Housing

Please remember, regardless of the housing you choose, your rabbit needs at least a couple of hours of exercise everyday outside of this cage/pen.

Indoors vs. outdoors
Many people have the misconception that rabbits are smelly and belong outdoors. However, this is definitely not the case, and in fact, we recommend that you keep and house your bunny indoors as much as possible. If you get a rabbit as a pet, you should treat it as a member of the family. Family should not be relegated to live alone all the time in an isolated shed or hutch outside.

There are also other reasons to keep your bunny indoors.
 * Rabbits are safer indoors out of reach of predators. Rabbits can literally be frightened to death without any contact to a predator. Additionally, you will need to take many precautions that no snakes can get into your hutch. They are a real risk in certain areas.
 * Rabbits are social animals, and in the wild, they live in enormous warrens. They enjoy the companionship from people and other animals. You can see many instances where bunnies have bonded with cats, dogs, and birds. Hutch rabbits are often never interacted with or socialized, and this lack can often result in a dull and uninterested bunny.
 * Indoor rabbits will probably live longer out of stressful influences such as predators and poor weather conditions. They can easily overheat or freeze to death. Poor weather conditions such as rain may also make you not want to go out to feed and check on the bunny. Rabbits are delicate, and any medical warning signs should be treated immediately or they will go downhill fast. Not being able to keep an eye on them can be disastrous to a bunny's health.
 * Rabbits need exercise. Unless you build an extremely big hutch with a run outside or let him run around outside occasionally, the bunny will be unable to stretch his legs. You may have seen videos of wild rabbits -- see how they love to run around? You can provide a safe environment indoors out of a predator's reach for them to do what they love.
 * Outdoors, you can never see your bunny binky in happiness and learn to appreciate their bonks for pets. Rabbits can show a personality not unlike dogs and cats. Housing a rabbit outdoors without ever interacting with them will result in a rabbit afraid of humans.

You might worry that keeping your rabbit indoors will result in destruction of your personal property and poop and pee everywhere. However, the destruction can be easily mitigated given proper bunny-proofing and training. Rabbits are easily litter trained to poop and pee in a box. In addition, not the entire house needs to be given to the bunny to romp around in. Just a living room or a bedroom is enough space. Give a try to housing your rabbit indoors, and see your rabbit bond with you.

Here are some more links to read about the pros and cons of indoor vs. outdoor housing.
 * Save a Fluff, Dangers to rabbits: outside and indoors
 * Save a Fluff, House rabbits
 * SaveABunny.org, Outdoors versus Indoors
 * House Rabbit Society, FAQ: Outdoor and Indoor Hazards to Companion Rabbits
 * Zooh Corner, House Rabbits: Why It's Better For You And Your Bunny
 * Kathy Smith, Why Indoor Housing is Best
 * Dana M. Krempels, Ph.D., Why an Indoor Bunny?
 * House Rabbit Network, Alan L. Moyer, Why We Won't Keep Rabbits Outdoors -- A personal story

The following pages are from rabbit breeding sites. Please do not take this referral as condoning rabbit breeding for the common house rabbit owner. We provide these links purely for information.
 * Three Little Ladies Rabbitry, Rabbit Housing - Indoors or Outdoors?

Indoor housing
A consideration when housing indoors is where to place your bunny. A good location allows the rabbit has a place to relax by themselves yet is not completely secluded from the family. As a result, the corner of a living or family room is a great location as it will have lots of foot traffic from family and roommates but still be quiet most of the day when no one is there.

Some people would like more personal time with the rabbit and place the housing enclosure in their room. Be forewarned though, that bunnies can be very noisy at night, so if you are a light sleeper, it would probably be best to put the rabbit in another room.

Another option is to delegate an entire spare room to the rabbit. While this is a fantastic option, please make sure that you fully bunny-proof the room to prevent damage to the walls and floors in case of a destructive rabbit.

Avoid placing your rabbit too close to a doorway, in a drafty area of your home, or in only direct sunlight. While rabbits enjoy sunlight, they also have a fur coat and can easily overheat on hot days.

If you are planning to bring an outside rabbit indoors, see the following articles for more information.
 * Zooh Corner. Bringing the Outside Bunny In

Outdoor housing


While we do not recommend outdoor housing for the reasons stated above, the following are some resources to help develop a proper outdoor rabbit enclosure. Please remember the rabbits can easily suffer from heat exhaustion at temperatures over 85&deg;F, and that indoor rabbits have a history of living 4 times longer than outdoor hutch rabbits due to various factors!

If keeping your rabbit outside is the only option in your situation, please follow some simple guidelines for housing:
 * Make sure your rabbit is always protected from insects through the use of some fine mesh that you can staple to the cage. This is important to protect your rabbit from aggressive insect-borne diseases such as myxomatosis. Keep your outdoor rabbits updated on their vaccinations if they are available in your country, and you may also want to treat them regularly for fleas, mites, and other parasites preventatively.
 * Do not keep rabbits outdoors alone all the time; they need company on those dark nights! A bonded pair or group is best outdoors. If you must house a single rabbit outside, please spend a couple of hours each day to interact with your rabbit so they will not be depressed. Rabbits are social creatures and will not do well alone with no interaction.
 * Remember, your baby bunny is likely to grow significantly! If your rabbit is young, make sure you consider their adult size when purchasing an enclosure. This housing should be tall enough for your bunny to sit up on their hind legs in the adorable act of periscoping, and it should be long enough for your bunny to completely lie down in with their feet stretched out. Consider having a multi-level enclosure so bunny can survey their surroundings as well as a permanently attached run.
 * Just because your rabbit is outdoors, it does not mean they have to be kept in a hutch! Consider large dog kennels with runs, sheds, aviaries, and children's wooden playhouses with runs attached. One small advantage of outdoor housing is that human furniture will not get in the way of the rabbit, and you can often offer larger square footage just for the bunnies.
 * While your rabbit make not be able to chew their way out of your new cage, keep in mind what kind of predators might want to force their way in. Be especially careful about access to snakes if they are a problem in your area. Keep your hutch close to the house, and make sure your rabbit has somewhere to hide if they get scared. This hidey hole is also likely to be what will protect your bunny from the elements so it is a good idea to insulate it with some hay, old towels, or other material. Even though your rabbit is kept outside, a litter tray can still be supplied to keep the housing clean, and it provides your bunny with a specific spot to go in so that they will not always lying in their own filth.
 * In warm weather, be very careful about flystrike! Check your rabbit's bottom every day to make sure that all poop has been cleaned off properly.

Please think about keeping a smaller cage to put in the laundry room or other area inside so that the rabbit doesn't have to be outside on those cold winter nights or hot summer afternoons.

The following are some additional tips and instructions on having an outdoor rabbit hutch:
 * Save a Fluff. Hutches. runs and alternative rabbit housing
 * The Rabbit House. Outdoor Rabbit Housing
 * Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund.Outdoor rabbit housing
 * Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund. A Hutch Is Not Enough – so how about a shed?
 * Rabbits United. (2012). Outdoor Housing
 * House Rabbit Society. (2011). Rabbits Outdoors
 * petrabbitinfo.com. (2009). Rabbit Hutches - How To Keep Your Pet Rabbit Safe and Happy Outdoors
 * Reddit. (2018). Indoor to outdoor
 * BOING. Outside Housing

Indoor cages and enclosures
A variety of options exist for housing rabbits in either a cage or other type of enclosure.

Size guidelines
Although pet stores market cages specifically for rabbits, many of these cages are too small to comfortably house adult rabbits, particularly larger breeds. From the House Rabbit Society Housing FAQ page, "A cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny when he's entirely stretched out--more if he is confined for a large amount of the day. Cage sizes also should be decided in conjunction with the amount of exercise time and space the rabbit has. One guideline to go by is at least 8 square feet of cage time combined with at least at least 24 square feet of exercise space, for 1-2 rabbits, in which the rabbit(s) can run and play at least 5 hours per day."

The 8 sq ft should considered as empty and unbroken space. If you put in litter boxes, hiding housing, and other bowls and toys, be mindful that these items will interrupt and take over the minimum space recommendations.

The House Rabbit Handbook provides the following guidelines:
 * Option 1: Separated rest and run areas. Run time is at least 4 hrs daily or 30 hrs weekly.
 * Option 2: Combined rest and run areas. Run time is 24 hrs daily.

Please note that practically, only small dwarf rabbits may be able to comfortably live in a 2'x4' area - most rabbits should have at least 12 sq ft of living space at minimum, and the more space you can provide 24/7 is always the better.

The Rabbit House provides some more minimum measurements based on rabbit size here. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund has their minimum living space guidelines here.

If you do not have enough floor space to give your rabbits too much more than the recommended minimum, you can also try to build vertically with multiple story condo cages. However, please keep in mind that the rabbit should still be able to comfortably run in a straight line before you start building taller.

Remember, if you have a young rabbit, be prepared to provide large enough housing as they grow. Small baby rabbits at 8 weeks old can rapidly grow to 10+ lb over the course of a few months if they are actually a giant breed of rabbit.

Commercial cages
Most commercial cages advertised towards rabbits are too small for the average-sized rabbit. As stated above, the rabbit cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny when he's entirely stretched out. Most cages barely let a rabbit stretch out or sit up. If you do opt for a commercial cage, make sure to follow the guidelines stated above.

Be careful of cages with a wire floor. Rex, heavy breeds, and poorly bred pet rabbits with thinly-furred feet are especially prone to sore hocks in wire-bottomed cages due to the uneven pressures of the wires. Additionally, untrimmed nails and toes can get caught in inappropriately-sized holes and be broken. If you use a cage with a wire flooring, you should provide a resting mat for your rabbit to sit on. If a rabbit is litter-trained, there is honestly no reason to need a wire-bottomed cage.

The following links are some graphic images of rabbits that were found inappropriately kept on wire flooring:


 * Bunny Binkies Club. (2020). Jalen's story
 * Bunny Puffs Exotic Refuge. (2020). Chocolate's story
 * Indiana House Rabbit Society. (2019). Gianna's story

If you buy a cage with a solid slick plastic flooring, cover the bottom with another surface like a towel or grass mats. The slippery surface can lead to hip problems.

Please be wary of cages with multiple stories, and make sure rabbits have secure footing and enough space to comfortably hop up and down to prevent injuries.


 * u/Rabus. (2020). My bunny broke her spine today - A warning to not buy two story cages & a question if anyone saw a similiar case

Look for cages with a side door to allow the bunny to hop in and out on her own and possibly a top-loading door for ease of cleaning.

If the cage door opens on the side as a ramp and is made wire, cover the door with something solid like cardboard or a blanket or towel so that the rabbit's feet cannot accidentally be caught between the bars. The top of the wire cage should be covered similarly. Injuries that can result from caught toes and limbs can range from broken nails, sprains, fractures, dislocations, and completely broken bones.


 * u/GoddessOfMyKitchen. (2022). 3-month-old rabbit climbed on top of cage and broke one of her back legs.
 * Reddit. (2021). Comment thread of users that knew of or had rabbits that had limbs caught in wire cages with deadly results.
 * u/tomb1125. (2018). Rabbit jumped off cage and his hind leg was stuck between bars.
 * New Jersey House Rabbit Society. (20180). Rabbit back leg slipped between bars of wire cage door.
 * Nutmeg. (2018). Rabbit got foot caught on top of cage when trying to hop off.

Never use glass aquariums because they are rarely large enough and do not have enough air circulation. Rabbits overheat very easily.

If you use a commercial cage as a home base for a litter box, and the rabbit is free-roaming, size is not so much of an issue. It becomes a problem when the rabbit is shut in for hours on end. If you have to make do with a smaller cage than ideal, just make sure that your rabbit receives plenty of exercise time every day to stretch out their legs.

Some extra-large cages available on Amazon that can be appropriate for smaller rabbits or to be used as a home base in a larger living space:
 * Ferplast Krolik 160 Rabbit Cage, 64"L x 24"W x 20"H
 * Ferplast Krolik 140 Plus Rabbit Cage, 56"L x 24"W x 20"H
 * Super Pet My First Home Giant Rabbit Habitat, 47"L x 24"W x 24"H
 * Pawhut 47" Portable Wire Bunny Rabbit / Ferret / Guinea Pig Hutch House, 47.2"L x 22.8"W x 19.7"H
 * Living World Deluxe Pet Habitat, X-Large, 46-8/9"L x 22-4/5"W x 24"H
 * My First Home 2-Piece Giant Rabbit Habitat with Casters, 48"L x 24"W x 16.5"H
 * Prevue Hendryx 525GRN Small Animal Tubby, Extra Large, 47-1/4"L x 24-1/4"W x 21-1/2"H
 * Prevue Pet Products Small Animal Cage with Stand 620 Powder Blue and White, 47"L x 22"W x 37"H

If you would like a more professionally handcrafted cage, here are a couple available online - some made especially for rabbits.
 * Leith Petwerks, Inc. Bunny Abode Condos
 * KW Cages. Bunny Villa
 * My Pet Cages by Ultra Lite. Kitty Condos

The following are some guides at choosing an appropriate commercial cage to use indoors.
 * The Rabbit House. Rabbit Cage Reviews
 * The Rabbit House. Choosing an Indoor Rabbit Cage
 * The Rabbit House. Two Storey Rabbit Cages
 * The Rabbit House. Plastic Rabbit Hutches

Dog crates
One solution for suitable rabbit housing is a large or x-large dog crate. The large doors make it easy to clean, and these cages are very sturdy to help keep out kids or other pets. The plastic pans on the floor help to protect your flooring underneath. Dog crates are also great options for rabbit owners with bunnies that are escape artists and can jump out of tall 30"+ pens.

However, the large and x-large dog crates can be very heavy, and although they may collapse easily for travel, they can weigh much more than tall x-pens and be hard to move.

Warning: Traction material such as blankets and towels is recommended on the bottom floor when having two levels in a dog crate for rabbits. Rabbits can fatally injure themselves by slipping when jumping down.


 * u/grow_something. (2015). Comment on post "Modifying dog cage?"

Some models available on Amazon:
 * Home On-The-Go Dog Crate in Black, 49.5"x29-3/8"x32.25"
 * Midwest Life Stages Single-Door Folding Metal Dog Crate, 42"x28"x31"
 * Midwest iCrate Double-Door Home Training and Travel Series, 42"x28"x30"
 * Midwest Solution Series "Ginormus" Double Door Dog Crate, 54"x37"x45"

Here are some guides on using and converting one to a rabbit abode.
 * Bunny Lovers Unite, JoJo's Guide to converting a dog crate / cage into a rabbit cage
 * The Rabbit House, Dog Crates as Rabbit Cages
 * The Rabbit House, Rabbit Cage Shelf Instructions

Below are some relevant discussions.
 * BunSpace, Rabbits in dog crate cages? I want to see your pictures!

Wire cube DIY cages
Wire cube DIY cages are a cheap alternative to buying a commercial cage or pen, but they require some work to assemble. These condos are great for jumpers that will escape open-top pens. You can also build them to suit non-rectangular corners of your home to fit around your furniture. They may also be called C&C (cube & coroplast) cages from the guinea pig terminology or Neat Idea Cubes (NIC) cages, the original brand that started making wire cube storage systems.

The basic theory behind these cages is to assemble the wire shelving solutions available in stores into a cage using zip-ties. Aspirational owners can even decide to make multi-story condos using additional wood or shelving. A pack of about 23 wire cube sheets costs around US$35, and zip ties are around US$5 for 100+ -- enough to make a 42"L x 28"W x 28"H pen. A similar commercial cage suitable for a rabbit at 47"L x 23"W x 24"H usually costs about US$80. See the savings? You can easily adjust the size of the cage and condo to suit the shape and size you want.

Some stores you can buy wire grid panels from are the following:
 * United States
 * Amazon.com - 6-box set (23 panels), set of 48 panels, Tespo pack
 * Staples (23 panels)
 * Target
 * Home Depot (23 panels) - Be careful, 6 of the panels are of a larger size.
 * Bed Bath & Beyond
 * Store Supply Warehouse (individual)
 * Seville Classics (9 panels)
 * Pre-made NIC DIY kits available on Ebay by bunnycondos
 * Canada
 * Amazon.ca (16 panels)
 * Walmart (13 panels) - Be careful, 8 of the panels are of a larger size.
 * Bed Bath & Beyond (18 panels)

Warning: You will need to make sure the type of wire shelving you purchase should have the grates relatively small so your rabbit cannot get his head through. Otherwise, your rabbit may get injured or strangled. There is one type sold at Target and other stores that has bigger grates than the rest. These should either be discarded or used as unreachable walls, shelves, or cage tops. If they have to be used, cover them with cardboard or double grate them to make the holes smaller.

Also, when using zip ties, make sure to have the tie wrap ends face the outside of the cage so that if you accidentally forget to clip one, it does not cause eye injury to your rabbit.

Examples of rabbits escaping wire cube cages:

Some examples and instructions to set up wire cube condos can be found at the following pages.
 * Long Island Rabbit Rescue Group. NIC Cube Rabbit Cage Construction
 * Build a Rabbit Condo. More Rabbit Condo Details
 * 3 Bunnies Rabbit Rescue. Oliver's New Home
 * Cavy Cages
 * House Rabbit Network. Building a Neat Ideas Cube Condo
 * Princess Blackie's Web Page
 * Cages that are easy to build and inexpensive!
 * Brey family. How To Build an Indoor Bunny Cage
 * Wisconsin House Rabbit Society. A Project Idea: Bunny Condo from Neat Idea Cubes
 * Bunny Blurbs, by /u/nafalie. Bun Estates
 * BOING. Build an indoor house
 * BudgetBunny. Building Your Own Bunny Condo – A Step By Step How To
 * Bright Eyes Sanctuary. Housing Ideas > How-To Guide
 * The Rabbit House. Making a Cube Rabbit Cage
 * sunflowerb. Alonso's New Home: My DIY bunny cage

For a useful tool to help plan out your grid cage, please see the following post by u/WickAndFable - Housing: Online Tools for Grid-Cage Planning

The following are some videos about setting up a NIC condo.

Here are some relevant discussions about NIC condos.
 * RabbitsOnline. (2021). Need Help Deciding On Which NIC Cube Set To Get - Zip Ties Etc.
 * BinkyBunny.com. (2012). Do you have a Bunny Condo???
 * u/jadeycakes. (2012). Now that his pen is decorated for Halloween he thinks he's a spider.

Exercise pens
An alternative to a traditional cage or NIC cube condo is an exercise pen or x-pen, usually marketed for puppies and available in any pet store. An alternative is a plastic play yard for human toddlers, available in department stores. Do not use fabric playpens as rabbits can easily chew through them and escape in a matter of hours.

Advantages over a traditional cage include the following:
 * Extremely portable (great if you travel with your rabbit)
 * Easy to reconfigure and move around the house
 * Can also be used outside (always with supervision)
 * Lots of room for litter boxes, hidey houses, toys, etc.
 * X-pen walls are easy mounting locations for bottles, hay racks, toys, etc.
 * Lots of space for your money

The x-pen represents an intermediate step between a completely free roaming rabbit and a caged rabbit. It is perhaps best suited to a bunny who can free roam under supervision but still needs to be confined at night. Exercise pens are much more portable than a traditional cage, and do not require as much up-front work as an NIC cube condo. The downsides are that you need to provide hidey-houses besides the x-pen itself, and this can take away from the portability somewhat. It should be stressed that the combination of an animal carrier and an x-pen to set up at your new location is probably the easiest way to travel with your rabbit. Bringing a large enough cage to comfortably house a rabbit in the car is difficult, but because the x-pen folds, it can easily fit in the trunk of a small car.

Another handy use of an x-pen is to keep a free-roaming, fully trained bunny from getting into certain areas. Perhaps your bunny only has unsupervised access to the kitchen or the laundry room. You can use an x-pen to block off access out of these rooms. You can also use an x-pen to keep your rabbit away from the TV stand or similar cord jungle.

The following are some tips about how to use your x-pen:


 * Set up your pen against a wall to maximize the space you get.
 * Use an x-pen to confine a free-roaming rabbit when you're out of the house, cleaning, or the door is open.
 * Attach accessories like water bottles, hayracks, etc. directly to the x-pen.
 * You can use wood or PVC to create a frame for the x-pen to prevent your rabbit from pushing the edges out. Additionally, if you use a PVC frame and use blankets for flooring, you can also use snap clamps to clamp down fleece blankets and bedsheets to the frame to prevent rabbits from tugging up the flooring.

A decent size x-pen can be had for anywhere from $30-$150. You may find them second-hand on classified ads like Craiglist and Kijiji for even cheaper. Exercise pens generally outcompete cages in terms of square footage per dollar. If your bunny is not a jumper, 24" can be fine; otherwise 36" or higher is recommended for most rabbits unless you know they are lazy and not escape-prone.

However, some rabbits also learn to climb the panels and will need a cover to prevent them from escaping. Example video on Facebook.

A few cover options:


 * Midwest 4x4 wire top
 * Using a fitted full-size sheet and clip to sides with binder clips.

Some popular simple wire pens are the following:


 * BestPet Wire Playpen
 * Midwest Black E-Coat Exercise Pen w/o door
 * Precision Pet Pro Handler Indoor/Outdoor Exercise Pen, Silver
 * Pet Trex Premium Quality 24" Exercise Playpen for Dogs Eight 24" x 24" High Panels with Gate
 * Petmate 36-Inch by 24-Inch 8 Panels Exercise Pen with Step Through Door
 * AmazonBasics Foldable Metal Pet Exercise and Playpen

Warning: Tiny baby bunnies should not be placed in a regular common Midwest/Precision exercise pen without additional barriers as they can easily squeeze out between the bars. You will either need to cut out 12-18" strips of cardboard and attach them to the bottom half of the pen to cover and make it solid until the babies grow bigger or find an exercise pen with only 1"-spaced bars such as the following:


 * Marshall Small Animal Playpen
 * Marshall Pet Products Pet Deluxe Play Pen, Small
 * Kaytee Pet-N-Playpen for Rabbit, Guinea Pig and Ferret

Heavy duty
The following are some heavy duty pen choices:


 * BestPet Heavy Duty Pet Playpen Dog Exercise Pen Cat Fence B, 40-Inch, Black
 * Pet Exercise Pen Tube Gate w/Door - (8 Panel Playpen) Heavy Duty Folding Metal Out-Door Fence



Plastic
The following are some clear plastic panel pen options:


 * Lucidium Pens by Clearly Loved Pets - referral link donates a portion to the House Rabbit Society.
 * Tespo Dog Playpen
 * SONGMICS Pet Playpen
 * MAGINELS Pet Playpen
 * C&AHOME Pet Playpen

Warning: Please be aware that some especially stubborn rabbits may chew through the plastic panels.

Some plastic pen options:


 * IRIS USA Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen with 4 Panels Blue Moon


 * Petyard Passage 8-Panel Pet Containment with Swinging Door

Here are some links with more information on using an x-pen for your rabbit.
 * San Diego House Rabbit Society, X-Pen Living Can Improve Your Rabbit's Life
 * Zooh Corner, Setting up the X-Pen
 * House Rabbit Society, Beyond Cages: The Possibilities of Pen Living
 * Buckeye House Rabbit Society, The Advantages of Exercise Pens
 * Kathy Smith, Exercise Pens

Other custom enclosures
You can also come up with your own DIY custom enclosures using wood, metal, re-purposed furniture, and other materials. Keep in mind the proper dimensions you will need for a comfortable-sized enclosure for your rabbit. Remember to make any slats fairly close together so that the rabbit will not get his head stuck and be accidentally injured or strangled. Using chicken wire is not recommended as rabbits can chew through it very easily and dogs and raccoons can as well. Use hardware cloth or at the minimum 19-gauge wire mesh.





The following are some examples of custom-made rabbit housing enclosures.
 * Facebook, The Rabbit Haven, Claudia Pike, Custom wooden bunny condo
 * Reddit, 42petunias, New bunny-house I made from and old second hand sideboard :) Feel free to ask any questions!
 * Grace Bonney, DIY Project: Nicole's Modern Bunny Hutch
 * Nicole, Bunny Hutch
 * IKEAhackers.net
 * Super Rabbit Condo
 * Rabbit hutch for Amigo by Evelien Lulofs
 * Bunny Do!
 * Jason Griffith, Two Story Rabbit Hutch
 * Ambuyea, MacGyver Challenge Winner: Build a Custom IKEA Workspace (search for Repurpose an IKEA Cabinet Into a Bunny Hutch)
 * RabbitsOnline, hln917, Nice-looking indoor rabbit cage?
 * Reddit, /r/rabbits, kiwi00398019, Have an old entertainment center...turn it into a bunny cage.
 * Lee Loy, The Perfect Bunny Home… Finally :)
 * Nellie's Barn Sale, Dog Gone!
 * DreamyDoodles.com, How to make your own Puppy Pen

Enclosure setup
Regardless of the enclosure you choose, there should always be some basic items in your rabbit's housing enclosure.


 * Litter box
 * Hay rack or holder if you don't place hay in the litter box. See Hay for DIY options.
 * Water bowl or water bottle at least one for every rabbit. For those that would prefer to fill up water less or have heavy drinker, try water dispensers. See Diet for more information on pros and cons of both options.
 * Heavy duty ceramic bowls for food, at least one for every rabbit - if you use plastic, be careful that the bunny may flip it over or chew on it.
 * Toys - chewing material, digging material, throwable objects, etc.
 * Soft flooring - be sure that your rabbit does not ingest this. See notes below for more recommendations.
 * Hidey house - empty cardboard box, overturned baskets with an entry hole cut out, towel draped over one corner. See Toys for more toy ideas.

Popular soft flooring materials include the following:


 * low-pile rugs - Popular affordable options in the US include 6 ft. x 8 ft. Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug (Home Depot), 6x9 indoor/outdoor rug (Costco in-store). Look for tight-woven machine made rugs without loose fibers to make it more difficult for rabbits to grab with their teeth and claws to dig up. Keeping the rug edges out of reach also helps prevent destruction.
 * rabbit-safe edible rugs made of jute, sisal, or seagrass
 * fleece blankets - You can buy it by the yard from fabric stores such as Jo-Ann
 * bed sheets
 * comforters
 * DIY rugs made with cardboard, velcro, and towels

To protect hardwood floors (or existing carpet), be sure to add a waterproof barrier underneath the soft flooring you decide to use. Examples include the following:


 * vinyl or linoleum flooring
 * shower curtain
 * plastic chair mat
 * foam playpen pieces
 * foam equipment mats (Warning: bunnies may gnaw off the treadmill pattern)
 * whelping pad
 * bed pads
 * large piece of plastic

Make sure to keep an eye on your rabbit for ingestion of materials.

General bedding in an enclosure is not needed. It will confuse the rabbit when trying to litter train the rabbit. The only bedding and litter needed is in the litter box.

Please keep in mind that most rabbits will slip and slide on slick flooring such as hardwood, tile, or laminate due to their lack of paw pads like a cat or dog. Placing down more appropriate flooring with traction such as rugs, bathroom mats, blankets, towels, cardboard, or foam will likely encourage your rabbit to come out and explore more often as they feel more familiar with their environment.

Here are some links about other setup ideas:
 * House Rabbit Society, Jessi Hoffman, Raised-Bed Bunnying: Reaching new heights
 * Kinenchen, Why proper flooring is important for your pet rabbit.

Housing galleries
Below are some galleries of example rabbit housing setups.
 * The Rabbit House, Rabbit Housing Gallery
 * Plüschnasen, Gehegebilder
 * The Bunny Groomer, Environments
 * Pinterest, Rabbit Housing Ideas
 * Pinterest, rabbit housing
 * Instagram, #bunnycondo
 * Instagram, #bunnycage
 * Instagram, #rabbitcage

Free range rabbits
Untrained rabbits should be kept in an enclosure during the night and while you are away from home. When you see consistent litter habits when your rabbit is let out to play, you might think about letting them roam free range permanently with a home base. Some rabbits can also naturally be free-roam on rugs with the use of slick hardwood or tile as an invisible fence.

Note that an adult bunny will probably be easier to train and less destructive than a juvenile or baby.

Not all rabbits are good candidates for permanent free-roam, and this is okay. If your rabbit tends to be extremely destructive (eating walls, chewing baseboards, destroying beds and sofas) when left alone, then it is a much better idea to keep them enclosed in a fully bunny-proofed penned area when you are not around for their safety.

Several prerequisites are needed, however. Please be cautious when choosing a baby gate.
 * Block off locations you do not wish the bunny to be in with baby gates, fences, or doors. Be sure that they cannot jump over them. Dutch doors are great option if you'd like the flexibility of a regular solid door with a baby gate.


 * Fully bunny-proof the place where the rabbit will be roaming. Make sure there is nothing that he can get under or over that could possibly harm them. Hide all belongings that you don't want possibly destroyed, and make sure all dangerous items are also out of reach.
 * The bunny should still have a home base such as a large cage or pen with a den available to them. This allows them to have a place to retreat to for peace and quiet. Things that should be provided in this base or nearby include a litter box, hay, and water.


 * Make sure the place has proper flooring allowing the rabbit to hop, stand, and run without slipping -- a concern especially important for older rabbits. Provide a soft surface for sleeping.


 * Provide plenty of environmental enrichment activities such as cardboard box forts, toys, telephone books, and digging boxes. See Toys for more options. If you have two or more rabbits bonded, they can provide entertainment for each other.

The following are links with more information about free range house rabbits and how to train them.
 * Wildpro. Accommodation of House Rabbits (Mammal Husbandry and Management)
 * The Rabbit House. (2014). Free Range House Rabbit
 * Bunny Approved. (2013). Life with a Free Range Rabbit
 * House Rabbit Society. (2016). Litter Training. See the sections Can the rabbit have a running space? and So what’s the actual method?.