The Bunny Box


There's no place like home


The Condo The most important issue with housing is space. Keep this in mind when you're deciding where your rabbit is going to live. Of course the best place for your rabbit is inside with you. However this isn't always possible, for instance, I can't keep my rabbits inside permanently because of asthma, allergies and numbers! To give my rabbits room to move we intially built a condo (pictured) out of a large dog transport crate. A second floor was put in and a ramp. We put a cover over the front of the top floor and with the ramp, this gives them a couple of dark, quiet areas to hang out in. Attached to the condo are two puppy runs, giving them an area approximately 15 feet long and 7 feet wide to run in. We also include a number of boxes for them to hide and dig in. Since then we have moved to smaller groups of buns. All have their own condo's and runs as you can see from the pictures here. The best thing about the cube condo's is the sheer flexibility. You can build up or out depending on space, they're light and easy to move and you can renovate when ever you feel like it.


Room to Move Sultan and Sophie's condo
Inside, space isn't an issue. By allowing your bun to free range you will form a closer relationship with him and be entertained for hours with his antics. If some restraint is necessary, such as if you're not home or have a lot of visitors, I strongly suggest you build a condo (as seen on this page) and attach a run. Commercial cages simply are not big enough for any rabbit. Rabbits are agile active animals that need to burn off energy. They love to bound, run, binky, stretch and flop, actions that are not possible in a small confined space. Most people would never dream of caging a cat or dog and yet have no hesitation at doing so to a rabbit. Think about this when you're setting up home for your new bunny.
Safety
Safety is important whether your rabbits is inside or out. Inside you need to supervise your rabbit when he's out and about. Make your home as safe as you would if a young child were present. Move poisonous plants out of reach; check for anything that can be chewed, including phone and power cords and make sure you don't leave anything laying around that could hurt him. Don't think on a table is safe, rabbits can jump and have been known to get into some fairly extreme places!

The same goes for a condo. Make sure there's nothing he can reach that can harm him. Check the for anything sharp, places he could get stuck and anything he can use for a launch pad. Contrary to popular belief, rabbits can jump and climb.

Never leave your rabbit alone outside to play. It takes one second for a neighbour's cat or dog to get into your yard and the results will be traumatic for all involved.

Outside
Rabbits shouldn't be left outside on a permanent basis. Apart from predators, you also run the risk of them contracting either Calici or Myxomatosis, which are spread from mosquito's. The other threat, especially in Australia, is heat. Rabbits, due to their higher body temperature, don't cope with high temperatures and the inside of a tin hutch can get extremely hot.

Rocket and Baby's condo

Cages
As I said above, a cage is not a suitable home for a rabbit. There are a couple of issues apart from size. Most are top opening. Yanking the lid up and diving your hand in to say hello is likely to scare your bun and earn you a nip. I have also heard of rabbit pushing the lids up and getting caught, basically hanging themselves. The other problem is that most are made of wire. Rabbits don't have pads like cats of dogs, so wire is very hard on their feet and they're likely to end up with sore hocks, especially buns like Rex's that have even less fur.

Litter
Most cat litter is not safe for rabbits. If you must use one make sure it's non-clumping and non-clay based. I use a thin layer Breeders Choice, which is a recycled paper pellet and top it off with a thick layer of hay. Rabbits spend a lot of time in their litter box sitting, laying and digging. They're also quite partial to munching while getting down to business. By using hay, you're providing a safe, healthy place for them. This is just my personal preference, you can also use shredded paper. Steer clear of wood shavings as pine is thought to cause liver problems. Some people have used sterelised pine with no problems, but personally I wouldn't take the risk.

Litter Training Mouse, Whisper and Mischief's condo
Rabbits are very clean animals and will usually 'go' in the same place so litter training is easy. Firstly watch for your rabbits favourite spot and put a decent sized litter box there. Remember, I said that rabbits like to spend a lot of time in their litter boxes, so size is important. If your rabbit is inside, then it's best to start in a small room so he won't get confused. Once he's using the box on a regular basis you can expand his area. There is an excellent article from the House Rabbit Society on litter training here.

One last note. You may notice a few 'pills' around the place. This isn't a failure in litter training, it's the way rabbits mark their territory, so be prepared.

Fun and Games
Make their area interesting. If you don't provide enough to keep your rabbit busy, you're going to see some destructive behaviour. If they're inside this means your furniture is going to get chewed and the carpet dug up! Provide boxes, untreated cane baskets, old towels, phone books, grass mats, apple or willow branches and toss toys. The bonus with this is you get a lot of laughs as well.



1