Rabbit Care
Rabbit Care
Your Rabbit's Living Area!
Your rabbit is going to need a safe and spacious place to live.
Rabbits need about 12 square feet of exercise space. They are very active pets and need space to explore and get their energy out. Having enough space it crucial to their quality of life and the misconception that rabbits do not need a lot of space often sets rabbit owners up to fail. We want you to succeed, so we have listed the most common rabbit enclosures and a little bit of information on each. We hope this help you know what you are getting into when you are planning to get a rabbit.
Free roaming is when your rabbit has free access to an entire room or more. This allows them safe freedom and plenty of space to do as they please. This is the goal for many rabbit owners.
Many people are concerned about their rabbit destroying things. Rabbits can be destructive through their chewing, but if you know your rabbit and can give them enough enrichment you can avoid some of the chewing. This is done through bunny-proofing things like cords. Soft silicone textured things are very enticing to rabbits, so they should be moved into places that the rabbit cannot get to. Things like house plants should also be moved. You can also litter train your rabbits, so most of the mess can stay in one place. We will touch on litter training in another section.
Pens are very popular in the rabbit community because they provide enough space for your rabbit to live happily.
There are many different style options for pens, but they are usually marketed as puppy play pens. You can find pens that are sturdy black wire that are fairly cost effective. There are also play pens that have clear panels with different colored frames.
You can choose whichever you prefer, but size is crucial. It is recommended that rabbits have at least 12 square feet of space. Dog play pens usually provide adequate space. These pens also come in different heights, so you can buy based on you rabbits jumping behaviors. Some rabbits will continually escape from their pens, and other may not like to jump higher than 24 inches.
Hutches are like cages, but they can allow a little bit more room for a rabbit to run around. The main issue with hutches is that people usually put them outside.
Rabbits are prey animals and are very at risk when placed outside. It is dangerous for them because of the predators, but also because of temperature. Temperatures can get very hot and very cold, and rabbits are not the best at regulating their temperatures due to their dense fur. Rabbits are also at risk of diseases and parasites when they are left outside. Flies and mites can lay eggs in their fur and ears, and this can cause the rabbit to pass.
Domestic rabbits are domestic for a reason. They lack survival skills and need humans to take care of them and protect them from the element, predators and disease. You can very easily do all these things by keeping your rabbit inside.
Hutches should also be avoided as they also do not provide enough space for enrichment and exercise. As seen in the image above, the rabbit is half the length of the hutch. This will limit their movement and reduce their quality of life.
Pet store cages are also not an adequate amount of space for a rabbit. This is because they are very active and need plenty of space to run around.
These cages are hardly suitable for smaller mammals such as guinea pigs. Rabbits do not have enough room to jump, stand, or do much more than turn around in a cage. Even if they get time out of their cage everyday, they may become bored and depressed. You wouldn't get a dog and only let it out of its cage for 2 hours a day would you?
Some people who purchase rabbit cages, and then learn that they are not good for rabbits continue to use the cages only as a litter box. This use of the cage also puts it into perspective just how small these enclosures are. It is ok if you do not have the means to have a whole room for your rabbit, but there are better options that having a tiny cage.