny homes with secure outside run attached
-Hutches placed within an aviary enclosure
-Dog kennels with the runs attached (these come in all shapes and sizes).
-Playhouses with secure outside run attached
-Large 6ft, 7ft or 8 ft hutches, 3ft deep and 3ft high with runs attached
-Shed with secure outdoor run attached.
If you are using a hutch only, then a fantastic decent size would be be at least 6, 7 or 8ft in length and 3ft high and 3ft wide. They will need an additional area for their exercise time, nothing smaller than 8ft by 4ft by 3ft. If you cannot attach a run direct to the hutch you could attach a runaround tunnel to link them from afar. Always place runs on concrete slabs to stop your rabbit digging out and to stop a predator digging in!
To make a pop up exercise area quickly for your rabbit you can use metal puppy pens as they are reasonably priced and great as they fold away when they are not being used and you can set them up anywhere. You can also buy more than one and make the pen even bigger. Please note: Make sure you supervise your rabbit at all times whilst they are exercising in these as they are in no way predator proof. Never leave them unattended.
Building your own enclosure
Remember the bigger the better for your rabbits and for you too, as it will be easier to clean out and you will get so much more entertainment watching your rabbits binky and run at great speeds around an enclosure that is big enough to allow them to do this.
The Rabbit Welfare Association (RWFA) size recommendations:
Minimum hutch 6ft by 2ft by 2ft.(3ft high and 3ft wide is much better)
Run minimum 8ft by 4ft by 2ft.(again 3ft is better)
Ply wood and pine are safe woods: two types of pine wood, Whitewood and Redwood untreated.
Treat with Cuprinol.
Galvanised wire no bigger than 1inch by half inch should be size of squares. Never use wiring with large squares as rats and stoats could get in or cats/foxes could injure your bunny through these gaps. Prime welded wire mesh is best.
Predator proofing
It is extremely important that all enclosures are made predator proof.
You need to place your rabbit’s accommodation on slabs to avoid a fox digging in or your rabbit digging out. Make sure doors are secure with bolts at the top and bottom for extra security.
Always provide hideouts – safe places to hide when they get spooked or feel threatened
Tunnels are good for hide outs. Place boards at the front of your enclosure to add extra privacy & to help stop your rabbit getting easily spooked.
Indoors
You should make sure your rabbits’ housing is away from any predators or loud noises which could scare them, and any wires/sockets are covered or out of reach. Also, it is good to mix up your indoor rabbit’s environment by giving them access to an outdoor run during good weather. If this is not possible, provide fresh growing grass for them to graze on.
There are lots of different ways to house your bunnies indoors. Every bunny & every house is different. The most important thing is to provide a home that suits your bunnies and that keeps them safe. As long as they have lots of space, a quiet place to retreat to and plenty of toys, then you will have some very happy bunnies.
Lots of people have house rabbits that have the run of the house, along with an area to call their own. This is a great option for house bunnies but it all depends on the fact that your bunnies are well trained enough for this. Safety comes first & if you do not trust your bunnies to be left alone or if you have other pets then it is best to have them safely enclosed in an area for when you are not there.
Puppy pens
A great set up for a house rabbit is an open top puppy pen. They can be spacious and airy so the rabbit does not feel enclosed as much as they would in a cage.
Pens are also great as you can move them around and change the shape of them to suit your space and this adds variety. They also look good and do not clutter a room.
Please note: If you have other animals then you will need a pen that comes with a top for added security.
The best height to get is 35in. This will stop any escapes if your bunny was thinking of jumping over the top. Just be careful to not place any items next to the edges that your bunny could climb up on and make it easy for them to jump out.
Although puppy pens are a decent size it is still very important that your bunnies get their daily exercise. If you want to let your rabbit have free range exercise around the house, increase the free range area gradually until they are trained. Also decide beforehand what rooms are out of bounds and take precautions for this so your rabbit understands.
Other indoor accommodation types
Hutches used indoors need to be at least 6ft by 3ft by 3ft and if they do not have the run of the house then they will need an exercise area of 8ft by 4ft by 3ft also.
Dog crates are not big enough on their own so you will need to provide a run also. A good idea is to attach a puppy pen to the dog crate to allow for the extra space. Please note some dog crates can also be difficult to clean out.
Indoor rabbit/guinea pig cages – the size of these are usually too small on there own, so to add a puppy pen as additional space would be a great idea. Beware of indoor rabbit cages with a step up/over at the entrance as they are not rabbit friendly. Old & young rabbits struggle to get in and out of them and if your rabbit needs to sprint in it at speed, if something panics them, they could injure themselves. The plastic indoor hutches/cages are not rabbit friendly and also not big enough.
Where to place your rabbit’s indoor home
Area needs to be quiet/cool/away from draughts/away from heaters.
Near a window for natural light.
Near patio doors is a good idea so they can look out. (But be aware they can easily get spooked by predators in the night walking by patio doors, block the view at night with a curtain)
Make sure they are not right next to any radiators.
It is a good idea to have thermostats added to your radiators so you can control the temperature of radiators in the same room as the bunnies.
Keeping your bunny cool in Summer
Fill plastic bottles, like 2 litre pop bottles with water and freeze. Place in a cotton pillow case and place in your rabbits enclosure. You can keep the pillow case in the freezer too. You can stretch out the pillow case for them to lay on. Spray a little water on the pillowcase, to make it even cooler.
If possible add a fan to the enclosure, but make sure the wires are out of reach and that the fan is also out of your rabbit’s reach. Do not aim a fan directly on your rabbit constantly. Point it in a direction that your rabbit can have a choice of laying in the breeze or move away from the breeze
Buy a plant water spray bottle and set to ‘Mist’ spray. Gently spray the mist from a height over your rabbit. Allow them to move away if they don’t like it or when they have had enough. Never soak your rabbit and never spray close up or with it set to jet spray.
Lay concrete slabs in the enclosure or large ceramic floor tiles, so they have something cool to stretch out on.
If you suspect your rabbit has heat stroke, wipe a wet tissue over their ears and call your vet asap.
-Wet a kitchen roll tissue with cold water, squeeze out any excess water and then wipe this gently over your rabbit’s ears. Do this often during hot sunny days
-If you have a house bunny, keep curtains pulled, if the sun hits the window to their room. This will keep the temperature down. Never keep a rabbit in a conservatory in the summer
-If your outside bunny’s enclosure doesn’t escape the sunlight for long periods, make sure they have a shaded area to retreat too. If you have a nest box, you can raise it off the ground by placing securely on slabs or blocks and they can then lay underneath it.
-Place car reflector sunscreens on top of enclosure roofs or wet towels or paint the roof with heat reflective paint.
-Place patio umbrellas in front of enclosures to create shade.
-Never, ever plunge a rabbit into cold water to cool them down, as this could kill them.
Keeping your bunny warm in winter
-Always provide nice, snug places for them to retreat too. A nest box or pet carrier are a good idea to place into their accommodation through winter.
-Place cardboard around the inside of their sleeping areas or nest boxes to help insulate. Provide a cardboard box in their sleeping area for them to snuggle up in.
-Pack their accommodation with generous amounts of straw and hay.
-Straw is warmer than hay, but never provide straw only. Always provide hay too, for feeding
-Use a sheet of bubble wrap or clear plastic, such as a market stall cover, to place in front of the accommodation to keep out cold winds and rain.
-If you cover the front of the accommodation with blankets or other heavy covers, make sure you leave a air pocket.
-If their enclosure has lots of concrete slabs place some grass mats or machine washable mats without the rubber edging in their enclosure to cover the cold concrete.
-Always provide dry straw/hay everyday as old bedding will get damp quickly.
-Provide snuggle safes when its really cold and place amongst the straw and hay in their sleeping areas.
