How to build a rabbit paradise

Making a hutch is inexpensive, allows you to determine the exact size of your bunny home and how it will fit into your architecture. You can make your hutch from plywood or hardwood, latches and wire mesh.

Decide on the dimensions of your hut before you begin building and buying materials, thinking about whether you want to build a raised hutch to keep dust and rainwater out.

The PDSA suggests a minimum hutch size of 6 x 2 x 2 feet, but you can make it as big as you like. In the wild, rabbits run and jump around wide fields and use lots of energy digging their burrows, so you don't want to go cramping their style. A good guide is that your rabbit’s ears should not touch the hutch ceiling when they stand on their back legs, and they should be able to stretch out completely to relax. So the more rabbits you have, the bigger your hutch has to be. Rabbits in small cages develop black problems, and can quickly become obese.

Don't forget that a hutch should have at least two compartments: a dark, private and warm space for your rabbit to snuggle down inside, as well as a connected section covered by mesh where the rabbit can feed and access light. This is usually where you will open the cage.

Once you have a wooden frame, you can nail on the mesh wiring, wood or plywood walls, and any bolts or latches you would like to use to close and open the cage. There are plenty of do-it-yourself blueprints available online, if you don’t want to decide on measurements for yourself. Keep in mind that the bigger the hutch, the more you can add inside this space, including shelves, tunnelling and compartments that reflect the tunnels and nesting spaces rabbits make in the wild.

Once you've got your hutch, there is a lot more you can do. If you have a garden, consider making a run. This is a second mesh cage (usually five-sided, with no floor) for your rabbit to exercise on the grass. Make it as long as you can, and high enough for your rabbit to jump inside, or if you like, for you or children to get in the run too.

You can even make a connection between the hutch and the run out of plastic piping and secured connection plates. Your rabbit might be hesitant at first, but they'll soon love it. Rabbits are used to burrowing, so black piping that is six inches in diameter or bigger should suit most bunnies.

If your hutch is big enough, and you have blessed your rabbit with several floors in their little homes, connecting tubes can help your pet to get around inside, too. In nature, rabbits’ burrows have an entrance and an exit, so building a multi-room hutch where this is possible gives your rabbit an even better sense of security. This helps them get their beauty sleep and be better-tempered pets. 

Designing your own hutch can be fun and lets you make the most of the space you have available for your rabbit. So get your measurements, and get building!

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