Creating an indoor rabbit setup is one of the best parts of being a rabbit owner. If designing a house for yourself isn’t in the cards financially, then the next best thing is designing a house for your rabbit.
There’s a lot to consider with your rabbit setup but as long as you have made everything safe and appropriate for your bunny’s health, then the rest is all about making it fun for your rabbit, and yourself!
Here we’re going to talk about how to keep it safe, healthy, and fun. As well as get the creative juices flowing as you get out your designer hat!
Guess what? You can use code HABITAT10 during checkout, and enjoy a generous 10% discount on all our top-quality habitats. These make the perfect hideaway for your bun to call their own and feel safe at home.
Why Choose Small Pet Select Habitats?
🌿 Designed for your pet's well-being.
🏡 Crafted with care and durability in mind.
🪶 Spacious and versatile options for various small pets.
🌈 Thoughtful features for your pet's comfort and enjoyment.
Materials For The Enclosure
A cage sold at the pet store with a picture of a rabbit on the front is not what you want for your indoor rabbit setup. These cages are much too small and not designed with a rabbit’s needs in mind.
If you want to buy a cage then a large dog crate is an okay starting place. From there, you can add ramps and tunnels (more about those later).
One of the more popular and creative ways to create a space for your rabbit is with wire storage panels like these ones. Zip ties are a great way to hold the panels together tight. When you build the outside of the enclosure with panels, you have more freedom with the design! And you can make the enclosure fit right where you need it to in your house.
This is often a good option for people who are trying to maximize their rabbit’s space while living with a smaller setup themselves.
You can also use these panels to create ramps and second stories. Using a fleece blanket is one way to soften the ground on the wire panels when you’re using them for a second story.
You can also get storage panels with some solid pieces for the ramps and second story like these.
The walls of your rabbit setup can be any metal pen. Just think large when you’re looking for a pen. So look for products used for dogs! Just keep in mind that rabbits do hop! So you will want either a very tall pen or make sure you have a top on your pen so you don’t have any runaway rabbits.
Space
So, how much space does an indoor rabbit need? The answer is as much as you can afford to give them. However, if you can’t give them at least 8 sq. feet of enclosure space with plenty of time to stretch and run outside of that space, then a rabbit probably isn’t for you.
Sadly, most indoor rabbits don’t get the space that they need. But we can change that! Simply changing what you’re looking for when you initially are grabbing materials for your indoor rabbit setup changes the blueprint which gives you amazing results.
Food Placement
Rabbits need access to fresh high-quality hay 24/7. Timothy hay and orchard hay are great options that are both low in fat and calcium which is exactly what healthy adult rabbits need.
Hay mangers help keep your rabbit’s house nice and tidy! Another great spot for hay is actually at the front of your rabbit’s litter box!
Litter Box
Indoor rabbits will use litter boxes with the right setup. One thing that encourages them to use a litter box is to actually put a pile of hay at the front of the box. Rabbits like to eat where they poo!
You can use a plastic container for your litter box, just something sturdy that will be easy to wipe down when you’re cleaning. Fill the litter box with a safe absorbent rabbit bedding.
Sara is talking all about setting up a litter box on YouTube!
Hideaways and Tunnels
Rabbits are prey animals which means it’s their natural instincts to be on high alert and to react quickly to perceived danger. Make sure your rabbit has at least one place in their enclosure where they can hide away and feel safe if something is alarming or stressful for them.
This could even just be noisy guests coming in the front door or a loud sound on the TV. It’s important that if your rabbit feels stress they have a way to calm themselves down with a hideout.
Rabbits like to chew so make sure whatever you are putting in your rabbit’s enclosure is safe for them to chew! You don’t want to use treated wood or something that will expose them to harmful chemicals.
Hideouts and tunnels also give you places in your rabbit’s enclosure to hide treats or toys which sets up their enclosure for foraging!
Where To Have Your Indoor Rabbit Setup
So where are we building this mansion? Things to keep in mind when choosing the location of your indoor rabbit setup in your house:
low traffic area
minimal surprises
natural light
comfortable temperature (60-70 degrees Fahrenheit)
safe from other pets or unsupervised young kids
You also want an area in your house where you have minimized any dangers and your rabbit can explore with supervision a few times a day. Use cord covers to rabbit-proof! Watch your rabbit closely so that you’re aware of what they can get into, especially their first few experiences in the area.
Keep It Fun and Engaging With Toys
We saved the best for last! No indoor rabbit setup would be complete without plenty of toys to keep your rabbit’s mind and body healthy.
The best way to keep your indoor rabbit setup engaging is to rotate through different types of toys so that your rabbit can experience new tastes and textures and you will likely start to notice what their favorite things are!
Just make sure you use natural toys in your setup so that you’re not exposing your bun to anything that can make them sick. Sticks and logs make great toys but make sure that what you’re using is safe for rabbits.
Here are some of our favorite toys for rabbits:
sticks
logs
balls
mobiles
rings
fidget sticks
twists
digging mats
A lot of these toys can be attached to your rabbit's enclosure to provide them with the same opportunities to tug that a wild rabbit would have while foraging. Toys that double as a snack are the best kind of toys!
Indoor Rabbit Setup Ideas To Keep In Mind
One way to stay inspired with your rabbit setup is to connect with rabbit-loving communities on social media. Seeing other bunny parents' ideas might be just what you need to create your own vision.
Just remember, when it comes to space, the bigger the better. The more room you have to work with the more creative you can be.
Give your rabbit hideaways, tunnels, and toys to nibble on. And change these up often! Make sure your litter box is large enough for your rabbit to fit in comfortably and you have absorbent rabbit-safe bedding.
Most importantly, don’t forget to have a section of your setup dedicated to hay. Because an hour of no hay can ruin a rabbit’s day!
Now it’s time to let you go and do your thing. Create bunny bliss at your house with a fantastic rabbit setup. The more fun it is for you to create it, the more fun it will be for your rabbit to live in it!
We are not veterinarians, and none of our information should be construed as veterinary advice.
Before adding any new product, please consult your exotic veterinarian. If your pet is acting unwell and you have concerns for their well being, please contact your vet immediately.
