Housing Considerations

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Rabbits can be housed indoors or outdoors.  Indoor rabbits should

be confined to a suitable enclosure when their activity cannot

be adequately supervised.  A roomy wire cage with at least

one-half of the floor's surface area covered with Plexiglass or

washable towels is recommended.  The Plexiglass or towels provide

relief from constant and continual contact with the wire floor,

helping to prevent hutch sores on the feet (see section on Hutch

Sores--Sore Hocks).  A water bottle or ceramic crock, food dish

and a litterbox should be provided for the rabbit inside the

enclosure.



Under no circumstances should rabbits be allowed total freedom

within the home.  Rabbits love to chew and can be very

destructive to household furnishings.  Furthermore, they can be

seriously injured by biting into telephone and electrical cords.



Like cats, rabbits can be easily trained to use a litterbox in

the home.  If the rabbit has already selected an area for

elimination, the litterbox should be placed in this location.

It helps to place some of the rabbit's fecal pellets in the

litterbox to encourage its use.



Rabbits housed outdoors should be confined in roomy wire cages

with Plexiglass covering about one-half of the floor's surface

area.  The wire mesh should be just large enough to allow fecal

pellets to drop through.  A water bottle or ceramic crock and a

heavy food dish should be provided.



Adequate shade and a hiding spot should be provided as well.

Rabbits are typically anxious, wary animals and are easily

frightened.  This is especially true of newly acquired pet

rabbits and rabbits kept for reasons other than as pets.  A

concealed area into which these rabbits can retreat when they

feel threatened is necessary to prevent injury that would result

from excessive and futile efforts to escape from the cage.

Hiding provides a safe alternative to useless and often injurious

escape efforts.



Shade must be provided to prevent heat stress or heat stroke.

All rabbits, even those housed indoors, are especially

sensitive to high environmental temperatures.  Adequate shelter

must also be provided against wind, rain, snow and ice.