Dwarf rabbits - how much room do they need?

[Chocstar]

We're thinking of getting a pair of dwarf rabbits and keeping them indoors. How much room will they need to run around in? Would it be OK to let them have a smaller run indoors, say 1.6m x 0.6m, then a bigger one outside to spend time in everyday?

Also, do indoor rabbits usually spend time outside as well?

Any advice would be appreciated!

If they are only in the outside run when you put them out then they're likely going to miss out the times when they are naturally most active- very early morning and evening. And the inside run sounds pretty small for the rest of the time.

Well, the Rabbit Welfare Association recommends constant access to a minimum of 60 square feet of space, so what you have in mind sounds way too small.
The indoor cage you mentioned would be ok of they also have free range in the house, or a room of the house, most of the time.

Have you kept rabbits before? I haven't but I have guinea pigs which are the laziest animals in creation.......they would get stressed in a top small cage. It is difficult to keep rabbits as infoot/outdoor because they need to acclimatise and build up their coats. What about a shed with attached run? You can have paved racing onto a grass run (ideal if you can move the grass run) look at Runaround tunnels. You can put levels in the shed. Ventilated the Windows and allow light . Any particular reason for dwarf rabbits? I've heard they're not overly friendly.

Rabbits need loads of space! Don't be fooled by the name 'dwarf' - they are as active if not more so as the larger breeds and need just as much room!

You can't keep buns indoors and then take them outside to play in the colder months, although you can probably get away with that on milder days between April - October. If you don't want full-on 'house rabbits' (and awesome as they are they make a massive impact, chewing everything on site, peeing on the carpet, kicking up a shindig at inconvenient times etc) convert a shed to a bunny mansion! That's what I did. With an attached aviary to keep them safe from predators. I installed a light and a heater so it was far more pleasant mucking out on a winter's night, and had a chair in there so I could sit and have snuggles with them afterwards. I think a shed is the perfect compromise.

If you wouldn't keep a cat in it, don't keep a rabbit in it ;)

As FurrySlipperBoots says, size doesn't mean small housing. Small buns are PACKED full of energy.

Like this little guy (not mine, I just love this video)

Oh that little chap is madder than a box-of-frogs
Our guinea-pigs popcorned but Bunny is properly binkying there .

They can cover 5 miles a day in the natural state so small hutches are inhumane and must be devastating to their mental health .

I haven't kept rabbits but I love the look of Polish ( the English not the American) they are more like a tiny hare . But they aren't for novice keepers and I guess they don't turn up in Rescue .

My pair of lops (Disclaimer don't buy lops they are genetically screwed, mine are rescues all with lop related issues) have 24/7 run of the kitchen (exceeds 60sft) plus room of the livingroom when I'm home and supervised access to a huge outdoor catio style run when the weather is mild.

My single very old bun with arthritis and spongilosis (Disclaimer 2 buns should never be kept alone, unfortunately he's a angry old bunny) have free run of my bedroom.

60sqf is minimum, a pair is minimum, neutering is compulsory as is vaccinating unless you want to risk sudden premature death from VHD2

I have a continental giant and hes like a dog, he ADORES my son and because hes too big for him to even attempt to pick up, he just lies down with him. I would have him free run in the house when we are home but i work too much and on shifts for it to be consistent. He has a huge dog pen in the shed with his litter tray etc, we bring him inside on the evening now its a bit colder and he goes back to to his shed at night. Spring i plan to build him an aviary type pen so he can be out all day unsupervised. Bugger clears all the gates and if he gets under my decking or shed, ill never get him out! Contis are lovely, i used to get tore up by my little dwarfs and some of their temperaments sucked. My giants have always been bomb proof.

My rabbits were a lot more energetic than my cats are. They should have masses of space really.

House rabbits can use a litter box, would you consider giving them free run of the house.

Thanks for all of your messages. I've come to the conclusion that I don't think we have enough space for rabbits indoors unless we let them run free, which I'm not keen on due to all the lego lying around! Now thinking about guinea pigs instead...