Hi!

I'm thinking about getting a dwarf rabbit, and I've been looking at cages etc for keeping one indoors. I was wondering if anyone could please give me any first-hand experiences of indoor rabbit-keeping? Are the cages a good idea, do you think? Is your rabbit happy living indoors?

Advice much appreciated, thanks!

Hi I had an indoor rabbit and he had a great life. I originally got him off a friend and he came with a wooden hutch which I later changed for a hard plastic one. Its bigger, a lot easier to clean and keep fresh and the metal bars are at the top so little chance of him doing any harm to himself.

I love rabbits and would love another one

Its a good idea. I have had them in the past. What sort of space have you got for a cage. You can get them enclosed ones or a big open plan one with sides that you can build your own design with i have found a website that does these cages. When you do get one bear in mind that they can escape and jump mine could jump at least 2 ft in the air. The biggest cages that i bought is the Nero 4 from pets at home. They also do a two tier one as well. You will have too rabbit proof your house so the rabbit doesnt chew. I have guinnea pigs at the moment which are brilliant indoor pets.

i've only kept my nethies outside, but they are very nice buns. with much better temperaments than a lot of internet sites seem to make out!

i prefer them to larger rabbits as they are a lot easier to handle and it's much much easier to give them enclosures which actually conform to the five freedoms

for an indoor space i would get them the plastic cages as they will be a lot easier to keep clean and odour free (no wood for urine to seep into & fester)

whichever gender you get (i've found my two males to be a lot better with being handled than my three females) i would look into getting them neutered - if you get a pair it's even more important then
it will calm them and make them less likely to spray (males) and prevent gender specific cancers (females, mostly)

I have an indoor rabbit, Milo , he has a wire/plastic cage which he eats in and wees in but apart from that he runs around the downstairs of our house like a good 'un, hes eaten a bit of the carpet but thats about it, definitely have a largish cage with sawdust and hay as he does sleep in it sometimes

Hi LouC!

I have an indoor rabbit (she's been with us for 3 years now), we have a plastic bottomed cage for her, we leave the top off most of the time and she uses it to eat her food/ go to the toilet/ lay in the hay, but apart from that she hops around the place and goes where she likes. I grew up with loads of animals, and my parents kept rabbits outside, but I got to see so much more of my rabbit's personality keeping her inside, and I'd be in stitches laughing at her escapades most days! She seems to like chasing tennis balls and I've often come home from work and my boyfriend is running about with his tie in his hand and she's right behind him chasing after it!

A word of warning though, you really do have to be careful with anything that is chewable, particularly electric wires, because rabbits will chew anything and everything.

Once you've the place rabbit proofed and you keep an eye out however, it shouldn't be an issue, they are very easy to look after.

Have fun!

Thanks for the comments guys! I'll have another look at cages over the next few days, and hopefully come to a decision! Our spare room is 9ft x 12ft, so there should be plenty of room!

Thanks again!

Have a look at this site. I havent used it before but its the only one i have found with these cages.
www.run-rabbit-runs.co.uk

I have 3 indoor bunnies, Basil, Daisy and Woolie, we have the other 6 outside I know a lot of bunnies. Daisy and Basil had babies and I couldn't part with them, and woolie was a runt and needed protecting from the others, so he got to stay in
I'd just say mind cables, skirting boards and stuff because they do like a chew now and then. Timothy hay is best for their teeth as its low in calcium. Rabbits also don't like too much noise, and certain noises scare them.
Some of my bunnies are scared of gun shots on the tv.
A cage is good to keep them in, stops them getting into to trouble, plus you won't really have to house train them then, because they'll go in a corner in their box.
Rabbits are lovely animals, and they will give you so much love back
Also there's some good books out there these days on house bunnies, so that would come in handy

being allergic to cats and previosuly not enough time for a dog we have had 6 house rabbits over the years, they are wonderful, cleaner and easier than cats and dogs.

Ours became litter trained very easily and all had fantastic personalities - very bright. We lost our last one a couple of years ago and were so devestated that our girl had gone that we couldn't face another one - she used to lie on her back showing her white tum and follow you around like a dog - oh and watch out they love toast and honey..

Getting all misty now - just remember they chew chew chew we lost the edges to all our skirting boards