Housing Your Rabbit Indoors & Outdoors?

As you can keep rabbits indoors or outdoors, it all comes down to what suits your circumstances

Indoor Hutches

When having a rabbit indoors, try to litter train, this will keep a lot of the mess in one area of the rabbit hutch as much as possible.

Rabbit proof your home as rabbits love to eat and munch on all sorts of things including electrical cords, which can be very dangerous.

You must keep their pen very clean inside as it will smell. Make sure your indoor pet rabbit gets exercise everyday and is able to be free to run and jump.

Outdoor Hutches

Set up in a safe and protected area from sun, wind, rain and predators, e.g. cats, dogs. Also mosquitoes can also be a problem as the myxomotosis disease can outbreak every few years which they carry.

Put extra fly wire screen onto your cage door where there are any openings for insects to get in. Keeping the outdoor hutch off the ground and having a solid floor keep well ventilated and draft free.

Make sure you don’t forget about your pet rabbit outside, and keep their water fresh and feed at regular times twice a day. Hutch size is very important to how big your rabbit is going to grow .Find the best size hutch before you purchase your hutch.

This will vary depending on Sex, Breed and age of the rabbit. The hutch must be big enough for the rabbit to lay down in fully outstretched and able to stand up on its hind legs in height.

With lots of room for, a litter tray, toys, bedding, water and the rabbit of course.

A good size for a hutch is about 120cm wide and 60cm deep. Exercise areas can be made from some mesh nettings secured with posts, or you can buy triangular runs for on the grass.

Hutch Litter

Having tried many litters for a indoor rabbit hutch, we have found the crystals are the best as for smell. Newspaper litter are also good but can be a lot smelly faster. Do not use any litter that has clogging agents as the rabbits may eat them and do not use sawdust as this can also irritate your rabbits eyes and respiratory.

How to Litter Train Your Pet Rabbit

Place litter tray in hutch, put selected litter in and place some hay inside to entice your rabbit in there. If a rabbit does a wee or poo, rip up the soiled piece of newspaper and place in the litter tray to let the rabbit know where to go to the toilet, with time this will be very effective.

Cleaning the Hutch

Clean regularly as so your pet does not get ill or smelly. Place rabbit in a safe area while cleaning; take out all waste and hay. Clean litter tray, wipe with vinegar to sterilise and replace with fresh newspaper to line hutch and fresh hay, litter, grain and fresh water. Bedding if you pet likes.

Hutch in Winter

You may want to bring your rabbit inside in the winter or into a garage or shed.Protecting your rabbit from cold, wet, damp, conditions is the best way to prevent illness.

Hutch in Summer

Rabbits are very susceptible to heat stroke, so keep a close eye on the temp of your rabbits hutch in summer, make sure there is always fresh water and that the hutch is not in the direct sun.

GuineaPigCare.com.au