Indoor Rabbit Room Setup: Space, Litter and Bunny-Proofing
House rabbits need room to run, places to hide, a litter box they like and a home where cords and baseboards are protected from their teeth. Every tip below comes from the House Rabbit Society or the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund.
11 tips · 6 to do first · 10 renter-friendly
🏠 Whole home
Prepare your other pets before they meet the rabbit
Trim your cat's claws, and train and supervise your dog before you let them near the rabbit.
The House Rabbit Society advises trimming a cat's claws and training and supervising a dog before allowing interaction with a rabbit.
🛋️ Living room
Cover or hide every electrical cord
Slide cords into vinyl tubing (slit it lengthwise and push the cord in), or move them out of reach, and block outlets with furniture.
The House Rabbit Society says all electrical cords should be enclosed in vinyl tubing or moved out of reach.
Don't use clay cat litter or pine shavings
Avoid clay and clumping cat litter and pine or cedar shavings. Use paper-based, wood-pulp or plant-based rabbit litter instead.
The House Rabbit Society says clay or clumping litter is dangerous if eaten and can cause intestinal blockages, and pine or cedar shavings contain aromatic oils that can irritate the respiratory system and liver.
Give every hiding place two exits
Cut a hole in each end of a cardboard box, or use tunnels, so every hiding place has an entrance and an exit.
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund recommends places to hide, all with two entrances and exits, such as cardboard boxes with a hole cut at each end.
Give your rabbits a big enclosed area
Plan an enclosed area of at least 3 m × 2 m (about 10 × 6.5 ft) and 1 m (about 3 ft) high, sleeping area included. A pen or a rabbit-proofed room both work.
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund recommends a single enclosed area of at least 3m × 2m × 1m high.
Set up a big litter box with hay
Use a plastic box your rabbit can turn around and stretch out in, with a thin layer of paper-based litter, in the corner your rabbit already uses. Put hay at one end or right next to it.
The House Rabbit Society recommends a plastic box large enough to turn around and stretch out, a thin layer of safe, low-dust litter, a corner the rabbit chooses, and hay at one end of the box or just outside it.
Source: House Rabbit Society — Litter training; Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund — Indoor housing
Cover slippery floors
Lay non-slip mats, rugs or carpet tiles with a fleece or vet bed on top. If your rabbit starts eating carpet or rugs, switch to a different floor covering.
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund says smooth floors are slippery for rabbits and suggests a non-slip or textured covering with fleece or vet bed. The House Rabbit Society warns that eating large amounts of carpet can block the digestive system.
Source: Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund — Indoor housing; House Rabbit Society — Outdoor and indoor hazards
Cover the bars of pens and crates with mesh
If you use a puppy pen or dog crate, cover the bars with mesh so a leg or head cannot get trapped.
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund recommends covering the bars of dog crates and puppy pens with mesh so rabbits cannot trap a leg, or worse, a head.
Give baseboards a chew guard
Tack thin strips of untreated wood (furring strips) onto the baseboards your rabbit chews, and give them safe chew toys too.
The House Rabbit Society says furring strips protect the baseboard and serve as a chew block, and that chew toys work better than repellents.
Identify and remove poisonous plants
Identify every plant in the rooms your rabbit uses and remove any that are poisonous.
The House Rabbit Society lists toxic houseplants as an indoor hazard and advises identifying plants and removing the poisonous ones.
Move books and plants out of grazing range
Lift books, magazines and potted plants above the height your rabbit can reach, and throw a blanket over upholstery you want to protect.
The House Rabbit Society advises moving books, magazines and potted plants out of grazing range, and says blanket throws protect upholstery from toenails and teeth.
How we choose these tips
Every tip is written from published guidance — Cornell University, International Cat Care, the ASPCA, the FDA, the AKC, the House Rabbit Society and the Rabbit Welfare Association — and links to its source. Tips that need drilling or a permanent change are marked, so renters can check their lease first. This checklist is a starting point, not a safety inspection.