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Insulation in hutch

L

liv.loveloz

New Kit
I'm thinking of getting a rabbit and I personally want to keep it inside but my parents say it has to be outside, so I was thinking about insulating a hutch. Do you think I could use that silver bubble wrap stuff on the inside and cover it with vinyl flooring, or would this not work. I was also thinking of using tarpaulin as a cover for the outside.
thank you any feedback would be helpful.:)

Edit: I have had experience cleaning out rabbits from volunteering at an animal shelter for a while so having to do this won’t faze me
 
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well. such a massive subject.

this is my personal opinion only.......

1. to get started, if you want a rabbit to stroke & interact with, an outside rabbit in a hutch is unlikely to be this.
2. an outside rabbit in a hutch only will have a very sad life (see 7).
3. although i'm not a fan of indoors, i believe many indoor rabbits have a nice life & the constant interaction with humans means they are tamer than outside rabbits.
4. rabbits need the company of at least 1 other rabbit. imo this is non-negotiable.
5. rabbits make expensive pets. day-to-day is cheap but the vets bills are not. make sure it/they are insured.
6. rabbits should not be kept in the same household as dogs or cats.
7. a hutch on it's own is not suitable accommodation. an outside rabbit needs a whole garden to run about in but needs securing at night in a hutch.
8. as you are thinking, a hutch needs some insulation but imo it's cold winds that are the worse. cold can be ok if there's no wind but a cold wind can kill.
9. although considered by the majority as a cheap, commonplace 'pet', imo rabbits are not suitable as pets & should be considered as 'exotic'.

and then there's the emotional cost.
like sheep, the first sign of illness is often death.
 
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Hi :wave: Welcome to the forum :)

I wouldn't bother getting a hutch at all and go straight for either a shed or wooden child's playhouse if you can. We've managed to pick up a few second hand playhouses either free or very cheap. They'll offer a lot more space for the rabbit/s (always better to have a neutered pair) and are easier to clean out. You can then attach a run, also. We haven't insulated, we've just made them cosy inside with hay and they've always been fine. A tarpaulin can be useful for over a run though and secured with bungees x
 
Yes I was thinking of getting 2 and have done much research about them over the past year. I really want to keep them inside but due to parents opinions there is nothing I can do about that but if they were outside I would everyday have interaction and maybe bring them inside at certain points.
Thank you for your response it is very helpful 😊
 
TheThreeB's said:
Hi :wave: Welcome to the forum :)
I wouldn't bother getting a hutch at all and go straight for either a shed or wooden child's playhouse if you can. We've managed to pick up a few second hand playhouses either free or very cheap. They'll offer a lot more space for the rabbit/s (always better to have a neutered pair) and are easier to clean out. You can then attach a run, also. We haven't insulated, we've just made them cosy inside with hay and they've always been fine. A tarpaulin can be useful for over a run though and secured with bungees x
Click to expand...

I was thinking of getting a shed instead but I couldn’t find any that were under £200 and I don’t think my parents are too keen on having another she in the garden but I have asked a couple of times and am going to look into a child’s playhouse.
Thank you 😊
 
Aw bless you. You really want your rabbit dont you. Just make sure they have space and are secure. But - my lesson- we bought two rabbits for my daughter (13). One died (we didn’t know enough about how fragile they are). Realised the hutch (which was bigger than anything pets at home do) was inadequate for rabbits (after reading ) and have literally been spending money like water to build a nice outdoor home for him plus £100s on vet bills (vaccinations, neutering , visits where Im just concerned). Take it from me unless you have the money and the help to build suitable accommodation then do not get a rabbit. I think he’s lovely and now we have him we are going to make him happy but without the support of your parents your rabbit will be restricted or face problems. X


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mikek said:
well. such a massive subject.

this is my personal opinion only.......

1. to get started, if you want a rabbit to stroke & interact with, an outside rabbit in a hutch is unlikely to be this.
2. an outside rabbit in a hutch only will have a very sad life (see 7).
3. although i'm not a fan of indoors, i believe many indoor rabbits have a nice life & the constant interaction with humans means they are tamer than outside rabbits.
4. rabbits need the company of at least 1 other rabbit. imo this is non-negotiable.
5. rabbits make expensive pets. day-to-day is cheap but the vets bills are not. make sure it/they are insured.
6. rabbits should not be kept in the same household as dogs or cats.
7. a hutch on it's own is not suitable accommodation. an outside rabbit needs a whole garden to run about in but needs securing at night in a hutch.
8. as you are thinking, a hutch needs some insulation but imo it's cold winds that are the worse. cold can be ok if there's no wind but a cold wind can kill.
9. although considered by the majority as a cheap, commonplace 'pet', imo rabbits are not suitable as pets & should be considered as 'exotic'.

and then there's the emotional cost.
like sheep, the first sign of illness is often death.
Click to expand...

I totally agree! To add, rabbits should be neutered and vaccinated.
 
liv.loveloz said:
I was thinking of getting a shed instead but I couldn’t find any that were under £200 and I don’t think my parents are too keen on having another she in the garden but I have asked a couple of times and am going to look into a child’s playhouse.
Thank you
Click to expand...

Yeah, we were lucky enough to pick up one of our sheds for free, but a playhouse is a good option anyway. It's worth remembering though that rabbits can be expensive, are your parents fully on board? x
 
TheThreeB's said:
Yeah, we were lucky enough to pick up one of our sheds for free, but a playhouse is a good option anyway. It's worth remembering though that rabbits can be expensive, are your parents fully on board? x
Click to expand...

my dad said he wont have anything to do with a pet at all no matter what it is but my mum is more for it and on a couple of occasions has said yes to getting rabbits but has then never followed it up or has gone back on herself
 
liv.loveloz said:
my dad said he wont have anything to do with a pet at all no matter what it is but my mum is more for it and on a couple of occasions has said yes to getting rabbits but has then never followed it up or has gone back on herself
Click to expand...

Ah, it sounds like they're not too sure then. Will they be up for paying out for vaccinations, neutering, vet bills etc?

It's the other way round for us, in that I'm the parent. Initially my children were enthusiastic about caring for the rabbits, but the novelty wore off and they only help reluctantly. That might not happen with you, but it is important that an adult is ultimately responsible for the rabbits care x
 
TheThreeB's said:
Ah, it sounds like they're not too sure then. Will they be up for paying out for vaccinations, neutering, vet bills etc?

It's the other way round for us, in that I'm the parent. Initially my children were enthusiastic about caring for the rabbits, but the novelty wore off and they only help reluctantly. That might not happen with you, but it is important that an adult is ultimately responsible for the rabbits care x
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help I’ll ask them about it later
 
Same here. Daughter initially wanted the rabbits but attention wore off and I became the main bunny carer. That’s why parents have to be totally on board. My daughter had been caring for the neighbours rabbit attentively but once rabbit pee and poo needed sorting- she was attentive no more!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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