Housing Your Rabbit

Housing Your Rabbit

Cage Location:

The first thing you will need to do is determine the location of the cage for your rabbit. This will determine the type of cage that you will need for the rabbit. A rabbit can live either indoors or outdoors.

For an outdoor cage, you will need to make sure the location meets the following requirements:

It is well protected from the weather. No wind, direct sunlight, moisture, etc. can reach the inside of the cage.

It is protected from extreme temperatures. A rabbit should have extra protection, such as straw or hay for bedding, when temperatures get near or below zero. If the cold is extreme, other means of heating should be used. A rabbit can handle cold temperatures much better than heat, though. When temperatures rise above 80 degrees, a cooling method should be used. The method should not make the rabbit very wet or sitting in a breeze (such as right in front of a fan), as these can cause the rabbit to catch cold. Some suggestions to use are a frozen 2 liter bottle of water in the cage for the rabbit to lay against, a misting system outside of the cage, evaporative cooler, air conditioner, fan, etc.

It is protected from other animals. Dogs, cats, and wild animals can pose a threat to the rabbit.

It should be well ventilated and provide adequate daylight (not direct sunlight) during the day.

For an indoor cage you will need to make sure the location meets the following requirements:

It is protected from other household pets that may pose a threat to the rabbit.

It is located in an area that has adequate light (roughly 50% light, 50% dark is sufficient)

The rabbit cannot reach any foreign materials (electric cords, clothing, plants, etc.) through the wire of the cage.

It is not too hot (over 80 degrees) or too cold (below zero) in the location that the rabbit will be housed.

Cage Type:

Depending on whether you chose to house the rabbit indoors or outdoors, you will now need to choose a cage type that will best suit your needs. Usually, it is best to use a hutch for an outdoor rabbit, and an all-wire cage for a rabbit housed inside of a building or home.

A hutch is typically a wood and wire construction that is built to house the rabbit. It should have a slanted roof to allow for runoff of moisture. It should have a solid back, and at least one solid side to help protect from wind. The front and other side should be made of no larger than 1x2" wire, and include the door on the front with a secure latch. The floor should be made of either 1/2x1" or 1/2x1/2" wire, to allow the waste to drop through the floor of the cage. Although some hutches have solid wood floors, this is not recommended due to sanitation purposes. Most hutches are free-standing and stabilized to make sure it doesn't tip over. DO NOT build the hutch out of painted or chemically treated wood, as this can be harmful to the rabbit should it chew on it.

An all-wire cage is best suited for an indoor purpose. An all-wire cage is usually made of 1x2" wire, with 1/2x1" wire on the floor. Most have a metal drop pan attached to the bottom to catch the waste. Because the cage provides no protection from the elements, it is only recommended for use inside a building or home.


example of an all-wire cage	example of a hutch

Cage Size:

The mature weight of the breed of rabbit you purchase will determine the size of the cage you need. For the smaller breeds, a good rule of thumb is to allow at least one square foot of floor space per pound of mature weight. With the larger breeds, you can usually allow about 1/2 or 3/4 of a square foot per pound of mature weight. If in doubt, ask the person whom you purchased the rabbit from for their recommendation as to the size of the cage best suited for the breed.

Cohabitation:

It is generally not recommended to have 2 or more rabbits living together in the same cage. Here are the specific scenarios for different combinations of rabbits living together:

Two bucks - Two males living together will become territorial as they mature and will fight.

One buck and one doe - A pair of rabbits living together will result in continual mating. As the doe gets closer to her due date, she will become more territorial and aggressive towards the buck. The two may start fighting at this point. If the doe successfully has her litter, often the entire litter will be killed by the buck.

Two does - This combination will sometimes work, provided that the two were raised together and do in fact get along. It only works out about half of the time. If you choose to do this, be sure to watch for signs of conflict, as at any time they could turn on one another. If signs of conflict occur, you will need to permanently house the two separately. Also, if you are expecting a litter from one or both does living together, they will need to be housed separately to raise their litters.

Fighting among rabbits often leads to serious injury or death. Therefore, it is important to keep any conflicts from occurring.

	It is well protected from the weather. No wind, direct sunlight, moisture, etc. can reach the inside of the cage.
	It is protected from extreme temperatures. A rabbit should have extra protection, such as straw or hay for bedding, when temperatures get near or below zero. If the cold is extreme, other means of heating should be used. A rabbit can handle cold temperatures much better than heat, though. When temperatures rise above 80 degrees, a cooling method should be used. The method should not make the rabbit very wet or sitting in a breeze (such as right in front of a fan), as these can cause the rabbit to catch cold. Some suggestions to use are a frozen 2 liter bottle of water in the cage for the rabbit to lay against, a misting system outside of the cage, evaporative cooler, air conditioner, fan, etc.
	It is protected from other animals. Dogs, cats, and wild animals can pose a threat to the rabbit.
	It should be well ventilated and provide adequate daylight (not direct sunlight) during the day.

	It is protected from other household pets that may pose a threat to the rabbit.
	It is located in an area that has adequate light (roughly 50% light, 50% dark is sufficient)
	The rabbit cannot reach any foreign materials (electric cords, clothing, plants, etc.) through the wire of the cage.
	It is not too hot (over 80 degrees) or too cold (below zero) in the location that the rabbit will be housed.

	Two bucks - Two males living together will become territorial as they mature and will fight.
	One buck and one doe - A pair of rabbits living together will result in continual mating. As the doe gets closer to her due date, she will become more territorial and aggressive towards the buck. The two may start fighting at this point. If the doe successfully has her litter, often the entire litter will be killed by the buck.
	Two does - This combination will sometimes work, provided that the two were raised together and do in fact get along. It only works out about half of the time. If you choose to do this, be sure to watch for signs of conflict, as at any time they could turn on one another. If signs of conflict occur, you will need to permanently house the two separately. Also, if you are expecting a litter from one or both does living together, they will need to be housed separately to raise their litters.