Rabbit Hutch

I repurposed an old shelf into a 2-level indoor rabbit hutch

This post is meant to expand more on some details of the build, some things I forgot, and some improvements I made since the original build.

You can view the original album here:
https://imgur.com/gallery/vOlcW

Wheels

I added wheels to make it really easy to move. There are 5 total – 1 for each corner and 1 in the center. I’ve done this with other heavier furniture in our house too.

The doors

I made the doors by making 3 levels:

1. 1×2 inch pine boards, arranged in a rectangle
2. Add wire mesh
3. 1×2 inch pine boards, arranged in a rectangle going in the opposite direction

Here is a little drawing showing the steps coming together:

The ramp

I originally made the steps of the ramp using a small dowel rod. Unfortunately the rabbit broke (or ate) them. I later switched to 1/2 inch strips of wood that are much better.

A hay bin

A good way to encourage your rabbit to use their litter box is to provide some hay near it. Rabbits love to sit and nibble on hay while using the facilities.

The hay has lots of small pieces that fall through most of the hay holders sold in stores. So I made one that provides a small shelf to hold the small pieces.

Extra water

I try to encourage our rabbit to drink out of a bowl. Since this thing is in my living room it’s a lot quieter if he avoids the noisy water container. However, the container is a great backup which gives him multiple options for water.

On Finishing

This was a fun project to build. I had to be rather secretive about it, so after bedtime I was heading out to my freezing garage to work into the night. I had some setbacks, but was able to overcome them and learn something in the process.

Most of all, I don’t have to go outside to feed the rabbit. He’s often watching us eat dinner or watch TV. It’s not something my kids can forget about in the backyard.