Housing help please!

Hi everyone,

This afternoon my new (approx 10 week) bunny will be arriving!

Basically, as a temporary cage I have this set up

(unsure of the measurements but it's fine for him now as he's still only small but as he grows I would not want to keep him in there!)

but in the near future, I want to transform one of our stables into his new house, this is the stable as it is at the moment;

^ floor space


^ This is on one of the other stables to stop Dennis (the horse) eating the hay that's in one of the stables so we can make another one of them and put it on the door (for predator proofing!)

The left side of it is sold apart from this triangle at the top;


Then the right side isn't solid;


So basically my questions are, what do you think would be the best way to make the stable safe? Mum suggested nailing sheets however I thought if something really wanted to get in like a cat or a fox they could claw through a sheet? Or the wait of them on it might break it? I thought like wire netting like you get on a run would be safer but it's much more expensive so if a sheet would work we'll do that, but what do you guys think?

Also, do you think it would be better if I put the temporary cage in the stable we're going to convert so he gets used to that environment, or in a shed (he's used to being in a shed with a run) where there is also a guinea pig? I'd love to keep him inside but I'm not allowed which is fair enough!

Also, when he is living in the stable, do you think it would be ok (if we introduced them first and they got along) to put the guinea pig in with him?
Chilli (guinea pig) currently lives in these two attached together hutches but he only ever goes in the near one, and he goes out in a run when it's warm enough;


And my last question is, if we put Cotton (new bunny) out on the lawn in a run, would he dig his way out?

Thankyou very much, sorry for all the photos and questions!

I have to go out so cant cover everything but heres my first thoughts

1. get rid of the shavings, and get a litter tray with newspaper and hay, or paper-based litter (e.g megazorb) and hay. Shavings can cause respiritory and liver problems. Litter trays make it easier to monitor output, are easier to clean out, and keep the bun from getting urine staining.

2. more hay! Bun needs more hay than you can fit in that tiny house. The hay you feed your horse will be fine

3. After the first couple of days (keep bun in the cage for these) you'll need to let the bun out for free-range in the room the cage is in, or in a run that is a minimum of 8x4ft. I'd make sure he gets a minimum of 8 hours a day, but you may want to build this up slowly over a couple of weeks.

4. A bunny will chew through a sheet in no time. What is on the other side of the place where there isnt a wall? Its not obvious from the photos. I'd say you need a minimum of mesh and wood, but personally I think solid walls of wood would be better, as theyd keep warmth in.

5. Bun will need a hidey-hole/hutch/kennel/large wooden snuggle box in that stable. Remove the polystyrene and old bedding in there obviously, but then you can just lino the floor so it is wipe-clean and have litter trays for bun to wee in.

6. Rabbits and guinea pigs should never be kept together because they cannot communicate properly, they are from completely different environments, they need different diets, and many rabbits carry an often asymptomatic (in the rabbit) bacteria, bordetella, which is often fatal for piggies. They do however each need a friend of their own kind.

7. you can find a lot of info from this organisation, ahve a look through their leaflets: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/index.php?section=leaflets.html

8. If you are in the UK, it is getting colder. If you want to put your bun outside for winter he needs to go out straight away, so he grows a winter coat in time, or winter will be dangerous for him without one. If you keep him indoors then he will have to stay indoors until April at the earliest.

edit: 9. one more - if he is not already used to grass, he cannot be introduced to it until he is 12 weeks old, and then it must be done gradually. Yes, he may dig out - some buns do, some dont. Remember he he can dig out a predator can dig in, so runs on grass cannot be used in the dark, unless they are meshed under the grass.

10. he shouldnt have veg or fruit or greens till he is 12 weeks either, same rules apply, so get rid of the carrot and keep his diet simple for now

And finally, a very warm welcome to you welcome to the forum

Agree with nessar.

Also for ideas on adapting your stable you might want to look at the playhouse and shed sections on this thread -> http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?311878-Outdoor-Housing

Thankyou very much for your indepth response nessar! I have a few queries about your reply though;

4. A bunny will chew through a sheet in no time. What is on the other side of the place where there isnt a wall? Its not obvious from the photos. I'd say you need a minimum of mesh and wood, but personally I think solid walls of wood would be better, as theyd keep warmth in.
- Crossed wires with Mum, she meant put wood along the side and just a sheet on the top - what do you think about a sheet on the top?


5. Bun will need a hidey-hole/hutch/kennel/large wooden snuggle box in that stable. Remove the polystyrene and old bedding in there obviously, but then you can just lino the floor so it is wipe-clean and have litter trays for bun to wee in.
- He'll have a million and one tunnels and boxes and toys in his stable, he'll be spoilt rotten so don't worry about that

8. If you are in the UK, it is getting colder. If you want to put your bun outside for winter he needs to go out straight away, so he grows a winter coat in time, or winter will be dangerous for him without one. If you keep him indoors then he will have to stay indoors until April at the earliest.
I think I will put him in the shed for the first few days and then slowly give him periods of time in the stable and then slowly transfer it across as he is used to being in a shed which will be slightly warmer than the stable thanks

edit: 9. one more - if he is not already used to grass, he cannot be introduced to it until he is 12 weeks old, and then it must be done gradually. Yes, he may dig out - some buns do, some dont. Remember he he can dig out a predator can dig in, so runs on grass cannot be used in the dark, unless they are meshed under the grass.
- I wouldn't put him out over night as there are loads of foxes around us! Not disputing what you said but surely in the wild they would eat grass straight away?

Yes in the wild they would start eating grass at just a few weeks old so tums get chance to get used to it from an early age, if your bun has never had it his gut isn't used to it and young buns are at very high risk of gastro intestinal problems when diet is changed abruptly. You must ALWAYS change a buns diet very very slowly but even more so for one 12 weeks or younger

I like the name Cotton. What breed is your rabbit? He will have lots of room in a stable as long as you can make it absolutely safe, it's so important that nothing can get in or it will. Bunnies have so many enemies as you probably know, not just cats and foxes but weasels, stoats etc...You will have to block off any gaps around the edges as well so bunny won't escape. Rabbits should be eating at least 80% hay, some veg and some pellets or nuggets. If a baby bunny hasn't eaten any grass or veg while it ws with its Mother then it's best to wait till about 12 weeks old before starting veg or grass and then start by giving small amounts so that your rabbit can become accustomed to it. Babies who have eaten these foods while still with Mum are fine as they have become used to it naturally. Of course in the wild babies would start to eat grass at around 3 weeks old just before they are weaned so they don't have a problem. A few years ago people used to put rabbits and guinea pigs together but we have moved on from there in knowledge of both species and it is no longer recommended to put them together. One reason is that a rabbit has a very strong kick with his back legs and can injure a guinea pig, the other is as Nessar pointed out. If you put your rabbit out on grass, when he is a bit older he will probably do a bit of digging and could dig himself out, so you will have to be careful about that. Boys just do "scrapes" normally but some will dig out because if they are in a small run they want to explore around them. The scrapes are for their toilet. Also the run will need a top to it as rabbits can jump out quite easily. So you must protect your bunny as you would a small child then you will save yourself any heartache if anything horrible happens. We would like to see photo of Cotton. We love rabbits here and are always pleased to help in any way.

Thanks Tonibun!

I decided to put him out in the stable straight away (still in his cage) and he seemed very happy although once it began to get dark he got very cold, his ears were like ice, the poor thing! He wouldn't go in the house part of the cage so we put lots and lots of straw down, and a cardboard box he came in (we made a hole for him to go through) and filled that with plenty of hay where the cushiony bed is and then put that cushiony bed infront of the premade housey bit. We then put a rug over the cage and I'm pretty sure he warmed up nicely and must've felt so much more cosy. He's probably used to snuggling up to his friends, felt so bad!

He's got such an amazing character, he's very inquisitive and so brave he's already eating fresh fruit and he's about 7 weeks

This is a photo of when I went to ride my friends pony and then went back to her and feel in love with Cotton...


and just a rubbish one from earlier off of my phone with my friend holding him;