How to Build a Rabbit Hutch With a Run

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How to Build a Rabbit Hutch With a Run

How to Build a Rabbit Hutch With a Run. Rabbits make excellent house pets, but it is important to make them feel comfortable. Provide a pet rabbit with a fenced-in hutch that will provide them with room to move around. This will give your pet rabbit an adequate amount of security. Be sure to provide your rabbit with a nesting box for additional comfort. The following plans are for an indoor rabbit hutch, but could be modified for outdoor use.

Things Needed

30 by 36 inch, 1 by 1 inch, 14-gauge woven wire
18 by 132 inch, 1 by 1 inch, 14-gauge woven wire
14 by 15 inch, 1 by 1 inch, 14-gauge woven wire
30 by 36 inch, 16-gauge hardware cloth
Tin snips
Wire cutters
3/8 inch hog rings
Hog ring pliers
Measuring tape
Door latch
Large cardboard box
Straw
Grass or sisal mat
Litter box
Organic litter
Food bowl
Water bottle
Pet toys
30 by 36 inch piece of Formica
Newspaper

Build a Comfortable Home for Your Pet Rabbit

Step 1

Bend the 18 by 132 inch piece of wire to create the sides of the rabbit hutch. Measure 36 inches and bend the wire at a right angle. Starting from that bend, measure an additional 30 inches and bend the wire at a right angle. From that point, measure another 36 inches and bend at a right angle. You should be left with a fourth side that measures 30 inches.

Step 2

Attach the open ends of the bent piece using hog rings. Place hog rings at five-inch intervals and make sure the wire is firmly secured. Use hog rings at five-inch intervals to attach the hardware cloth to the bottom of the pen and the 30 by 36 inch woven wire to the top of the pen. Trim off any extra hardware cloth using tin snips.

Step 3

Cut a 12-inch high and 13-inch wide door in one side of the wire pen using wire cutters. Secure the 14 by 15 inch piece of wire on one side of the hole using hog rings. Secure the other side with the pre-made door latch. The wire door should overlap the hole by at least an inch on all sides.

Step 4

Place the cardboard box on one side of the pen to create a nesting area for the rabbit. Cover the other side of the pen with a grass or sisal mat. Cover the floor with straw. Attach the water bottle to the pen and fill food bowl.

Step 5

Cover the Formica with newspaper and place the pen on top of it. This will serve as a catch-all for rabbit droppings and urine.

Step 6

Introduce the rabbit to its new home. Fill the nesting box with a cloth, straw or comfortable rabbit bedding. Place the rabbit's favorite pet toys in the pen with the rabbit.

Warnings

Place the pen in an area of your home where it will get partial sunlight. Change the newspaper under the pen on a daily basis. Change the straw bedding on a weekly basis. It may be a good idea to add an additional door to the top of the pen to allow for easy access to the pen.

Warnings

Do not place the pen in direct sunlight. Exposure to direct, hot sun can lead to an early death in rabbits. Use caution when using a rabbit hutch outdoors because predators may be able to access the pen. Do not place the pen directly on a wood surface or near wood because rabbits may try to eat the wood.