Something that makes bunnies such a popular pet, besides their cute looks, is their small size. Some pet parents might be tricked into thinking that this means they require less space, but it couldn’t be further from the truth!
Whether you’re adopting a giant rabbit or a dwarf bunny, you will still need to provide them with plenty of room to live in for good overall health and hoppiness.
In this comprehensive rabbit cage guide, we’ll take a look at why space is so important, and what to do when it comes to different breed sizes and number of bunnies. Read on to understand all there is to know about the best rabbit cage size!
Why Cage Size Matters
While some small bunnies may look suspiciously like peas rattling around in a pod, they still need a spacious living environment. This is because rabbits need plenty of room to zoom, hop, and binky to their heart’s content!
Even if your bunny is free-roaming and only spends very little time inside their cage, it still shouldn't feel like a prison to them. If they’re limited in movements, rabbits can sadly suffer from muscle atrophy and even obesity.
You should also consider the mental well-being of your buns. A hoppy bunny is one that is free to forage and explore. Without these opportunities, your rabbits could quickly become depressed, anxious, and sad. Nobunny wants that!
As a team of piggy and bunny parents ourselves, we’ve designed our indoor cages with small pet welfare in mind! They provide more room than traditional enclosures, allowing your sweet floofs to feel comfortable at all times.
Understanding Rabbit Behavior
Understanding the space requirements of your bunnies really boils down to understanding rabbit behavior in general. Rabbits are incredibly active, so they’ll want to be able to run and hop without feeling cramped or tightly enclosed.
They’ll also appreciate being able to sprawl out at the end of a long day and get comfy (yep, we can totally get on board with this one!). The right cage will facilitate these natural and instinctive behaviors - as a general rule of thumb, your rabbits should be able to:
- Hop at least three times along the length of their enclosure.
- Stand up on their hind legs without grazing the top of their heads.
- Turn around and stretch out fully.
Size Guidelines
The minimum size requirement for a pair of average-sized rabbits’ main enclosure is at least 12 square feet (and preferably 6 feet in length so that they can run and hop freely).
They will also require access to a daily exercise area - preferably open to them 24/7, or around 4-5 hours per day. A bunny exercise enclosure should be at least 24 square feet in size - even bigger if you can bunny-proof a whole area of your house!
Of course, remember that all these guidelines refer to minimum requirements only. Ultimately, the best rabbit cage size is the biggest possible! Your rabbits will always appreciate being given more space.
Considering Your Rabbit’s Breed and Size
Rabbits come in all different shapes and sizes, so it’s super-important to think about the unique requirements of YOUR individual bunnies. In general, the size of a rabbit cage should be at least 4 times the size of your bunny, plus:
- 3 times their length.
- 1.5 - 2 times their width.
- 1.5 - 2 times their height
A pair of small-medium-sized rabbits would need an enclosure that measures at least 12 square feet, including popular breeds such as the Holland Lop, Mini Lop, Dutch, Netherland Dwarf, Mini Rex, or Lionhead.
On the other end of the scale, a pair of larger rabbits would require more like 15+ square feet of space, including the English Lop, Californian, or New Zealand. While gentle Flemish Giants should get at least 20 square feet of space, considering they can easily weigh up to a whopping 20 pounds each!
Overall, this means that you should seriously look at the space you have available before committing to a certain rabbit breed. Nobunny deserves to feel crammed in their home!
Space for Accessories and Enrichment
When choosing a rabbit cage, remember that it’s not just your buns you’ll want to allow space for - it’s all their stuff, too! So your rabbit cage should be big enough to accommodate all the essentials like:
- A water bottle
- A food bowl
- A hay rack
- A litter tray
- Safe hideys
On top of this, your buns will also want accessories that provide mental stimulation and enrichment, such as wooden blocks to chew on and bunny-safe toys to play with. We’ve designed a range of ear-resistible accessories that integrate perfectly with our spacious cages - so why not have a nosey?!
Planning for Different Rabbit Life Stages
Many owners are caught out by just how large their rabbits end up. In fact, it’s not unheard of for some breeds to even reach the size of cats! So keep the following factors in mind when choosing which bunny to adopt:
- Small rabbit breeds will typically weigh up to 5 pounds once they reach maturity.
- Medium rabbit breeds generally reach an adult weight of anywhere between 5-8 pounds.
- Large rabbit breeds can grow to anywhere between 8-15 pounds, if not more!
Your rabbits may be tiny (and oh-so-cute) right now as babies, but you’ll want to base any cage requirements on the expected fully-grown adult sizes. This means that you can buy once and buy right, rather than replacing a perfectly functional cage only a few months later!
Adopting Multiple Rabbits
Rabbits are at their hoppiest when kept in groups, and at the very least in pairs. In fact, they can easily become sad and lonely on their own. So it’s always best to house 2 or more bunnies together (plus, double the floofs equals double the fun, right?).
The minimum recommendations we’ve already discussed account for a pair of buns. But once you scale up to 3 or even 4 bunnies, you’ll want to double the floorspace to give each one enough individual space to hop around!
Generally speaking, people with a larger group of bunnies will often opt to keep them outdoors, simply because there is more space available for a whole colony of rabbits. While our preference is usually to house rabbits indoors, providing the right space is paramount to their wellbeing.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide to choosing the right size indoor rabbit cage helps you make the best choice for your bunnies’ health and hoppiness. It can be surprising how much space your rabbits really need to live their best lives, but it’ll be totally worth it when you see the a-bun-dance of binkies!
When choosing a rabbit cage, remember to take into account:
- Your rabbit’s behavioral needs, e.g. running, hopping, stretching out.
- The expected size of your bunnies for their breed.
- The space you’ll need for accessories and enrichments.
- The minimum cage size requirements (go bigger where possible!).
