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Am I a cruel rabbit owner because I haven't got a 6ft hutch?

Lessie

Alpha Buck
Hi,

Firstly I am planning to get her a new hutch in the summer with a massive persuasding to do to my dad particularly as he doesn't think she needs one.

I just want to confirm this for myself as the more I read about hutch sizes the more I get upset because my doe does not live in a 6ft x 2ft x2ft hutch which she should be.

However she has a massive run which is a lot more the reccomended size.

Right my medium sized rabbit lives in a 4ft double storey hutch ONLY at night times. She has a 16ft x 9ft attached run which she goes into for about 10-12 hours every-single day whenever she likes as she has got access back to her hutch if she wishes to. However she has longer time being outside in the summer. Also everyday I take her to the balcony (which is approx 20ft x 10ft) to play with her and to provide her a different scenery.

Does that mean I'm a **** rabbit owner? :(

She is so healthy and I love her so much, and she has everything she needs. IN her hutch she has all of her basic needs.
Which is:-
Heaps of straw for bedding
Heaps of meadow Hay in hay rack
Water bottle
Litter tray
Edibly play log
Food bowl with nuggets in.
Also I bought a custom made hutch cover which is weather-proof and insulates - I bought a custome made one because it's fantastic quality unlike my previous cover which ripped in within 2 weeks....

She can lie down in her hutch as I've seen her do so, and she can stand up, as my hutch depth is 2ft on each floor. She is only in her hucth for safety and to be protected throughout the night. I know they are active throughout the night. We would've never bought her a single floor hutch as we think it's ****.

Also she is vacinated against VHD yearly and myxomotasis every 6 months. She recieves the right care and has the right diet.

So far I think I've failed providing her the correct accomodation but what do you think. Like I said I am currently saving up for a new 6ft hutch in the summer hopefully, but I'm only 16 and haven't got a job so it takes a while to save up!!! I do have pet savings which is safe and plently but its only for emergency vet bills and supplies.

Sorry if I am pestering, but I need to stop getting paranoid I think.... :oops:
 
The run sounds huge, and if she's happy, then that's fine. But I think she would be happier with a friend, so once you have got the new hutch, maybe think about a friend for her?
 
your not a cruel rabbit owner, my rabbits could do with bigger hutches but get out for a run, troy get a run inside sometimes if its a bit wet outside, aslong as they have room to stretch there legs and can move in there hutch they are fine,
 
i dont think your a bad bunny mummy.. the run sounds huge and combined with the hutch meets the minimum space recommendations i would guess :love::love:

dont forget some of us keep our bunnies locked in the house and thats unnatural for buns so some say :shock:

if your planning on getting a pal then youll already be planning a slight upgrade to suit so don't beat yourself up, sounds like a pretty fantastic life to me :D

does she binky? that should tell you all you need to know on what kind of a carer you are ;)
 
I will probably get slated for this but I think what you have is fine...she obviously has loads of space to run about in the daytime and I'm not convinced the extra 2' would make that much difference overnight.
rabbit are very active at dawn and dusk but I find mine don't do a great deal during the night (and i would know about it cos they live next to my bed!)
 
You are nota bad bunny owner at all and this forum shouldnt make you feel like you are.

We cant all afford massive hutches and as long as your bunny gets the amount of time in a run that you say she does I think its a good setup!

Some people have indoor bunnies and lock them in a dog crate during the day or overnight. The largest crate I have seen is a 48" which is 4ft! Yet people find this acceptable just because its indoors!

I am sure you bunny lives a very happy life!!!
 
I will probably get slated for this but I think what you have is fine...she obviously has loads of space to run about in the daytime and I'm not convinced the extra 2' would make that much difference overnight.
rabbit are very active at dawn and dusk but I find mine don't do a great deal during the night (and i would know about it cos they live next to my bed!)

ive noticed that... i go to the loo at 4am and my pair are all snuggled sleeping... after 9am they turn into monsters and start throwing toys around and today ive opened up the cage all day, what do they do... stay in the open cage, in the next few hours they will wake up and start destroying the house :cry:

from what i see bunnies thrive on routine, any changes we make unsettle them so we shouldnt meddle too much with whats not broken :D
 
ive noticed that... i go to the loo at 4am and my pair are all snuggled sleeping... after 9am they turn into monsters and start throwing toys around and today ive opened up the cage all day, what do they do... stay in the open cage, in the next few hours they will wake up and start destroying the house :cry:

from what i see bunnies thrive on routine, any changes we make unsettle them so we shouldnt meddle too much with whats not broken :D

hmm interesting, mine are demonic 8-10pm and 5-8 am....I always think when i have a day off they'll enjoy the extra free range time but they just sleep under the bed all day :roll:
 
hmm interesting, mine are demonic 8-10pm and 5-8 am....I always think when i have a day off they'll enjoy the extra free range time but they just sleep under the bed all day :roll:

now that im not upstairs ill bet that Alvin has moved on to the bed. but other than that its still snooze time...

scary how much like clockwork they are.... they even know my alarm clock because i woke up just before it went off and then just after they was sitting at the corner of the cage glaring at me waiting for veg :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Lessie hun, your bunny probably gets more run around time than my lazy pair :D
 
you are certainly not cruel!

That run is incredible and if she spends most of her time in that then thats better, if she didnt have a run or the run was smell it would restrict her but it doesnt bcus she has so much room :love:

she could do with a little extra room yes, but youre already planning on doing that so i dont see a problem.

id love to see some piccies of her :love:
 
I think that why you have sounds great! The run is huge! If it helps, i used to keep my single male shut in his medium sized puppy crate overnight when he was a baby. After reading up about bunnys, just after i got him, i realised he needed more space and a friend! If you can get a 6' hutch then fab and i think if you get your bunny a friend (which personally i think is best) then a 6' would prob be needed - unless you can make your huge run safe enough to allow 24/7 access??
If you can allow 24/7 access to the run, then your hutch would be fine as it is now. Maybe spend some of the money you would have used building a bigger hutch to make the run safe for 24/7 access? Put it on the patio (or similar hard standing) and proof it with fox-proof wire. A patio will stop buns digging out or foxes digging in! Get tarpauline to cover over run if it rains. On really cold nights, i think it would be acceptable to shut them in the hutch together.
 
you are certainly not cruel!

That run is incredible and if she spends most of her time in that then thats better, if she didnt have a run or the run was smell it would restrict her but it doesnt bcus she has so much room :love:

she could do with a little extra room yes, but youre already planning on doing that so i dont see a problem.

id love to see some piccies of her :love:


I agree with all other comments on here - you sound like a really caring, thoughtful owner who has her best intersts at heart. The size of her run is great & many bunsters don't even get runs anywhere near that size to exercise in :cry:

You're already planning on improving things for her, which is great & with more space, if you could afford another bunny - it would be lovely to see you girlie with her own little husbun.

And yes please can we see some pics of her???? :D
 
I agree with all other comments on here - you sound like a really caring, thoughtful owner who has her best intersts at heart. The size of her run is great & many bunsters don't even get runs anywhere near that size to exercise in :cry:

You're already planning on improving things for her, which is great & with more space, if you could afford another bunny - it would be lovely to see you girlie with her own little husbun.

And yes please can we see some pics of her???? :D

Hi there,

Thank-you for all of your lovely replies. That's the problem about me I worry too much about my pets! That's probably why my parents gets fed up with me because they think I'm talking nonsense....!!!

Anyway here's some pictures of her on the patio recently:-
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This one below was at our old house when we used to free-range her. But unfortunatley our garden is no where near to safe enough for her to be free - range:( Also we're renting the property out so we can't renovate the garden also it would probably take us ageeess!
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This her run now which was taken last year but it's now in a massive cirlce as I moved the run. I always move the run every 2 weeks or 1 week in the summer.
(Sorry about my brother and our dogs) My recent pictures of the run is on the other computer sorry!:oops:
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:wave:
 
If that size hutch is what he only spends time in overnight, I don't think its a bad size at all. Your run sounds great so they have plenty of space to exercise.

Stop worrying, your a good owner.:D
 
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