Top 10 indoor rabbit hutches, pens & cages

If you can afford to give your rabbit a larger area in a room then a good solution can be to permanently set up a pet pen. They can come with covers which you may need if your rabbit can climbing or even jumping over the top. They typical clip together however they are available with doors to make access easier. 30 Tall Dog Playpen These can be used complete and broken up into its component sheets and rejoined to cordon of part of a room or make a larger pen. Make sure it's secure as your rabbit will always be testing out it's boundaries trying and escape either by chewing through the plastic ties and you may find these may need to be replaced with something stronger like metal paper clips. You will also need to think about a suitable base, often an off cut of non synthetic carpet can be good as this can be thrown away when it eventually becomes worn.

If you have the space in your home then you can simply devote a spare room for your rabbit to roam in when unsupervised. It will need to be completely bunny proofed to make sure its safe and you should expect some damage to the door, skirting boards, carpet and even walls. It can be helpful to install a pet gate so you can leave the door open but still block access then you and your rabbit can keep an eye on whats going on. It will also stop you opening the door on your rabbit and trapping it's paws if they are waiting for you on the other side.

There are quite a good range of rabbit enclosures available and these can be ideal if you don't have much room or a smaller bread of rabbit. They are very practical as they are built for the purpose with high sides so your rabbit can stretch up and a deep plastic base to stop bedding and litter spilling out however they can be expensive especially if you have a larger rabbit. Make sure it's large enough for the size like the Ferplast Krolik Rabbit Cage so your rabbit will be able to stretch up to full height and have lots of room to binky about.

It may seem like the best idea to simply let you rabbit have the run of your home, that way you don't need to worry about providing an environment. What you need to consider is the amount of effort you will need to undertake to ensure your home is safe and fully bunny proofed. Given enough time without supervision rabbits can do substantial damage chewing on the carpet, door frames, skirting board and even the walls. You will also have to be very mindful not to leave anything out that you don't want damaged or may cause harm. Rabbits can be territorial so you may also have an additional problem of having to clean up toilet mess where they mark their territory or have to share this will a litter tray.

in addition to basic rabbit enclosures you can also get stackable models that can be layered on top of each other with a ramp running between the levels. These seem more convenient because they take up less floorspace for the internal area of cage however they do have some bad points which need to be considered. Firstly because ramp and the landing platform actual take up some of the space the area inside is actually reduced considerable. Secondly the ramps can be quite steep which may be a problem for a larger or older rabbit. however if you have a smaller bread of rabbit it and don't have mich room at hol=me then a model like the Lixit 2-Tier Cage is ideal.

There are a variety of wooden enclosures you can buy that you could install in your home however they are designed to house rabbits outdoors so are not ideal. Try and get something simple that is easy to keep clean like the Gotobuy Wooden Rabbit Hutch. The wood is treated to prevent weathering and the roof can often include tar coated materials which are unattractive as well as smelly. The wooden interior is also quite absorbent and can pick up odors from your rabbits toilet behaviour. Your rabbit may also choose to chew the wooden which is not ideal and over time can leave it quite scruffy looking.

A relatively cheap and simple solution to keeping your rabbit safe and secure when unsupervised is to use a large dog cage. These are far better then a smaller plastic animal enclosure and will give your rabbit ample room to stretch and bounce around. Make sure you get a cage large enough such as the Extra Large Dog Crate. They can also be easily transported and store away as they fold up neatly. If you leave it out when you rabbit is roaming make sure you cover the top with a board in case your rabbit jumps on top and its paws slip through the wire mesh where they can become stuck. The trays can be a little shallow which can lead to a bit of mess if you use wood chip bedding however with a bit of customisation these can be easily built up. Alternatively if you teach your rabbit to use a litter tray then you can line the base with an off cut of non synthetic carpet, placing a litter tray in one corner.

If you are a practical person and have a good imagination you can construct your own pen out of a series of office storage cubes. These can be purchased from a office supply store or online and consist of a series of small wire sheets that can be held together with ties. With these you can create any shape of pen you want even incorporating more then one level. Make sure any surfaces have a solid base so paws cannot slip through and get hurt. There are lots of examples of these on-line which you can search for that will give you inspiration, or, just let your imagination go wild as this will be fun for you and your rabbit.

A quite unique way of fitting a rabbit into your home is to take an old piece of furniture and convert it into a rabbit enclosure. This can be a sideboard or cabinet where the doors can be removed and the front covered with wire mess. holes can be cut between the internal walls to allow access between the spaces. If you have the time and imagination then this could be a fun project however its important to make sure your rabbis have enough room to stretch up and bounce about inside. You may also find the wood may be chewed and soiled which can leave a permanent and unpleasant odour in the room.

If you want to give your rabbit some space but don't have the room in your home then a shed can be a good solution to securing them while you are away. Small wooden or even plastic sheds like the Keter Manor Large 6 x 8 Shed can make a good practical solution. It's important to keep an eye on the temperature in the winter and the summer months where it may be unsuitable as the temperature can rise or fall quickly. You will also need to do some thorough bunny proofing to prevent your rabbit finding a way out and also to prevent predators from getting in.