Before adopting a rabbit, it is essential to determine its needs and requirements. Rabbits are susceptible animals that require special care to provide them with a healthy lifespan.
Hutch is an essential element for a rabbit that needs to be set up according to your rabbit’s preferences. So, how to place a rabbit hutch? Where should I keep my rabbit’s hutch? Let’s find out the answers in this article.
Placing a rabbit’s hutch under a roof or shelter is essential to prevent rain, direct morning or noon sunlight, and outside weather conditions. The ideal temperature of an outdoor rabbit should be between 55° to 70°F (12° and 21°C). Instead, moving your rabbit indoors is beneficial for its health.
This article will also discuss selecting the best indoor cage for a rabbit and what essential things a rabbit requires in its cage. So, let’s get into it.
Contents
My rabbit hutch placement.
Placing an indoor rabbit’s enclosure in a quiet, not entirely isolated area of the house is a better option to avoid the loud noises of the tv, dishwasher, or smartphone ringing, which could be stressful for your rabbit.
Also, if you have other pets like dogs or cats, keeping a rabbit in a separate room is essential so that they will not get in direct contact with each other.
The enclosure of a rabbit should be far from excessive heat and draughts because they can’t tolerate it.
However, if you decide to place your rabbit’s enclosure outside, you should provide them a shelter to prevent rain, direct heat, or extreme cold.
In addition, it is essential to have a safe hutch that could protect them from excessive heat, cold, and predators like raccoons and coyotes by covering a fence around their hutch.
If you have enough space on your balcony or have a roof or shed area in your garden, then you can place your rabbit hutch there.
Where should I keep my rabbit’s hutch or enclosure?
Keeping your rabbit indoors is the best option to keep them safe and healthy and prevent outdoor environmental conditions.
The ideal temperature of an outdoor rabbit should be between 55° to 70°F (12° and 21°C).
If the temperature of outside temperature rises above 75 F, then it can be harmful to rabbits.
In addition, you must move your rabbits indoors if the temperature falls below 40 F.
The outdoor rabbit hutch height must be several feet above the ground.
You should change the water of your rabbit’s outside hutch daily and provide straw bedding to keep them warm in winter.
Outdoor hutches of rabbits should be positioned in the shade, away from direct sunlight ( including afternoon and morning sun), on the side of your house.
However, a domestic rabbit’s enclosure should be in a dry, drafty, damp room in winter, for example, a living room or basement.
Keep your rabbit’s enclosure out of the entrance or hallway of your house because they can get disturbed where everyone passes, which could be stressful.
Similarly, please do not allow your rabbit near your bathroom or kitchen areas because these areas are very humid and could harm their health.
However, if you have decided to keep the rabbit indoors, you should allow them to free-roaming in your room or house.
A rabbit should have enough space to hop, jump or explore its surroundings.
In addition, they can be kept in a puppy pen or a large rabbit cage or live freely in a room or house that has been rabbit-proofed.
Also read: Should I Cover My Rabbit’s Cage At Night?
How to select the best indoor cage for rabbits?
It would be best to provide wire-sided cages for ventilation, cleaning them efficiently and preventing a rabbit from escaping.
The flooring of a rabbit’s cage should be warm and comfortable for their sensitive feet.
In addition, to prevent pressure sores and facilitate simple cleanup, the floor of a rabbit’s cage should be sturdy, like plastic.
To avoid foot sores in their exercise area, providing carpet pieces or a thick yoga mat is also acceptable for your rabbit if you don’t have a thick carpet.
Wooden cages are difficult to clean and not the best choice for your domestic rabbit.
A rabbit requires a large space for exercise, like hopping, jumping, or exploring, around 24 square feet.
So, providing a baby gate or a puppy pen in which your rabbit can explore easily is essential.
The height of a puppy pen or baby gate should be three to four feet so that your rabbit can’t escape from it.
We recommend providing FXW Dog Playpen to your rabbits so they can run around freely.
For every pound of an adult rabbit’s weight, a rabbit hutch must be one square foot.
In addition, for more giant breed rabbits, the hutch must be higher than 20 inches according to their size.
Similarly, if you have wire flooring in your rabbit’s cage, it is essential to cover it with 2-3 inches of hay or paper bedding.
Also read: Do Rabbits Need Hay For Bedding?
The playpen has different sizes, which you can buy according to your rabbit’s size.
Having some rugs is also necessary to keep rabbits warm and comfortable.
It would be best to cover wooden floors with a rug because rabbits can’t hop on it.
In addition, even if you have carpet, it would still be an excellent option to have a rug on it so that if your rabbit has an accident like peeing, there will be less chance of your floor being destroyed.
Also read: Fleece vs Bedding For Rabbits?
Things that a rabbit requires in their cage?
Rabbits can be a great indoor pet if you are preparing to adopt one, as they are very clean or hygienic animals and can be trained for the litter box.
Also, just like cats and dogs, you can bond with your rabbit.
However, as compared to other animals, rabbits require special needs and requirements to have a healthy life span.
When they are not roaming in the room, playing, or eating, they require the security of a cage.
To prevent accidents, it’s also crucial to lock them in the cage at their sleeping time at night.
Similarly, buying a cage more extensive than your pet’s size is vital.
In addition, they require much space to hop, run, sleep or eat, especially when you leave them alone by going out for work.
A rabbit’s cage must be roomy and solid enough to be stable and prevent the rabbit from opening the door with a paw.
The height of the cage should be higher than your rabbit, so you want your rabbit to stand up straight without bending down.
After placing all their other requirements, you should line the rabbit’s cage with recycled bedding.
So, here are some basic needs or requirements that a rabbit requires in its cage:
1) Hideouts:
Rabbits require hideouts in their cages or pens to sleep peacefully and to hide inside when they feel frightened.
Also, outdoor rabbits require a secure place, like a hut or hideout in their enclosure, to feel safe when they feel threatened by their predators.
In addition, rabbits like to hide if they are anxious, afraid, unwell, or want some time alone without their humans or companions.
Each rabbit should have a hideout hutch in their cage or pen if you have more than one in the house.
However, ensure they don’t have to go far to hide if they feel scared or afraid.
There are many options in the market for hideouts for rabbits, for instance, sturdy wood hideouts.
We recommend using Woiworco Wooden Rabbit Hideout with two entrances, especially for small animals like rabbits, according to your rabbit’s size.
The hideout should be large enough compared to your rabbit’s size so it won’t get stuck inside the hideout.
Also read: Do Rabbits Need Hideout?
2) Bedding:
Bedding is crucial to keep your rabbit warm and comfortable and protect their sensitive feet from developing sores because of the wired bottom of the cage.
If you have provided a wire-based cage to your rabbit, it is crucial to cover the bottom of the cage with high-quality 1-2 inches of paper-based bedding.
You can layer the bottom of their enclosure with bath mats, fleece bedding, splat mats, or another material instead of traditional bedding.
In addition, it is safe to place non-toxic bedding materials, such as hay, paper shreds, or aspen shavings, in the bottom of the rabbits’ cage because they have a habit of chewing on everything.
Avoid using cedar shavings and non-kiln-dried pine shavings as your rabbit’s cage bedding because these can be toxic to their health.
It’s essential to provide proper bedding for your rabbit that keeps them secure, cozy, and at ease year-round.
There are many different bedding options on the market, but you must make sure that the bedding is appropriate for your rabbit in absorbency, warmth, softness, and toxicity.
While selecting bedding for your rabbit’s cage, it is essential to note that it is safe to ingest, dust-free, comfortable, highly absorbent, and different from the litter box bedding.
In addition, the litter box bedding should be different from your rabbit’s cage bedding.
Otherwise, your rabbit might become confused about where to urinate and sleep.
Also read: Is Pine Bedding Safe For Rabbits?
3) Litter box:
The litter box is a must in your rabbit’s cage to keep its surroundings and your house clean and hygienic.
Just like other pets, rabbits also can be litter trained.
You should place the litter box in the corner of the cage because rabbits prefer to urinate or poo in the corners.
So, you need to purchase a litter box and set it up where your rabbit likes to pee or poo.
According to various animals, sizes, shapes, or colors, a wide variety of litter boxes are offered on the market.
You can provide a rectangular-shaped litter box to allow your rabbit to turn 360 degrees and feels comfortable.
In addition, you should buy a litter box larger than your rabbit’s size.
Aspen shavings, paper bedding, Kiln-dried pine shavings, or paper pellets are safe options for your rabbit’s litter.
We recommend using Carefresh pet bedding for your rabbit litter because it is made of softwood pulp, absorbs urine well, and is also available on Amazon.
Avoid placing softwood litter in your rabbit’s litter box, such as cedar or pine shavings.
It is believed that using these materials causes liver damage in rabbits.
Similarly, using clay-based litter should be avoided because it may result in respiratory or even life-threatening issues if consumed by your rabbit.
Also read: Why Is My Rabbit Lying In Its Litter Box?
4) Hay rack:
In your rabbit’s cage, hay racks are the most essential and convenient item.
A hay rack does help to keep the hay fresher for a more extended period and keep the cage clean.
In addition, by placing the rabbits’ hay in the rack, you can ensure that they consistently eat it without messing with their surroundings.
The market offers a variety of hay racks in various sizes, shapes, and colors.
Some hay racks are designed so that your rabbit can remove the hay leaves from the minuscule holes and maintain the hay’s cleanliness and dryness.
And some hay racks are constructed into the rabbits’ enclosures with a wire holder to keep the hay supply safe so that the rabbits can access it whenever they desire.
However, the hay racks should be thoughtfully constructed so your rabbit will avoid getting into trouble while eating.
To prevent your rabbit’s head from getting trapped in the hay rack, make sure it has big holes.
In addition, the hay rack’s bars should be safe for your rabbit so that it won’t get its head caught between them.
Similarly, a hay rack should be big enough to hold enough hay to last the entire day.
Also read: Do Rabbits Need Hay Rack?
5) Water bottle or bowl:
Your rabbit should always require fresh, clean water, so a small water bottle is ideal for your rabbit’s cage.
You could give your rabbit a special water bottle with a drip placed at an angle that allows it to reach.
However, if your rabbit won’t drink from the water bottle, you might need to provide a bowl because some rabbits prefer them.
If installing the water bottle in your rabbit’s cage, ensure you choose one that is difficult to tip over.
Whereas bowls require regular cleaning, so you can first try a water bottle for your rabbit’s cage.
Rabbits need fresh water daily as it is essential for their health.
Your rabbit’s intestinal contents could slowly dry out if they don’t drink enough water.
Also read: Why Do Rabbits Flip their Food Bowl?
6) Small pellet dish:
Providing a tiny bowl with rabbit pellets in your rabbit’s cage is essential.
The staple food of a rabbit is hay. However, to receive proper nutrition, dry pellets work as supplements than other veggies and hay.
Premium rabbit pellets give your pet the extra vitamins, minerals, and nutrients required in their diet to stay healthy.
Avoid these ingredients in the pellets, including nuts, dried fruit, fatty or starchy additives, seeds, colored bits, crunchy pieces, honey, and other sugary substances.
You can provide 1/8 cup of pellets to rabbits according to their body weight.
The rabbit’s main diet should consist of at least 80–90% hay, 5–5% pellets, and 5–5% fruits and vegetables or leafy greens, all of which should be given in proportion to your rabbit’s weight.
Avoid placing the food dish close to the litter box or the water source; instead, put it more on one side of your rabbit’s bedding.
Also, you may require a second bowl or dish for your rabbit to eat fresh vegetables and fruits.
7) Toys:
When your rabbit isn’t using its litter box, sleeping, or eating, they need toys to play with so they don’t get bored.
You should provide toys to your rabbit to prevent stress and depression when you are not around them.
Rabbits require toys for physical and mental exercises and distraction from destruction.
If you have a single rabbit, they can feel lonely, brought on by boredom, resulting in destructive behavior or depression.
Also, rabbits need to jump and exercise daily. Otherwise, they could gain weight which is bad for your rabbit’s health.
Similarly, pets undoubtedly enjoy toys, but by bunny-proofing your home, they also keep it secure.
In addition, you’ll prevent cuddly, floppy-eared rabbits who are just bored from destroying your home.
So, providing toys in your rabbit’s cage is beneficial for their healthy life span.
Rattles, key chains, stacking cups, and some sturdy parrot and cat toys made of solid plastic can all be fun for your rabbit to play with.
Instead, you could also provide wooden sticks as a toy to prevent dental issues.
Additionally, ensure there aren’t any tiny toys they could swallow. Otherwise, choking could result.
Also read: Can Rabbits Have Catnip?
Conclusion:
- The enclosure of a rabbit should be far from excessive heat and draughts.
- If you decide to place your rabbit’s enclosure outside, you should provide them a shelter to prevent rain, direct heat, or extreme cold.
- If the temperature of outside temperature rises above 75 F, then it can be harmful to rabbits.
- A domestic rabbit’s enclosure should be in a dry, drafty, damp room in winter, for example, a living room or basement.
- Rabbits can be kept in a puppy pen or a large rabbit cage or live freely in a rabbit-proofed room or house.
Reference: NCBI