Rabbit hutch essentials checklist
Rabbits are prey animals, and most of what goes wrong comes from forgetting that: they need space to run, somewhere to hide, and a friend of their own kind.
20 items
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The items
- Hutch or indoor cage, sized generouslyThe minimum size on the box is a minimum, not a target — a rabbit that can't take three hops is too cramped.
- Attached run or daily access to oneA hutch alone is not enough exercise, however big it is.
- A second rabbitRabbits do badly living alone long-term — get them neutered and introduced properly rather than skip this.
- Hay, unlimited and always availableThis is the majority of their diet, not a treat — pellets are the extra, not the other way round.
- Hay rack or feeder×2
- Water bottle or a heavy bowl×2A bottle can freeze or jam without you noticing — a bowl as backup means they're never without water.
- Pellets, measured rather than free-fedFree feeding pellets leads to obesity fast — hay is what they should be filling up on instead.
- Fresh vegetables dailyIntroduced gradually — a sudden change of greens upsets their stomach as much as it would anyone's.
- BeddingDeep enough to dig in, since digging is a rabbit's normal behaviour, not a problem to stop.
- Litter tray and rabbit-safe litterMost rabbits can be litter trained — put the hay rack right above it, since they eat and toilet at the same time.
- Hiding spot or a tunnelSomewhere to disappear into when something startles them, which is often.
- Toys and things to chewRabbits' teeth grow constantly — untreated boredom becomes a chewed skirting board.
- Grooming brushMore often during a moult, when they can't groom out all the loose fur themselves.
- Weatherproofing for an outdoor hutch
- Raised off the ground, away from damp
- Insulated or moved somewhere sheltered for winter
- Shaded spot for summer — rabbits overheat easily
- Predator-proofing the runA determined fox needs less of a gap than people expect.
- Vet registered with a rabbit-experienced vetNot every practice sees many rabbits — ask before you need one urgently.
- Vaccinations against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic diseaseBoth are common and both are usually fatal without it.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- Can a rabbit live alone?
- Not happily, long-term. Rabbits are highly social and do best neutered and paired with another rabbit, despite the old idea that they're solitary animals.
- What should most of their diet be?
- Hay, unlimited and always topped up. Pellets and vegetables matter, but hay is the bulk of what keeps their gut and teeth healthy.
- Is a hutch enough space on its own?
- No — pair it with a run or daily access to one. A hutch is where they sleep, not where they're meant to spend the whole day.