Suggestions for indoor rabbit house

Okay, so after the success of my first thread... :shock: (although I think I got a good idea of the opinions on cats+rabbits), I'd like to make this one to ask about secure areas for indoor rabbits; what do you use?

I've been browsing lots of shops and eBay and amazon etc, and just want to find out what has worked for you and what hasn't.

What I'm looking for here is an owner controlled area for the rabbit to be in, (i.e. something I put the rabbit in rather than it choose to go in). I would create an area that's more of a hidey hole warren type place, but this is for those times when free range would not be a good idea.

So I saw these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....ry=20748&_trksid=p5197.c0.m619#ht_6770wt_1139 and wonder what you think. My first thought was, how can that be suitable for a rabbit if it's fabric. Surely they can chew through it. But perhaps it's a certain type of material that would hold up against chewing.
I'm open to all suggestions as we haven't decided on an area to dedicate to this, nor a budget. I just want to find the right thing for our situation.

well NIC cubes can be good you can get them at b and q i think someone else might have a link of places to get them. you can make it as big as you need then.
i have this
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/runs_fencing/pens_with_racks/95235

the middle sized one which is good but if your worried about a bunny jumping it then get the largest.

There are lots of ideas in the housing sticky. http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304613-Indoor-Housing :wave:

KarenM said:

There are lots of ideas in the housing sticky. http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?304613-Indoor-Housing :wave:

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My thread is on there for Ginger & Biscuit's homes

Thanks.

I had a read through that thread, (LOVE all the pictures of the set ups!) and really liked what people had done with the dog crates. But I don't think that would be big enough for a large/giant rabbit really, would it. Just not much hopping space.

I guess I'm torn between something permanent, and something temporary. It'd be for bedtime or when I'm out or just when the bunny wouldn't be safe going free range, so I don't want it to be cramped. I want it to be a space where it can actually accomplish some sort of lifestyle, albeit a slightly reduced one compared to having the entire living room/kitchen. I just can't envisage a dog crate big enough for it to even turn around it, let alone "be a rabbit", unless I got one that was absolutely ginormous. I think this is why I'm leaning towards something that can easily be "popped up" when needs be, that perhaps takes up half the living room space, and then can be collapsed back down afterwards, such as when we have guests round. If it's just me and my son chilling out during the day, I'd probably leave it up just for convenience.

where are you keeping him? i use a dog pen to halve my room when im out and can ttrust them on there own. or even put them in a room and shut the door. would that be possible?

NexivRed said:

Thanks.

I had a read through that thread, (LOVE all the pictures of the set ups!) and really liked what people had done with the dog crates. But I don't think that would be big enough for a large/giant rabbit really, would it. Just not much hopping space.

I guess I'm torn between something permanent, and something temporary. It'd be for bedtime or when I'm out or just when the bunny wouldn't be safe going free range, so I don't want it to be cramped. I want it to be a space where it can actually accomplish some sort of lifestyle, albeit a slightly reduced one compared to having the entire living room/kitchen. I just can't envisage a dog crate big enough for it to even turn around it, let alone "be a rabbit", unless I got one that was absolutely ginormous. I think this is why I'm leaning towards something that can easily be "popped up" when needs be, that perhaps takes up half the living room space, and then can be collapsed back down afterwards, such as when we have guests round. If it's just me and my son chilling out during the day, I'd probably leave it up just for convenience.

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The dog crates are just used as bases really. I would never use one on it's own without a large pen attached

lucy24 said:

where are you keeping him? i use a dog pen to halve my room when im out and can ttrust them on there own. or even put them in a room and shut the door. would that be possible?

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The only rooms I've got are a downstairs loo and the upstairs bathroom. Both could be made bunnyproof, (upstairs bathroom already is tbh) so they could be possibilities.
During the day the rabbit will be allowed out into the living room/kitchen. We just have one long room which I supervise my son and cats in. The cats can be shut away in the utility room however, and it's only because of the season that they're not spending the majority of their time in their 12'x6'x3' cattery run outside (we live near a busy road).

So yeah, what I'm looking to try and create is just a bunny bedroom where the rabbit can be safe from guests or cats or through not being able to be fully supervised, (if I went into town or when I go shopping).


We've got an area behind our sofa currently that's a free floor space of around 6'x4', but to have something there permanently wouldn't really be practical. Besides, there's more room up the kitchen end of the living room, but again, to have something permanent wouldn't be practical for us living wise.
So I guess the best option would be the largest temporary, roofed area I can find, that can be put up fairly quickly and then the bunny housed in there. Could go larger than 6'x4' for that as well.
I want the rabbit to be comfortable and not feel that it's going from a lot of space to suddenly no space at all. I don't think that inconsistency would be very fair on it. I guess it's a matter of working out how much of your living space you want to dedicate to it, and I am prepared to designate a very large space to the rabbit, just not 100% of the time. Does that sound too selfish?


When we upgrade to our next size house I will be having an ENORMOUS cattery outside for my cats connected to a fantastic indoor area. I can see me doing the same for the rabbit (and definitely getting more!)