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Accomodation/Housing

Housing your rabbit is a major concern and should be done with much thought, not a cheap metal hutch down the bottom of the garden where bunny can be forgotten and ignored. Rabbits respond well to daily care and attention and should be located where they can see you coming and going regularly. I would suggest that in selecting a location for your bunny should include these considerations.
1. Cool dry area away from drafts, rain, and the heat/ sun in the summer, please consider the movement of the sun during the day as an area in the shade, in the morning may have the full blast of the sun during the afternoon.
2. The area should be away from ponds, water tanks and other water catching areas, as these areas often will encourage Mosquito’s and flies, which carry Mixi and/or calici virus.
3. The housing should be near the family, so bunny can be involved and see the comings and going and be spoken to, touched and handled each day. With bunny being close no one should forget to feed, water and clean the living area and bunny will stay healthy and happy. A bunny that gets ignored gets nasty.

Housing the rabbit: There are many types of hutches available to the bunny lover. I would always recommend a hutch made of wood. Metal hutches even placed in a cool spot are like ovens in our Australian climate and I have had many horror stories of rabbits cooking in these cages on days as low as 28 degrees.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND METAL HUTCHES AND WILL NOT SELL RABBITS TO ANY ONE WHO HAS THIS AS THE ACCOMODATION.

The size of the hutch is an important factor, in each Country there are different laws governing the legal requirements and I would suggest you contact your local RSPCA or similar organisation for those dimensions. Further to this I would like to say that the rabbit/s should have enough room to stretch our fully to sleep and relax, they should be able to turn around in comfort, the rabbit should be able to stand up on its hind legs to its full height never any thing less than 60cm or 18 inches high. The rabbit must be allowed to have exercise in an open area either inside your home or back garden or and exercise yard purpose built for bunny at least 1-2 hours a day, if confined to a hutch for most part of the day. If however you have your rabbit as a house rabbit then a plastic bottom hutch with a wire top would be suitable as the night time sleeping area and when you wish to contain bunny e.g. when you have visitors, so they don’t stand on bunny.
The hutch should have a closed off sleeping area which should have bedding straw in it so bunny has a soft safe sleeping spot. The other area should be open to the air using wire mesh to contain bunny. There should be access to both areas for cleaning; I would also recommend a litter tray with either sand, wood shavings or breeders choice litter. This brand is available from most Australian supermarkets. It is made from recycled newspaper.
DO NOT USE ANY OTHER CAT LITTER AS MOST OF THEN CAN KILL YOUR RABBIT IF INGESTED.

The hutch may have a wire base; a litter draw with wire on it so as the droppings pass through or may even be solid wood. No matter what the base the bunny must have a flat non wire area to rest on as wire can become very uncomfortable for the long term hutch rabbit. If bunny gets lots of exercise time out of the hutch this is not as much of an issue.

We have included some photos of various hutches so you understand what is suitable and available.
In conclusion I would recommend that if you don’t have a hutch, please look on ebay as there are many sorts available at some bargain prices. Below is also a photo of a round yard, which is a safe and secure way that rabbits can exercise in the back yard. Out of harms way from other critters and also so that the rabbit doesn't eat or chew anything that it shouldn't.