housing and habitats.

Aug 19, 2024

2 min read

103

A proper habitat for your bunny is one of the most important factors when starting in you bunny journey.

what to get.

The best option by far is any sort of pen, with an open top, anywhere from 24"-36"in tall. Most traditional puppy exercise pens fold out to a square footage of about 16ft^2.

For a more aesthetic and streamlined look, I recommend the Clearly Loved Pet pens, my personal favorite.

Available on Amazon: Clearly Loved Pets 27" Tall Medium Lucidium Pet Pen, Silver

A budget option that works well is the Midwest puppy pens.

Available on Amazon: MidWest Homes For Pets Foldable Metal Dog Exercise Pen / Pet Playpen, 24'W x 30'H

what not to get.

A large percentage of items marketed for bunnies just do not work. Often you will be way overcharged for the amount of space your receive. I believe that each bun deserves a minimum of 15sqft of space. If the bunny cannot run from one end to the other with a binky in-between, it's too small. The options below do not provide this for your little friend.

Hutches are small, cramped, and smelly. Multi-floor layouts are hard for bunnies to enjoy - just because they have another tight space to crawl into doesn't mean they have enough square footage. The wood absorbs any accidents making it smell forever. Most hutches don't even have a big enough space for our recommended cat litter box size.

It is also very hard to access your bunny at all times. There are small spaces with no outside access, and if you bunny is able to squirm away in those to avoid you, it will be very hard to keep up with socializing.

Cages are also a never for bunnies. Their small size, fully enclosed space, and wire floors are all very uncomfortable for bunnies. It is very hard to work with a bunny in a cage - cleaning, playing, and socializing are all complicated tasks.

free roaming.

Free roaming is a notable option and I fully recommend for all bunnies fully litter trained and settled in. I do definitely feel that starting with an enclosure is the best way to ease the transition for you bunny. That way they feel they have their very own space that they know won't be interrupted by anyone else. It also helps them get used to a certain spot in the house. Once you feel they are comfortable, have developed a routine, and know where their litter box is, start with opening their door into that room for a few hours in a day. Continue with adding more time and new spaces slowly, and hopefully you will be able to successfully free roam 24/7 with the home base of an enclosure.