# Hutch or Cage Advice



## Bodwad (Feb 15, 2008)

First of all hello everybody im new to the forums 

I am looking for some advice about a cage for some new bunnies. I am looking into getting two mini lop bunnies as house rabbits in my flat and I dont know whether to go with a cage or a hutch. At first I was looking into a two tier hutch of about 4ft long. Something like this

Rabbit Shack Hutch And Under-Run 38" Rabbit Hutches & Runs UK

Now however I am unsure as to what is best for the bunnies and wether that will be enough room. They will be out each evening running around my flat which has plenty of running room (and when I am finished no exposed cable )

Any advice would be welcome. I have never owned rabbits before and this is the first chance I have had. I used to own hamsters but I dont think they are really the same lol.

Thanks for reading

Paul


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## bordercolliepup (Jan 9, 2008)

Hi Paul and welcome to the forums .

The 2 tier hutch would be fine , for the mini lops , if your worried and can afford the little extra and you want them to have a little more space you could always place the hutch inside a sercure box high enough so they can't jump over it , its easy to make one a few bits of wood and hinge them together so you can easily fold up for storage when you let them out and about, but The hutch would be fine , afterall this is the size most people keep a rabbit in ,, in as well as out.
As long as they get plenty of exercise when you can then I can't see any probs 
Hope I helped you


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## Bodwad (Feb 15, 2008)

Thats great thanks, really looking forward to having some company...its a pity I have to wait for March before I have some my weekends back 

Thanks for the help and the welcome


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## Benson67 (Jan 14, 2008)

Hi! First of all well done for carefully planning the arrival of your bunnies it's great to see someone putting lots of thought into it. 

For inside the flat, a hutch would look quite out of place I think, but of course that's down to personal taste. 4ft is fine for a pair of Mini Lops providing they get enough time out and about. Another option to consider is making a Neat Idea Cube cage. These are very popular for house rabbit cages as they're perfect for rabbits, easy to build and you can build one exactly the way you want it, in funny shapes to give your bunny the best use of the space (like a long cage along a wall with a few stories for example). It's not everyones cup of tea but definitly worth looking into!

Rabbit.org is one of the best places for bunny info, you can find answers to pretty much anything there. Good luck.


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## Bodwad (Feb 15, 2008)

ooo now I am torn 

Thanks for the information....I want bunnies


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## swinnk8 (Feb 10, 2008)

A wooden hutch is a very bad idea for an indoor cage. It will smell, collect bacteria and will be hard to clean.
Your best cage to get is a 6ft x 2ft high plastic based cage with wire top. This is easily disinfected and will not hold urine smells.
I have kept many indoor rabbits and have 20 years husbandry experience. Wooden cages are for outdoors only.
Pets At Home should stock these cages.
You are best to get you rabbits through a rescue, they pair them up and health check them for teeth and other medical problems and inject foe myxymatosis & neuter too.
check out Rabbit Rehome - Adopt an unwanted bunny from a rescue centre for rescues in your area. Donot go for pet shop rabbits they come with many problems in cluding teeth, respiratory and mucoid enteritis which can be fatal.


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## Debbie (Nov 10, 2007)

I have to agree that wooden hutches are not for indoors, they do give off a smell etc......I found that out ages ago when I had to house an ill rabbit indoors - within days I got a big plastic wire topped cage - no smells at all and so easy to clean.


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## Bodwad (Feb 15, 2008)

Ok thanks, a wire cage it is then 

I will be looking around rescue centers here in Nottingham before having to resort to getting unrescued bunnies. I guess all bunnies have to start from somewhere though so not all pet shops can be that bad 

I still need to Rabbit proof my flat and get the cage before I can look into getting the bunnies. Managed to clear some space for the cage though so I am making progress 

Any sort of food anyone can recommend above the others?


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## Benson67 (Jan 14, 2008)

Not all pet shops are bad, I occasionally give some of my unshowable babies to a friend who runs a pet shop. She only takes in rabbits from people she trusts and always asks questions before letting someone buy them. So the rabbits in her shop of mine are pedigree, well raised bunnies that maybe were a bit small, or a few too many black hairs on the coat etc.

I recommend a mix of Chudleys Rabbit Royale and Burgess Supa Rabbit Excel, it's an excellent diet (along with good quality hay and veg of course) and keeps my rabbits in good condition.


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## BlackCat (Feb 17, 2008)

There are thousands of bunnies in rescue so there will be plenty nearby to you  

If you're keeping the rabbits indoors, definitelyget some cable tidies/protectors. Rabbits are drawn towards cables and will chew them! I got some cheap ones from JML (you can get them in most DIY places), and they're very sturdy so my bunnies don't bother even attempting to chew them now. Plenty of toys and things to dig generally keep house rabbits out of mischeif too!

Feeding wise, I give mine Burgess Supa Rabbit Excel. It'd be wise to avoid the muesli-type mixes as most rabbits will eat the brightly coloured pieces and leave the most beneficial ones. Their diet should mainly consist of hay/grass though and just a small handful of pellets per day.


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## Bodwad (Feb 15, 2008)

Thanks for the advice everyone, going to try and get the NIC grids by Slemcka from B&Q tonight so that I can build my own cage. Should be a fun project for the next week and a half


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