Rabbit hutch credentials

[RunRabbit]

I’m looking to get a rabbit for my daughter for her Birthday and was wondering what would you say are the must have specifications for any rabbit hutch?

[RunRabbit]

I need to get it sorted by the end of the week so any quick advice will be appreciated I have had a look around and this rabbit hutch is one that I am considering, what do people think?

If you have anything better to offer me tell! I need ideas quick!

[peppypoo]

First of all, happy birthday to your daughter! How old will she be?

I’m glad you’re considering adding a rabbit to the family…rabbits make great pets, as all of us here can attest. However, they’ve very often misunderstood and mistakenly assumed to be “easy starter pets” that can be kept in a cage, and as a result end up being abandoned or neglected. On the contrary, they are intelligent and affectionate with individual personalities, and can be litter-trained and even taught to do tricks. It’s great that you’re taking the time to research rabbit needs before getting one; this page should answer a lot of the questions you might have so that you can see if a rabbit is the right fit for your family: http://rabbit.org/faq/index.html

As for your specific question, a healthy happy rabbit needs not only a indoor “hutch”/cage/home, but also plenty of time and free space every day to exercise and play. The House Rabbit Society recommends “A cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny when he’s entirely stretched out–more if he is confined for a large amount of the day”.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions!

[Beka27]

Welcome here!

The absolute minimum size is 2×4 feet, but you’ll quickly discover that this is not nearly big enough for a litter box, food dishes, hidey house, and toys. You can do multiple levels to add more space (people make “condos” out of wire storage grids) or you can get a dog exercise pen that is 4×4 feet.

I would recommend putting the bunny in a “family area” like the living room, dining room, or rec room. Even if it’s your “daughter’s” bunny, you will be the one responsible, so it’s best for the bun to be a family pet getting to interact with everyone.

Rabbits don’t like being picked up and carried, so house him/her in an area where the bun will be able to come in and out of the cage on his/her own.

Please do a lot of research on rabbits. Many people don’t realize that they require daily veggies that can get quite expensive and that vet care is not cheap. You can save money on spay/neutering if you adopt a rabbit from a rescue. They usually alter them prior to you bringing them home. An unaltered rabbit will be smelly, aggressive, and destructive, so it’s a must that they be spay/neutered.

[Elrohwen]

I second everything that Peppy and Beka have said! The hutch you posted is nice, but it’s quite bulky and not easy to move. Do you have a place to put it? Also, being made of wood it will be easy for the bunny to chew on and be very difficult to clean if (when) the bunny pees outside the litter box (even perfectly litter trained buns might mark their territory from time to time).

A puppy pen would be a much cheaper and easier option and would provide a full 4’x4′ area to run around. Levels are nice for some extra room, but bunnies aren’t climbers and prefer more area on the floor to really run around and get exercise.

Check out the habitats and information here on BB and you’ll find a ton of information! Bunnies are easier pets than dogs, but I think they’re far more work and money than cats, so definitely plan things out thoroughly.

[RunRabbit]

Thanks for all the advice,my daughter is going to be 10 next week, im still hunting around but I will let you know how I get on

[bunnyfriend]

How much time would the rabbit be spending in the hutch?
If it’s going to be for most of the day you will definitely have to attach a xpen or something to make a rabbit run so the rabbit can around around.
Also, a good thing to make sure is that the rabbit MUST be able to stand up completely.

Welcome to BinkyBunny, do you have a bunny picked out yet??
Definitely come back here for research (or the House Rabbit Society website) or if you have any questions, rabbits are not easy pets and require lots of money, time, and space. But it’s so worth it

[Author]

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