Indoors, a rabbit's living area should be placed in a cool room, out of direct sunlight and draughts, as well as away from radiators (as rabbits can suffer from overheating) and loud noises.
This could be a large, adapted dog pen/crate, a large hutch & run complex or a rabbit-proofed room (with at least one shelter to act as a sleeping/resting area). This provides the rabbit with a safe, familiar place to rest.
Your pet rabbit should have the opportunity to dig and forage when they are outside. They should be confined to an enclosed area and not allowed to roam free. A secure backyard where no other animals (particularly cats or wild rabbits) can enter is great, but a sectioned off area of grass is also good.
Safe from Predators – Your rabbit will feel much more secure if he or she lives indoors because predators will be out of sight and out of mind, sound, and smell.
The best way to make your rabbit's life happier is to give them a comfortable home base. This means a safe place where they can relax and play. The enclosure needs to be appropriately sized for your rabbit and you need to make sure to give them mental enrichment activities to keep them occupied.
Anything longer than 24 hours is too long – and even that is pushing the solitude limits of rabbits. Rabbits are social creatures and require about as much, if not more, interaction and maintenance as dogs do and more than some cats need. Considering rabbits to be low-maintenance pets does them a grave disservice.
Onions, garlic, marigolds, lavender, catnip-many plants are credited with being deterrents to rabbits. What they all have in common is a strong scent. Garden blogger and author Shawna Coronado swears by a combination of 'Taishon' marigolds and spicy globe basil.
Here's what your rabbit needs for a comfortable home: A secure living space with enough room - rabbits are active and need to be able to hop, run, jump, dig and stretch out fully when lying down. They'll need enough room to exercise and stand up fully on their back legs without their ears touching the roof.
Like lots of pets, bunnies need plenty of exercise and stimulation. While it's often necessary to cage your rabbit when you're gone or sleeping, confining it to a cage all day is detrimental to its well-being; it denies your rabbit vital exercise, prohibits socialization, and increases boredom and lethargy.
An untrained rabbit probably should be kept in an enclosure while you're not home to supervise and at night when you sleep. Rabbits are crepuscular, which means that generally they sleep during the day and during the night but are ready to play at dawn and at twilight.
Allowing your rabbit to roam freely certainly has some substantial benefits, but before taking the leap, it's important to consider all aspects of your home environment as well as the natural inclinations of your furry little friend to make sure the free roam lifestyle is pleasant and safe for everyone.
Rabbits tend to like going to the toilet in the corners of the area. Put a couple of litter trays in different corners and see which they prefer. Use a cat litter tray filled with rabbit bedding material (such as Auboise or Megazorb). Never put cat litter in the tray or anything clay or pine based.
We recommend a good quality soft straw as the ideal bedding for warmth and comfort, particularly for outdoor rabbits. It's warm because the hollow strands trap warm air and it's also absorbent. It's important to understand the difference between hay and straw.
Small pieces of apple, banana, bell pepper, and carrot are often good treats to try. It's sure to make them super happy. To really tell your rabbit you love them, you do need to keep the treats to a minimum though.
Sleeping through the night
Most rabbits will go to sleep between 10-12 pm. They'll sleep until it's time to wake up in the morning and start a new day. Like afternoon nap time, many rabbits will periodically get up to stretch and eat in the middle of the night.
This means that a pet rabbit will still show fear over anything it feels threatened by. This may be a dog or cat, a wild animal, a human or even inanimate objects. Large shapes and quick movements especially can be very fear-inducing.
They should be brought inside overnight. They can only stay outside at night too from mid-May when there is no longer any ground frost. If your rabbits have first been gradually accustomed to being kept outdoors, they can stay outdoors all year round from then. Even the ground frost won't bother them after that.
Rabbits will remember the people that they spend a lot of time with, and this includes their owners and caretakers. As prey animals, they have neurologically developed with a strong long-term memory for places and routines. You can use these associations to help strengthen your rabbit's memory of you.
At a minimum, you should spend at least an hour with your rabbit every day. However, 3-5 hours (or even more) are ideal. You do not have to be giving your rabbit undivided attention during this time, but instead, make yourself available to interact with them if they want to.