The Modern House Rabbit
Today it is becoming increasingly popular to keep rabbits as indoor pets. Viral videos of famous rabbits have opened the eyes of the world to the intriguing personalities of our furry friends and their ability to be trained to do more than most people would realise. Animal rescue centres now recognise that a rabbit’s welfare needs can also be met indoors and will rehome them to live life as a modern house rabbit.
There are many benefits to keeping you rabbits indoors, both for you and for your bunnies. Firstly, it is much easier to spend time with your rabbits if they are living indoors with you – this will allow you to enjoy having them as part of your family and get to know their individual characteristics. This is particularly true if you work shifts, whereby you might not want to sit out in the garden during the night, or if you’re somebody who does not enjoy spending time outside in the depths of winter. With bunnies inside, you can also enjoy time with them whilst also doing other tasks which is great if you have a particularly busy week. Whilst most rabbits do not enjoying being picked up, many will happily sit beside you and enjoy being stroked whilst you drink a cup of tea or read a book. If you’re lucky, they may even purr or give you a few bunny kisses in return. By spending more time with them you’re more likely to build up a trust with them, and also more likely to spot when they’re under the weather quickly and be able to take them to a vet promptly.
There are also many health benefits for rabbits to being kept inside – they’re safe from predators such as foxes or large birds of prey, and are less likely to come into contact with insects which either cause, in the case of Fly Strike, or can carry the potentially fatal diseases Myxomatosis, RHD1 and RHD2. Of course the risk posed to the rabbits from other pets must be considered and house rabbits must still be vaccinated as it is still possible that they may come into contact with these viruses, the latter of which can survive and be spread on inanimate objects such as muddy shoes. The security of living in your house is also likely to be much greater than any locks on a hutch or shed, providing them protection from being stolen. House rabbits are also less likely to be exposed to extremes of temperature, whether it be the heat of summer or the cold of winter, both of which can result in potentially fatal illness.
There are some circumstances which may mean keeping your bunny as a house rabbit may not be the best option – whether it be lack of space, young children, allergies, rental agreements, etc. If this is the case, talk to your local rescue centre about how to best meet your bunnies’ welfare needs outside.
Some people argue that house rabbits cannot have the same amount of space or enrichment as rabbits kept outdoors, that they’re too destructive to be kept indoors and that they will suffer from a lack of vitamin D. I shall address these points as I go through some pointers on how to give your house rabbit the best possible life…
The Space
Whether indoors or outdoors, the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund still recommend that rabbits have access to at least 60 square foot of space 24 hours per day. We’re talking about modern house rabbits here and the out-dated practice of keeping rabbits in tiny hutches and ignored at the bottom of the garden, is simple cruel and neglectful – if that’s all you can offer, do not get rabbits!
Some people are surprised by how big this area requirement is but it is necessary in order for your bunnies to get sufficient exercise to stay healthy! Just like us, without enough exercise, bunnies can become overweight and suffer from mobility issues.
You may be lucky enough to have a spare room which can be used solely your bunnies, or you may have a large room which you can use multiple puppy pens or custom made panels to fence off a dedicated area for them. Some people allow their rabbits to free roam around the house – if considering this option remember you will need to bunny proof everywhere they can access. It is important that even if your rabbits are free roam, that you give them an area with their things which they can retreat to if they are scared or simply want to peace and quiet!
Flooring
In general, bunnies can be litter trained just like a cat. However, it would be wise to consider the likelihood of accidents occurring when considering what flooring to lay. Even the most well trained bunny can have an accident if they’re feeling poorly. Whilst easy to clean, slippery flooring is not liked by many bunnies as their feet can slip and hard surfaces can cause your bunny to get pododermatitis, a condition where they get sores on the bottom of their feet.
Short pile carpets tend to be less “tempting” to dig than thick pile carpets, but may get stained. Some people opt for a laminate surface with a cheap rug on top that can be replaced should there be any accidents or digging.
Rabbit Proofing
Rabbit proofing your home involves not only protecting your home from damage, but also keeping anything that could harm your bunny out of reach.
In the wild, rabbits will dig and nibble as part of their natural behaviours and so it is likely your rabbit will do the same when living in your house. Unfortunately, this can mean that they dig holes in your carpet, or chew your skirting boards, door frames and furniture. Whilst providing alternative ways for your bunny to elicit these behaviours e.g. through providing a digging box or towels to scrunch up, and copious amounts of different chew toys and twigs, the only way to guarantee your property won’t be damaged is to put a barrier in place between the bunnies and your belonging!
Unfortunately some people resort to caging their bunny, but there are alternatives – ideally you’d give them a room without skirting boards but if you can’t do that you can get large heavy duty puppy pens can be joined together to create a large enclosure, miniature garden fencing can protect skirting boards or you can have custom made enclosures from companies such as Manor Pet Housing or Small Paws.
Wires are particularly tasty to rabbits but if a rabbit chews through a live wire it has the potential to kill them. It is therefore essential to stop them getting their teeth on them! Plastic wire tubing tends to be the best option if you cannot remove all wires completely. Anti-chew sprays in general tend to be useless.
The Essentials
Even if you intend for your bunnies to have free roam of your house, they’ll still need you to provide them with some essentials.
• Litter tray – cleaned regularly and ideally lined with paper-based litter to stop it smelling.
• Hay – ideally either in the litter tray or in a rack attached to the litter tray
• A hideout or three – somewhere for them to retreat to if scared
• Water bowl
Enrichment
Once you’ve sorted out the essentials, you can start thinking about how to ensure your house rabbits are as happy as they can be by providing them with lots of opportunities to express their natural behaviours including exploring, digging, running, chewing. You can spend as much as you like on toys, and there are some amazing products out there, but rabbits will be happy chewing up apple twigs from the garden and digging hay in a cardboard box – providing enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive, you might just need to be creative!
Try to mix things up to keep your rabbits interested. Bunnies with enriched environments are more likely to be happy and the exercise will help to keep their weight in check – as a bonus, if they’re occupied with their toys, they’re not destroying your house!
My personal recommendations would be to invest in a few tunnels and buy some forage to hide in their hay.
Companies to check out:
o Manor Pet Housing
o Small Paws Playtime
o Hay Experts
o Binky Shop
o Twig ‘n’ Nibble Shop
• Hop Inn
o Galens Garden
Vitamin D
Rabbits require direct exposure to sunlight in order to make vitamin D. One of the arguments against keeping rabbits indoors is the concern about house rabbits becoming deficient in vitamin D and the potential long-term health impact this may have on their bones. Ideally house rabbits would also have access to a secure run outdoors on a regular basis to mitigate chances of this being an issue.
Quality time
Don’t forget once your bunnies join you in your home to spend time with them. Rabbits are naturally nervous creatures and it may take time for them to learn to trust you. Get down to their level. Lay on the floor reading a book and allow them to come up to you in their own time. Sit on the floor to drink your morning coffee when you give them their breakfast. And reward good behaviour with healthy treats!
What you really need to know…
Ultimately living with house rabbits is not a decision to make on a whim. House rabbits are hard work! They’re noisy, sometimes grumpy, and destructive. They can cost you an absolute fortune in vet bills (as can outdoor bunnies) but also in replacing furniture, electrical cables and repairing damage. They moult four times a year and however many lint rollers you own, you will never manage to keep all your clothes fur free. You’ll find hay in places you thought it impossible for hay to get to. Your house will never be spotless again.
However, many find keeping rabbits indoors as house rabbits to be such a rewarding element of their lives that they could not envisage life without house bunnies again. Sadly overlooked by many, house rabbits hop to see you when you enter the room, beg for fuss and can be trained to follow commands like a puppy, but have the independence of a cat allowing them to be left at home whilst their owners are at work. Being crepuscular, rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, fitting in well with many people’s work schedules. Rabbits are inquisitive, cheeky, loving balls of fluffiness that provide endless entertainment and joy, and by sharing your home with them you get to appreciate all the subtleties of their personalities and behaviour, and build up a friendship with them such that they’ll want to spend more and more time with you. Modern house rabbits might be hard work but for me at least, it’s definitely worth it!
Many thanks to Roxann for writing the article for the website. Check out what her five gorgeous house rabbits get up to here https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1909854995905289&ref=content_filter
Today it is becoming increasingly popular to keep rabbits as indoor pets. Viral videos of famous rabbits have opened the eyes of the world to the intriguing personalities of our furry friends and their ability to be trained to do more than most people would realise. Animal rescue centres now recognise that a rabbit’s welfare needs can also be met indoors and will rehome them to live life as a modern house rabbit.
There are many benefits to keeping you rabbits indoors, both for you and for your bunnies. Firstly, it is much easier to spend time with your rabbits if they are living indoors with you – this will allow you to enjoy having them as part of your family and get to know their individual characteristics. This is particularly true if you work shifts, whereby you might not want to sit out in the garden during the night, or if you’re somebody who does not enjoy spending time outside in the depths of winter. With bunnies inside, you can also enjoy time with them whilst also doing other tasks which is great if you have a particularly busy week. Whilst most rabbits do not enjoying being picked up, many will happily sit beside you and enjoy being stroked whilst you drink a cup of tea or read a book. If you’re lucky, they may even purr or give you a few bunny kisses in return. By spending more time with them you’re more likely to build up a trust with them, and also more likely to spot when they’re under the weather quickly and be able to take them to a vet promptly.
There are also many health benefits for rabbits to being kept inside – they’re safe from predators such as foxes or large birds of prey, and are less likely to come into contact with insects which either cause, in the case of Fly Strike, or can carry the potentially fatal diseases Myxomatosis, RHD1 and RHD2. Of course the risk posed to the rabbits from other pets must be considered and house rabbits must still be vaccinated as it is still possible that they may come into contact with these viruses, the latter of which can survive and be spread on inanimate objects such as muddy shoes. The security of living in your house is also likely to be much greater than any locks on a hutch or shed, providing them protection from being stolen. House rabbits are also less likely to be exposed to extremes of temperature, whether it be the heat of summer or the cold of winter, both of which can result in potentially fatal illness.
There are some circumstances which may mean keeping your bunny as a house rabbit may not be the best option – whether it be lack of space, young children, allergies, rental agreements, etc. If this is the case, talk to your local rescue centre about how to best meet your bunnies’ welfare needs outside.
Some people argue that house rabbits cannot have the same amount of space or enrichment as rabbits kept outdoors, that they’re too destructive to be kept indoors and that they will suffer from a lack of vitamin D. I shall address these points as I go through some pointers on how to give your house rabbit the best possible life…
The Space
Whether indoors or outdoors, the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund still recommend that rabbits have access to at least 60 square foot of space 24 hours per day. We’re talking about modern house rabbits here and the out-dated practice of keeping rabbits in tiny hutches and ignored at the bottom of the garden, is simple cruel and neglectful – if that’s all you can offer, do not get rabbits!
Some people are surprised by how big this area requirement is but it is necessary in order for your bunnies to get sufficient exercise to stay healthy! Just like us, without enough exercise, bunnies can become overweight and suffer from mobility issues.
You may be lucky enough to have a spare room which can be used solely your bunnies, or you may have a large room which you can use multiple puppy pens or custom made panels to fence off a dedicated area for them. Some people allow their rabbits to free roam around the house – if considering this option remember you will need to bunny proof everywhere they can access. It is important that even if your rabbits are free roam, that you give them an area with their things which they can retreat to if they are scared or simply want to peace and quiet!
Flooring
In general, bunnies can be litter trained just like a cat. However, it would be wise to consider the likelihood of accidents occurring when considering what flooring to lay. Even the most well trained bunny can have an accident if they’re feeling poorly. Whilst easy to clean, slippery flooring is not liked by many bunnies as their feet can slip and hard surfaces can cause your bunny to get pododermatitis, a condition where they get sores on the bottom of their feet.
Short pile carpets tend to be less “tempting” to dig than thick pile carpets, but may get stained. Some people opt for a laminate surface with a cheap rug on top that can be replaced should there be any accidents or digging.
Rabbit Proofing
Rabbit proofing your home involves not only protecting your home from damage, but also keeping anything that could harm your bunny out of reach.
In the wild, rabbits will dig and nibble as part of their natural behaviours and so it is likely your rabbit will do the same when living in your house. Unfortunately, this can mean that they dig holes in your carpet, or chew your skirting boards, door frames and furniture. Whilst providing alternative ways for your bunny to elicit these behaviours e.g. through providing a digging box or towels to scrunch up, and copious amounts of different chew toys and twigs, the only way to guarantee your property won’t be damaged is to put a barrier in place between the bunnies and your belonging!
Unfortunately some people resort to caging their bunny, but there are alternatives – ideally you’d give them a room without skirting boards but if you can’t do that you can get large heavy duty puppy pens can be joined together to create a large enclosure, miniature garden fencing can protect skirting boards or you can have custom made enclosures from companies such as Manor Pet Housing or Small Paws.
Wires are particularly tasty to rabbits but if a rabbit chews through a live wire it has the potential to kill them. It is therefore essential to stop them getting their teeth on them! Plastic wire tubing tends to be the best option if you cannot remove all wires completely. Anti-chew sprays in general tend to be useless.
The Essentials
Even if you intend for your bunnies to have free roam of your house, they’ll still need you to provide them with some essentials.
• Litter tray – cleaned regularly and ideally lined with paper-based litter to stop it smelling.
• Hay – ideally either in the litter tray or in a rack attached to the litter tray
• A hideout or three – somewhere for them to retreat to if scared
• Water bowl
Enrichment
Once you’ve sorted out the essentials, you can start thinking about how to ensure your house rabbits are as happy as they can be by providing them with lots of opportunities to express their natural behaviours including exploring, digging, running, chewing. You can spend as much as you like on toys, and there are some amazing products out there, but rabbits will be happy chewing up apple twigs from the garden and digging hay in a cardboard box – providing enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive, you might just need to be creative!
Try to mix things up to keep your rabbits interested. Bunnies with enriched environments are more likely to be happy and the exercise will help to keep their weight in check – as a bonus, if they’re occupied with their toys, they’re not destroying your house!
My personal recommendations would be to invest in a few tunnels and buy some forage to hide in their hay.
Companies to check out:
o Manor Pet Housing
o Small Paws Playtime
o Hay Experts
o Binky Shop
o Twig ‘n’ Nibble Shop
• Hop Inn
o Galens Garden
Vitamin D
Rabbits require direct exposure to sunlight in order to make vitamin D. One of the arguments against keeping rabbits indoors is the concern about house rabbits becoming deficient in vitamin D and the potential long-term health impact this may have on their bones. Ideally house rabbits would also have access to a secure run outdoors on a regular basis to mitigate chances of this being an issue.
Quality time
Don’t forget once your bunnies join you in your home to spend time with them. Rabbits are naturally nervous creatures and it may take time for them to learn to trust you. Get down to their level. Lay on the floor reading a book and allow them to come up to you in their own time. Sit on the floor to drink your morning coffee when you give them their breakfast. And reward good behaviour with healthy treats!
What you really need to know…
Ultimately living with house rabbits is not a decision to make on a whim. House rabbits are hard work! They’re noisy, sometimes grumpy, and destructive. They can cost you an absolute fortune in vet bills (as can outdoor bunnies) but also in replacing furniture, electrical cables and repairing damage. They moult four times a year and however many lint rollers you own, you will never manage to keep all your clothes fur free. You’ll find hay in places you thought it impossible for hay to get to. Your house will never be spotless again.
However, many find keeping rabbits indoors as house rabbits to be such a rewarding element of their lives that they could not envisage life without house bunnies again. Sadly overlooked by many, house rabbits hop to see you when you enter the room, beg for fuss and can be trained to follow commands like a puppy, but have the independence of a cat allowing them to be left at home whilst their owners are at work. Being crepuscular, rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk, fitting in well with many people’s work schedules. Rabbits are inquisitive, cheeky, loving balls of fluffiness that provide endless entertainment and joy, and by sharing your home with them you get to appreciate all the subtleties of their personalities and behaviour, and build up a friendship with them such that they’ll want to spend more and more time with you. Modern house rabbits might be hard work but for me at least, it’s definitely worth it!
Many thanks to Roxann for writing the article for the website. Check out what her five gorgeous house rabbits get up to here https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1909854995905289&ref=content_filter