There are many requirements for a rabbit to have a healthy span, from its diet to its maintenance. In addition, we know rabbits are prey animals, and they always have tension about predators. And because of that, they want hiding places. So, do rabbits need a hideout? Is it necessary for rabbits to have hideouts in their enclosure? Let’s find out all your answers in this article.
Hideout is essential for a rabbit’s healthy life span. Providing hideouts makes them feel safe and comfortable. However, ensure they don’t need to go far to hide inside when they are afraid or scared. Consider providing a non-toxic and large hideout with at least two entrances.
This article will discuss why hideouts are necessary for rabbits’ enclosure, how to set up hideouts, and what other things they require in their pen or cage. So let’s find it out.
Contents
Does my rabbit need hideouts?
Every rabbit needs a hideout in their surrounding for 24 hours. Rabbits are prey animals, and it is essential to provide at least one hideout in its play space or cage so that they can hide inside by feeling safe and secure and rest by taking naps peacefully.
Hideouts are the hiding places where your rabbit can hide inside when they become scared, stressed, sick, or want to sleep. Your rabbit will require a few hiding places whether they live in an exercise pen or a cage or are allowed to roam freely in a rabbit-proofed house.
If you have provided a large space for your rabbit to play, for example, an entire room or house, you should give them lots of hiding places. In addition, ensure that your rabbit does not need to go far to hide if something makes them afraid or scared.
For hideouts, you can provide a small wooden hutch in your rabbit’s cage or pen so they can hide there. However, if you have more than one rabbit in the house, you should provide each rabbit a hideout hutch in their cage or pen.
There are various options available in the market for the hideouts of rabbits example, durable wood hideouts. However, you can also provide hiding places for your rabbits in their cages by making DIYs of household materials like cardboard boxes.
Cardboard boxes as hideouts are easy to make, cheap, and perfect for rabbits during playtime. In addition, you can provide them as a tunnel or elaborate a rabbit’s mansion in their pen or cage by combing the multiple cardboard boxes together.
However, these cardboard boxes can be easily destroyed by your rabbit. In that case, you can either buy a durable wooden house for your rabbit or keep extra cardboard boxes to replace them with destroyed ones.
Is it necessary to have a hideout in a rabbit’s cage?
It is essential to provide hideouts for rabbits because they are prey animals; they typically require a hiding place to feel secure and rest whenever needed.
Hideout is the essential component in the rabbit’s enclosure. In addition, your rabbit needs a separate sleep area as a bedroom in its pen or cage. For example, a good cardboard cartoon can serve as a rabbit’s bedroom. Place this carton properly in the quietest corner of your rabbit’s enclosure. Your rabbit will begin dozing off, rest or hide in this spot.
Also, here are some reasons why rabbits require hideouts in its enclosure:
- The ideal sleeping hours for rabbits are from mid-morning to early evening, and because of hideouts, your rabbit won’t be bothered by the bright light if they have a place to sleep.
- Rabbits are clean creatures, so they don’t like to pee or poo in their sleeping areas, so if they have a separate room to sleep in their enclosure, they will stay fresh and odor-free.
- Rabbits are prey animals. And because of that, they usually require a place to hide from the predator.
- Rabbits also need a private area with a shielding layer to rest, take naps, or hide inside when they are scared of something.
You should provide a hideout with more than one entrance so that your rabbit can fit inside it comfortably. For example, the wide-bore drain pipe sections, wooden or cardboard boxes, shelves where your rabbit can rest or hide under, and paper bags are suitable hiding spots for rabbits. However, ensure that it has no sharp edges and is made of non-toxic material.
What things do rabbits needs in their cage?
Rabbits require a lot of things, to begin with, in their cages or pens. But, some of the supplies that are essential or must in a rabbit’s cage or pen are:
- Fresh hay: Hay is crucial in a rabbit’s hutch for 24 hours. In your rabbit’s enclosure, there should always be an unlimited supply of grass hay. Your rabbit can eat hay as much as they want because it provides essential fiber and has no calories, which a rabbit’s diet requires.
- Good quality bedding: It is vital to provide good quality bedding, such as hay or straw bedding, in their cages to make your rabbit warm and comfortable. However, avoid wood shaving because it is unsuitable for your rabbit’s cage bedding.
- Hay racks: Do provide hay racks in the enclosure of your rabbit to protect their food from dirt. Keeping your rabbit’s food off the ground is one of the many benefits of this hay rack. Urine or feces are most likely to infect scattered hays.
- Food bowl: Rabbit food bowls are an essential accessory in their enclosure. They make keeping your pets from getting sick from spoiled food much simpler. Also, it prevents rabbit pellets and fresh food from spilling all over the floor.
- Litter tray: It is vital to have a litter tray in a rabbit’s enclosure to keep the cage or pen clean. You can use shredded paper or newspaper for pee and poo area. Also, use non-toxic material for a litter box. And consider avoiding wood shavings containing pine or clay-based cat litter because these materials can harm rabbits.
- Toys: It is essential to provide toys in rabbits’ enclosures for their happiness and health. Having toys encourage them to exercise and do activities like chewing, jumping, chin rubbing, or digging. However, ensure not to provide cat toys or small parts to your rabbit; otherwise, it can cause choking and other health issues.
- Water bowl or bottle: Water is essential, and rabbits should have constant access to fresh water. Rabbits who consume a lot of hay will drink more, and those who consume a lot of fresh grass and greens will drink less. Bowls are preferable except bottles because rabbits are more accustomed to drinking from them.
- Hideouts: It is always essential to provide hiding places in your rabbit’s enclosure so they can sleep or hide inside. The hideouts for a rabbit should have more than one entrance, contain no sharp edges, be constructed with non-toxic material, and have a suitable size for the rabbit.
Also read: Can Rabbits Roam Freely In The House?
How to prepare a cage for a rabbit?
When adopting a rabbit, you must also consider the essential things that your rabbit may require, for example, the arrangement of a living area for your rabbit and many more.
Most owners allow their rabbits to roam freely in the house, making them happy and healthy. But, there can also be some disadvantages.
A rabbit must be free-roam in the house, but at night, they should be kept in a cage or pen for their safety. It’s always safer to set up an enclosure for your rabbit. They will remain happy if they spend enough time on the floor daily.
Most rabbits want to have their place and privacy. Therefore, here are some ways to prepare a cage for your rabbit.
Large enclosure:
Space is your rabbit’s most crucial element in its cage or pen. They require enough space so that your rabbit can play and exercise comfortably.
Also, the rabbit’s enclosure should have enough height to allow your rabbit to stand comfortably on their hind legs. And another essential thing to provide your rabbit in its cage is a hideout and litter tray.
Soft and warm bedding:
They require a thick bedding cushion to prevent sores on a rabbit’s legs. Depending on the size of a rabbit, you can prepare the bedding. The bedding will be more profound if the rabbit size is big.
The best bedding for your rabbit in the winter is timothy hay or straw substrates because they will feel warm inside. Towels or blankets can also be used as bedding. Rabbits, however, have the propensity to chew on everything. As a result, they might chew on blankets or towels, which could result in blockages in their intestines.
Also Read: Is Pine Bedding Safe For Rabbits?
Litter box:
Provide a litter box and layer it with newspaper, non-toxic litter, and hay as the top layer. We recommend you change the litter box every two days, except for the hay.
Also, do not use clay-based and cat litter for your rabbit because it is fatal and can cause respiratory problems or even cause life-threatening problems if your rabbit ingests it.
Food and fresh water daily:
Hay is a staple food for rabbits that contains a lot of fiber. In addition, giving them an endless supply of hay satisfies their nutritional needs. Your rabbit must always have access to food and water.
Only hay and water are necessary for a rabbit’s survival. However, giving fresh fruits and vegetables to your rabbit can improve their diet’s nutritional content.
Sipper drinkers are suitable because water bowls for rabbits are more likely to tip over or become dirty with pellets. To ensure that the water is always fresh, change it daily. For example, never use a drinker with algae stains; instead, wash it daily.
Provide toys:
Providing toys in the enclosure benefits a rabbit’s physical and mental health. There are various options available for rabbit toys in the market. However, you must ensure that they are non-toxic and not small in size; otherwise, your rabbit can swallow them, which causes choking and life-threatening problems.
Because they enjoy chewing, rabbits need access to sturdy branches from orchard trees (cherry, apple, plum, pear), or you can buy commercial rabbit chews from a pet shop. A cardboard box with dry hay and shreds of the paper inside makes a good toy. It would be so much fun for your rabbit to explore that.
Hideouts:
Rabbits require hiding places, even in their cages or pens, to hide or sleep peacefully. Therefore, the rabbit’s enclosure should have enough places to hide for 24 hours.
The hideouts should be large enough so your rabbit can fit inside them. It should not be constructed with non-toxic material and have a lot of entrances. Also, ensure that the hideouts do not contain sharp edges because your rabbit can get injuries.
Conclusion:
- Every rabbit needs a hideout in their surrounding for 24 hours.
- Hideouts are the hiding places where your rabbit can hide inside when they become scared, stressed, sick, or want to take a peaceful nap.
- You can buy a small wooden house or hutch or can provide a cardboard box for hideouts in a rabbit’s pen or enclosure.
- You should provide a hideout with more than one entrance so that your rabbit can fit inside it comfortably.
- Ensure that hideout does not contain sharp edges or toxic material and is suitable for rabbit size.
Reference: nidirect.gov