When most people think about keeping rabbits or dwarf bunnies they think of a hutch, and if the bunnies are lucky, some sort of enclosure stuck on the front. Fortunately for bunnies, as the pet market increases in size, more types of bunny homes are being sold. Due to the size of their display area most pet shops still sell the traditional wooden rectangle with an enclosed area down one end for sleeping, but if you shop around, particularly online you can find a whole world of homes for your dwarf rabbits.
The first rule of buying a home for your dwarf bunnies is that bigger is always better, especially if you want happy, healthy and loving bunnies. Rabbits are extremely intelligent and need more from their home environment than somewhere to stretch and eat grass. Ideally you will be able to offer your dwarf bunny time out of its enclosure to run, interact with you, and jump around as all happy bunnies love to. Even so, it is important for you to provide a safe and interesting enclosure for your dwarf rabbits while they are confined.
Two Story Hutch Accommodation
Many of the new hutches on the market have a second floor, which your dwarf bunnies can access by a ramp. These are a wonderful improvement on the old style single level hutches. Just like us, rabbits enjoy space and not having to eat, sleep and use the toilet in the same area. Having an upper floor also gives your bunny a different and interesting view on the world around it. Of the six dwarf bunnies I have known only one didn't like climbing up things and enjoying its new vantage point.
A Bunny Run With a View
Adding a run area to your hutch is always a must. Very few rabbit runs on the market are big enough to give your bunnies room to freely run and jump, but what they do offer goes beyond that. Bunnies need to see what is going on in the world around and feel part of it. You may know your bunny is safe in its enclosure, but unless it can see, it doesn't. Bunnies feel a lot happier and safer if they can see what is going on around them and a run will give this to them. A run will also give your bunny an opportunity to nibble fresh grass, get lots of fresh air and a feeling of being in a natural environment.
Thinking Out of the Bunny Box
When looking for an outdoor enclosure for your dwarf rabbits you can also look at products for other animals. We have an enclosure that is actually designed as a chicken coop, but is ideal for our dwarf bunnies. It is waist height and simply consists of a run area, a nesting box that is up off the floor and importantly a bunny door. The door lets our rabbits out to run about in our garden. Depending on your space and budget there are wooden pens designed for cats or dogs that are suitable and some people even use sheds.
The height of your bunny run is an important factor you should consider. Looking at the height of your dwarf rabbits, and even its height when stretching up, is not a height guide for a rabbit run. Bunnies have exceptional eye sight and a low roof will make them feel enclosed, even if their run covers a wide floor area. Sufficient height will let your bunnies express their happiness by jumping.
Time Out for Running Free
When you choose an enclosure, think about how much time you can spend with your bunnies and if your garden is suitable to let your rabbits run free. Bunnies do not need, or want, to spend all the day running around, but daily exercise is important, and they do need to feel in touch with their surroundings and be stimulated by them. Bunnies are not toys that can be kept in a box and taken out when you want to play with them.
You can also keep your bunnies as house rabbits, but that is anther story all together.
| Lindsay Pollard is the author of Dwarf Bunnies - Hints and Tips an essential resource for dwarf bunny owners. Visit Lindsay's site at http://www.dwarfbunnies.org/ |
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