What do Your Rabbits Need From a Rabbit Hutch?

In order to provide your little critters a dream home in which they can be healthy and happy, it’s recommended to make them a top-notch rabbit hutch. And even if you cannot get one of those incredible deluxe rabbit hutches available on the internet, there are still plenty of things that you can do to improve your modest hutch, or you can also build one yourself. It is not all that complicated.




In any case, exactly what should go into a perfect rabbit hutch? To be able to answer this question, let's try to get inside the thoughts of your rabbits. Needless to say, there’s no way to know without a doubt what your adorable little critters are thinking, yet we definitely do know some things regarding exactly what they do like as well as what they do not, which makes it much simpler to put together an amazing rabbit hutch.


Safety


For starters, as you have probably noticed, bunnies are nervous, shaky little things, particularly any time they’re in a place that they are not familiar with. They like few things more than being in a very peaceful place without many jarring sounds or humans going about. Which is the reason why, if you would like to create a dream rabbit hutch, it is recommended to keep it in either a calm place in your house or possibly a nook of your backyard that will not get a ton of activity.


Coziness


Whenever it’s sleeping time, rabbits always like to snuggle up in a plushy, cozy, dimly lit spot. And in case you have 3 or 4 or even more bunnies, you’ve likely observed that the little critters love to curl up with each other and keep each other company. Thus, if you are thinking like a rabbit, what would you want for your sleeping quarters? Mainly, you prefer a sleeping nook that's as much like a rabbit den as it can possibly be—dark, warm, and closed from the world.


Room to play around


In the event that you are in a balmy part of the world, it’s a good idea to get an outdoor hutch and run so your rabbits can get down in the grass any time they wish. And if you reside in a chillier climate, you might want to keep two distinct hutches—an outdoor hutch to use during the more comfortable months, in addition to an inside one for the chillier seasons. When you do this, your bunnies will have the chance to delight in the fresh air and grass for at least a part of each twelve months. Rabbits require a nice hole to be able to retreat into, but they also love the experience of smooth, cool grass beneath their paws and bellies.

A Dwarf Rabbit

Here is everything you need to now about a dwarf rabbit . My bunny is a Polish Dwarf rabbit. He is tiny and about 3 pounds. The Polish Dwarf rabbit I believe has developed in England in the 1800s. Some experts believe that the name does not refer to the country of Poland, but rather to its shiny coat. The Polish Dwarf is a companion to the Netherland Dwarf. He is also very petite and lively in his behavior. The Polish rabbit breeds in as many colors as the Netherland Dwarf. There are advantages to mini rabbits as pets because their feed and housing are less than the larger ones, and they are more easily handled.


That is why we chose a dwarf rabbit. We love him and he is so easy to handle. There is a saying that medium-size or larger rabbits tend to be calmer and more manageable than mini dwarf rabbits. Our first bunny was a Holland Lop and my daughter couldn't handle him as god as our Polish rabbit because he was heavier.

We adopted him as an adult so we new his size.

Any rabbit dos not like to be lifted and held unless they are gradually taught to tolerate it. He was held very much in his life, so he accepted being held by us right away. He already was house-trained and used his litter box. We trained our first bunny.

Rabbits, just like dogs and cats prefer not to foul the area where they eat and sleep and will instead venture out of their "dens" to relive themselves. Important to remember when litter-box train a rabbit is consistency and praise. So be alert in the early days and follow your rabbit everywhere. When an accident happens pick him up and put him in his litter-box with a few droppings inside. Also clean the spot with some vinegar. Rabbits don't like the smell and avoid the area for another try. Spayed and neutered rabbits are easier to litter-train. It is also important for the health and overall happiness of any dwarf rabbit.

An adolescent rabbit often sprays urine and performs the sexual act on people's legs, slippers and other pets. There also tend to be more restless and more aggressive. Neutering reduces or eliminates all these problems without changing the personality of the bunny. When rabbits start circling and love bite legs that is a sing that it is the right time to go ahead with the procedure.

Our dwarf rabbit was neutered and we didn't need to take care of it.

What You Have to Know About Rabbits

Rabbits are considered one of the most favorite pets of kids worldwide. If you ask their owners why, you will find that their popularity can be mostly attributed to their appearance and their calm demeanor. See not only are they cute but they are peace loving as well. They do not fight with their mates and more importantly, they do not bite humans. This is perhaps the reason why a lot of parents opt to giving their children rabbits for their first pet as compared to dogs and cats.




Then again, even if rabbits are fairly popular animals, there are still a lot of people who do not know much information about them. So to somehow educate everybody about rabbits then here are a few facts that you have to know about them.



• Contrary to popular belief, rabbits and hares are not of the same species. Hares in general are larger than rabbits. They also live in simple land nests as opposed to burrows. And finally, baby hares are already born with hairs unlike baby rabbits (kits) which come out hairless.



• Rabbits, whether domesticated or wild are not aggressive. This is because they are generally considered as prey animals. They would rather flee rather than confront other animals or potential predators. This explains their very peaceful nature.



However, it is important to note that even if rabbits seem calm all the time they do have the tendency to feel threatened with the slightest quick movements or loud sounds. Because of this, it is very important for them to be housed in enclosed rabbit hutches.



• Speaking of rabbit hutches, these structures in UK are generally made of high quality wood and wire. Those materials are chosen because wood is effective in keeping your pet protected against the heat and cold temperatures outdoors. The wires on the other hand are especially ideal for large rabbit hutches because it allows air to circulate within the enclosure.



• Because rabbits love to explore things and keep themselves busy, buying them toys and exercise tunnels may be necessary if you are going to keep them as pets.



• Rabbits breed quickly and their mating season is generally longer compared to other animals. To be more specific, the mating season of rabbits lasts for 9 months and their gestation period only lasts for a month. So if you are going to put in an adult male and female in one hutch, in a span of 3 months, you are likely to have 3 dozen or more litters to take care of. And if you do not want this to happen, you can either have your pets spayed/ neutered or you can simply put females and males in separate hutches.



• Lastly, rabbits do have the tendency to live for approximately 9 - 12 years. So before buying one for a pet, make sure that you can commit to taking care of them for a long time. If not, try to consider other pets as animals or better yet, do not get a pet at all.

What Vegetables and Fruits Can Rabbits Eat?

Pet rabbits should have a balanced diet to remain healthy. All the nutrients they need are found in high quality rabbit pellets made from alfalfa. When you shop for pellets, look for fresh green pellets that smell like newly cut hay. Your rabbit should get a good ration of pellets every day. Hay can be added to their diet. It adds roughage and keeps your pet entertained.

Now, on to fruits and vegetables. In the wild, rabbits will eat roots, bark, herbs, weeds and grass. What do these things have in common? They tend to be somewhat dry in texture, and they are tough enough to wear down the rabbit's teeth to keep them trimmed.

Now, let's look at the typical fruits and vegetables that we feed to rabbits. Lettuce, carrots, broccoli, sprouts, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, apples, bananas, and so on. What do they have in common? A lot of them have high concentrations of moisture and are full of sugar.

We can reach a happy medium, however. Wet or sweet fruits and veggies can be given as occasional treats. Don't give your rabbit an entire apple, but a slice or two occasionally will be fine. Unsprayed apple twigs are even better. If you want your rabbit to enjoy fresh greens every day, look to carrot tops and herbs like dandelion, comfrey, chickweed, borage and plantain. Many of these grow as weeds in the yard. As long as they have not been sprayed with herbicide or insecticide, your rabbit can eat them.

Too much of the wet and sweet stuff can change the bacterial composition inside your rabbit's digestive system, giving them diarrhea or constipation. Many rabbits that eat a few cups of typical garden vegetables every day end up in the vet's office with digestive problems that can eventually kill them.

Wild greens are the best bet for your rabbit. They love blackberry leaves, thorns and all. Blackberry leaves also help regulate their urinary tract and can help treat diarrhea. Dandelions are astringent and help with the digestion. Borage is good for nursing does; it helps them make plenty of milk to feed their litter. It is also a gentle laxative in case your bunny gets constipated or gets hair balls in their system.

Grow some chamomile for your nervous rabbits; it calms them down. Clover also keeps bunnies happy. Feed the red clover if possible, that's the tall one with the rosy pink flowers. Mint is good for diarrhea, upset tummies and dries up milk. Parsley helps reduce and prevent respiratory issues. Rosemary keeps fleas and other skin-critters away. Strawberry leaves are good to cool hot bunnies down. Willow leaves can help with inflammation.

Wouldn't you rather give your rabbit some of these delicious greens that help keep them healthy at the same time? They will keep your pet healthy and active for many years of companionship. Stay away from the garden veggies that we eat. We're adapted to them; your bunny is not. Give them greens that suit their digestive systems.

Donald Stuart suggests you can build your own rabbit cage using these Plans for Building Rabbit Cages on his website at http://www.rabbit-cages-and-hutches.com/plans-for-building-rabbit-cages.html.