to think thathat my pet rabbits are quite happy, actually?

[rainbowfudgee]

My friend keeps posting 'ban the hutch' petitions on FB. I know they are aimed at me.
I have two dwarf rabbits who go into a hutch at 9pm to sleep and then are put into their run at 7am where they have breakfast. They spend most of the day in the run, which is large and on grass, plus a couple of hours' free hopping time in the garden
The garden is very secure as it is walled. We keep an eye on them when they are out in case local cats jump over the wall etc. I usually bring them in the house in the evening to cuddle them which they love- they are really friendly and like hopping around the lounge as well as being handled.

Personally I think it's terrible to leave rabbits in a hutch all day and a couple of people I know do this. But as a sleeping area surely it's ok? Luckily DH or I are at home every day so we can give the rabbits lots of time and space.

I dont like to see caged birds, it makes me sad, couldnt believe the amount of them in spain. Poor birds stuck on balconies in direct sunlight, bet they don't ever get to fly about

We took 2 rabbits from our next door neighbour whose rabbits had had babies.

We could see the boy bunny on his patio being kept in the smallest of hutches. Sitting in full sun or in the cold with no company and barely any room to move. :( A friend of ours would tell him that it wasn't nice for the rabbit, but he didn't mind.

We initially turned DD's old playhouse into a rabbit house, with an outside patio. Then, when we could afford the time and £££, we upgraded them to a large kennel and run type shed thing that's ten foot by six foot. They can come in and out as they please but are completely safe from the local foxes.

PinkHeart5914

HIPPOing to say she pretty girl! Very sweet! (I like bunnies. Unfortunately we can't really have one because we have three cats and one or two of them might think of the bunny as food. The other one would probably try to make friends with the bunny - he tried to make friends with a dog once.)

My cat and rabbit seem to get on well. They often lie together and give each other a lick. I was surprised because the cat is quite a hunter.
I wouldn't leave them alone together though.

Your rabbits sound like they have a nice life, OP.

Sadly, this is not the case for most pet rabbits many of whom are single (rabbits should be bonded pairs) and left in small hutches all day.

Completely agree with ed that it is so important for rabbits to be in bonded pairs. People do at least seem to be slowly moving on from tiny hutches. So many people I know that keep house rabbits only keep one for some reason. Even in Pets At Home they tell you how unhappy they are if they live on their own.

I would go for an egloo so they have free choice whether to be outside or inside.

Sorry, but I’m going to disagree...

Hutches are only the right size for actually sleeping in and rabbits are crepuscular so today they’d naturally still be active till about 10pm and be getting up at 4am...and you have them locked in a space too small to do that.

They’d be much happier with access to a larger space

The rabbit egloo’s are absolutely tiny, even with the run extension. Rabbits like to have two exits to a hideaway, egloo only has one and the bedroom bit on the egloo barely has space for one rabbit to properly lie down.

The egloo chicken runs are good for buns but the ones specifically aimed at rabbits are just far too small.