Five Ways to House Your Rabbit: From the Ordinary to the More Unusual

As well as rabbit litter and rabbit bedding, a hutch is one of the first things people buy when they decide on a rabbit as a pet. However, don’t just settle the first one you see, as there are all sorts of things to take into account in order to give your rabbit the best possible home.

Even if you spend lots of time cuddling and interacting with your rabbit, they do spend a fair amount of time in their hutches so it is important to provide them with a comfortable and healthy environment to live in.

While a wooden hutch with a felt roof is the most common form of rabbit accommodation, there are other ways to house your pet, from home made hutches to elaborate, multi-layered designs. We shall look at all the various options below.

Rabbit Bedding - click here to buy our universal bedding from our online shop.

DIY Rabbit Hutches

If you have DIY skills you may prefer to make your own rabbit hutch. This gives you flexibility in design as your imagination’s the limit!

The most basic DIY hutches are made out of wood and wire and are rectangular in design. They have separate sleeping and living quarters - with a wire front for the living quarters - and are secure enough to keep your rabbit safe from predators. An outdoor hutch should be raised from the ground, to prevent the hutch getting damp and it is important to build a sloping roof to stop rain collecting at the top.

Obviously the more rabbits you have, the larger the hutch should be. However as a guide the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF) recommend a rabbit’s hutch to be 6ft x 2ft x 2ft minimum, so your rabbit has enough room to move about and to stand on its hind legs comfortably - without touching the roof. Your rabbit would also need access to a secure run for exercise.

Whatever the design of your rabbit hutch, it must allow for easy access so you can provide regular cleanouts and replenish your rabbit’s hutch with a fresh layer of rabbit litter and rabbit bedding.

Standard Rabbit Hutches

Again, the most common form of rabbit hutch you can buy are the wooden ones with felt roofing and you can either buy new or search the internet for a good quality second hand one.

When you are looking for accommodation for your rabbit, do bear in mind that rabbits live for a long time - as much as 12 years - so they need somewhere to live where they will be happy and comfortable. With this in mind, bigger is better, so look for the largest one that you can afford.

Some of the things to look out for in a good quality rabbit hutch are:

• Adequate protection from the weather to keep your rabbit warm and dry
• A secure fastening mechanism to ward off predators and to prevent your rabbit escaping.
• A solid floor to protect your rabbit’s feet.
• A sturdy hutch that will withstand your rabbit gnawing at it.
• Strong wiring
• High quality workmanship

Do bear in mind, however, that although the hutch plays a central part in the proper care of your rabbit, it is not just your choice of accommodation that is important, but all the other extras, such as providing clean rabbit litter and rabbit bedding, adequate food (including dried and fresh food) and a daily supply of fresh water.

Multi-Tiered Rabbit Hutches

Some rabbit owners feel a one-floor rabbit hutch is too limiting and their rabbit would be more comfortable in a multi-tiered hutch.

With this in mind do allow for the fact that the larger the hutch, the more rabbit litter and rabbit bedding you should provide to keep your rabbit clean, dry and healthy.

Certainly multi-tiered hutches are a great option for your rabbit, if you have the space, and these vary from multi-storey hutches with integrated runs, to two, three or even four tier hutches. You can either buy these ready-made or there are companies that will custom make a hutch for you.

Unusual Rabbit Hutches

Rabbit hutches can range in price from a few pounds for a second hand one to several hundred pounds for an intricate custom made design.

If you want to choose a hutch based on aesthetics or comfort, there are all sorts of options available to you, from one floor designs to hutches that are built to look like log cabins. Other examples of alternative rabbit accommodation are: sheds, coloured wooden pet houses, aviaries and children’s play houses. The type of hutch you buy depends on how much you are prepared to spend and the space you have available to site it but again, go for the biggest you can afford.

Whichever design you choose, do make sure the hutch is solid and sturdy as it should last the lifetime of your pet. Make sure it is accessible too, so you can provide a regular supply of fresh rabbit litter and rabbit bedding to keep your pet healthy.

Accommodation for House Bunnies

Some pet owners choose to keep their pet indoors either permanently or during the winter months.

A house rabbit requires a sheltered area to hide in and feel safe, and a spacious living area. Although some house bunnies have the run of the house, not all homes are bunny proof, so if yours isn’t it is a good idea to provide a rabbit playpen for unsupervised runs.

Indoor rabbit shelters need to be well ventilated and sited away from areas of extreme temperature (such as a radiator for instance). It is also a good idea to provide your pet with sufficient items of interest, such as tunnels or boxes to explore, ramps to hop up, or rabbit toys to keep them entertained.

Rabbits can be litter trained, so a tray lined with an absorbent rabbit litter and rabbit bedding with a natural odour suppressant such as SmartBedz will keep your home environment free of smells.

Rabbit Litter - click here to buy our universal bedding from our online shop.