The placement of the cage is also very important. Yes, rabbits are messy animals, and their areas require frequent cleaning, but they are also social animals and whither when kept isolated from their family.
Additionally, they are intolerant to the heat as well as subject to a variety of outdoor parasites such as fleas and ticks. Please plan on keeping your bunny in a heavily trafficked area of the house where they can be part of the daily activities of the family. Most people would never isolate their dogs permanently to the yard or a garage space—bunnies certainly deserve your undivided attention, too! When it comes to accessorizing your rabbit cage, your imagination is the only limit.
Rabbit toys need not be expensive, but they do need to be rotated on a regular basis to keep bunny interested and engaged. Simple things like toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay make wonderful toys, as do cardboard boxes with holes cut in them, and pesticide-free branches cut off of backyard apple trees. Rabbits were designed to be eating machines. Watch a wild rabbit in your garden, and pretty much all they do all day long is munch, munch, munch.
This should also be the case with your pet rabbit! Eating helps to grind the teeth into proper alignment and provides mental stimulation as well as environmental enrichment.
So what should you have in the enclosure for bunny to snack on? Contrary to popular belief, rabbit pellets are not necessary for a pet rabbit, and many veterinarians feel that they are not healthy.
I do not feed my own rabbits pellets, other than as the occasional treat meaning less than a few tablespoons a week. However, they should have unlimited amounts of hay available to them at all times—and the higher-quality hay, the better. My favorite hay to feed is that made by the Oxbow company, which comes in several flavors: Oxbow Western Timothy and orchard hay , Oxbow orchard grass hay , Oxbow oat hay , Oxbow botanical hay and Oxbow Western Timothy hay.
Adult animals can be fed any flavor of hay, except alfalfa, which is too high in calcium for the mature bunny. I tend to rotate between flavors and buy several bags at once so that I can feed different varieties on different days. The other very important thing to allow a bunny to munch on is unlimited amounts of green leafy vegetables, such as romaine, kale, dandelion, parsley or cilantro—again, the choices are only limited by your imagination.
This is natural food for the rabbit. Fresh water is also critical for a healthy bunny. A guide is 24" by 36" for smaller rabbits less than 8 lbs. A two-story condo with a ramp joining the levels seems popular with rabbits too. As a rule, rabbits take fairly well to being litter trained, so a solid floor is fine and not too difficult to clean. Many cages meant for rabbits are still made with wire floors positioned over pull out pans, designed to make cleaning easier.
However, wire floors even those with very narrow spacing can be uncomfortable for your rabbit to walk on and can cause sores on its hocks, so it is best to get a cage without wire floors. If your cage does have wire floors, the wire should be covered with a piece of wood, or grass or sisal mats. Note: grass mats are nice to have in solid floored cages too, to vary the surface and provide traction.
The door to the cage should be about large enough to get a litter pan—and your rabbit—through easily. A side door is probably best, as a top-opening cage makes getting the rabbit in and out a little harder and it is best if the rabbit can get in and out on its own.
The opening should have smooth edges or plastic guard strips over the edges of the wires. If you are handy, you can get fairly creative and construct your own cage. This allows a custom size to be designed. Fleece blankets can also be provided. Pieces of carpet or towels also make nice mats, as long as your rabbit is not unraveling and eating them. As for other pets, cedar and pine shavings should be avoided due to concerns over the aromatic oils they release.
These oils have been shown to elevate the levels of some liver enzymes, which can affect the metabolism of drugs and other compounds. If wood shavings are used at all, better alternatives include hardwood shavings such as aspen. Straw or hay is a good bedding material for rabbits. For choices for the litter box, see the section on litter training. Living alone in an outdoor hutch is a lonely existence for a rabbit; however, a house rabbit that is allowed time outdoors will likely enjoy the change of scenery and fresh air.
Keep in mind that there are several dangers in the outdoors, including predators, weather, and toxicity from herbicides, pesticides, or poisonous plants. This article has been viewed , times. Line the floor of the cage with a layer of recycled bedding, then bring in the basic necessities like a food dish and water bottle.
To prepare a rabbit cage, start by selecting a multi-level cage that has at least 32 square feet of interior space. Then, fill the bottom layer of the cage with at least 2—3 inches of rabbit-safe bedding. Once your bedding is in, put in a small litter box filled with a paper-based litter.
Don't use cat litter, which can harm rabbits if they eat it. Finish preparing your rabbit cage by attaching a 20 ounce or bigger water bottle to the cage, adding a food dish, and putting in some toys for your rabbit to play with. For tips from our Veterinary reviewer on how to maintain your rabbit's cage, keep reading!
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Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Purchase a cage spacious enough to comfortably house your rabbit. As a general rule, it should be able to stand upright on its hind legs without its ears touching the ceiling. A cage with at least 32 square feet of interior space or about 3 square meters will usually be big enough to accommodate most average-sized rabbits.
You'll need to go up to the next biggest size if you plan on keeping more than two rabbits. Invest in a subdivided or multi-level cage. Rabbits naturally gravitate toward dark, enclosed spaces. For a few extra dollars, you can buy a partitioned cage with separate rooms or levels that will allow your pet to enjoy a little privacy.
That way, they'll be able to get some peace and quiet whenever they please. Regardless of which type of cage you choose, make sure each rabbit has their own shelter or space to hide. A private place to burrow provides a healthy outlet for your pet to cope with stress. Select a cage with a sturdy plastic bottom.
Cages with solid bottoms have the added advantage of being easier to line and clean. Choose a cage with a large door. The door of your rabbit cage should open wide enough for all the necessary accessories to fit through without difficulty. This includes your rabbit's food dish, water bottle, bed, litter box, and any toys they'll be playing with.
And, of course, it shouldn't be too tight a squeeze for your rabbit itself! Some cages have multiple entrance points, like an extra side door or an oversized hatch in the top, which can make inserting and removing various items easier. Make sure there's ample room for exercise.
Rabbits are energetic creatures, and don't like to sit still for too long. For this reason, most of your bunny's cage space should be devoted to play and exploration. Ideally, it should be able to take full hops from one end of the cage to the other.
Being able to move around freely will keep it happy and healthy. Part 2.
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