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Space: A Guide To Rabbit Environments
Bigger is Always Better
The sizes quoted here are recommendations and minimums. You cannot do your rabbits any harm by offering more space, as long as you are confident that the space is secure and safe.
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SPACE
The RWAF’s latest recommendation is to aim to provide an overall environment for your rabbits of 3m x 2m (slightly larger than 10ft x 6ft), or equivalent. This should incorporate living space (traditionally a hutch) and exercise space (traditionally an exercise run).
PROTECTION
Your rabbits' environment needs to consider protection from weather and predators. Rabbits can cope with reasonable temperature dips but are often harmed by harsh winds and rains rather than low temperatures. The mere sight of a fox can be enough to startle your rabbit to death.
SAFETY & SECURITY
You will need to give some extra consideration to ensuring that your rabbits are protected from accidental, malicious or predator harm. You need to make sure that the rabbits cannot easily escape, and that nothing else can easily get access into their space too.
STIMULATION
Rabbits are highly intelligent, social, interactive animals who get bored very easily. You must consider ways to make sure your rabbits are stimulated, active and entertained within their environments at all times. This also includes ensuring they have company in a settled bonded pair or group.
Space - Outdoor Environments
The RWAF’s latest recommendation is to aim to provide an overall environment for your rabbits of 3m x 2m (slightly larger than 10ft x 6ft), or equivalent. This should incorporate a combination of living space (traditionally a hutch) and exercise space (traditionally an exercise run).
Rabbits must have constant access to their full environment, choosing for themselves when to relax in their sheltered space or binky around their exercise space.
Sheltered Space
For outdoor rabbits, a sheltered space is required within the environment. This space should be a minimum of 6ft (183cm) x 2ft (61cm) x 2ft(61cm).
Most commercially available hutches and indoor cages are therefore considered to be too small and you may need to think "outside the box" in terms of suitable accommodation.
Outdoors, garden sheds, and children's playhouses can easily and cheaply be adapted to make excellent living accommodation for your rabbit. Sheds offer a great space for owners to share socialisation time with their rabbits whilst also sheltering from the weather and we find that owners will spend more time with their rabbits when using sheds in place of traditional hutches. Check out our recommended suppliers for suggestions of environments that make the space an inviting place for you as well as your rabbits.
Within their living area, there should be facilities for sleeping (lots of warm bedding such as straw, blankets, paper, etc), an area for toileting (ideally with a litter pan in place), and an area for eating with plenty of hay, fresh veg & herbs and a small volume of dried rabbit pellets (only about an egg cup size per day) and of course, freshwater supplied preferably in a bowl or gravity feeder.
Exercise Space
Just as important is ensuring that your rabbits are getting plenty of exercise.
Our minimum requirement is that the living area have a permanently attached exercise area that allows the rabbits to choose when they want to be in their living space or their exercise space.
Runaround systems are an excellent way to connect living space to exercise space.
Access to run and exercise space is required at all times. Owners may consider closing access to exercise areas overnight, based on safety and protection from predators. We do not support this approach and, therefore, encourage owners to consider all other safety precautions to prevent predator attacks. This is because rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk and we should not prevent them from the opportunity to demonstrate their natural behaviours.
Our minimum requirement for exercise space is incorporated within the overall 3m x 2m requirements.
But remember the rule: always aim to give your rabbits as much space as you possibly can.
Need Suggestions & Ideas?
View our recommended suppliers list for living & exercise equipment and accessories too.
Protection
Your rabbits' environment needs to consider protection from weather & predators. Rabbits can cope with reasonable dips in temperature but are often harmed by harsh winds and rains rather than low temperatures. And the mere sight of a fox can be enough to startle your rabbit to death.
Weather
Provide Shelter from Wind & Rain
Provide a well-sheltered area, offering ample space for movement within a closed-off area that is guarded against wind and rain.
Use Equipment Made Of Sturdy Materials
At least three of the walls of the sheltered living space using solid materials. Many cheap hutches and chicken-coop style homes utilise a large amount of wire mesh finishing, which leaves the living area open to the dangers of weather and predators.
Protect from Extreme Temperatures
Think about hot and cold weather extremes! Insulation measures can make a big difference. These can be built into the equipment or you can use insulated covers and liners. Heat pads and cool pods are also useful options. In the winter, use extra straw bedding to add natural warmth to an environment.
Predators
Rabbits also like to be able to hide quickly if they feel they may be under threat of attack.
Hiding spaces are crucial within the environment.
Make sure the access to their sheltered living space is open and available to the rabbits at all times and you should also include additional hiding space such as hide boxes (these can be cardboard, timber, or plastic), tunnels, and more.
Safety & Security
We live in a complex and often confusing world, and the reality is that our pet rabbits aren’t as secure as we would like them to be in our homes and gardens. Many people consider safety from foxes but often forget about other predators, such as birds of prey and stoats.
Sadly, they are also not safe from other humans. There are many reported cases of rabbits being deliberately stolen, let free from their environment, or abused and tortured.
Your rabbits’ environment, therefore, needs to consider additional security measures.
Predators
Environments Must Be Fully Enclosed
We do not support the use of open-topped runs and environments as foxes can scale over tall fences and walls, and birds of prey can also swoop down very quickly. We recommend that all environments are fully enclosed, and if possible we suggest doing this at “walk-in” height so that it is easier for you to access your rabbits and spend time with them in their own environment.
Fully Supervise Garden Free-Roaming
Many rabbit owners like to offer their rabbits free reign of their garden. From a space perspective, this is fantastic, and whilst under supervision, we are not against doing this. However, we cannot support a permanent free-reign of garden space as a direct result of the threat of predators is always a high risk to your rabbits.
Use Predator Proof Wire Mesh Equipment
Chicken wire (twisted wire mesh) is not a predator-proof and is easily broken through by foxes, dogs and cats. A determined rabbit can even break through it. We will only approve environments using welded wire mesh.
Ensure gaps are limited and small
Small predators are also a high risk - especially stoats and rats, which can enter through quite small spaces. We recommend any mesh and other gaps are no larger than 25mm x 25mm (1" x 1").
Prevent Digging In Or Out of environments
Where possible consider setting environments on solid ground (you can always provide digging pits in the environment). If that is not possible, use anti-dig materials around the internal and external perimeters of the environment such as stone/brick edging or submerged welded wire mesh.
Theft & Abuse
We also recommend that for outdoor rabbits all environments are locked with high-security padlocks or equivalent to prevent unwanted access by strangers. Consider also additional security on any main access garden and property gates to further protect your rabbits.
Many rabbit owners also take comfort from having a security camera focused on their rabbit environment. These not only help from a security perspective but can also be very useful in checking the welfare of your rabbits when you are not able to step outside to check on them. (Cameras are not a substitute for physical welfare checks which must be conducted a few times per day).
Stimulation
Rabbits are highly intelligent, social, interactive animals who get bored very easily.
We look for adopters to consider ways to make sure their rabbits are stimulated and entertained within their environments.
Companionship
Rabbits that are kept in pairs tend to be happier, calmer and less prone to being stressed, which should help them live longer. You will be able to see them grooming each other, playing together and curling up to sleep, which will give you hours of pleasure to see.
We expect all rabbits to be kept in bonded pairs or small groups unless there is a veterinary-confirmed medical reason not to do so.
Boredom Breakers
Tunnels & Pipes
Dig Boxes
Toys
Boxes & Hides
Beds
Different Levels
Indoor Rabbits
Don't Do
Chicken wire, or twisted wire mesh, is not predator proof. Many such fencing materials can easily be destroyed by dogs, cats and foxes, and in some cases are weak enough for the rabbits themself to chew through.
We only recommend the use of Welded Wire Mesh, with spacing of 25mm x 25mm or less to ensure that all predators are kept out of your rabbit environment
Need Suggestions & Ideas?
View our recommended suppliers list for living & exercise equipment and accessories too.