Housing & Runs

[Timbo1234]

Hi all

Some of you will remember me as the proprietor of The Welfare Hutch Company. As those of you that do know me will remember (and many more of you I’m sure!) The Welfare Hutch Company was dissolved around seven or eight years back following a devastating fire at our workshop which we battled to recover from but unfortunately the time came that we were forced to accept the inevitable and close our doors.

It still troubles me on a deep level, some of the hutches and runs being sold both online on and in pet shops are just not suitable as housing for our beloved pets.

What’s the situation with higher end hutch suppliers now? I believe that one of our major competitors sadly went out of business not long after we closed our doors at the Welfare Hutch Company which was more bad news for our nations buns.

Are top end, high quality hutches, runs and sheds readily available now from the current suppliers and are any of those offering the bespoke service that was offered by The Welfare Hutch Company?

I am investigating the possibility of returning to supplying handmade, top end rabbit accommodation with a bespoke service if there is a requirement for it and I’d be eternally grateful for your thoughts as to wether you as pet owners feel that there is currently a lack of suitable rabbit housing and runs available currently.

Thanks for reading this slightly long post!

Best wishes

Tim

 

[Shimmer]

I don't think the market has changed much, TBH. Decent stuff is still hard to come by, and only for those who are bothered enough to search it out.
I think some of the bigger high street outlets have slightly improved the size of their hutches and runs (so 5' or 6' hutches instead of 4'), but not by much, and certainly not in terms of quality. Other outlets still have the same too-small stuff that the general public accepts as ok / normal accommodation. Most of the independent pet shops around here have closed (there used to be 3 in this village alone), which leaves a lot more online shopping for all the basics - which means transport costs for larger items are a big issue.

Omlet seems to be much more popular than it used to be, and I've seen it used in a few local gardens for rabbit runs. It is very expensive, though, and I'm not sure how suitable some of it is for rabbits.

I think there's always going to be a place for good quality and decent size rabbit homes - but it could be a smaller demand than previously as pets are becoming much more expensive in terms of lifetime costs. Vet fees and vaccination costs are making many people think twice. I'm cutting back as well - I would previously have replaced pets after one died, but have reduced numbers significantly in the last couple of years after losing a lot of the oldies.

I wish you all the best if you restart your business.

 

[Timbo1234]

Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate your thoughts. From opinions that I have received from posts in various groups on Facebook; I’m beginning to form an opinion that demand is still there to a degree. Even if it doesn’t become my livelihood, it’s a cause that I’m passionate about. Having replaced all my kit over the years that was lost in the fire, to enable me to work as a joiner again, it wouldn’t be too difficult to attempt to rekindle it.

Watch this space! Thanks again for your feedback

 

[joey&boo]

Really hope you can get going again for the sake of outside buns, their caretakers and for you too. It must be very rewarding creating stuff with your hands knowing you are contributing to rabbit freedoms and happier lives

 

[tulsi]

I really hope that you do start again. As I mentioned on a facebook post I still have a great run that I bought from you just under ten years ago.

All the best.

 

[feral]

It I was a carpenter (and you were my lady - there's a song here somewhere!) I'd make large hutches and sheds designed to take tunnels to attach to large runs. The omlet tunnels are good, the runs are good (they don't last forever though), but their hutches are rubbish - tiny!

The set up with a hutch or shed and tunnels is good as it can be extended.