Shopping List

Preparing for your new fluffy addition is super important, and it can be fun too! It’s a good idea to be aware of all the equipment and accessories you’ll need. Not only can you make sure to budget appropriately for them, but you can start browsing the unlimited choices available.

You will need a decent amount of money to budget for a suitable set up but with sustainable options, like sourcing quality second hand things, this budget could be decreased. However we recommend putting together a list of things you want to get for your bunny before committing to getting one so that you are prepared for the overall cost.

We’ve made the process of putting a list together a little easier for you below, which includes all the essentials to start with. Happy shopping!

• Hutch, Cage, Shed (a safe and secure area)

• Exercise Run

• Water Bottle

• Hay Rack

• Litter Tray

• Food Bowl

• Food

• Bedding

• Hay

• Forage & Treats

• Tunnels & Platforms

• Toys

• Grooming Essentials

• Cleaning & Hygiene Essentials

• Pet Carrier

Let’s take a deeper browse of all the options…

HUTCH - INDOOR AND/OR OUTDOOR ENCLOSURE

The first decision to make is whether your bunny will live indoors or outdoors. Our advice is to choose the best set-up for you, your home and your lifestyle. Make sure your bunny is going to be safe from other pets you may have, or wildlife such as Mr Fox!

There are several options you can choose from in terms of rabbit enclosures. Some people allow their bunny to freely roam, but we recommend having a specific enclosure in case of emergencies.

In terms of size, look for an enclosure that offers your bunny plenty of space and variation. They like to burrow, dig, hop around onto platforms and explore tunnels. You’ll also need space to separate their feeding quarters from their litter tray, for instance.

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund recommend an enclosure should be 3m x 2m x 1m for two bonded rabbits.

Some options to explore…

Custom-made hutches, Indoor or Outdoor: in our bunny barn we have custom-made hutches. These are adaptable in size depending on how many bunnies are in the hutch (e.g. brood does with their litters)

Get in touch with us if you’d like any recommendations.

Second-hand: Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, it’s worth checking out Facebook Marketplace, Preloved and other second-hand platforms for a sustainable bargain! Just make sure whatever you get has been cleaned thoroughly using pet safe disinfectant. It’s best to find an enclosure that has been outgrown or upgraded, don’t buy a hutch/cage that previously inhabited an ill bunny.

Commercial shop options: Home & Roost have a great variety of singular and multi-storey options, or even stacked hutches if you have bunnies that need to live separately. One of my favourite features is the attachable legs for the single-story hutch. You can adapt your hutch to be more durable during the winter months, keep your bunnies out of a draft and safe from other pets, then when you’d like to pop them outside on the grass with an exercise run attached you can unscrew them. You can easily change the hutch year-round to suit the seasons. Their store also has a great range of accessories available that are worth checking out! Other options are Pets At Home and Delton Pet Homes.

For indoor bunnies, a great option is an indoor rabbit pen. To be used for free roam rabbits as a base, to contain the mess from their food, hay and litter tray. These are available from various places and can be custom-made too.

Alternatively, you can use a cage, available from most pet stores. We would advise that you do not use a cage with a wire mesh base as this can hurt and damage your poor bunny’s paws. Stick with a plastic or wooden base with lots of rabbit-safe bedding material.

RUN - EXERCISE ENCLOSURES

Is the hutch not enough? No - is the short answer. Besides, you will thank yourself when you see how much they enjoy their run. Our bunnies love that they get a change of scenery. We pop ours in a safe wooden run in our garden. They ‘binky’, have a nibble at the grass, watch the other pets potter around the garden and enjoy some natural bunny surroundings. Remember where these cute balls of fluff came from? It’s only natural for them to have lots of space and nature to explore.

My personal preference is a fold-out wooden enclosure to pop on a long patch of grass (goodbye lawn mower!) It’s easy to put away and you can change up what you put inside to keep it entertaining for the bunnies.

When we don’t have our two dogs at home, we let our bunnies free roam under our close supervision - but we only recommend doing this if you are confident that you can pick your bunny back up quickly and you won’t be fussed about any toilet accidents.

It’s important not to forget safety when letting your bunny exercise. You must also provide them with water, a stash of hay or forage to nibble on and somewhere to hide should they get distressed.

HAY RACK

You can get hay racks on stands, hay racks that clip onto the bars/mesh of your enclosure, or you can even get permanent screw-on ones. They are brilliant for preventing hay from getting soiled and trampled on. It also helps to keep it contained.

Top tip - pop your bunny’s litter tray under/with your hay rack.

LITTER TRAY

You can litter train rabbits. Our bunnies are litter trained and we do our very best to do this at Sevenoaks Bunnies with all litters in our care. However, whether your bunny is litter trained or not, it’s a great idea to pop one in their favourite toilet corner. You can easily clean this out every other day and it’ll save your enclosure/hutch from getting damaged. You can get corner-style ones, but we use basic flat litter trays built for kittens as it gives the bunnies more space and they are generally more practical to use.

WATER BOTTLE

An absolute must-have but the different styles are sometimes overlooked. There are basic plastic ones, glass bottles, bottles with lids and bottles on stands.

Some people favour a small water dish instead of a bottle. If you decide to do this, make sure the water is kept clean (good luck with that!)

In winter, if your bunny is outdoors, it’s worth getting a bottle cover to insulate it - or pop a thick sock over it - water can freeze easily in the winter so you’ll need to check their bottle more than usual. In the summer months, make sure to scrub the bottle out with a bottle brush as the excess sunlight will encourage algae to grow inside. Covering the bottle will prevent this from happening too.

Top tip - get a pet ‘bottle spring’ to clip the water bottle to your enclosure. They’re much easier to use than the simple wire provided. These are available to order online, your best point of call is eBay.

FOOD BOWL

Feel free to be creative with your bunny’s food bowl. You don’t have to buy the mason cash RABBIT bowl at the pet store. The best food bowls for rabbits are often ceramic and enable the rabbit to graze on their pellets easily. They might perch their front paws on the bowl so make sure the bowl isn’t going to tip easily, otherwise, there will be food everywhere.

FOOD

There are a variety of top-quality rabbit food brands on the market. Different bunny owners and breeders will have their favourites. Some even mix a few so availability isn’t temperamental to their bunny’s tummy. It’s best to pick a pellet that combines all their nutrients into one substance. The mixed muesli-style feed is packed full of sugar and should only be fed to rabbits in small quantities as a treat.

Bunnies only need about 25g of pellets per 1 kilo of body weight. Either give them this once a day or split this amount into two to give twice a day.

Never change a rabbit’s diet suddenly. As with most pets, the old feed and new feed need to be introduced very gradually over time. Sevenoaks bunnies are given a small sample of the feed we use, so you can do this at home. If you get a bunny from somewhere else make sure you understand what they feed and get yourself a small bag.

HAY

Hay makes up 80% of your bunny’s diet. Timothy and meadow hay are popular varieties, there are all sorts of combinations available. The best hay isn’t dusty and comes in lovely long strands.

Some packets of hay come with hidden apple and carrot treats. These are great and fun for bunnies, but be aware of how much they’re eating. Rabbits should be able to freely graze on as much hay as they like and if they’re eating a lot of sweet treats with it, this could make them very overweight.

You can also get ‘hay cookies’ which are great for your bunny to nibble on. In our opinion, it’s best to give these in addition to long-stranded hay. They are also super useful for travelling.

BEDDING

You must use bedding material that is pet safe and made from paper, hardwood or corn. There are various types of bedding available, including paper litter style substrate and wood shavings. Some indoor bunny owners use carpets and fleece material throughout the hutch which they can take out and clean regularly. Just like hay, make sure the bedding isn’t dusty and that it isn’t going to get into their food/tummies as this can cause serious health issues. It’s tempting to treat rabbits like cats and babies, but remember they will have a good go at chewing everything at some point, so providing them with blankets and cushioned beds are not the best idea.

CLEANING

Get yourself a small plastic bin, bucket or tub to use when you clean your bunny out. Fussing with a rubbish bag and a dustpan full of wood shavings is a recipe for disaster.

Clean your bunny’s litter tray at least every couple of days and their entire enclosure every week.

Fill your clean-out bin with a specific dustpan and brush and pet-safe cleaning spray. It’s important to clean out outdoor bunnies vigorously during the summer months otherwise you run the risk of fly strike.

Be aware that clean-outs can be distressing for new bunnies or babies, so keep any clean original bedding in their enclosure so that still smells familiar. It’s also worth not using a lot of cleaning spray or any detergents, as this will also strip away any familiar smells for them.

GROOMING

Mini lops won’t require regular grooming unless they are being exhibited at a show. They will need a good brush when they are moulting (a personal favourite is the Hair Buster Comb by Small Pet Select) this is normally when the seasons change and in the summer months. Your bunny will also need their nails clipped. You can do this yourself at home with some pet nail clippers or you can enquire with your vet as some offer this within their clinics.

PET CARRIER

As overlooked essential. You must have easy access to your bunny’s travel carrier in case of an emergency and/or evacuation. Make sure it is big enough for your bunny to lie down and turn around comfortably inside, but not too large otherwise they may find it hard to remain secure whilst travelling. No matter how tame your bunny is, we always recommend popping them in a carrier or a ventilated box.

TREATS & FORAGE

There is a range of dried herbs, hay and flowers available in shops or online which are fantastic complimentary feeds to give to your bunny as a treat. Other treats can include barley rings, more commonly given to horses and chopped fresh fruit. Before giving your bunny anything to snack on, double-check it’s safe and only give them small amounts at a time.

TOYS

The best bunny toys are made of natural materials. Willow balls, hay baskets, cardboard tunnels, willow sticks and more. There are plastic toys available for rabbits but we’d advise that you avoid these in case your bunny ingests any plastic.

You don’t have to buy bunny toys, you can get creative at home with various objects.

Top tip: stuff a loo roll/kitchen towel tube with hay.

TUNNELS + PLATFORMS

Offer your bunny objects to explore, burrow or hide in. Tunnels, empty plant pots, boxes and small wooden logs are a great natural addition to your bunny’s enclosure or run.

Other Considerations:

Vet registration and monthly pet club subscription: some veterinary practices offer a monthly subscription/pet club which enables you to break up the cost of health checks, vaccinations, worming treatments etc. It’s worth checking with your vet to see what they offer.

Insurance: Pet insurance is a safety net a lot of pet owners won’t gamble on. Make sure to check out comparison websites and various providers for the best cover for your bunny. They will offer various quotes depending on various factors so it’s worth shopping around before signing up.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or require recommendations for your bunny’s set-up.