Housing and Bunny-Proofing

    As part of House Rabbit Society, we believe that rabbits do not belong in outside hutches separated from the rest of the family. They belong inside just like cats and dogs. Rabbits are highly socialized creatures and crave attention from their people. Rabbits can be house-trained to use a litter box just like cats do.

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    Rabbits are intelligent pets and will show you as much affection as you give them. Housing them outside shuts down their personality development and opens them up to a wide array of potential dangers. Rabbits have a normal temperature of 100-102 degrees. Extreme cold leaves them vulnerable to frostbite and death, while temperatures as low as 80 can leave them panting for some cool relief. A rabbit who is breathing with an open mouth is in extreme danger of heatstroke. Frozen water bottles are not going to provide them with the relief they can get by simply housing them inside where it's cooler.

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    Bunnies kept in hutches are vulnerable to attacks from predatory animals. Their feet can be bitten through their wire bottom cages. Raccoons and other predators have been known to attack this way. Flies can also bite them nonstop outside and lay eggs in their open wounds (flystrike) and botfly larvae can burrow into their skin. Fleas, ticks, mites and mosquitoes can cause even more problems for outdoor rabbits. Being housed inside reduces or eliminates these risks.

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   We recommend that rabbits reside in cages or pens inside your house. Ideally, they will be in an area that is frequented by their family, so they can be included in activities and properly socialized. Housing them in your bedroom isn't necessarily ideal as they can make quite a bit of noise at night, even thought they are NOT nocturnal. The following items are some great ideas for rabbit housing, accessories and bunny-proofing. Click the links below to read more.