3 Important Issues to Consider Before Building or Buying Large Rabbit Hutches
After cats and dogs, the rabbit is the third most popular pet in the United Kingdom. Families keep nearly 1.5 million rabbits as pets and many rabbits have similar creature comforts of our much-loved felines and canines, which include homes consisting of large rabbit hutches and runs.
As ancestors of the wild rabbit, your pet rabbit will quite happily reside outside in rabbit hutches or indeed inside your home. It is the overall responsibility of the rabbit owner to ensure that the behavioural and physical needs of a rabbit are met so that they remain fit and content.
If you are thinking of building one or several large rabbit hutches then you might save a considerable amount of money in doing so. However, before you begin building large rabbit hutches or indeed contemplate buying large rabbit hutches from a retail seller then you should consider the 3 main critical factors discussed below.
1) Rabbit Hutch Length
It is very important that your pet rabbit has ample room to flex and stretch in every direction. Large rabbit hutches measuring 6 feet (approximately 1.80 metres) in length maybe suitable for one large rabbit or two medium size rabbits. To be specific, the length of a rabbit hutch should be determined by the amount of hops your rabbit can make within the rabbit hutch.
We recommend that this length should be a minimum of 3 to 4 clear hops. Anything smaller than the recommended size may result in health concerns for your rabbit that could include muscle reduction, stoutness or spinal complications.
2) Rabbit Hutch Width
When resting, a rabbit will often stretch out along the full width of their body. Consequently, a rabbit hutch should be wide enough to accommodate a resting rabbit and this will also provide ample room for your pet to change direction inside the rabbit hutch.
3) Rabbit Hutch Height
As with wild rabbits, your pet will check the safety of its immediate surroundings. Standing on their hind legs, your rabbit will listen, smell and view the area around it. Therefore, the height of a rabbit hutch must allow your rabbit to stand on their hind legs without their ears touching the top of the rabbit hutch. Some merchants describe their hutches as large rabbit hutches but these could be multi-purpose hutches used for housing other animals such as ferrets and do not have the necessary height for a rabbit.
Multiple Storey Rabbit Hutches
If you have restricted garden space around your home that it would be advisable to consider large multiple storey rabbit hutches. The length of a multiple storey rabbit hutch does not have to be long if it has more than one level. For example, a two storey rabbit hutch measuring 5 feet long (approximately 1.50 metres) will offer ample space for your rabbit. However, multiple or single storey rabbit hutches measuring 3 feet (approximately 1.00 metre) in length are too small and therefore not suitable for your pet.
Rabbit Runs
Rabbit runs can be an integral part of large rabbit hutches or be a separate stand-alone item. Runs compliment large rabbit hutches by allowing your rabbit to freely roam, exercise and rest within a contained area and prevents them from escaping and predatory animals entering this area. We recommend that any run floor area should have at least 16 square feet (approximately 1.44 square metres). Materials used in the construction of rabbit runs usually consist of zinc coated welded steel mesh supported by a treated wooden frame.