After buying or building your rabbit hutch, the first thing you should think about is: ‘this is my pets’ house’. And just like your home, it will need regular maintenance and cleaning to stay 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 hutch.

1. Protect your Hutch from day one.

Wooden rabbit hutches are made primarily from organic and biodegradable materials that need regular maintenance to extend their lifespan. As soon as the cabin enters the door of your house, and before putting in the new residents, you should immediately apply some kind of protective layer on the wood to make it waterproof. Only then should you put it outdoors. When you buy a cabin, check to see if it already comes with some kind of waterproofing included.

two. Perform regular maintenance

As we said before, your pet depends solely on you to keep his 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 comprehensive maintenance annually. The annual review must be carried out 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 the protective coatings that you may apply.

Most of the protective coating products available on the market today are water-based and non-toxic, but it is an issue that you should always make sure to clarify before purchasing. Do not forget that rabbits are pets that like to chew, nibble and scratch, and over the years you will discover that their hutch is also ‘chewy’, especially on the inside. First of all, make sure that the coating product is non-toxic, and then do not apply it indoors. Also keep your pet away while applying the product and allow enough 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 hits during the cold and wet winter months, and also during the hot summer months. These ends cause the wood to constantly expand and contract and naturally create cracks that will break down 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 latches are working properly, wiring for holes (or looseness), nails sticking out that could hurt animals, etc. .. All the simple things that will only take a few minutes to check and repair, but ensure you’ll have fewer headaches in the future.

An 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 the future maintenance factor in your choice. A cab with a removable roof is the most versatile. This will allow you to easily access the interior for cleaning and repositioning 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 an almost maintenance-free ticket, but make sure they are fit 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 come in. 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 outdoors don’t put it ‘out of sight, out of mind’ otherwise you’ll regret it later. Indoor sheds will generally be cleaned more often, because otherwise they will start to smell…

Cleaning is one of the best ways to keep your hutch in tip-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 hutch to remove all debris, fur, leaves, and twigs. Do this on the cage wire as well. This will prevent litter from collecting, moisture from building up, and the cage wire from rusting. When brushing, be sure not to damage the siding you gave the outside of the booth.

The cleanliness of the interior of the cabin will depend a bit on the type of configuration 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 throw’ routine. However, this discovery will uncover the biggest problem in your cleaning routine… rabbit urine! This urine will soak into the hardwood floor and turn into an ammonia smell 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 any case, be sure to rinse with clean water and let it dry before putting the rabbits back.

On the other hand, if your hutch has floor fences, be sure to clean out all the feces, as accumulating means one thing… parasites.

If you follow these 3 tips, a good outdoor rabbit hutch should last you years and years. It only takes a few minutes of your time every week and an hour or two every year for in-depth maintenance. Nothing that is not fully compensated with the joy of having healthy and playful rabbits throughout the year.