Jersey Wooly Indoor Play Places

Jersey Wooly Indoor Play Places

Even the most luxurious cage is still a cage, and your bunny will need additional room to romp and roam.  The more space they are given, the more content they will be.  For the safety of your bunny, and your belongings, however, indoor spaces must be carefully prepared before becoming rumpus rooms.  Unless your rabbit has been properly trained, never allow it to roam unsupervised in your house.

Mornings and evenings are ideal times for out-of-cage exercise, as these are the times of day rabbits are most active.  This is called ‘crepuscular’, as opposed to nocturnal (active at night) and diurnal (active during the day).

Bored bunnies misbehave.  Even with loads of room to run they still need toys which will satisfy their need to chew.  Magazines, sticks and cardboard boxes work well and are a good investment in the protection of your floorboards and furnishings.  To prevent burrowing and nesting in the underside of couches and other low furniture, a frame of 2x4’s placed underneath will keep the space off limits.

If your rabbit persists in unwanted chewing, firmly saying “NO” while spraying with a water bottle acts as a good deterrent.  Do not rely solely on training to keep bunnies from chewing wires, however, as they can be severely burned or even killed.  Remove or secure any wires in your rabbit’s play space.  Products to hide or wrap wires are available at most electronic and hardware stores.  Never run wires under carpeting.  This poses a serious fire hazard.

Among the other dangers your room may hold, many popular types of house plant are toxic to rabbits, such as violets, philodendron and dieffenbachia.  Toxic plants should be hung from the ceiling (don’t expect them to be safe on counter tops) or removed from the area entirely.  Again, when in doubt, ask a specialist.

If your rabbit cannot hop back into its cage on its own, have a litter-box and weighted water bowl available.

For additional information, follow these quick links:

Building a better bunny house: www.therabbithouse.com
How to handle your bunny: www.3bunnies.org/handling.html
Basic bunny care: www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbit-care.html
Out/Indoor hazards to companion rabbits: www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/hazards.html
The National Jersey Wooly Rabbit Club: www.njwrc.net
The American Rabbit Breeder’s Association: www.arba.net