Your rabbit’s environment is very important to his or her health and happiness.

Rabbits are great company and can be kept as pets inside your home just like a cat or dog. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter tray and special litter trays are available from pet shops. It is important to remember that indoor rabbits will chew electrical cables and this can be hazardous if precautions are not taken.

If you bunny lives outside you will need a rabbit hutch. A good hutch will provide protection from bad weather and predators and be a cosy place to sleep. It must be tall enough for your rabbit to stand on its back legs, long enough to allow at least three hops and big enough for your rabbit to lie down and stretch out fully. For two rabbits the hutch should measure at least 8ft long, 4ft wide and 2.5ft high or more for large rabbits. Sadly, many hutches do not meet this standard.

It’s also important to provide your pet with a run so he or she can run and graze as they would in the wild. The run should be placed partially in the shade. The bottom should be uncovered as mesh can damage a rabbit’s feet. Runs must be tall enough to allow your rabbit to stretch to their full height and long enough to let them run, not just hop. If the run is connected to the hutch by a ramp, the ramp should be at least 30cm wide and not too steep.

Although rabbits are social creatures and should be housed in pairs, it is also important to provide them with space for themselves. There should be separate sleeping chambers lined and with straw or hay.

Hutches should be cleaned out frequently and adequately ventilated to deter flies. The toilet area will need to be cleaned more frequently than nesting areas.

Company

Rabbits are very sociable animals and should ideally be kept in pairs. The best combination is a neutered male and a neutered female. Rabbits may dominate or bully guinea pigs, so it is not generally recommended that they be kept together.