How Big Should Your Rabbit Hutch Be?

If youre thinking of getting a pet rabbit you will be keeping outdoors, or you are considering moving your existing rabbit to outdoor quarters, you know youre going to need a hutch. If you have done some searching on the Internet, you already know rabbit hutches come in a variety of sizes and styles. The question is how much space will your rabbit need?

Youll find a variety of mathematical formulas to help you select an appropriately sized rabbit hutch. Formulas like: four times the length of a fully stretched rabbit are frequently accompanied by the warning word minimum. Minimum of course implies the size might be barely sufficient.

On the other end of the spectrum you get the the bigger the better school of advice. To make some sense of this disparity, consider the difference between whats right for you the owner and whats right for the rabbit.

For an owner, smaller hutches mean less cost and easier placement in the outdoor area. The only disadvantage of smaller is difficulty in getting inside the hutch to clean.

For the rabbit, the difference between smaller and larger is more than a simple matter of metres; its a matter of quality of life. Rabbits like to run and play and the more room they have the more they will run and play. In addition, rabbits are curious and small environments lead to boredom and inactivity which in turn can lead to poor health. A quality living space for your rabbit needs toys and other accessories, which also take up space.

Forget the formulas, pick a protected spot in your outdoor area and fill it with the largest rabbit hutch you can find, or build on your own. If you have no carpentry skills, considering adding modules to commercially available rabbit hutches. For example, a two story wooden hutch with a ground floor wire enclosure can be expanded with an additional wire rabbit run attached to the bottom of the hutch.

With a big rabbit hutch you can put a little variety in your pets space, with different levels and separate compartments. Many owners add a hutch within a hutch by placing either a cat carrier or one of those commercially available Snak Shak houses. These are made of alfalfa and honey and are edible. Hiding places like these have the added advantage of making the rabbit feel more secure from predators, especially during the night.

As a final observation on the need for the largest rabbit hutch you can create or buy, remember that your rabbit may be out there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many well intentioned owners plan to spend time bonding with their rabbits, either indoors or outdoors outside the confines of the hutch. But the best of intentions have a way of falling by the wayside, and many rabbits live out their lives in lonely, solitary isolation. If this situation describes you and your rabbit, consider adding another rabbit. Many animal experts believe pet animals do better in pairs, and a companion for your rabbit will enrich their lives

About the Author:
Tom Woodcock is a Pet Lover, pet product expert and
builder of rabbit hutches. To learn more about Rabbit Hutches and
Rabbit Runs visit him
online.

Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com

Tags: rabbit hutch

, rabbit hutches

, rabbit run

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