Suitable Housing
What would make a real home for your new rabbits?
Can you provide at least a 6ft hutch and a permanent 10ft run for a pair of rabbits?
The reason many rescues ask for a 6ft hutch to be attached to a 10ft run, or to use a shed or a design more like a bird Avery or dog kennel, is not to be awkward, but because we have learnt that the ‘normal’ type of accommodation (the little pet shop hutch) is the main reason for behavioural problems and unhappy rabbits. Unhappy rabbits are likely to be abandoned and we obviously want to prevent this and see happy rabbits and the joy they can bring.
Rabbits are so intelligent and loving if only we understand their language. A separate run and hutch is not suitable, as they hate being picked up and feel more secure with a permanent home with natural habitat. They can mark their territory and learn to feel safe and trust us as the provider of food and shelter.
The typical 4ft x 2ft pet shop or garden centre hutch quickly becomes too small as little ‘cute bunnies’ become bigger mature rabbits with personalities and exercise needs.
An alternative is to keep your rabbits as house-pets. Rabbits are easily house-trained and with the additional time spent with them, you are more likely to see their true personalities emerge. See our web page here for more information.
Why have we tried to keep rabbits so differently from how they naturally live?, often it’s because that’s what we are told by pet shops wishing to sell vast numbers of easily bred furry things to members of the public, to be kept in massproduced little hutches with huge profit margins…
With a little creativity, we can be greatly rewarded and see the true potential of a rabbit.
The following fact sheets give examples of excellent ideas for housing your pet rabbit (right click to download):
Examples of how to enrich your rabbits environment
