At My House Rabbit, we advocate that pet bunnies live inside your home as opposed to outside in a hutch.
Not only will you ensure your bunny is protected from severe weather and predators, you’ll increase their social interactions when they’re inside with the whole family.
There are many options for housing your bunny indoors, including rabbit pens, bunny condos, rabbit cages or simply a bunny proofed room. We’ll discuss each option below.
Free Rein in a Bunny Proofed Room
One option for housing is to give your pet rabbits free rein in a bunny proofed room. A spare bedroom or home office space would work well.
The key is to make sure the room is thoroughly bunny proofed–all wires covered and unsafe areas blocked off–to ensure your bunny doesn’t get hurt.
In this setup, rabbits enjoy the freedom of exploring at a leisurely pace or taking to top speed whenever they choose to. There are a lot of tunnels and cardboard castles around the room for enrichment as well as to protect the baseboards.
A section of the room contains their litter box, hay feeder box, and food dishes on top of a plastic chair mat to catch any spills or accidents.
Rabbit Pens
Putting a playpen / X-pen in the corner of a room is another great option for housing your bunny. We highly recommend using an X-pen either as a permanent solution or as a temporary solution while building your bunny up to being free rein.
Here is a basic X-pen setup for a rabbit:
This pen includes a litter box, food and water bowls, a hay feeder, and a cardboard castle with chew toys inside.
Although enclosed by a pen, there is still space for a bunny to hop around and stretch out. There is a fleece blanket spread out to make it comfy for the rabbit’s feet, and a chair mat underneath to protect the floor. The blanket extends outside the pen so the rabbit doesn’t chew the edges.
Rabbit pens are great because you can leave the pen door open while you’re in the room and let your bunny come and go as they please.
They can be free rein while you’re in the room to supervise, but they can return to their pen to use the litter box, eat, or escape for some quiet time.
You can close them into the pen when you’re not there to supervise and have peace of mind knowing they’re in a safe space.
If you find X-pens unsightly, here is an example of an attractive pet playpen you could use:
Bunny Condos
Although it can be a bit time-consuming to set up, another great housing option is to build a bunny condo out of wire storage cubes.
Here is an example of a bunny condo with multiple levels built with wire storage cubes.
The panels are connected with zip ties. And the floors are wooden boards so that it’s comfortable for the bunny’s feet.
It contains a litter box, hay, food and water bowls, towels to rest on, and plenty of toys to chew on and play with.
This may be a good option for you if you don’t have a lot of space. A bunny condo with multiple floors extends the space vertically. In this way, your bunny still has plenty of space to hop around.
Wire storage cubes, available at Target, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Amazon, can be customized into many different arrangements.
Rabbit Cages
Rabbit cages must be large enough to accommodate your bunny. The bigger the better! There needs to be room for your rabbit to move about and lie down, as well as space for food, water, litter box and toys.
Here is an example of a large rabbit cage:
Some Tips if You Get a Rabbit Cage:
- Never use glass aquariums as they are seldom large enough and do not have enough air circulation.
- Get a cage with a front door so your rabbit can come and go on his/her own.
- If you get a cage with a wire bottom, you need to include a tile or a piece of wood or cardboard for the bunny to stand/lie on. Standing on the wire floor alone can cause damage and discomfort to your rabbit’s paws.
- Extend your rabbit’s space by connecting an X-pen to the front and leaving the cage door open. The cage can be used as a place where they eat, drink and poop, and the playpen will give them room to roam.
In Summary
There are many possibilities for housing a pet rabbit inside your home. Appropriate indoor housing for bunnies includes:
- A bunny-proofed room
- A rabbit pen
- A bunny condo made of storage cube panels
- A large cage
Whatever option you choose, rabbits need a place where they feel safe as well as room to exercise and explore. The best option will depend on your living arrangements.
If you enclose your bunny in a pen, condo, or cage, be sure to let them out to exercise for at least a couple hours a day.
And remember: Rabbits are very social creatures. Choose a location in your home where your bunny will feel loved and part of the family.
About the Author
Abi Cushman is a veteran house rabbit owner and a contributing editor of My House Rabbit. She currently shares her home with one mischievous dwarf bunny named Otis.
When she's not writing about bunnies for My House Rabbit, Abi writes and illustrates funny books for kids, including Soaked! (Viking) and Animals Go Vroom! (Viking). And yes, there are bunnies in them. Learn more at abicushman.com.
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