Can You Keep Pet Bunnies Inside Your Home?

Rabbits can make wonderful pets and are capable of living indoors as long as they're given enough space to run. While there are hutches built for rabbits to live outside, some individuals may want to be a little closer to their rabbit. In fact, keeping a rabbit outdoors in the heat with low ventilation can cause heat stroke. Because of this, having your rabbit indoors will ensure a longer, happier life. Before bringing a rabbit into your home, you'll want to bunny-proof it and find a suitable cage for him to sleep in at night or when no one else is home.

  1. House Training

    • It's possible to house train a rabbit much like you'd want to house train a cat. Keep a litter box down on the floor outside the cage during free reign or out-of-cage time as well as one inside the cage for easier cleanups. Rabbits like corners, so look for a corner litter box to place inside the cage. When bringing your rabbit out to play, keep him limited to one room at a time. You can do this either by using a puppy pen or blocking off any major doorways with baby gates.

    Bunny-Proofing

    • Start by bunny-proofing your home before you let your rabbit out for any free reign time. Rabbits, especially those under 1 year, love to chew things such as furniture, carpeting and power cords. Keep all of your power cords concealed either under your carpeting or in a hard tubing material. Keep in mind that a rabbit cannot be left alone in a room and must always be supervised. To keep a rabbit out of trouble, offer him chew toys and cardboard boxes to explore.

    Cages

    • A cage is necessary for any rabbit and should be treated like a dog crate. Rabbits need time outside of their cage every day. The cage should be used for resting, sleeping or when no one else is home. It is possible to build a larger rabbit cage, which would allow them to be inside their cage more often. However, because rabbits need to be able to stretch their legs, it's advised to let them out of their cage for at least an hour a day.

    Food and Water

    • While rabbits can eat fruits and vegetables, you'll want to supplement their diet with things such as alfalfa, hay and rabbit pellets. Make sure your rabbit has food and water inside his cage at all times. Use a water bottle to keep the water clean and change it daily as rabbits will drink a lot. You can give your rabbit an occasional treat such as carrots or dandelions from your yard, but make sure any food you bring in from outside hasn't been sprayed and is washed off.

    Other Pets

    • Cats and dogs can get along with rabbits just fine. However, if you own a playful puppy, you'll want to be extra cautious. Introduce both animals and always make sure someone's in the room to supervise during the rabbit's free reign. If you have a pet that's overactive or gets excited easily, close off the room that holds the rabbit's cage to keep him from stressing out. If the cage cannot be blocked off, cover it with a dark blanket.