# Rabbit Playground Designing, Need Help



## lollysmithy (Feb 13, 2013)

Hey everyone,

I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.

I was just wondering if you could answer some questions for me, it would be very useful for the designing of the playground.

What breed are your rabbits and how many do you have?

Do you keep your rabbits indoors or outdoors and why?

if indoors, what room of the house do they stay in?

If outdoors, what is your hutch like? (size, different levels and any other features)

Is the size of the hutch an important matter to you?

What sort of environment do they live in? (If outdoors - hutch/shed/on grass/on concrete etc. If indoors - cage/living room/whole house/tiled floor etc.)

Do you let your rabbit run around outside its hutch?

What are their favourite toys?

Are there any problems you've had with existing hutches/cages?

If there is anything else about the design of the rabbit playground you'd like to add just let me know.


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## JordanRose (Mar 10, 2012)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


Answers in bold for you


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## SammyJo (Oct 22, 2012)

What breed are your rabbits and how many do you have?
*
2 Rabbits - 1 Lionhead x & 1 Mini Lop x*

Do you keep your rabbits indoors or outdoors and why?

*Outdoors - They need lots of space, and I don't have the free space inside my house that they require*

if indoors, what room of the house do they stay in?

*N/A*

If outdoors, what is your hutch like? (size, different levels and any other features)

*4ft 6 x 3ft deep (2 hutches - 1 on top of other built together) and a 6ft x 4ft run.*

Is the size of the hutch an important matter to you?
*
Very much so as they need lots of space*

What sort of environment do they live in? (If outdoors - hutch/shed/on grass/on concrete etc. If indoors - cage/living room/whole house/tiled floor etc.)

*Hutch on patio & Run on grass/patio (Soon to be hutch & larger run & shed)*

Do you let your rabbit run around outside its hutch?

*Yes*

What are their favourite toys?
*
Cardboard boxes & wooden balls with bells inside*

Are there any problems you've had with existing hutches/cages?

*No, we made it all ourselves, decent materials and screwed, glued etc I am expanding it - extra space for bunny zoomies  *


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2013)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


Answers are in red


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## kate_7590 (Feb 28, 2009)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


Hope that helps


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## MrRustyRead (Mar 14, 2011)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...



 I have 4, a lop, mini lop cross, crossbreed and a mini rex

Outdoors due to living at home with the parents.

N/A

They have an enclosure which is 8 ft by 10ft, it has an indoor and outdoor bit with cardboard boxes and different levels.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!

Enclosure on paving slabs and soon to be enclosured grass area.

Yes depending on the weather.

Whatever i buy you cant beat a cardboard box.

Only problem is due to how it was made, but everything else is fine.


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## Hel_79 (Jun 14, 2011)

Replies in red below!



lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


Answers in purple.


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## hazyreality (Jan 11, 2009)

What breed are your rabbits and how many do you have?
*I have 3 French Lops, 2 Netherland Dwarfs, 1 Dwarf Lop and 1 New Zealand Whire, they all live together*

Do you keep your rabbits indoors or outdoors and why?
*Outdoors, I live with my parents and don't have a room for them. They will still be outside when I move into my own place though, I am happy with them in their shed.*

if indoors, what room of the house do they stay in?
*N/A*

If outdoors, what is your hutch like? (size, different levels and any other features)
*They don't have a hutch, they have a shed and run.
The shed is 6ft x 8ft, their 24/7 covered run is 40 square ft and their daytime area is a further 36 square ft.
They have different levels in the shed and in the run, as well as bedding areas and litter areas.*

Is the size of the hutch an important matter to you?
*YES. 
Keeping a rabbit/rabbits in a hutch that is too small can give them health problems, and behavioural problems. The minimum for a single/pair of small/medium sized bunnies is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with an attatched run of 6ft x 4ft.*

What sort of environment do they live in? (If outdoors - hutch/shed/on grass/on concrete etc. If indoors - cage/living room/whole house/tiled floor etc.)
*They have their shed with laminate floor and lino/carpet on shelves. The runs are all slabbed.*

Do you let your rabbit run around outside its hutch?
*Yes, on nice days when I have time to supervise they run around the garden.*

What are their favourite toys?
*Anything that involves food, hanging food up or putting pellets in a treat ball/box etc is what mine love the most. And eating the willow toys.*

Are there any problems you've had with existing hutches/cages?
*I had some hutches before that just didnt last. Then another load of hutches that had rats chew through them(from outside). My shed floor is a false floor with mesh running all underneath it.*

If there is anything else about the design of the rabbit playground you'd like to add just let me know.
*Tunnels, levels, hiding places are all great enrichment, and BIG, as BIG as you can have *

Answered in *BOLD* 

*Heidi*


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## gem88 (Jun 2, 2012)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


answers in bold


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## ma tango (Feb 15, 2013)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


3 rabbits - 2 netherland dwarf and 1 mini lop

all outdoor

n/a

they live in a 8x6ft shed with a 14x4ft run attatched

very

the shed has a concrete base, the run is partially on concrete and grass on the rest with mesh under the turf to stop predetors and escape!
in the shed i have rugs, throws and lots of hay in litter trays and cardboard boxes.

yes in the run

tunnels and boxes, they like to climb and sit up off the floor! willow balls and jingle balls.

just not big enough most of the time! i personally wouldn't go back to a hutch after the shed for many reasons.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

lollysmithy said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> I am a 3rd Year Product Designer at University and I am designing a Rabbit Playground giving more space to rabbits but making it better for the owners too.
> 
> ...


I hope this helps, there is hardly anything currently commercially available for rabbits. Owners have to resort to sheds and improvisation. Member on her have some remarkable set ups but I am not a DIY person and I have to buy what is commercially available.


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

What breed are your rabbits and how many do you have?
*17!, netherland Dwarves, dwarf lops, liohead and some motleys ! *

Do you keep your rabbits indoors or outdoors and why?
Both - according to their needs and level of house training. We like having house buns, but could not fit them all in!.

if indoors, what room of the house do they stay in?
Different groups in different places. Mostly in bedrooms, with run of landing. One single bun in living room - and we have had an emergency foster (giant bun) free range in our kitchen in the past!. 


If outdoors, what is your hutch like? (size, different levels and any other features)
Various set ups - one 6ft double hutch permanently linked to a run by a Runaround tube, another hutch/run combo, 2 enclosures with double hutches in, giving buns permanent access to lots of space.

Is the size of the hutch an important matter to you?
oh yes - and to the buns of course! a pair of average buns need a 6ft by 2ft hutch minimum, where they can stretch up too.


What sort of environment do they live in? (If outdoors - hutch/shed/on grass/on concrete etc. If indoors - cage/living room/whole house/tiled floor etc.)
Again it varies. 
Indoors - base floors are covered with underbed storage box litter trays, fleecy blankets - and soft cushions for any with a tendency to sore hocks - and the buns run in capeted rooms, with unsafe areas barriered off.
Outdoors - enclosures and hutch/runs on concrete.
*but would LOVE to have shed/run combos!*!

Do you let your rabbit run around outside its hutch?
House buns yes -but you have to bunny proof to keep them safe.
Outside - they all have big hutch/run set ups.
*It would be cruel to contain them in hutches, however big.

our garden is not bunny proof or safe, so they don't have free range. But we do have a very large grassed area in our garden, where the bunnies can have extra space to run and munch in the summer - supervised only. We used sets of metal puppy panels to create this. *


What are their favourite toys?
Carboard boxes with hay and a few treats in - similarly with loo rolls. Toys don't have to be expensive. also willow toys - they demolish them very quickly. One enjoys chasing a ball with a bell in. Some like things they can jump up and sit on. One likes to hide in boxes.

Are there any problems you've had with existing hutches/cages?
Bunnies need unlimited hay - main source of diet! So we wage constant war on hay everywhere - especially indoors!And certain buns tend to eat their hutches! Bottoms of hutches got damp, unitl we put down vinyl fllooring offcuts, that are easy to wipe clean too. 

If there is anything else about the design of the rabbit playground you'd like to add just let me know.
Needs to be predator proof! needs to be large and 24/7.
The best outside set ups have to be those you can walk in yourself, and spend time with the buns.
And a set up needs ot be seasonally weatherproof - we all have our own ways of keeping outside buns warm in winter, cool in summer. Inside buns need protecting from summer heat - we have fans everywhere!

Hope that helps. Keeping buns well is not for the fainthearted1

Do read RWAF/hutch is not enough info too! Checkout some rescue requirements. Ours local one asks for permanent access to a space that is minimum 45square foot - but rescues vary - some say 6ft by 2ft hutch, with minimum 36 square foot permanent access.


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## JordanRose (Mar 10, 2012)

Can I just say, Summersky- 17 buns?!!  I want to live in your house- sounds fab! 

Also, why have we never seen pics?


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Chaotic! - and very messy! and the vets know us very very well!


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## Summersky (Aug 11, 2012)

Basically, rabbits need a large space that they have permanent access to.

To be let out in the day is not enough, as they are crepuscular (active dusk and dawn).

They are inquisitive but have short concentration spans, so need variety and change. They like places to hide, safe, high places to be lookout, things to chew, cosy place to sleep and snuggle up, a "toilet" (litter tray), things to chew and play with. Tunnels are fun to run through.

They need protecting from the weather - cold, heat, draughts.

They need protecting from predators - foxes are very persistent.

What owners need are set ups that are easy to clean out, and where you can interact wioth your bun.

Rescues ask for a minimum space before rehoming (varies).

See also RWAF campaign "A hutch is not enough"

See also 
'A Hutch is Not Enough' - 
Outdoor Accommodation -
Indoor Accommodation -

for examples of set ups.


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