Pet Habitat South Africa

<< Back To Blog List

21 Jun 2014

Become A Responsible Rabbit Owner

Posted By : Guest

Filed Under : Rabbits | Pet Care | Pet Cages

Rabbits make fantastic pets, they love quiet spaces and require only a bit of affection from their generous owners. Ideally rabbits have at least one bunny friend to spend their days with, so they are ready for your affection when you come home in the evening. Give them this, plenty of timothy hay, and there is only one thing left to do – provide your bunnies with the perfect home. Unfortunately, that is not simply a hutch… That is only the beginning.

The Rabbit Hutch

Whether you call it a hutch or a cage and whether it is indoors or out, this is the beginning of your rabbit’s home. Consider the hutch to be a bedroom. It is a comfortable and secure space to sleep. Ideally you would have one hutch per rabbit to hide and rest in, and another larger one that all your bunnies can sleep in together (if they are in the mood for that). These should all be connected in some way, though rabbits should not have to go through each other’s bedrooms to get to their own space. However, you might consider having individual hutches coming off their larger sleeping den.

Rabbits are timid animals, as they are also prey animals. Even though there is unlikely to be foxes lurking in your living room, rabbits still feel more secure when they are tucked into a dark, covered corner. So, it is essential that rabbit hutches are covered, and filled with plenty of hay. This, of course, will need to be checked regularly, as your bunnies are prone to eating their bedding – or at least moving it about enough to require a tidy. If your hutches are outside in the open, ensure they are raised off the ground, at least slightly, in order to avoid all the dangers of rising water. Hutches need to be at least as tall as your tallest rabbit – when he is standing on his back legs, and that includes his ears too.

Hutches need to be checked regularly for safety and security issues. Although your rabbit will gladly spend his days chewing on his hay, he may just find the timber used to construct his hutch to be a tasty treat. The resulting splinters can be as painful to your bunny as they would be for you. Also, insects do pose health concerns for rabbits, so it is necessary to ensure this area is cleaned regularly and always free from damp. Routinely make certain that hutches have plenty of ventilation, especially as your bunnies will be moving their bedding about, possibly covering much needed air vents.

Run, Rabbit, Run

You have probably heard that every rabbit home needs to cover enough space for your rabbit to hop three paces in any direction. What you may not know is that, for many rabbits, three hops are over two metres. That sounds like a whole lot of space (indeed, many bathrooms are crammed into less than two square metres), but remember this is the minimum amount your rabbit requires. In the wild, rabbits cover a few sports fields of area as the territory that they exercise in daily. Also, a few metres of space are required for each rabbit you have – and it should be available to them at all times. This is exactly why a hutch is just the beginning; the rabbit run is equally valuable for your rabbit’s health and well-being.

In addition to simply being available, a rabbit run needs a few extra goodies to make it as comfortable as it can, and should, be. Walls and fencing need to be high enough that your rabbit cannot injure herself trying to get over them, and so that other animals cannot get into torment your pets. If you can manage it, try to create rabbit runs that are taller than your hutches so your bunnies can run, leap and play to their hearts content. At least part of the rabbit run needs to be covered, or shaded in some way. This is an important protection from the sun, but it will also just make naturally nervous rabbits feel more secure.

There are a few safety and security issues to consider with your rabbit runs. The main one is that they are free from plants that could harm your rabbit. Many beautiful plants, including ivy can interfere with your rabbit’s digestive tracts (at best) or even poison them. You will also want to make sure that your rabbit’s run is free of rats and standing pools of water – both of which can actually present health issues for your pet. And, most importantly, you will want to ensure that your rabbit run, along with the hutch is secure and escape proof.

Connecting All the Pieces

Between the hutches and the rabbit runs, your bunny’s home should look a bit like an obstacle course. Just to add to that, you will probably want to consider a few ramps. You can use these to elevate hutches, allowing more room on the ground for your rabbit run. Bunnies tend to take these with a bit of speed, especially if they have been startled and want to get to their hutch quickly. Ensure ramps are wide enough to avoid collisions, and so there are no tumbles on the way. These should be checked frequently, as well; hoppy bunnies can put more pressure on boards than you may suspect.

In addition to the hardware your rabbits require, they need plenty of timothy hay added to their living space daily. They will use this for bedding, toying with and obviously eating. Each rabbit requires a pile of timothy hay as large as himself for eating daily. Add to this hay for sleeping areas and you have a recipe for success. Well that, and you’ll need to get into these areas to give them all a good clean about once a week.