Suitable Rabbit Housing

Esme & Zoila thanks to Jeannie Juarez

 

I'm so glad to see companies pushing that a hutch is not enough. 

Years ago bunnies were known for munching on mixed bunny food, in a hutch outside with veg scraps being thrown in now and again - luckily research has come a long way and we know they need a lot of space and access to it all of the time. In the UK we are lucky that we can have bunnies living indoors or outdoors, as long as the enclosures are suitable and predator proof. 

We need to fulfil a bunny's life with access to their natural behaviours, of companionship, running, jumping, binkying, foraging, stretching etc.

Your bunny ideally needs an indoor covered space of at least 6ft by 2ft by 2ft, so they can hop along three times and stand up, you'll also need a large enclosure attached of a minimum of ​​3 metres long by 2 metres wide and at least 1m high.

It is important to have them either indoors or outdoors, as constant temperature change is not good for them, as their coat would have been grown thicker when outdoors to help protect them from the cooler weather.
If you have an indoor bunny and wish to move them outside, March/April time is best to transition in the UK when the weather is getting warmer.

Indoor Enclosures

Thanks to Katie Madonia

Some people prefer to have their bunnies indoors as you can enjoy them more and there are less predators around, but it isn't for everyone. It is best that they have their own 'base' to be able to go to, this should be their safe space for bunnies only, it is good to have a good size hide in there too.

The basics your home base should include:

Hides
Litter Tray

Rabbit corner litter trays don't tend to be big enough, large rectangle cat trays are very popular, you can also use an under the bed storage box.

You can fill the base of your tray with 100% wood litter pellets, 100% paper pellets, 100% paper based bedding or just hay. (never clumping litter, corn litter, clay litter or other materials and please make sure your litter doesn't contain baking soda, it can bring on vomiting and rabbits can't vomit, so the gas just builds up and can cause illness and even death)
You should also have lots of hay in or/and above the litter tray, as bunnies love to eat and poop at the same time. If you put piles of hay elsewhere, they may toilet there too, so best to supply more litter trays if you want to add hay elsewhere.
Toys/Chews
Toddler toys work well like stacking cups or toddler plastic key sets, to throw around. But if they chew them very often, they may only be good when supervised.
Willow toys are amazing, they are made of wood and fully edible, they help keep your buns constantly growing teeth to stay trim. Although hay does this, hay helps more with the back teeth, these willow toys or similar edible chew toys are great for the front teeth. If you have an apple tree, you can offer them the branches.

Water
Bowls are much more natural for rabbits to drink from and they tend to drink more with access to fresh water in a heavy ceramic bowl. It might be worth placing a couple, incase they were to accidentally kick out the water from one or cover it in hay, as you don't want them to be without water. I wouldn't recommend a bottle, they are can harbour bacteria and harder to clean, the water also doesn't come out very quickly and buns can get frustrated and end up ignoring it or chewing it, which isn't good for their teeth. I also wouldn't recommend any vitamins or additions to their water, it can discourage them to drink and they can become dehydrated - a healthy bun shouldn't need any extra vitamins.

Hay

Unlimited access to good quality hay and/or grasses (avoid Readi grass it is too rich and can upset tummies) Timothy, Meadow Hay and/or Orchard Grass is great. You may find your bun can be selective depending on the brand or batch of hay. (Rabbits over the age of 6 months or those having vegetables shouldn't have Alfalfa hay, as it is full of calcium and instead of helping with growing, they can have too much calcium and it can cause bladder sludge and even kidney stones.)

Edgar's House in Canada thanks Emily Beckley

Esme & Zoila free home but this is their home base thanks to Jeannie Juarez

Bunny Base, otherwise free roam thanks Hannah Louise

Bunny Rooms

Some people are very lucky that they have a spare room they can covert for their bunnies. 

If you have your bunnies in your house, whether they have their own room or free roaming. Please make sure they have their own space and that you bunny proof. It is in their instincts to chew, so if you are precious of your carpets, skirting boards and furniture, it may be best to not give them access. All cables should be hidden and away, you can also get strong cable covers, to help protect your electrical products and your bunnies, just incase they get to them. I prefer to have furniture that reaches the floor too, so they can't get under furniture. Plants need to be safe for bunnies, up on high shelves they can't reach and no scented products should be used around them, as they are prone to respiratory issues. Lavender and Mint are safe if they accidentally reach them, it can also help keep flies away and help the room smell nice (if you like the smell obviously!)

Bunny Room thanks Gretchen L. Fischer

Theon, Sapphire & Calypso's Housing thanks Jessica Amber Viljakainen

Outdoor Enclosures

Run (attached to a shed, by a bunny safe tunnel on the right) Thanks Annette Rippon

The traditional hutch you used to see people keeping their bunnies in are not suitable on their own. You need a good size indoor space for them, often made of wood, as plastic can sweat and cause condensation, metal can heat up too much or get too cold. Often people opt for a shed or barn, but hutches can work, as long as they are a suitable size within a suitable aviary type enclosure, dog run or have a suitable size run attached and available to them all of the time. 

Your indoor space should be at least 6 feet long, 2 feet high and 2 feet in depth, this is an average for one rabbit, as giants would typically need a lot more space. You can also gauge the space by the ‘3 hop rule’ which is when your bunny can stretch out and hop along their hutch at least three times and be able to stand in their enclosure.

The recommended attached open space should be at least ​​3 metres long by 2 metres wide and at least 1m high, again this is for an average and multiple bunnies and giants will need more. The more secure space you can offer the better though.

They will need a hidden, covered area for a safe space for them to go to if they feel they want to, this is often classed as their bedding area. If you fill their safe area with straw, this is also a great insulator in colder weather.

Please make sure all enclosures are predator proof with materials, no way of anyone digging in or out, paving slabs are okay. Please don't use a meshed floor, this can cause injury to their feet, if you do mesh the bottom, please make sure it is dug under the ground, so their feet aren't exposed to it.

Their enclosure needs to be out of the way of draughts and covered from the elements, you can get insulation covers or use tarpaulin to help keep them out of the rain. Some people use old duvets on the outside of the hutches, so the buns can't chew them, but it helps keep the hutch warm in the winter.

Photo credit: Thank you to those that provided photos of your amazing enclosures, I have included the names under the photos.