Perhaps you want to be a successful rabbit breeder and decided to start your own commercial rabbitry or maybe you’re just an ordinary person looking for a small furry animal to brighten up your day. Your first and most important step is to make sure that your rabbits are in good hands. This of course means they need to have a comfy, cozy shelter. You can build your own rabbit cage or hutch suitable for indoors or outdoors or both, and your rabbit will feel right at home.
Caring and tending to your rabbits can be time-consuming work—and can pack a hefty price tag. A DIY rabbit hutch is a fun way to create a customized home for your furry friends while saving some extra money. And by upcycling old materials for your hutch, a DIY hutch is an easy way to opt for a more eco-friendly option. Today, we’ll be breaking hutches down into two main categories: indoor and outdoor. These sections will feature options that are both low and high in cost.
Indoor DIY Hutches
DIY DRESSER HUTCH – $
The old dresser that you are no longer using to store clothes in is actually the ideal piece of furniture to transform into a cheap DIY rabbit hutch!
This article walks through the steps, from preparation to decoration, creating a fun way to reuse the older dresser you have sitting around.
DIY ENTERTAINMENT HUTCH – $
It is also possible to create hutches from other pieces of furniture, such as entertainment centers! Again, this resource guides you through steps to take and the materials needed.
Outdoor DIY Hutches
Many folks with rabbits tend to keep them outdoors, and if that’s the case for you, it’s important to know how to provide the proper hutch to meet their needs. Contrary to belief, rabbits can endure winters outside, yet overall they do not handle extremes well. Both extreme heat or extreme cold can be detrimental to your rabbit’s health.
DIY CLASSIC OUTDOOR HUTCH – $$
For a classic style hutch, walk through these construction steps, which include the necessary features to make sure your rabbit is happy, healthy and safe in its new outdoor home!
If you keep your bunnies outside, here are some things to consider:
- Security of the Hutch: Rabbits love to dig. If for any reason the bottom level of your hutch is grass or soil, without mesh to contain them, they may dig and escape. It’s also important to have it secure so predators (both of land and or air!) don’t have the ability to bother your rabbit.
- Companionship: Naturally social creatures, rabbits love having company. If your rabbit is kept outside 100% of the time, the chances of your bunny becoming lonely are very high, especially if it doesn’t have another rabbit friend.
- Vegetation: If you allow your rabbits to roam free or across a span of land, it’s key to make sure none of the vegetation is poisonous to your rabbit. Here’s a list of vegetation harmful to rabbits.
DIY TWO-STORY RABBIT HUTCH – $$$
Building a two-story hutch may cost a little more, but they are a fantastic bunny home! These are incredibly sturdy, predator-proof, and weather-proof, making them versatile for both indoor and outdoor use. This article takes you through the construction of the hutch, complete with photos.
Rest assured that whichever hutch you choose for your little (or big!) rabbit, by considering their needs and the setting they’ll be in (indoor or outdoor), your rabbit is sure to thrive in its new home.
