You have just purchased your first soft, fluffy pet rabbit. Now you need a rabbit home! If this is your first rabbit, you may not even be aware of all the options or of the pros and cons of each. Rabbit cages and hutches can be a big investment so knowing the benefits and drawbacks of each type may save you money in the long run.

The type of rabbit cage you choose depends on many factors. The primary factors are whether you plan to keep your rabbit inside or outside and whether you are raising just one rabbit or several. There are 3 basic types of rabbit cages: 1) wooden hutches 2) wire cages with a solid plastic bottom and 3) all wire cages that can house single or multiple rabbits.

Your first consideration is where you plan to keep your rabbit. The best outside rabbit home would be the wooden hutch. Most wooden hutches provide good shelter from rain and the elements as well as some shelter against the cold.

If you are keeping your pet rabbit inside a wire cage with a solid plastic bottom may be a good choice. Small rabbit breeds do well in small cages of this type and if you want to have your pet close to you this is a good option. The main disadvantage of this type is that it would need to be cleaned frequently since there is no way for the rabbit droppings to go anywhere but inside the solid plastic tray. Rabbits tend to use just one area of their cage as a "bathroom" so they can also easily be litter box trained using a corner style litter box and cat litter if you choose to do so. This would simplify maintenance of the cage and keep the odor down and your pet bunny clean.

Cages made of wire work best if you have multiple rabbits and they are being housed on a veranda, in a shed or in a garage. The rabbit droppings fall through the wire bottom keeping the rabbit clean. Most of these cages come with a built in tray made of either plastic or galvanized sheet metal that can easily be removed without disturbing the rabbit. Be sure to compost the rabbit droppings as they will really help your plants or find a gardener in your neighborhood to share the droppings with. They will thank you and will probably even give you some of their abundant harvest. Some wire cages can be stacked so if you have several rabbits and space is an issue, you can economize on space this way.

Rabbits are very sensitive to excessive heat so be sure to think about how you plan to keep your pet rabbit cool during the heat of the summer. Whether you plan to provide fans, air conditioning or a nice shade tree may be a consideration when you are choosing the type of rabbit home that will work best for you.