Finding Flopsy a Home: Where should my Pet Rabbit live?
If you are embarking upon rabbit ownership – becoming a member of the bunny brigade – your biggest outlay will be on the choice of what rabbit hutch to plump for. There are lots of factors to consider when you are making that selection, or, for that matter, building the hutch yourself.
Your rabbit may be a newly-purchased youngster and you might have been tempted to invest in a starter rabbit hutch. This may look cute and dinky, but is not generally a wise economy. Top priority in most experts’ opinion, is space. Just like you, that bunny needs elbow room, or ear room (okay, only kidding). The growing pet – unless it’s a dwarf variety – in one of the smaller “starter-homes” could soon be suffering from that “I’m-a-rabbit-get-me-out-of-here” sensation, not to be wished on any domestic animal.
A serious point is that as rabbits travel by jumping, head room really is vital. On a similar note, rabbits when they sit up on those long powerful back legs grow pretty tall. Think of the Watership Down bunnies when they stretched up to check for approaching predators. Even if you are being careful to select an adult-sized hutch, remember that your rabbit while it is sitting normally is considerably more compact than he will be when stretched out resting or sleeping. Measure your lounging long-eared friend when you get the chance, then quadruple that measurement. That way you will have the ideal length for a really comfortable hutch.
So, agreed, the biggest rabbit hutch you can stretch to (Oops) is the first concern. This by no means rules out two-storey structures, provided one storey at least has good head height. In fact, the advantage of these hutches is that they help to address Priority Number Two: ensuring Thumper has separate sleeping quarters. It should be mentioned, that up until now we have been considering the accommodation needs of the single rabbit with its own ‘pad’. If you are accommodating more than one rabbit in a hutch, it will be essential to allocate a separate sleeping area for each animal. Either way, a designated sleeping area, screened from prying eyes by not having wire mesh over the front, with, of course the benefit of darkness, is a must. In addition, the litter area needs to be a reasonable size, ideally located in a far corner. Naturally, this needs regular mucking out by Bunny’s owner, not least because rabbits are very clean creatures who hate to live among their own droppings.
The next dilemma surrounds whether to keep your rabbit indoors or out. While it may seem far more natural to place the hutch out of doors, the realities of life for pet rabbits tend to dictate that you think again. The rabbit owner soon learns that Enemy Number One is Mr. Fox. There is a great deal to be said for finding a “half-way house”! In other words, you should consider housing your pet in a conservatory, utility room or lean-to, in other words a predator-proof space. It is not widely known that death from sheer fright can be brought on just by being in the presence of a fox. If the rabbit hutch really must be positioned outdoors, place it as close to the house as possible, even if this means cluttering the patio somewhat or re-positioning plant pots and other garden features. Predators are wary of coming too close to human habitation.
With these vital factors dealt with, you can now at last have fun planning minor features such as interior accessories or the addition of a name plate.
No related posts.