Take Care of Your Pet Rabbit – Invest in a Good Rabbit Hutch

Rabbits are amongst the most popular pets and are only second to the cat and dog. In the UK there are an estimated 1.6 million rabbits being kept as pets in homes across the country, but they are suffering from many factors such as poor living conditions, being kept in isolation and soaring dental problems.

You might be surprised by the dental problems but this is becoming one of the biggest problems because people feed their rabbits muesli instead of the hay they are supposed to be feeding them.

Owning a rabbit is wonderful as rabbits provide great companionship but with these rewards come responsibilities. It takes time and effort to look after them properly. Some people will get a pet rabbit for themselves or for their children at Easter but forget the responsibilities this entails.

A rabbit’s life span is between 5-10 years and typically costs over £3000 over the course of their lifetime, so you need to be sure that you can care for it and can afford it. Many are the cases where an owner was excited to get a new rabbit but after a while that initial enthusiasm fades and the poor rabbit is left and forgotten in a cold garage or in a small cage at the end of the garden leading to loneliness and death.

In the UK The Animal Welfare Act 2006 introduced “duty of care”. This is a list of 5 things a pet owner must provide for their rabbit so it is healthy and happy.

Home
Exercise Run
Bedding
Cleaning
Care when you’re away from home

When it comes to points 1 and 2 above home and exercise run respectively you can combine it by investing in a good rabbit hutch and run. There are many types of rabbit hutches available and your choice will be influenced by your budget. The most important thing to remember when choosing a hutch is the size. It is essential to get the biggest hutch you can afford. This is where your rabbit pet will be kept most of the time so it needs to be comfortable.