Minimum size requirements - A living space

Our minimum sized accommodation requirements for two medium sized rabbits is an area of at least 3 metres by 2 metres by 1 metre high, but remember, BIGGER is always better! Essentially, when it comes to housing rabbits there is no such thing as too much space. An RSPCA funded study at the University of Lincoln revealed that rabbits are greatly motivated to seek more space than is available in conventional housing. This means that rabbits need to be kept in a space that allows them to exhibit their normal behaviours at all times of the day and night.

For example, if you keep a rabbit in a hutch, even just overnight, you are denying them the opportunity to express fundamental behaviours such as stretching, running and jumping when they are most active (dawn and dusk). Placing a rabbit in an exercise run is no better because you are dictating when they should use the space provided. For this reason, we require a permanent run attached to a hutch.

When thinking of rabbit accommodation, you need to think about how rabbits behave in the wild.

They need 24/7 access to a safe environment that allows them to do all of the following:-

Running  Digging/Burrowing   Jumping   Hiding   Foraging/Grazing   Stretching up on their hind legs   Lying fully stretched out   Binkying

If housed outside, the minimum for the weather resistant 'sleeping area' or internal shelter should be at least 1.8m x 0.9m x 0.9m high (or 6ft x 3ft x 3ft) and should always be permanently attached to a larger area - Please see Outdoor housing for more details.