Rabbits N'Rodents
Got Rabbits, Hamsters, Guinea pigs, gerbils?
Turning a Shed into a Rabbit Home
Why a shed?
Sheds have the potential of making a fantastic rabbit home for those rabbits that cannot be kept as house bunnies. Sheds are larger than any hutch and it also means that the rabbits are free from drafts, rain and you can spend more time with your rabbits as you can sit in with them.
The larger the shed the better, and the minimum size for 2 small/medium rabbits is 4ft by 6ft. There is no size limit, the bigger the better, and if you have the room, you could consider adding a cat flap that leads into a secure run.
N.B. Avoid sheds made from cedar or American pine or any other softwoods as they release toxins known as phenols.
Turning a shed into a bunny haven
1) Window for sunlight
2) Felt roof- keeping the shed dry
3)Lighting and electricity supply- out of reach for rabbits
4)Stable Door- easier to get in and harder for rabbits to run past you!
5)Lock- To keep our bunnies safe
Roof
The roof, ideally should be sloping to allow rain to run off, and should be covered in mineral felt (the same as seen on hutches) to keep the shed from leaking. In addition to this, you may wish to add silver paint on top of it to reflect heat in summer, however, in winter this will have the opposite effect.
Door
If you can, buy a shed that comes with a stable door, it makes life a lit easier as you can step over the half door rather than risk naughty bunnies from running out as soon as you open the full door, especially when it is dark!
You may want to add in a second door, one made from a wooden frame and with strong, fine wire mesh securely fitted. This second door would go in behind the front door and provides much needed ventilation on hot summer days.
The door can be removed in autumn when it is no longer needed until the spring if you so wish.
Security
There is always a chance that a burglar will break into the shed, not realising it is a bunny house, or even if they want your bunnies!! So a lock is a must! Some sheds come with a lock, and if yours doesn’t have one, buy one and make sure you have a spare key!
If you have a burglar alarm for the house (which I also recommend) then it may be able to be set so if anyone attempts to get in the shed at night the alarm will go off. I have mine set for the shed and garage as well as the house.
Window
You must have a window that allows natural light in all the time, no one wants to live totally in a world of darkness day and night!
Floor
The rabbits should not be expected to sit on a concrete floor all day, so the floor should be wooden and raised off the ground to stop dampness. A lot of rabbits pee in several corners until they find their ‘pee corner’. Adding in their litter tray can help, but it is not a guarantee that they will use it, at first. Therefore some people use lino that is secured down well so as naughty rascals cannot pull it up and chew the corners. This not only protects the floor from urine stains, put also means you can wash the floor and dry it easily.
Rabbit Chew Proofing
Rabbits chew everything and anything, including wooden sheds, so the best way to protect your shed from the rabbit invasion is to use a very fine metal mesh stripes around the shed edges (inside obviously!!) and to ensure no injuries can occur from sharp edges etc!! You can see the mesh if you scroll down.
Lighting
Very useful and almost a necessity! Sure beats using torches in the dark and easy enough if you know how.
You need to get an energy supply out to the shed and protect the cables from the rain!
Any wires from the light must be kept well away from any bunnies’ teeth!
Storage
I store all my hays and pellets in the basement as it is dark and cool under there. The pellets are in an air-tight container and the hays are in bin bags lifted off the floor. Both are kept in cool dark conditions, however if you do not have a basement and therefore need to store foods else where, the shed can be used. Although, in summer it may become too hot and all food must be stored well out of reach of the rabbits. If kept in warm, moist conditions the hay and pellets will go mouldy, so try and keep them somewhere else.
In my shed I have one shelf that goes along the top and I have a sea-grass basket containing spare water bottles, unused rubber gloves (for cleaning), spare toys and a spare brush-and-pan. I also have bin bags, and a large brush up there used when cleaning out the shed.
By attaching hooks and nails out of reach of bunnies, you can hang small brushes and a net bag for imperishable objects like toys. It works well and makes a good use of space.
Somewhere to sleep, play and hide
Rabbits are prey animals and need somewhere to sleep, play and hide, plus like us, they like having somewhere private. So in the shed you can put in a hutch with the large door taken off or you can provide them with some cardboard boxes with holes in them- though they will not last long with rabbits!
There are now large wooden and plastic houses available at pet stores, which may be used if large enough and well built. Never use anything with sharp edges or made from flimsy, indigestible materials. Also make sure the wood is not softwood like cedar or pine.
Shelves
Rabbits enjoy climbing, so to add extra space, you can add in another level by adding some shelves. The shelves should not be too high off the floor, but should be high enough to allow easy cleaning and for the rabbits to get under it. The shelf should be large enough to allow the rabbit to lie down and move about. The best place to put a shelf is in a corner thus it is not taking up as much room as if it was in the middle of the shed. A ramp should lead up to the shelf, but it shouldn’t be steep.
Toys
Good toys for sheds are tunnels, empty carboard boxes with a hole cut out of them. For some ideas go here:
The Run
If you have room left, then please consider a run, many rabbits love to get out 
of the shed for some fresh air and a view of their surroundings. Mine have a run attached to the shed and they spend the majority of their time sniffing and snoozing out there.
How to make the ideal run
The run should be large enough to allow all the rabbits to lie down and hop around. It should be attached to the shed using a large cat flap or a tube with a suitable flap so as the rabbits can be shut in at night and to stop vermin from getting into the shed at night time!
The run can be raised off the ground with a secure wooden floor, or it can be on the ground. If it is to be on the ground then care must be taken that the rabbit cannot burrow out, or worse a dog or fox can burrow in!!!! So if you were planning a nice patch of grass, be careful and be sure to always lock the rabbits in at night and patch any burrow attempts as you find them! If you have an open garden where rabbits can easily move from your garden to another, do not place 
the run on burrow able ground!
The run itself should be made from a sturdy wooden frame, with strong wire mesh attached very well. There should be no glue, nails or splinters left where a rabbit can hurt themselves and a lid on the top of the run for easy access are important factors to consider.
In wet weather, a waterproof cover should be put over the run to stop wet feet from soaking the inside of shed and all the nice hay!
The cat flap or tube should be secured well and big enough for rabbits to charge in and out off! When you cut a hole in the shed, remember to seal it with a waterproof sealer/paint to stop damp from getting in. The waterproof sealer/paint is very strong smelling so all pets should be kept away until the fumes have gone.
Safe Food List
Suitable Vegetables and plants are:
- Bok Choi
- Broccoli
- Brussell Sprouts*
- Cabbage* (savoy)
- Carrots- including tops
- Camomile
- Cauliflower greens*
- Celeriac
- Celery- cut small to avoid choking on stringy bits and include the leaves
- Chervil
- Chicory
- Clover (white, NOT red)- limit, part of clover is used as rat poision, so small amounts
- Coltsfoot
- Cucumber
- Dandelion*
- Fat Hen
- Fennel
- Groundsel*
- Goosefoot
- Goosegrass
- Hedge Parsely (not fool's parsely)
- Kale *
- Pak Choi
- Spinach*
- Spring greens
- Tomato (feed sparingly)
- watercress
Suitable Herbs are:
- Basil
- Coriander/cilantro
- Dill-usually not the most favoured, but some like it
- Heather
- lavender
- peppermint
- oregano
- parsley* (not fool's parsely!)
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
* means that these veggies should be strictly limited to no more than 2 or 3 portions a week as they are either very gasious (cauliflower, cabbage etc), very high in calcium (parsely, cabbage etc) or they are oxalates which can be toxic if fed in large amounts of a long period of time (ie spinach and kale etc).
Safe Flowers
- Carnation
- Hollyhock
- Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Rose
- Sunflower
Safe plant leaves (rinsed and young- do not feed old, decaying leaves)
- Apple
- Blackberry
- Pear
- Raspberry
- Strawberry
Safe wood
- Apple
- Birch
- Maple
- Pear
- Willow
AVOID:
- Azeala
- Blubous Plants
- Bigwort
- Bluebell
- Buttercups
- Clover(red)
- Clematis
- Cherry tree wood
- Corn
- Cowslip
- Crocus
- Daffodil
- (Deadly) Nightshade
- Dog's Mercury
- Evergreens
- Fool's Parsely
- Foxglove
- Grapes, not toxic in small amounts, and some people feed them, but they can cause adverse effects, especially red grapes
- Hemlock
- Holly
- Ivy
- Lemons and limes
- Lettuce (causes tummy upsets, contains no nutritional benefit and can cause diarrhoea)
- Milkweed
- Mistletoe
- Peas
- Peach leaves and wood
- Plum leaves and wood
- Poppy
- Potato
- Primrose
- Ragwort
- Raw Potato and potato leaves
- Red Clover
- Rhododendron
- Rubarb including leaves and stalk
- Snowdrops
- Tomato leaves
- Woodsorrel
- Yew
- Anything else you are unsure about - If In Doubt, Leave It Out!
The Importance of Hay
Hay is the most important part of a rabbits diet, besides water, and should make up 80% of their diet, but why? Rabbits being herbivores need a high fibre 
diet, and have a digestive system which is built to digest fibrous foods and in the wild would eat grass throughout the day. In fact, a rabbit has the longest digestive system for their size compared to any other living animal! Therefore, a rabbit cannot thrive on a diet high in carbohydrates or protein, and if put on a pellet diet or one high in treats like bread, oats and sugary treats will cause the rabbit to become overweight, have soft poos, stomach upsets, teeth problems and will suffer from boredom.
Hay, other than fresh grass, is the closest thing to a rabbit's natural diet and gives the rabbits the roughage they need, and ultimately keeps their digestive tracks healthy, teeth in good shape and poos well formed. Adult rabbits also require a diet low in protein and low in calcium which hay provides, as a diet too high in protein can cause obesity and even kidney problems, and as rabbits absorb all calcium from their food, rather than just what they need, too much calcium causes sludgy bladder and bladder stones, both of which are serious conditions.
Due to the amount of chewing hay requires, it keeps teeth short and prevents teeth from overgrowing and molar spurs from developing etc, whereas pellets require rabbits the chew differently which can cause all sorts of problems. As hay requires so much chewing, and because it is so fibrous to digest, rabbits eat regularly throughout the day, and if they stop eating for longer than 48-72 hours their systems shut down, and liver failure may occur, showing how delicate their digestive system is. If we take humans, we couldn't live off grass, as it takes much more energy to digest it than what it provides us, but rabbits don't have this problem so long as they have a constant supply of hay. This is why a rabbit should always have hay and lots of it, a rabbit should never be left without food (even before surgery as they have a flap of skin over the stomach meaning they can't vomit).
Barbering
Barbering is the term used when a rabbit pulls out its own fur, or another rabbit's for no apprant reason. This can become an obessive behaviour, and there are steps you can take to prevent it. Signs of barbering is when your rabbits have patches of fur missing and the skin may look inflammed or may even have small cuts, which will need washed out with a saline solution.
The most common reason is that the rabbits or bored and have nothing to chew, so be sure to give them a big enough cage and giving them plenty of hay and other chew toys, like untreated willow baskets/balls and if you can, give them a variety of hay and dried grasses, like timothy, oat, brome, meadow, orchard grass etc, although avoid alfalfa and try to make sure Timothy hay makes up the majority of hay provided. Other good chew toys are toilet roll tubes stuffed with hay and cardboard boxes are all great as are other toys to help keep them amused.
Sometimes hairloss and barbering can be realted to a skin disease, so if you notice your rabbits have a lot of barbering signs, it is a good idea to get them checked out by an exotic vet incase of mites or fleas.
Some rabbits will pull out and eat fur, usually around the ears and eyes and back and sometimes whiskers of other bunnies, and so long as the rabbit doesn't get sores and it isn't obsessive, they can be left together. If it is serious barbering, they may need to be spilt up, however, before that, you can try putting vinegar on the area, but only a little bit, and not if there are any sores in the infected area, as rabbits are usually put-off by the smell.
Keeping Your Bunny Busy
Rabbits are not dumb animals, and they need toys to keep their minds active. Providing your rabbits with toys minimises/stops destructive behaviour and is very beneficial for their mental and physical health. Toys do not have to be grand and expensive, but your rabbit should have access to toys that allow them to do the following things: chew, climb, throw, burrow, re-arrange and hide.
So here are a few reasons as to why you should provide these types and some good toy ideas for each type.
Chewing: Rabbits love to chew! and unless you provide them with stuff to chew that lovely wallpaper you have will get shredded! The best chew thing for your rabbit is........HAY! Hay requires a lot of mental effort and will keep them happy. Also as rabbits eat little and often, hay is perfect, and keeps their teeth in great shape! Hay should always be provided in unlimited quantities right throughout the lifecycle! Rabbits may become a bit tired of the same old hay, so why not add in a handful of some other type of hay? Oat, brome, meadow, timothy, readigrass and orchard grass are all favourites, and provides them with the fibre they need! As I live in the UK, I have no access to Timothy hay unless I get it delivered in large batches, so as it is not practical, mine get meadow hay as their main hay with several handfuls of other hays listed above. Mine go nuts for oat and orchard grass, and do enjoy the others listed above! Remember not to feed alfalfa to adult rabbits as it is too high in calcium! Other great chew toys are untreated willow /wicker baskets, straw plaits, toilet roll tubes stuffed with their favourite hay, willow balls, carboard boxes (cut holes in the boxes and you have a mini bunny castle!) and untreated appletree branches. You can see some of the great chewing items that I ordered online below!
Climbing: Some rabbits love climbing, some are so keen, but you will probably find, given the chance your pet bunny will take any opportunity to climb! Try and provide objects to climb and explore, like wooden/plastic small animal houses or cardboard boxes(with a hole cut in it).
Throwing:You don't get much funnier than watching a rabbit flinging and tossing around their toys and anything set down in their path! I find toilet roll tubes, straw plaits and willow balls all make great flinging objects for bunnies.
Digging: Try and provide something for bunnies to dig in, like a cardboard box filled with hay. This provides great physical and mental stimulation, and helps to keep rabbits busy!
Re-arrange:Rabbits love to move things around to suit their liking, so by providing toys and large objects like boxes, rabbits can move them around. They all love doing that, believe me!
Hiding: Rabbits are prey animals, so it is only natural that they want somewhere to hide, so give them a cardboard box, a plastic/wooden hideout. They will use this place when they feel threatened or just want somewhere to sleep. Cardboard boxes always work well!
Moulting
Rabbits moult every three months, two are heavy, the other two are so light you might not even notice them! The two heaviest are when the rabbits are loosing their summer coat for their thicker autumn/winter coat, and when loosing their winter coat for spring/summer.
Grooming rabbits with a soft bristled brush helps them get rid of excess hair lying on their coats, and during heavy sheds, grooming needs to be done daily. A damp cloth wiped over surface areas helps to pick up stray hairs quite well. For house rabbits, extra hoovering will probably be needed.
Another thing to remember is that rabbits are at greater risk of blockages and hairballs forming in their stomachs. Unlike cats, rabbits cannot cough up hairballs due to a flap of skin over their stomach, which also prevents them from vomiting. Therefore grooming them and keeping the place as hair free as possible is very important, but as rabbits groom themselves and each other all the time, they are at risk of hairballs. So feeding a teaspoon of fresh pineapple is recommended as the enzymes in the pineapple help break down food in the stomach, meaning there is less chance of a blockage forming. However, the pineapple must be fresh, as dried or tinned do not contain the live enzymes and is therefore pointless. If your rabbits are not fond of pineapple you can try just offering the juice or try papaya which has the same effect.