Providing Proper Housing for Your Rabbit
What You Should Know before Bringing Bunny Home
Owning a Pet Rabbit
Owning a rabbit can be a joyous experience. They are sweet, affectionate, easily trainable and cleanly creatures that require little in the way of food and maintenance. Although most bunnies will thrive as indoor pets or in a backyard hutch, there are a few things you need to know before you bring your rabbit home to join your family.
Keeping Bunny in your Home
The good news--Most rabbits can easily be trained to use a litter box. Make sure to use non-toxic, low-dust litter, as bunnies are very susceptible to respiratory infections, and breathing chemical litter dust can be bad for their health. Never allow a bunny to share a litter box with another animal, such as a cat or ferret. Parasites can be passed back and forth by sharing a litter box.
The bad news—Bunnies chew. Because their front teeth never stop growing, they have in instinct to gnaw in order to file off the ends of their front teeth. They chew pretty much anything they can get their teeth on, so you must take every precaution to hide or cover electrical, computer and speaker wires. They also have a penchant for moldings and sheetrock when they are bored, so you will need to make sure that your free-range rabbit has lots of fun activities to keep him busy. Buy bunny chew sticks, or make your own using untreated wood rolled in honey and edible seeds. Give your bunny a small ball with a bell inside, and watch him roll it around and hop after it. If you are planning on leaving the bunny unattended for a long period of time, consider a bunny cage or hutch for those times when you are not around to supervise.
Keeping Bunny in an Outdoor Hutch
If giving your rabbit free run of your home is not an option for you, you may consider building a hutch in your yard or on your porch. Most rabbits can live very comfortably in a hutch, as long as they are kept clean, well ventilated and are not exposed to harsh elements or extreme weather conditions. If you are planning to build your bunny a hutch, you need to keep in mind a few things.
The most important thing to know about having an outdoor bunny is that rabbits cannot tolerate heat. An overheated bunny can die within a matter of a few hours, so you must make appropriate arrangements—a fan or a frozen water bottle placed in the hutch—if you’re leaving your bunny in an outdoor hutch on a hot day.
Rabbits are also prone to catching colds if they are left in a drafty area, so make sure to select a spot for the hutch that is draft-free. The cage should be close enough to your home that you can clean it and bring food easily. The hutch should have a secure latch so that the rabbit cannot escape, and predators cannot open the door to get inside. Bunnies are very sensitive to loud noises and can even have a heart attack from becoming suddenly startled by a loud sound, so place the hutch away from noisy areas or the neighbor’s barking dogs. Your bunny’s hutch should be slightly raised (2ft-3ft) off the ground to protect him from predators.
With a little effort, knowledge and common sense, your bunny can become a full-fledged member of the family—indoors or out.
Free-ranging bunnies are part of the family!
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