Friday, June 24, 2011

Housing Your Rabbit With a Cozy Rabbit Hutch!

While your rabbit can roam your house or even a fenced in, covered run during the day, he is going to need a good place to relax and to sleep at night, and one of the best places for him to do this is going to be a rabbit hutch! A rabbit hutch is essentially a type of cage that you can use to house your rabbits and typically, they are made of wood and wire. While some hutches can hold five or six animals, you will find that building one to house one or two is quite simple and is something that the whole family can enjoy. Unlike other animals, which need expensive caging, rabbits do very well in hutches that you can build yourself inside of a weekend.

For the most part, you will find that rabbit hutches consist of a covered portion and a portion that is open to the air. The covered portion might be made of solid plywood or another type of lumber while the open area is made out of wire mesh. The covered portion exists because rabbits, much like most other burrowing mammals, need a dark and cozy place to sleep in. In the wild, rabbits sleep in burrows and in some cases will have earth pressing in on them on three sides. Remember that in many cases, your rabbit will prefer a small covered area that will allow them to feel as though they are being protected.

One thing that you have to look into when you are planning a rabbit hutch is going to be the floor. Some people suggest using a wire mesh for the floor as this can prevent having a rabbit escape through tunneling, but the issue here is that it can be rough on your rabbit’s paws. If you end up deciding on wire floor, be sure that it is well covered with straw. Of course, you can always line the floor with plywood or with vinyl, which is quite easy to clean. Both options is fairly inexpensive and you will discover that it is something that is entirely up to you.

You also might want t look into putting wire mesh on the open area of the hutch. This will allow more circulation of air and it can reduce odor in your rabbit cage. It can also make it easier to check on your rabbit during the course of the day. Remember that when you are building your own rabbit hutch that wood and wire are going to be your best choices for your hutch; plastic might be easier to clean, but it will almost certainly get chewed up as time goes on.

Finally, when you want to make sure that your bunny has a perfect place to live, remember that making your own cage is quite simple. Most people don't realize how easy it is to put together a rabbit hutch, even a fairly large and roomy one. All of the materials are easy to acquire from your local hardware store, so why not devote this weekend to putting together the perfect home for your rabbit?

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