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Indoor hutch and housing

bellabinky

New Kit
I got a mini dwarf rabbit today she’s 12 weeks old and has a thick coat for tonight I’ve placed her in the outdoor hutch with lots of hay and bedding which is next to my kitchen and very sheltered. It’s temporary for 1 day until the store has a delivery of indoor hutches which they said will arrive tomorrow. The plan is to have a big indoor hutch and a play pen but I am not sure about which type of play pen to get her and how I protect the carpet when she’s needs the bathroom. I will be supervising and handling / playing with her most of the day and when I sleep she will sleep in her hutch. The winters get very harsh here in Scotland and I want to spend as much time as I can with her as she will be on her own as we only have space for one indoor rabbit. How big should the play pen be and is there any way of living it or so I put sawdust down, I just don’t know what to do if she needs the bathroom during play time. Thank you 😊
 
Everyone will have different recommendations but I used to use the Elli-Bo puppy pen. I found it better as you can move it around and change configuration to suit, adding/removing panels. Most rabbits can be litter trained however you can also put down newspaper or towels/puppy pads to protect the carpets. I would say most rabbits prefer the company of another rabbit, they are very social animals and do not like being on their own. A second rabbit won't need much more space than just the one
 
Have you had a look at the RWAF indoor housing site and Manor Pets Housing (both site and Facebook for ideas at all plus other threads on here? Personally if I was to have indoor rabbits I'd be looking at an enclosure kind of arrangement rather than a hutch just to make it easier to keep up with the cleaning.

Also seconding the idea of a second rabbit for company. Another bun won't make much difference to the amount of space needed.
 
I would be more inclined to get a large dog crate as a base - you can put a large litter tray in there, hay, etc - it helps to keep the mess in one area and it has a solid base. The litter tray usually has hay in it (maybe over newspaper or wood based cat litter to absorb liquid). She should eat hay a lot of the time, so also put in a hay rack above the litter tray, and a box of hay for a nest area. Sawdust or shavings are not recommended as they can cause respiratory problems when in contact with urine.

Then use 3' high puppy panels to make an enclosure, or give her the run of a room permanently and use the puppy panels to protect areas you don't want her to go. All wires / cables need to be protected as they will get chewed.

Two rabbits don't really need more room than one. There is a minimum recommended amount of space (look at the RWAF website) so that they have room to move around, run, jump, etc.

Don't forget that she need vaccinating against fatal diseases (myxo, RHD1 and RHD2) every year. She will also need to be neutered at around 6 months old to protect her from various cancers, and so she is more settled and less hormonal.
 
Hello. If Bunny has been used to being indoors she should not be outside now as it gets quite cold in the night. At 12 weeks old she won't have a proper winter coat unless she has been bred outdoors. Rabbits tend to chew and dig at carpet and she won't be litter trained at first so be prepared for accidents. Hay is the most important thing you can provide for your Rabbit as it will help to keep her teeth worn down and ensure her digestive system is working properly to avoid her getting Stasis.
 
I use an old dog cage as a base, vinyl to protect the floor and meshed puppy panels to ensure the buns don't stray when I'm not watching them.
Oh and another vote for having two rabbits
Richard
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Thank you fir your advice, I’ve not ruled out getting her a friend, they have two male dwarfs and obviously I would get one seem to as soon as it’s old enough. Today I’ve to measure up for the indoor hutch and go and pick on up.
 
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