After buying or building your rabbit hutch, the first thing you should think about is ‘this is my pet’s house’. And just like your home, it will need regular maintenance and cleaning to keep it safe and comfortable. Unfortunately, your rabbit can’t do its own maintenance and cleaning around the home, and it can’t “repair” either. Therefore, it is 100 percent up to you to ensure that the cabin is kept in good condition.
The following 3 tips will help ensure better protection and health for your pet rabbit(s) and save you money by extending the life of your rabbit hutch.
1. Protect your Hutch from day one.
Wooden rabbit hutches are mainly made from organic and biodegradable materials that need regular maintenance to extend their lifespan. As soon as the cabin walks into your front door, and before you put in any new residents, you should immediately apply some kind of protective coating to the wood to make it waterproof. Only then should you put it in the open air. When you buy a cabin, check to see if it already comes with some sort of waterproofing included.
two. Perform regular maintenance
As we said before, your pet depends solely on you to keep its home in good condition. To save time and avoid last-minute “help is falling apart” scenarios, you should perform simple maintenance checks every two months and a comprehensive annual maintenance. The annual review should be done during the summer months. This is because wood is porous and absorbs water/moisture during the fall and winter months. In summer, the wood is drier and better accepts any protective coatings you may apply.
Most of the protective coating products available on the market today are water-based and non-toxic, but it’s an issue you should always make sure you clear up before you buy. Don’t forget that rabbits are pets that like to chew, nibble and scratch, and over the years you will discover that your rabbit hutch is ‘chewy’ too, especially on the inside. First of all, make sure that the coating product is non-toxic, and then do not apply it to the interior. Also keep your pet away while you apply the product and allow plenty of time for it to dry completely before returning it to the cage.
Normally, the roof is the section that suffers the most in a rabbit hutch. This is because it takes more of a beating during the cold and wet winter months, and also during the hot summer months. These extremes cause the wood to constantly expand and contract and naturally lead to cracks that will break the cabin’s insulation from the elements. That is why annual maintenance is so important.
The regular two-month checks you should do mainly include things like checking that the latches work properly, that the wiring has no holes (or is loose), that there are no protruding nails that could injure animals, etc. .. All simple things that will only take a few minutes to check and repair, but ensure you’ll have fewer headaches down the road.
One important thing to watch out for is mold, as it will affect not only the hutch itself, but also the health of your rabbit(s). So if you spot it, treat it right away.
When choosing which rabbit hutch to buy, you can also consider future maintenance factor into your choice. A cab with a removable roof is the most versatile. This will allow you easy access to the interior for cleaning and reattaching the bed. Look for a design that requires as little maintenance as possible other than seasonal surface coatings. Plastic kennels will be durable and come with a nearly maintenance-free ticket, but make sure they’re suitable for your animal and kind to the planet. However, wood is still the main choice, much more adapted to its function and much better aesthetics.
3. keep the cabin clean
This is where the uh-ohs start to appear. Yes, you have to clean the hutch. It’s like mowing the lawn. If you don’t do it regularly, it will be much more difficult to do it in the future. The easiest way is to simply set a regular day and time for the task and get it done. You will find that after the third or fourth cleaning, the task will become a normal routine and will not be difficult for you. And in your hutch it’s out in the open don’t put it ‘out of sight, out of mind’ otherwise you’ll regret it later. Indoor kennels will generally be cleaned more frequently, because otherwise they will start to smell…
Cleaning is one of the best ways to keep your rabbit hutch in top condition, as it will prevent many unwanted problems, such as organic moisture from animal droppings, and even uninvited guests, such as insect infestations.
Use a wire brush on the outside of the cabin to remove all debris, fur, leaves and twigs. Do this on the cage wire as well. This will keep debris from building up, moisture from building up, and the cage wire from rusting. When brushing, be sure not to damage the coating you gave the outside of the cabin.
Cleaning the inside of the cab will depend a bit on the type of setup you have. First, you’ll need to remove the bedding, which will likely be shredded newspaper or wood chips (don’t use pine or cedar wood, which is harmful to animals). This is a simple ‘pick up and toss’ routine. However, this discovery will uncover the biggest problem in your cleaning routine… rabbit urine! This urine will soak into the hardwood floor and develop into an ammonia odor that is harmful if not treated properly. For this you can use bleach or vinegar (both diluted in water, of course). Vinegar is not so aggressive with animals, because its smell does not last as long and it is a more organic product. In either case, be sure to rinse with clean water and allow it to dry before replacing the rabbits.
On the other hand, if your rabbit hutch has floor fencing, be sure to clean up all the feces, as hoarding means one thing…parasites.
If you follow these 3 tips, a good outdoor rabbit hutch should last you for years and years. It only takes a few minutes of your time each week and an hour or two each year for in-depth maintenance. Nothing that is not fully compensated by the joy of having healthy and playful rabbits throughout the year.