Can I keep a bunny in my closet?

[Wolfefarmyard]

With proper housing it's not cruel at all.

Do you keep your tiny chickens in the house?
"6 Silkies, 3 Bantam Cochins"

I personally don’t believe it’s cruel, but I’d never recommend. It exposes them to a lot of things and most “hutches” are too small or have wire flooring, which can cause injuries and infections.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

of course! And I had rabbits where it was very hot --not here in Portland. So there are lots of options for keeping them happy in heat. Iced water jugs they can lay against is one. They are really sweet pets and you're kind to consider adopting. Hoping it goes great!

I've seen so many cool rabbit homes... one of my favorites was a totally fenced in run with some open air (no roof) and the rest covered. (I should add that the entire thing was wired-- so no solid roof in the one area--but still hardware cloth). There were straw bales stacked two on the bottom with a space between with one on top (like a pyramid). The rabbits could hop all over these, hide under them, dig through them...the potential was limitless. People get really creative. One sanctuary here just outside of Portland keeps ex-lab rabbits in shelters that resemble chicken coops with dog houses inside. They also house feral cats inside! The cats love the bunnies and the cats take care of any rodents. The cats feel safe, too, since they are ferals.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

I personally don’t believe it’s cruel, but I’d never recommend. It exposes them to a lot of things and most “hutches” are too small or have wire flooring, which can cause injuries and infections.

There's no reason to keep them in hutches when you can build a chicken-type coop and run! They love dirt underfoot!

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

There's no reason to keep them in hutches when you can build a chicken-type coop and run! They love dirt underfoot!

I agree! I often take my rabbits out into pen I built for them when it’s nice out. But I’m neurotic, so I supervise them the entire time.

I personally just don’t think it’s a good idea to have them outside 24/7. I’d worry about predators, diseases, insects, weather, ect.

 

[ginny_e]

I have had house rabbits for about 20 years, and we've got two house rabbits that live in a small room in our house currently. Both use a litter box with occasional pellets droppings outside of the box, which are super easy to clean up. That room is bunny-proofed against anything harmful that they could chew on, because bunnies do chew! We did rip out the carpet in that room and replaced with a sheet of vinyl flooring, for easy cleaning and sometimes rabbits will chew on carpet which is really bad for them. I put little throw rugs in for them, which I can clean easy (and easily remove if the chew on them). The fine fur is really the thing that I find harder to clean, but I use a cordless Bissell pet hair eraser hand vacuum, which is really handy! I also gave them plenty of wood and other things to chew on, and even built them a little castle out of untreated wood that they like to sleep in (and also chew).
The large closet you are proposing sounds like a great idea and size. If you get rescue bunnies that come spay or neutered (we did that), they have better litter manners. It can be challenging sometimes to bond rabbits. But if you go to a rescue sometimes you can adopt two that are already bonded also! I have had many house rabbits, and found that the ones I adopted from a bunny rescue are the best matches for us. The rescue will let you know about the rabbits' temperaments, which can range a lot, they have very distinct personalities and cuddlability. Case in point, we have one that is a complete cuddle bug, and the other is hands off. To second the baby gate issue, mine have chewed through a plastic gate, so just make sure you have one with metal (we have that now, and no issues). Depending on the rabbit, get the tall gate !
This is a great resource if you haven't seen it already: https://rabbit.org/ , and if you adopt from a house rabbit rescue, they will give you lots of info. If you were interested, we use Carefresh litter in their litterboxes (Chewy has the best price), Oxbow rabbit pellets, with unlimited hay and fresh water. And of course veggies. The House Rabbit Society has a good write up on appropriate veggies (not all are equal to the buns).

We let them into the rest of the house when we are home, generally they like to explore in the mornings and evenings. We've covered all electrical cords with plastic cord covers I bought at home depot, and used baby-proofing covers for the sockets.

Sorry if it's too much info- we love our bunnies, and hope you love having one (or more) in your life! Best of luck with your new addition!
This is our rescue English lop, Della with her crinkle tube. She's actually hopping around our living room as I write.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

I have had house rabbits for about 20 years, and we've got two house rabbits that live in a small room in our house currently. Both use a litter box with occasional pellets droppings outside of the box, which are super easy to clean up. That room is bunny-proofed against anything harmful that they could chew on, because bunnies do chew! We did rip out the carpet in that room and replaced with a sheet of vinyl flooring, for easy cleaning and sometimes rabbits will chew on carpet which is really bad for them. I put little throw rugs in for them, which I can clean easy (and easily remove if the chew on them). The fine fur is really the thing that I find harder to clean, but I use a cordless Bissell pet hair eraser hand vacuum, which is really handy! I also gave them plenty of wood and other things to chew on, and even built them a little castle out of untreated wood that they like to sleep in (and also chew).
The large closet you are proposing sounds like a great idea and size. If you get rescue bunnies that come spay or neutered (we did that), they have better litter manners. It can be challenging sometimes to bond rabbits. But if you go to a rescue sometimes you can adopt two that are already bonded also! I have had many house rabbits, and found that the ones I adopted from a bunny rescue are the best matches for us. The rescue will let you know about the rabbits' temperaments, which can range a lot, they have very distinct personalities and cuddlability. Case in point, we have one that is a complete cuddle bug, and the other is hands off. To second the baby gate issue, mine have chewed through a plastic gate, so just make sure you have one with metal (we have that now, and no issues). Depending on the rabbit, get the tall gate !
This is a great resource if you haven't seen it already: https://rabbit.org/ , and if you adopt from a house rabbit rescue, they will give you lots of info. If you were interested, we use Carefresh litter in their litterboxes (Chewy has the best price), Oxbow rabbit pellets, with unlimited hay and fresh water. And of course veggies. The House Rabbit Society has a good write up on appropriate veggies (not all are equal to the buns).

We let them into the rest of the house when we are home, generally they like to explore in the mornings and evenings. We've covered all electrical cords with plastic cord covers I bought at home depot, and used baby-proofing covers for the sockets.

Sorry if it's too much info- we love our bunnies, and hope you love having one (or more) in your life! Best of luck with your new addition!
This is our rescue English lop, Della with her crinkle tube.View attachment 1982213 She's actually hopping around our living room as I write.

She is adorable! Thank you for all of that information!

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Okay guys. Which of these 3 options do y'all think is the best living space for a singular pet bunny?

Bunny-proofed, bunny safe big closet with ventilation (With plenty of free/excercise time)

A bunny-proofed and bunny safe section of our garage (With plenty of free/excercise time)

An outdoor enclosure (I could always bring the bun inside at night...)

As always, I welcome any inputs that y'all might have to make these ideas better.

 

[BantyChooks]

Okay guys. Which of these 3 options do y'all think is the best living space for a singular pet bunny?

Bunny-proofed, bunny safe big closet with ventilation (With plenty of free/excercise time)

A bunny-proofed and bunny safe section of our garage (With plenty of free/excercise time)

An outdoor enclosure (I could always bring the bun inside at night...)

As always, I welcome any inputs that y'all might have to make these ideas better.

Honestly, I don't think the closet idea sounds bad at all and it would probably make spending time with it easier. I currently have a house rabbit that is free in a room in the basement. She's a good bunny, I don't have issues. I keep cords out of reach, give her cardboard boxes to chew, and make sure she has constant access to her litterbox and all's well. I've kept rabbits in several different setups (including outdoors) and this works the best for me & the rabbit.

Edit—I am assuming you do not have carpet in your closet. If you do, I'd go for the garage instead.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

Okay guys. Which of these 3 options do y'all think is the best living space for a singular pet bunny?

Bunny-proofed, bunny safe big closet with ventilation (With plenty of free/excercise time)

A bunny-proofed and bunny safe section of our garage (With plenty of free/excercise time)

An outdoor enclosure (I could always bring the bun inside at night...)

As always, I welcome any inputs that y'all might have to make these ideas better.

I think the closet or section of the garage is best. Are there lights that you can turn on during the day in these areas?
They should have proper day/night cycles.

 

[Serin]

I would not ever recommend a bunny loose in a house.
Reasons....

droppings and urine
chewing (they MUST chew to wear teeth down)

They will chew walls, flooring, baseboards, power cords, cabinet doors, furniture etc, etc, etc.​

A question.......
Why do you feel outdoor rabbit hutches are cruel?

I kept several rabbits outside in large hutches for many years. Mine lived 11 years outside.

They had fresh air and sunshine that indoor bunnies would not have.

Rabbits can be housebroken and kept like a cat.