A hutch is not enough

Did you know that that it was the Victorians who first kept rabbits in hutches? Although it wasn’t as a family pet – it was a convenient storage solution before the poor rabbits became dinner! Times have moved on a lot since then but we are still keeping rabbits in hutches now, but for different reasons!

Rabbits, by their nature are not designed to live in a confined space. In the wild they cover an area equivalent to 30 football pitches. They’re not designed to live alone either – wild rabbits live in large social groups, foraging, grooming each other and huddling together for warmth. Many people have no idea that rabbits living alone experience high levels of stress and depression, shortening their lives.

Although it may appear that domestic or ‘pet’ rabbits are far removed from their wild cousins, they really aren’t. They share the same need to run, jump, explore and share companionship with their own kind, so their accommodation must allow them to display these natural behaviours.

The latest recommendation for rabbit hutches is that they should be a minimum of 6 feet wide by 2 feet deep by 2 feet high. This allows rabbits some room to move, stand on their hind legs and enough space for the food, toilet and sleeping areas to be kept apart. It is commonly accepted that a rabbit should have space for 3 hops, but it is commonly underestimated just how far 3 hops it. This can be actually as far as 8 feet as I know from my own three bunnies!

Also – and this is the bit that many people forget and it leads to misery for rabbits – the hutch should not be the living space. It should only be shelter for the rabbits who also need run attached which is a minimum of 8 feet by 6 feet.

These guidelines from the Rabbit Welfare Association are bare minimums so if you have the space, go large! My own rabbits have a double layer hutch of 6 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet per layer, attached to 10 foot by 8 foot run on the patio and a long 30 foot burrow tube on the lawn leading to another 8 foot by 6 foot run. Very handy for trimming the lawn!

Rabbits are the most neglected pets in the UK because people simply think they are cuddly bunnies and make perfect pets without addressing their complex social and environmental needs. So if you have a single bunny – get them a friend or two! And if you have just a hutch – go large and get a run. Your bunnies will be eternally grateful!

Posted on 30.12.2016 by Lisa