Preparing Your Rabbit Hutch for Autumn

Summer is about to leave us and soon it will be time to celebrate the autumn and all the delights that come with it. Your rabbits will have enjoyed many warm nights, plenty of dry days to enjoy the garden. Now we can expect darker and colder nights and a bit more rain. It’s time to get your rabbits prepared for the change. Here are our top tips on preparing your rabbit hutch for the autumn.

6 Tips to Get Your Rabbit Ready for Autumn

1. Check over the rabbit hutch and look for signs of damp, leaks and holes. These will need to be repaired to help keep your rabbit happy, healthy and comfortable in the months ahead. If there are too many issues to fix you may wish to consider buying a new rabbit hutch. Remember to buy one that is large enough for your rabbit to stand on his hind legs, to stretch out fully and to hop at least three times.
2. Move the hutch off the ground and position it in a south-west position to protect your rabbits from the wind. Find a position in the garden that provides natural protection from the elements.
3. If you’re keeping an old hutch we recommend waterproofing the wood for the autumn. Choose an animal-friendly, non-toxic waterproof product available from DIY stores on the high street and online.
4. Add extra bedding to provide your rabbit with a warm bed as the nights get colder. The amount of bedding should increase as the temperatures drop.
5. Consider investing in a rabbit hutch cover to protect it from damage and also to provide your rabbits with an added layer of protection. Close the cover during the night and when the weather is particularly nasty, but remember to roll it up during day time hours or after a storm has passed.
6. Don’t forget that rabbits need daily exercise, whatever the weather. Give them access to a run. There are many hutches available with built-in runs or runs that can attach to the hutch, along with standalone rabbit runs that can be positioned anywhere in the garden.  Another option is to use a playhouse or a shed, on particularly wet or stormy days.

Don’t forget that rabbits need you to provide them with the best possible home in order to keep them happy and healthy. Spend a few hours doing the prep work now and your rabbits will be happy during the new season ahead.