Free Range House Rabbit

Firstly it you get it right and it works for you there is nothing like patter of bunny feet around the House and with a little thought and imagination it's surprising what fun you can have developing a Free Range Bunny Den and your bunny will never be caged.

Although initially starting off as Hutched bunnies my three treasured House Bunnies have been Free Range now for between 12 months to 2 years and I've absolutely no regrets although being a fairly House Proud mum I can say it can be hard work fitting the bunny chores in around a full time job but its well worth it.

A Free Range Bunny

My personal view is that Free Range works better with more mature bunnies and I personally wouldn't contemplate this with a youngster and Bunnies are very much individuals so this arrangement will not work for all. For example I have known mature Does who just cannot be litter trained, one bunny let alone 3 in a house would soon have you knee deep in bunny currants, not something the whole family may find particularly endearing. For this reason I think taking on a Bunny from a Rescue is an excellent idea as many of the Rescues will be able to tell you some the history of the bunny, the bunny may well have been a House Bunny before and already be litter trained. Rescue Centres will normally have some idea of the temperament of your potential House Bunny and I've found the more laid back type are more suited to a completely Free Range life.

How to Start

I think one very important factor is that all of my bunnies were introduced to the Free Range life gradually. By giving a bunny immediate access to all of your home its very likely it will become completely overwhelmed by the new freedom and this can be very often where the problems start. Build on your bunnies freedom gradually - have a cage initially and start by giving small areas of access to your Bunny and monitor your bunnies behaviour. Progress your bunnies freedom slowly - the best results take time and patience.

House Rabbit Environment

I guess you could say my bunnies are my Kids really, and the overall home environment is another important factor to consider in this particular kind of Bunny Den Bunnies whatever their environment will always remain a "Prey Animal" and be subject to the Fight or Flight type of behaviour so its important that they are to be kept in a Free Range environment that is as calm and safe a place as possible to prevent the Bunny causing injury by trying to escape to a safe haven if it thinks danger is on the scene. For this reason you should give careful thought if a Free Range life for your bunny can work along side other members of the family and existing pets.

Luckily I've had very few instances of destructive behaviour from my bunnies which I think is down to providing a stimulating environment and lots of two foot interaction with them.

Buffy and Cagneys Dez Rez Garage Den

General Area Details:-

Easy Clean Vinyl Safety Flooring used to prevent bunnies skidding.
Walls Painted with non Toxic Paint
Suspended Ceiling with good quality lighting
Washable Matting used for easy care
Lots of Willow Toys to prevent Furniture chewing.
Variety of toys and hidey holes.
Run through from Garage to back study area and to Garden.
Easy access and Tidy Storage areas for regular used items such as Litter Trays and Hays and Bunny Medic Store.

Zac's Bedroom

General Area Details:

Lots of Willow Toys for Chewing, Cardboard for tossing.
Creature Komfort Beds for snuggling and dig sessions.
Use of walk in wardrobe for Litter Tray, Feed Area and water.
Access to other areas of the house including landing and downstairs areas.
Hidey Willow Den and back of sofa area where he can lie and get away from two foots.
Easy Clean Carpet which you can just use a carpet spot cleaner on if needed.
Be aware of the safe and "no access" rooms where bunnies may get into mischief and chew cables.