Designing a Rabbit Playground

RICK GUSH

Pet rabbits need to be housed indoors. Still, a lot of good things for rabbits can be found outdoors. Fresh air, rustic recreational opportunities, live greens to forage and, yes, dirt, are lacking in even the most Floppsy-friendly indoor environments. The solution? An outdoor “rabbitat”* for regular, supervised use of house rabbits.

Down and Dirty
There’s no such thing as a blueprint for the perfect rabbitat, but there are a few features for the do-it-yourselfer to consider.

Dirt – Domestic rabbits are descended from European rabbits, who live in groups in warrens, an underground network of interconnecting burrows and tunnels that they dig in the earth. Diggable dirt or ordinary garden soil should be high on the list of things you provide for your house rabbits’ happiness.

Fresh-cut greens – Greens should not be a major component of your rabbit’s diet, but access to a variety of fresh foliage has both dietary and emotional benefits for rabbits. The objective here is to offer cut greens and flowers in a natural upright manner so that rabbits can stand up and stretch to reach the succulent leaves on the tops of the branches.

Security – Your rabbitat must confine your rabbits while also providing shelter from the weather and protection from predators and the unwelcome attention of other animals and possibly unkind children. As prey animals, rabbits instinctively avoid open spaces where they feel unprotected, so locate your rabbitat in a shady corner of your yard, out of view of busy streets, neighbors’ dogs and overhanging tree branches where cats or birds of prey may hover. Even if secure inside an enclosure, a rabbit can die of fright if a predator is able to menace her at close range.

Access, convenience and aesthetics – An attractive structure that offers convenient handling, cleaning and maintenance will make the rabbit at an altogether happier place for both rabbits and caretakers.

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