Fri 9 May 2008
Before you bring your new pet rabbit home, you need to make sure you have everything they will need. The most important thing they need are somewhere to live and somewhere to exercise.
Hutch : Most people keep their rabbit in a wooden hutch. An outdoor hutch has legs to keep it off damp ground and a sloping roof so rain runs off it. 
Place it somewhere out of strong wind, rain and sun, and safe from other animals. Move hutch to a sheltered place in cold weather. Rabbit hutches two parts. One side has a solid wooden door to stop draughts and to make a private area. The other side has a wire mesh front to let in fresh air. It also lets the rabbits see out.
Flooring and bedding: Before you put your rabbit in to the hutch, line the floor with newspaper and cover that with wood shavings. It is comfortable and soaks urine too. Then put hay or shredded paper into the sleeping side of the hutch. Your rabbit will use this to make itself a bed! Do not use straw for the bedding. Straw has sharp edges that can injure a rabbit’s eyes. Don’t use cedar wood shavings because they can harm your rabbit. If you have a long haired rabbit, do not use wood shavings on the floor. Shavings get tangled in the rabbit’s fur and cause knots.
Wire and plastic cages: Some people keep their rabbits indoors. Indoor rabbits need a cage to sleep and rest in, where they can feel safe and hidden. Indoor rabbit cages usually have a deep plastic or metal base and a hard wire top. They are light-weight and easy to clean. Choose as large a cage as possible and add flooring just as you would for an outdoor hutch. Put hay bedding in a wooden or cardboard box for the rabbit to sleep in.
Put your rabbit cage somewhere out of sun, away from draughts or heaters, and out of reach of any other pets you have.
Litter trays: When your rabbits are playing in your house, you need to give them a litter tray to be their toilet. Most rabbits are very clean animals and you can easily train then to use a plastic litter tray.
Put the tray in a quiet spot and line it with newspaper covered with hay or pet litter. Don’t use cat litter, because it is bad for rabbits.
Outdoor Runs: Rabbits are lively animals that need several hours of exercise every day. Rabbits like to exercise outdoors in the fresh air. Runs or pens keep rabbits safe outside. You can buy one or make your own, but make sure you get a run that is large and has four sides, a roof, and a floor. The roof stops your rabbits jumping out and tops other animals from getting in. A wire mesh floor prevent them from digging their way out. Many runs have a covered end where the rabbit can hide from bad weather. If yours doesn’t, you must put the run somewhere under shelter or fix up a cover over one end.