Large Rabbit Hutches

Rabbits have been a mainstay for many years making great indoor pets, but the smaller indoor hutches are just not as good as some large rabbit hutches. Why? Read on and we’ll tell all.

First up – why do you need a hutch at all?

Rabbits, like a lot of animals below humans and technically further down the ‘food chain’ are classed as prey. They are actually quite delicate, cautious animals and if left to their own devices outdoors – can easily become sick, injured, get lost and not be able to find their way back to the safety of home or fall prey to predators. Thankfully, a rabbit hutch is the perfect home designed to solve all of these problems in one go!

Hutches are fully enclosed to provide Rabbits with a safe, protective home against predators. They are fully breathable to allow plenty of fresh air in whilst being warm and cosy enough to keep out any bad weather that might harm your pet. Another benefit of the hutch, is protecting your pet Rabbit from contact with other wild rabbits who can carry harmful diseases and parasites.

Ok, so a hutch is a no brainer – but what does an extra large rabbit hutch offer that smaller ones don’t?

Like most animals, including ourselves, no-one likes to be co0ped up in a restrictive environment and Rabbits are no exception. If Rabbits are confined to smaller spaces without the ability to stretch their legs, run and hop around when they need to/want to – their muscles start to waste away and accordingly their overall health with suffer as a result.

As well as physical health, mental health and happiness is just as important to Rabbits as it is to us. Having the ability to freely run around and play will keep rabbits happy as well as physically fit, which is a perfect combination for a good life.

A side note to this – we’re not saying Rabbits don’t want to be cost and snuggle up, in fact it’s not the case that they need big, wide open spaces all of the time. Rabbits naturally burrow in the wild and thus spend long periods of time snuggled up in tight spaces where it’s all snug and warm, so an important part of any rabbit hutch, shed or home system is having a similar space they can retreat to for some quiet time & good sleep. It’s just that they need the larger areas to run & play in as well.

Therefore, it’s usually recommended that at a bare minimum – you will need a hutch that is at least 1 square metre/12 square feet combined with a larger run/play area of around 2-3 square metres/27 square feet. That said, an extra large rabbit hutch will always win over smaller ones. The bigger the play/exercise area – the better. 

• Cost is always a factor when it comes to life’s necessities, but you should be careful when selecting the home for your darling little furry ones. Homes like Rabbit cages can seem a lot cheaper but be careful with this – they are nowhere near as good a home for rabbits as hutches or sheds. This is because a cage – is just that A box made of wire or mesh and won’t offer the same comfort, protection against weather or interesting space that other enclosures provide. Be particularly wary of the cheaper plastic rabbit cages too – Rabbits love to chew, remember. It’s always best to go with large rabbit hutches over cages as they will provide a far better living environment for your Rabbits.

In summary, the larger the rabbit hutch or shed the better – your rabbits will be a lot happier and healthier for it. Of course, space is usually the biggest consideration factor when choosing a home for your furry ones which is why an outdoor shed or hutch is usually the most popular option as gardens generally have more available space for them than a house does. Plus, they can get plenty of fresh air when needed when outside. Just be sure to provide enough protection against the elements, wild animals & predators and enough shade for the hotter summer months. If you follow this advice, then you and your rabbits are going to be happy for many years to come!