Housing & Supplies
How Much Space Do Rabbits Need?
Rabbits need at-least 1 room that they can safely free-roam in. This room should be a central, high-traffic area in the home such as an (adults) bedroom or living-room. Just like cats and dogs, rabbits need lots of space to run and exercise and they do best when included in their family’s day to day activities as much as possible.
When they need to be contained, a single dwarf rabbit needs a minimum 4ft x 4ft, 16sq ft living space. A 4ft x 6ft, 24sq ft living space (pictured below) is preferred.
This will be their “home-base” for when you cannot supervise them. Rabbits will need to be let out of this enclosure for at least 3-4hrs a couple of times per day to free roam and exercise. For each additional rabbit (or 4lb of body weight), add 8-12sq ft to their living space to maintain a healthy and harmonious environment and prevent fighting and bulling due to resource guarding amongst multiple rabbits. Giant breeds will need an entire room to free roam all of the time.
MINIMUM:
4ft x 4ft, 16sq ft 1 dwarf sized rabbit (2-4lb)
4ft x 6ft, 24sq ft 1 medium sized rabbit (5-9lb) or a pair of dwarfs
6ft x 6ft, 36sq ft 1 large breed rabbit (10-14lb) or a pair of medium sized rabbits or a trio of dwarfs
FREE ROAM giant breed rabbits (15lb+)
ENCLOSURE: (minimum size: 4ft x 4ft, 30-36in tall) Check out the “MidWest Metal Dog Exercise Pen” or a similar metal play pen. You can get a “Pen Cover” if you have other pets that may try to jump in and can add “Additional Panels” to make the enclosure bigger for larger breeds or multiple rabbits.
NO: Cages, Hutches, or Dog crates of any size; Cloth and plastic play pens can be chewed through and are dangerous if ingested.
FLOORING: We recommend getting a 5ft x 7ft rug for you rabbits main area and smaller runners and rugs leading to different areas in the room or home. Rabbits tend to play “floor is lava” and avoid hard surfaces that don’t provide enough traction for them so they may not come out of their enclosure if that is the only place they have soft flooring.
NO: tile, wood, marble, or other hard surfaces these can lead to arthritis earlier in life; puppy pee pads or carpets with tassels or long fibers are an obstruction risk.
LITTER BOX: (minimum size: 14in x 18in) L or XL high sided cat liter box like the “Arm & Hammer Litter Box” or the “So Phresh Litter Box“.
NO: plastic or metal grids as these are not comfortable for rabbits feet and can cause sore feet, broken nails or toes if their feet get caught.
LITTER: “Oxbow Eco-straw” is the best at absorbing urine and covering odor; “Recycled Paper Pellets” are also good but must be unscented and have no baking soda; Oxbow, Small Pet Select and Kaytee offer “paper bedding” however this type of litter will need to be changed more often, doesn’t cover odors and may be more messy as rabbits tend to kick it out of the litter box when they jump out.
NO: clay or clumping cat litters; or soft wood shavings such as aspen, cedar, pine, walnut as these can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
FOOD / WATER BOWLS: (minimum size: 3 – 5 cup capacity) Use a heavy ceramic water bowl for water. It should be heavy enough that the rabbit cannot fling it or tip it over, plastic and metal bowls are not heavy enough. Food bowls are optional. Food pellets can be scatter fed to encourage foraging and fresh greens can be hand fed to encourage bonding.
NO: water bottles or food / water bowls that have a rubber bottom that may get chewed.
HIDING AREA: As prey animals, rabbits need a safe place to run and hide. Give them a few “Cardboard Houses“, “Wooden Castles” and “Tunnels” to retreat to. “Etsy” has many wooden castles for rabbits.
NO: cloths hideys or pet beds, rabbits pee on soft things and these will get soiled. These materials can also be dangerous if ingested. If you rabbit nibbles on their tunnel, keep it out for supervised free roam time but don’t leave it in their enclosure.
CHEW TOYS and lots of them! Check out “Oxbow“, “Binky Bunny” and “Etsy“. Providing safe things for you rabbit to chew, like apple wood sticks and willow balls, can reduce chewing on baseboards and wooden furniture. Chew toys should be varied and changed out daily to prevent boredom.
NO: salt/mineral licks; lava stones can damage their teeth and are dangerous if pieces are ingested; check toys weekly for exposed nails, plastic and hot glue.
ENRICHMENT: Get a “Snuffle Mat” and make your rabbit a “Dig Box” to encourage natural foraging and digging instincts, “Puzzle Toys” and “Treat Balls” helps stimulate their minds and encourage exercise.
CARRIER: (minimum size: 21in L x 13in W x 13in H) Because rabbits tend to hyperventilate due to stress when being transported, a hard sided carrier is recommended to keep them cool. They have also been known to chew their way out of soft carriers! Carriers that open on the top like the “MidWest Spree Carrier” make it easier to take your rabbit in and out. Just make sure you always have a soft blanket or towel to line the carrier and hay inside for the rabbit to munch on during the trip.
NO: sharing a carrier between pets as in the event of an emergency or evacuation all animals need their own carrier.
