Need help in finding a hutch for my bunny!

[Omer]

I hope I came to the right place :roll:
I am not from the UK, and where I live there isn't much awareness about rabbits and their needs (I live in Israel).
My bunny recently moved from being an indoor-only rabbit to being in a porch most of the time after I moved. She loves it, but I desperately need to find her a rabbit hutch. Right now I've made some sort of a make-shift hutch which is ok, until heavy rain starts to fall and floods her area.
I have looked all over the internet but I could really use some educated opinions.
I need a hutch that is:
-Sturdy and of good quality
-Weather proof
-Elevated
-A bunny can easily access it from the ground
-Has a closed off area
But most importantly ships to my country!
It doesn't have to be too big, just have a closed area for sleeping and room for food, water and a litterbox, since I never lock up my bunny and she is free to roam the porch.
This is the style of hutches that appealed to me most: http://i.walmartimages.com/i/mp/MP/10/00/17/98/MP10001798075_P255045_500X500.jpg
If possible, I would also like something that isn't too expensive, since i'm still a teen and cant aford any hutch :roll:
I really hope you guys can help me, because I have searched for months and yet can't seem to find the right one..

 

[esupi]

I haven't looked into it, but would guess that shipping to Israel might be quite expensive? Do you have children's playhouses in Israel? Lots of people use these for their rabbits, and I'm just thinking they might be more easily available and could be placed on bricks to keep them off the ground. There are lots of examples on the housing sticky:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...door-Housing&p=5208021&viewfull=1#post5208021

 

[Omer]

I've tried looking into it for a bit, and the cheapest WOODEN playhouse was over 800$. Even with the shipping costs, it's almost always worth ordering online, since it ends up being way cheaper. Plus, i'm not at all craftsy..

 

[BigBunnyBenji]

What kind of size are you wanting? A similar size to the one you posted?

You could try this site. I can't tell if they ship to your area or not though.

http://www.rabbitcagesource.com/rabbit-cages/rabbit-hutches/boomergeorgegraywashrabbithutch.cfm

 

[Omer]

The max I can go is around 120L x 100W (cm), height isn't a problem.
Nice site, loved the fact that almost every product there has multiple reviews. Sadly it doesn't ship to my area, but I might make it work if the product is worth it!
My biggest fear is that the hutch wont last through the winter :?

 

[silverrabbit]

Welcome to RU :wave: I have family in Israel

I tried to have a look at some websites but they won't deliver to Israel (was looking at Zooplus, as they do post to some countries). You could try Amazon though? had a look at their Help page and they say that pet supplies sold from them can be shipped to Israel.. maybe that will be of some help, though not sure what hutches they sell

 

[klw]

How about contacting a local handy-person/woodworker and asking for a quote for one made to your own specifications, which can be based on those you've seen and like. You'll probably get much better value for money.

OR, if sheet materials are a standard 8' x 4' in Israel, get a quote for an 8' x 2' hutch which minimises the number of cuts while making the best use of the timber to keep the cost down.

 

[nessar]

Because money is a big factor for you, I really don't think you will be able to import a hutch, at least not from England. It will likely cost more than the hutch is worth.

Is there nowhere that sells hutches in Israel? Have you looked at dog kennels? That would be an alternative.

Could you enclose the porch or raise it off the ground so that it doesn't get flooded? I wouldn't want to keep my animal anywhere that got flooded, in case they drowned or got soaked.

It might be worth contacting this person, as she lives in Israel, as she may be able to give you some pointers about where to go http://www.instructables.com/id/House-Rabbit-Palace/

 

[Omer]

silverrabbit -
Thank you I had no idea Amazon ships here! It was almost common knowledge that they didn't, so glad to see I was wrong!

klw -
I've thought about it, but always thought it would cost more than buying a pre-made hutch. Now that I have started converting the costs from US dollars to NIS, I might give it a second thought. I didn't think 200$ would be 700 Shekels!

nessar -
Hutches aren't sold here since there isn't a market for them :\
I always take my bunny inside when rain is gonna fall and keep her in the house until about a day after the rain is gone.
I have previously turned to Israeli forums that gave me the same answer - either ordering online or going to a carpenter. I tried looking into kennels but the plastic ones costs about as much as a wooden hutch, so i'd rather put in that extra bit of money and buy something specifically made for rabbits.

********EDIT*******
Just found this on Amazon UK! Great reviews, has everything I need, looks amazing and is really cheap! What do you think?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D5R3J6M/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=pet-supplies

 

[nessar]

silverrabbit -
Thank you I had no idea Amazon ships here! It was almost common knowledge that they didn't, so glad to see I was wrong!

klw -
I've thought about it, but always thought it would cost more than buying a pre-made hutch. Now that I have started converting the costs from US dollars to NIS, I might give it a second thought. I didn't think 200$ would be 700 Shekels!

nessar -
Hutches aren't sold here since there isn't a market for them :\
I always take my bunny inside when rain is gonna fall and keep her in the house until about a day after the rain is gone.
I have previously turned to Israeli forums that gave me the same answer - either ordering online or going to a carpenter. I tried looking into kennels but the plastic ones costs about as much as a wooden hutch, so i'd rather put in that extra bit of money and buy something specifically made for rabbits.

********EDIT*******
Just found this on Amazon UK! Great reviews, has everything I need, looks amazing and is really cheap! What do you think?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D5R3J6M/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=pet-supplies

That's not sold by amazon, it is an independent seller , so you'd have to ask them if they ship to Israel and what the cost would be.

It's not a good size, as the sheltered area is very small. Ideally you want that area to be at least 6ft by 2ft, but if that is not feasible in the space you have, you can try to get 12 square foot in another way, like 4ft by 3ft.

When you say the porch floods, how deep is the water in cm or inches?

Can you not have your bun as a house bunny? It would save you a lot of money and bother trying to find housing.

The problem with cheap hutches is that they are always really bad quality and don't last long. As your bunny could live 12 years and it is so hard to source hutches over there, it would be cheaper long-term to get a good quality one that will last.

 

[Omer]

That's not sold by amazon, it is an independent seller , so you'd have to ask them if they ship to Israel and what the cost would be.

It's not a good size, as the sheltered area is very small. Ideally you want that area to be at least 6ft by 2ft, but if that is not feasible in the space you have, you can try to get 12 square foot in another way, like 4ft by 3ft.

When you say the porch floods, how deep is the water in cm or inches?

Can you not have your bun as a house bunny? It would save you a lot of money and bother trying to find housing.

The problem with cheap hutches is that they are always really bad quality and don't last long. As your bunny could live 12 years and it is so hard to source hutches over there, it would be cheaper long-term to get a good quality one that will last.

Well, what kind of hutch do you recommend? From what I saw this got better reviews than a lot of the more expensive ones, but im really not an expert.
The porch only floods about a cm or so, and it takes a real heavy rain to make it flood. It only rains a couple days a year here and when it does, its not always that hard.

 

[Fee]

Hiya:wave:

Is there no carpenter nearby who can make one up for you. It might be expensive but work out cheaper in the long run, if you have to add delivery charges

Fee x

 

[J&R]

Am I right in thinking you just want a hutch as a base for sleeping and a hiding place as bunny free ranges in the porch? How big is the porch so we know what size to look for and how much could you pay?

 

[Omer]

Hiya:wave:

Is there no carpenter nearby who can make one up for you. It might be expensive but work out cheaper in the long run, if you have to add delivery charges

Fee x

Its pretty much my last option since no one here has any experience with these kinds of builds.

Am I right in thinking you just want a hutch as a base for sleeping and a hiding place as bunny free ranges in the porch? How big is the porch so we know what size to look for and how much could you pay?

Yes, exactly!
The porch is 1.65 meters in width and around 7 meters in length. However, the corner I have for a cage is 1.65X1.20m and I would rather the hutch to be 1.20X0.80m at most allowing it to be safely placed against the wall of my room, since my bun has a tendency of jumping onto things that are close to the railing and then onto it. Long story short - waking up to not finding your bunny anywhere, going downstairs and not finding a body only to return to a filthy little bun who apperantly CLIMBED ON THE LITERAL SIDE OF THE BUILDING (from 8th to 9th story!!!) and jumped back down since my neighbour went up to check is not something I am willing to experience again. Scariest moment of my life right there. Dont worry though! I have made sure she CANNOT jump up there anymore.
Im willing to pay around a 100 US dollars, but will make an extra effort if I find just the right one (Is that enough?).

 

[luna]

I just wanted to say hi and welcome to the forum. I lived in Israel as a child. It was a wonderful experience

Good luck in choosing a hutch

Sent from my GT-I9001 using Tapatalk 2

 

[sun_city_girl]

Its pretty much my last option since no one here has any experience with these kinds of builds.


Yes, exactly!
The porch is 1.65 meters in width and around 7 meters in length. However, the corner I have for a cage is 1.65X1.20m and I would rather the hutch to be 1.20X0.80m at most allowing it to be safely placed against the wall of my room, since my bun has a tendency of jumping onto things that are close to the railing and then onto it. Long story short - waking up to not finding your bunny anywhere, going downstairs and not finding a body only to return to a filthy little bun who apperantly CLIMBED ON THE LITERAL SIDE OF THE BUILDING (from 8th to 9th story!!!) and jumped back down since my neighbour went up to check is not something I am willing to experience again. Scariest moment of my life right there. Dont worry though! I have made sure she CANNOT jump up there anymore.
Im willing to pay around a 100 US dollars, but will make an extra effort if I find just the right one (Is that enough?).

how tall can it be? because that is not much floor space but if it could be built upwards, maybe on a few levels with the rabbit free ranging the porch which sounds large I dont see that that would be a problem, could you build it a cage with c+c grids maybe? or an extra large dog crate? is there any reason you cannot have more room of the porch?? obv they would need to be weather proofed.

I know you want something manufactured for rabbits but sometimes hutches supposedly manufactured for rabbits are the least suitable and being a bit creative can give you better results!

 

[Daniel]

Its pretty much my last option since no one here has any experience with these kinds of builds.

As Carpenter/Joiner myself i can say it would be very easy for one to make something for you if you give all the details you want.

 

[Omer]

Thanks luna

sun city girl - height is not an issue. I actually bought c+c grids a couple years back to make an indoor hutch, similar to the one in the picture, but I dont think it would be sturdy enough even if I can find a way to weather-proof it, since she chews on the zip ties.
What kind of build is the best for bunnies? She isn't a big bunny, and loves resting in crowded spaces. considering the fact that the hutch will only be for hiding\resting, food and bathroom, I really don't think it has to be extremely large..

Daniel - alright, I think this might be the best option for me after all. I'll snoop around, see if I can find someone.

Is this sort of build better? I believe its 12ft^2 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rabbit-Hutc...8&qid=1390218221&sr=8-8&keywords=rabbit+hutch

 

[Omer]

I hope double posting is ok.. Just wanted to update ya'll - shipment is way too expensive. Found a place that sells these hutches here, but they cost about 3 times as much. My mom said she could ask one of her co-workers to bring it when they return from London, or that she'd bring it since she's going to London for a bussiness trip.
So I got shipment covered, now only to find the perfect hutch!

 

[sun_city_girl]

Thanks luna

sun city girl - height is not an issue. I actually bought c+c grids a couple years back to make an indoor hutch, similar to the one in the picture, but I dont think it would be sturdy enough even if I can find a way to weather-proof it, since she chews on the zip ties.
What kind of build is the best for bunnies? She isn't a big bunny, and loves resting in crowded spaces. considering the fact that the hutch will only be for hiding\resting, food and bathroom, I really don't think it has to be extremely large..

Daniel - alright, I think this might be the best option for me after all. I'll snoop around, see if I can find someone.

Is this sort of build better? I believe its 12ft^2 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rabbit-Hutc...8&qid=1390218221&sr=8-8&keywords=rabbit+hutch

You couldn't leave a rabbit in that hutch because it's too small and probably wouldn't be able to stand up in it but it's fine as a base in a secure enclosures - am I right in thinking that would be your balcony??