Housing Your Rabbit

Your Rabbit's Space

We recommend that rabbits be housed in an exercise pen in your home, in an active area where other family members spend time. Note that though this is called an "exercise pen", it's not enough space to for exercise -- this is simply for basic housing. These pens are typically 6 panels and each panel is 2 feet, so they can be configured into a rectangle (2 x 6 = 12 square feet) or a square (4 x 4 = 16 square feet). An example pen might look like this:

The pen has many advantages over a cage or condo:

• It's easy to move from room to room to adapt to changing circumstances
• It's easy to interact with the rabbit in their own space. Reaching into a cage or condo can make a rabbit feel unsafe and aggressive. Visiting with them in a pen is a much more pleasant experience for rabbits and their humans.
• It's a more appropriate size for living space

Rabbits in the House

When your house (or the part that your rabbit will have access to) has been sufficiently bunny-proofed, your rabbit can be allowed free run of the home (or part of it) even when you are not home. The more room your rabbit has to run around in, the more delightful you will find her as a companion.

Even when a rabbit has a lot of room to run around, he may still get bored. A bored rabbit is often a naughty rabbit. If you don't make every attempt to provide your rabbit with lots of entertainment, in the form of boxes, baskets, brooms, sticks, magazines, phone books, grass mats, etc., then he will make his own entertainment in your carpet, behind your couch or under your recliner.

Rabbits Outside

Under no circumstances should rabbits be left outside or housed outside for any length of time. Between predators, parasites and the rabbit virus RHDV2, it is not safe for bunnies to be outside.