Believe it or not, but a lot of new rabbit owners find themselves wondering how long is acceptable to leave their rabbits in a cage. Pet owners who are out of the house and work long days may be worried about their bunny sitting in a cage for hours on end while they are out of the home. You are not the only rabbit owner that has ever worried about this.
So, how long can you leave a rabbit in a cage? Generally, you want to try to give your rabbit time outside of its’ cage to exercise at least once a day. Don’t leave it in the cage for more than 24 hours in total. If possible, set up a run or an exercise pen for your rabbit to get out of its’ cage.
Today, we’re going to talk about how long your rabbit can reasonably be in its’ cage. We’ll also talk about whether or not it is okay to cage your rabbit, and if it is a good idea or not to let your rabbit run loose in your house.
Contents
Is it Acceptable to Keep a Rabbit in a Cage?
Believe it or not, but responsibly caging your rabbit may help protect its’ well being. This is especially true if you are keeping your rabbit outdoors! However, you should never leave your rabbit in its’ cage all day long. Some of the reasons you shouldn’t leave it in its’ cage all day are:
- Your rabbit will get bored from being stuck in a cage all day.
- When your rabbit is kept in its’ cage for too long, both its’ physical and psychological health will suffer greatly.
- Just like any living being, your rabbit needs to exercise and explore.
- Without any time out of the cage to socialize with its’ owners, a rabbit may become antisocial and unfriendly.
- If your rabbit is able to exercise regularly, it is less likely to become obese.
While it is all right to keep a rabbit in a cage, you can clearly see that it is not in your pet’s best interest to leave it in it’s cage all of the time. With regular time outside of the cage to run and play, your rabbit will live a happier, more fulfilling life.
How Long Should I Leave my Rabbit in its’ Cage?
Make sure that your rabbit gets the chance to come out of its’ cage at least once a day for exercise purposes. Try not to leave it in the cage for more than 24 hours in total. If you leave your rabbit in the cage for too long, this could be bad for it both physically and psychologically.
If you are going to be working for too many hours a day and will not have any time to devote to letting your rabbit come out to exercise, you may want to re-evaluate your situation. It may not be a good time in your life for you to own a rabbit if you cannot give it any time to exercise outside of its’ cage.
What Kind of Rabbit Cage is Best?
This depends on whether or not your rabbit is living indoors or outdoors. Either way, you need to make sure that you are purchasing a cage that is specially made safe for a rabbit to live in. You also need to have a cage that is big enough. A smaller breed of rabbit will need a much smaller cage than a large or giant breed. You will also need to have a bigger cage if you have two or more rabbits living together at any time.
When choosing an indoor cage, choose one that will be both suitable for your rabbit and for your home. The most popular type of cage is often made of metal wire with a plastic bottom. Avoid cages with a metal bottom, since they can irritate your rabbit’s paws.
If your rabbit is outdoors, you will want to get a weather-proof hutch that can safely keep predators away from your bunny. Do not rely on a typical fence to keep your rabbit in your yard, since your rabbit may dig under a fence to escape.
Should my Rabbit’s Cage be Indoors or Outdoors?
Keeping your rabbit indoors is considered best for its’ overall health and well-being. Your rabbit is less likely to succumb to bad weather, predators, and diseases if you keep it indoors instead of outdoors. Your pet bunny is also a social creature that would be prefer to be inside with its’ owners instead of trapped outside in the yard.
If you have allergies or another reason why you might not want a rabbit indoors, you may want to evaluate whether or not you have the proper resources to care for a rabbit at this time. After all, it is not fair to your bunny to sit it outside in a hutch and forget about it.
How Long Should my Rabbit be Out of its’ Cage to Exercise?
Your rabbit should have some time each day to be out of its’ cage to exercise. The minimum amount of time you should let your rabbit out to exercise is ideally between an hour to two hours a day. Three to four hours is much better. If you can manage to let it out of its’ cage for an even longer period of time, that is what you should do. Your rabbit should have as much time as you can possible give it to roam and exercise in order to keep it healthy and from getting bored.
The amount of time your rabbit needs to be out of its’ cage to exercise may depend on how old your bunny is. A younger rabbit may want more time to hop around and play. However, a senior rabbit may prefer to spend more time relaxing. Like many pets, the amount of exercise your rabbit craves will depend on the individual animal and its’ personality.
Will my Rabbit Get Bored or Lonely While I’m at Work?
When you are not around for long periods of time, your pet rabbit may become bored. This is especially true if it is sitting in a cage all day for multiple days in a row. However, most people need to work. After all, you will need to be able to afford your rabbit’s food, hay, and vet bills.
If you are going to be at work for an extended period of time, you may want to consider getting a friend or family member to spend time with your bunny. And if you don’t have a friend or family member who is available and willing, you could try hiring a pet sitter to come in your home while you are at work. They will be able to let your rabbit out to play and exercise when you are away. This way, you can go to work without worrying.
You could also buy a run or exercise pen to allow your rabbit to exercise when you are not around. This would be a simple solution.
Can I Let my Rabbit Run Loose in my Home?
If your rabbit lives indoors, you may be wondering if it would be happier running loose in your home. It may surprise you to know that many modern rabbit owners have experimented with allowing their rabbit to run loose in their homes. They may either establish one specific room for the rabbit, or they may even let them have run of most of the house. Either way, here are some necessary things you should know if you plan to let your rabbit run loose inside:
- The first thing you should do is rabbit-proof the areas of your home that will be accessible to your pet. Keep chords out of reach so that they are not chewed. Prevent your rabbit from getting into anything dangerous by making those things inaccessible or removing them from the area your rabbit is allowed to roam. Remove poisons of any kind.
- Training your rabbit to use a litter box will keep it from soiling on your carpet, floor, or furniture items.
- Make sure to have suitable items for your rabbit, such as a litter box, food bowls, water supply, toys, a bed, and more.
- Keep your rabbit in an area that is well-ventilated with proper air conditioning and heat. You don’t want your pet to get too cold in the winter, or too hot in the summer.
- You should also keep your rabbit away from other pets when you are not supervising them. This is especially true if you have any pets larger than your rabbit that might harm it, like a large dog or a cat.
- Prevent your rabbit from getting into areas out of your reach, such as under a bed or under a couch.
- Remove any pest control poisons, mouse traps, or glue traps that might be a hazard to your rabbit.
- If you have any children, you should make sure that your rabbit is always supervised around the kids.
If you follow a few simple safety precautions, allowing your rabbit to run in your home should be no big deal.
But if you would like your rabbit to get out of it’s cage, and you don’t feel comfortable with it running loose, you could possibly get an indoor run. An exercise pen would also work effectively. You could even set this run area up to your rabbit’s main cage so that it can come out of its’ cage when it pleases to exercise in its’ run.
Can I Let my Rabbit Run Loose in my Yard?
Generally, it is not a safe idea for you to allow your rabbit to run loose in your yard, especially not unattended. Your rabbit could be vulnerable to many possible predators. It could also escape your yard and run away. If your rabbit runs away, it is unlikely you will be able to safely recover it.
Rabbits generally do not have a “homing” sense, meaning it would most likely run off to find an ideal place to make a nest.
How Long Can I Leave my Rabbit Alone by Itself?
If you are going on vacation or otherwise leaving your home for a few days, you may be wondering if your rabbit is independent enough to stay by itself without human interaction during that time. However, your rabbit depends on you for daily care and interaction. If you leave it alone for several days, it may starve or thirst to death.
When you go on vacation, it would be a good idea to have a friend or family member take care of your rabbit while you are away. If you can’t find anyone to do that, you may have to hire a pet sitter. Some vets may also be willing to care for your bunny while you are away.
Conclusion
After today, you will hopefully know more about how long you can leave your rabbit unattended in its’ cage for. You also will have learned other things such as why you shouldn’t leave a rabbit in its’ cage for too long, and what kind of rabbit cage is best.
Related Questions
Should I let my rabbit run loose in my fenced-in yard? Most average fences are not rabbit-proof. This means that your rabbit may be able to slip or dig its’ way out of your fence and run away. Once your rabbit has run away, it may not ever return. If you are going to let your rabbit run in your yard, make sure you have a rabbit-proof fence established.
Is it okay to let my rabbit run freely outdoors? It is very dangerous to allow your rabbit to run freely outdoors. It can easily become prey to a multitude of predators. Rabbits also do not a homing instinct, so it is very likely your bunny would simply run away without returning. Once your rabbit runs away, it is hard to recover it.
Should my rabbit have another bunny to keep it company? If you can afford the expense of having multiple rabbits, your bunny would most likely enjoy having a constant companion of the same species. Remember that two rabbits means twice the cage space, and twice the food, vet bills, and other regular expenses.
