Give Your Pet More Space With a Rabbit Hutch Run

Written By Marcus Giringer

If you're like most new rabbit owners, you've probably purchased some kind of starter kit along with your new pet before bringing them home. However, you'll need more than the bare essentials included here - you'll need a rabbit hutch run if you want your bunny to be happy and healthy in its new home. Like other kinds of pet, your new bunny needs regular exercise to stay healthy. If your rabbit is kept in a cage all of the time and never has the opportunity to hop around and get the physical activity it needs, it won't be a healthy pet. When a bunny is deprived of the ability to move around, it tends to lose interest in doing much of anything and its health will suffer. These unhappy pets also have shorter life spans than rabbits which get the environment they need to do well.

Like people, rabbits that lie around most of the day and don't have the space to move about, they tend to get fat. Not just a small spare tire, rabbits that don't have the room to move can get quite obese. You only have to look at the sides of the rabbit to tell he's packing on the pounds. When a pet lies around all day with nothing to do, it'll naturally eat more. Sometimes out of boredom - also like people do - and sometimes because the food is there and gives it something to do. Without the benefit of a rabbit hutch run, your bunny can develop problems like heart failure, brittle bones, skin infections and feet malformations. Their quality of life is greatly diminished.

Many people assume that the little wire cages that rabbits are often kept in at pet stores are an appropriate home for their new pets. However, it's not the case; a bunny needs a lot more room to hop and play in and despite what a lot of new rabbit owners seem to think, these are not maintenance-free pets. Your bunny will be healthier and more god natured when it has the chance to get the daily exercise it needs. A rabbit isn't usually an aggressive creature, but when they're cooped up in a small cage, they can become so due to frustration and pent up energy.

Not only does the ability to run and hop help give your pet a good disposition and a healthier life, but the opportunity to be outside and eat grass can also improve digestion and keep his bowels moving on a regular basis. When you set up the run, don't place it on an area of the yard that's been treated by any chemicals or you can make the bunny get sick. Double check to make sure all the latches are properly secure once you put your pet into the new home. A rabbit hutch run gives your pet a safe environment from the weather as well as predators where he can enjoy his days.

Marcus Giringer is a leading authority and has written extensively on rabbit cage design and production. Check his recommendations for the best rabbit hutches at the link above.

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