Rabbit Housing
Indoor vs. Outdoor
As the Minnesota House Rabbit Society, we firmly believe the best place for a rabbit to live is in the house, as a member of the family. If you are not already convinced, please read the reasons to house rabbits indoors.
Cage Recommendations
Even if your rabbit is litterbox trained and your house is thoroughly rabbit proofed, you will probably still want a cage for your rabbit. Rabbits generally prefer to have a safe area they can call their own, and their cage will act as a safe haven or nest, where they can retreat to rest.
When choosing a cage for your rabbit, keep the following requirements in mind.
- It should be tall enough that the rabbit can stretch up without their ears touching the top.
- It should be long and wide enough that the rabbit can stretch out fully in any direction with some room to spare.
- It should be roomy enough to have space for a litterbox, a food dish, and water supply.
- It should have a door that opens outward so that the rabbit can hop in and out, unassisted, when you leave it unlatched.
- It should have a solid surface for resting as prolonged exposure to wire floors can cause sore hocks.
Unfortunately, many of the cages sold in pet stores will not meet these requirements. You may find some, but they will likely be very expensive, often topping $200. Fortunately, there are also a number of great alternatives including exercise pens, metal dog kennels, or homemade NIC Condos. Refer to the links at right for more recommendations.
With a little thought and research, you will discover there are many different options for housing your rabbit. Some may be more suited to your situation than others, based on available space, amount of exercise time, etc. However, regardless of which you choose, it is important to remember that the area should feel like the rabbit's home. The rabbit will soon learn that the cage is the place to go for food, water and the litterbox and will accept the cage as his personal space. However, if the cage is set up poorly, or is too small, your rabbit will see the cage as a place of confinement, rather than as a place to call home.