Choosing rabbit housing
One question we are always asked is how best to house your rabbits. We love it when people truly think outside the box and come up with some amazing housing for their adopted bunnies.
We do not rehome to less than 60 square foot. This is the equivalent of a 6 foot by 4 foot shed attached to a 6 foot by 6 foot run, or 6 foot by 2 foot hutch attached to a 6 foot by 8 foot run. This can come as a bit of a shock to someone who had seen the smaller set ups in shops or basing their plans on how childhood rabbits were kept. There is good reason for our thinking, we have a lot of experience of rabbits being kept in those smaller "traditional" set ups, and all the health problems that have resulted including being destructive, messy, aggressive, overweight and even mobility problems and muscle wastage. The bigger the space, the happier and healthier the rabbits.
We do not rehome to less than 60 square foot. This is the equivalent of a 6 foot by 4 foot shed attached to a 6 foot by 6 foot run, or 6 foot by 2 foot hutch attached to a 6 foot by 8 foot run. This can come as a bit of a shock to someone who had seen the smaller set ups in shops or basing their plans on how childhood rabbits were kept. There is good reason for our thinking, we have a lot of experience of rabbits being kept in those smaller "traditional" set ups, and all the health problems that have resulted including being destructive, messy, aggressive, overweight and even mobility problems and muscle wastage. The bigger the space, the happier and healthier the rabbits.
We rehome to both inside and outside rabbits. Our square footage rule is the same for both. For outside rabbits the enclosure should be both predator proof, with potential predators including airborne ones and other humans, and dig proof so the rabbits cannot escape. We recommend all openings have proper sliding bolts and ideally padlocks too. Dig proofing is best done with paving slabs, as in the pic above, or you can dig down and lay welded mesh and put turf on top. Do not use chicken wire, rabbits and foxes can chew through this. Welded mesh is far stronger.
I'm afraid we do not support free ranging unattended rabbits, there are too many potential dangers. By all means rabbit-proof your garden and allow supervised free ranging though.
For inside rabbits, we do not rehome to those dinky plastic and wire cages you see in shops, the plastic bits make great litter trays though! For indoors, we are looking at bunny proofed rooms, large bunny proofed areas meeting our minimum at least or whole bunny proofed houses! Rabbits will litter train but accidents can happen. And you still need to plan for hay storage too. We recommend indoor rabbits do have the option to have a run around outside when the weather is fair. They do need a good sunbathe when they can, having grass under their feet and the sun on their back is great mental and physical stimulation. But do be aware that they can't cope with sudden temperature changes, so taking a rabbit from a cosy warm centrally heated house to an icy cold garden is not recommended!
I'm afraid we do not support free ranging unattended rabbits, there are too many potential dangers. By all means rabbit-proof your garden and allow supervised free ranging though.
For inside rabbits, we do not rehome to those dinky plastic and wire cages you see in shops, the plastic bits make great litter trays though! For indoors, we are looking at bunny proofed rooms, large bunny proofed areas meeting our minimum at least or whole bunny proofed houses! Rabbits will litter train but accidents can happen. And you still need to plan for hay storage too. We recommend indoor rabbits do have the option to have a run around outside when the weather is fair. They do need a good sunbathe when they can, having grass under their feet and the sun on their back is great mental and physical stimulation. But do be aware that they can't cope with sudden temperature changes, so taking a rabbit from a cosy warm centrally heated house to an icy cold garden is not recommended!
You can see some of our recommended housing suppliers here. Many will do custom made housing, making bunny life even more flexible. Of course, if you or a friend are handy with a hammer, you can certainly do your own. We often see converted sheds and playhouses made for rabbits which look amazing!
You do have to think carefully of course, rabbits do like lots of levels and like to get up high to be on "look out", but of course nowhere where they could fall and hurt themselves. Any ramps should be gradual and not steep and have something on them for traction, slippery surfaces make rabbits anxious. They also need somewhere to hide and snuggle together, but don't mistake these as always being used as a traditional bedroom! They should have hides big enough to fully lay down in. Some buns like a bit of privacy when they toilet, so these need easy access for you. Speaking of which, you need space for a good sized litter tray. We don't recommend the ones that fit into a corner that are designed for small animals, they're too small. Underbed storage boxes, plastic dog beds, potting trays and the bases of those dinky wire cages work much better as a litter tray. Some rabbits also like to have more than one tray. Rabbits also need entertainment, so if you can provide things like dig boxes and tunnels and plenty of safe things to chew on, you'll have happy rabbits!
You do have to think carefully of course, rabbits do like lots of levels and like to get up high to be on "look out", but of course nowhere where they could fall and hurt themselves. Any ramps should be gradual and not steep and have something on them for traction, slippery surfaces make rabbits anxious. They also need somewhere to hide and snuggle together, but don't mistake these as always being used as a traditional bedroom! They should have hides big enough to fully lay down in. Some buns like a bit of privacy when they toilet, so these need easy access for you. Speaking of which, you need space for a good sized litter tray. We don't recommend the ones that fit into a corner that are designed for small animals, they're too small. Underbed storage boxes, plastic dog beds, potting trays and the bases of those dinky wire cages work much better as a litter tray. Some rabbits also like to have more than one tray. Rabbits also need entertainment, so if you can provide things like dig boxes and tunnels and plenty of safe things to chew on, you'll have happy rabbits!
And remember YOU when you plan your housing. You are the one who needs to get into every nook and cranny to sweep and clean. If your rabbits are outdoors, you will be doing this in all weathers. You are the ones who will be interacting with the rabbits, so being able to get in with them, have a sit down and chat with them, is not something you can do with a dinky hutch or one of those tiny store-bought "coop" style hutches. We have been looked at funny when we recommend full height aviaries or sheds, for such low down animals, but being able to stand in there and sweep, being able to put a proper bench inside and have a sit down with your bunnies on a sunny Sunday morning with a cuppa and the paper, that's what bunny ownership should be!
If you can go full adult height, do it, it will save the knocked heads, the bruised knees and elbows and the neighbour's looking at your disapprovingly every time you curse when you crick your back into shape. It makes for a much better atmosphere for children too, they can go in, have a sit down, and the rabbits will be more relaxed as they won't feel as cornered as they would if all they had was a hutch with hands coming in at them. All our rehomers who have gone from "bunny" height to full height, would not go back!
If you can go full adult height, do it, it will save the knocked heads, the bruised knees and elbows and the neighbour's looking at your disapprovingly every time you curse when you crick your back into shape. It makes for a much better atmosphere for children too, they can go in, have a sit down, and the rabbits will be more relaxed as they won't feel as cornered as they would if all they had was a hutch with hands coming in at them. All our rehomers who have gone from "bunny" height to full height, would not go back!
If you need help trying to work out how to make the best set up for your rabbits, or improve what you already have, contact us and we can help! Have a look at the housing gallery below for housing we have previously rehomed to.
