When keeping rabbits outside, everyone considers the elements. Rain, wind and cold can all be major factors to keep in mind. But there’s another important danger that many people forget — predators. If you want your rabbits to be truly safe, then you’ll need to keep them in a hutch that provides equal protection from weather and hungry predators alike.
We wanted to ensure that we were providing our rabbits the best protection available, so we set out to test the most popular predator-proof rabbit hutches against one another and try to find a winner. After using them extensively, we’ve learned a lot about these hutches, which we’ll share with you in the following five reviews.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024
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Best Overall
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Trixie Natura 1- Story Rabbit Hutch |
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Best Value
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Tangkula |
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Premium Choice
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PawHut Solid Wood |
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Check Price |
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PawHut 2-Tier Wooden |
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Pets Imperial |
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The 5 Best Predator-Proof Rabbit Hutches
1. Trixie Natura 1- Story Rabbit Hutch – Best Overall
The Trixie Natura 1-Storey Rabbit Hutch is a simple design, made from solid wood and complete with a glazed pine finish. It has been treated so it will last for years with minimal maintenance, although you can reapply stain every couple of years to potentially prolong its life. It has a main living area and one enclosed bedroom area.
The roof is hinged, and includes locking arms, which makes it simple and convenient for you to get in and clean without having to try and hold the lid up, pick up bowls, and sweep, all at the same time. The locking arms also enable you to open the roof on warm days and allow a breeze to pass through the hutch. The hutch is considered a suitable size for one large or multiple small breed rabbits.
The legs mean that you can keep the hutch away from the damp ground but it isn’t as strong as the premium options so, although we found this to be the best overall rabbit hutch, we believe it would be better used under a roof or other protection.
2. Tangkula Rabbit Hutch – Best Value
One of the best ways to keep your rabbits safe from weather and hungry predators is to keep them out of reach. That’s exactly why the Tangkula Rabbit Hutch is elevated on legs. With your rabbits perched high off the ground, they’re much more difficult for predators to reach. Plus, they’re less susceptible to nature’s elements, such as water accumulation.
The Tangkula hutch has a removable bottom tray, which makes it easy to clean. This allows you to completely remove all the waste and old bedding in one swift motion, turning cleaning into a short task. Plus, you have nearly unfettered access to the interior of this cage with three opening doors, including the roof.
Your rabbits need air, so a portion of the hutch is made from heavy-duty wire fencing. It will allow for plenty of ventilation while keeping out the hungry hunters outside. In fact, it will probably do a better job than the wood that the rest is built from, which isn’t particularly strong. But the whole hutch is sturdy and safe overall, which is why we think it’s the best predator-proof rabbit hutch for the money.
3. PawHut Solid Wood Rabbit Hutch – Premium Choice
It’s a bit more expensive than most of the other options we tested, but if you want your rabbits to live a life of luxury, then you may consider the PawHut Solid Wood Rabbit Hutch. This awesome setup provides two stories of space for your furry friends so they can play outside in the safety of the fencing or find shelter from the elements in the roofed and walled upper portion.
Since it’s made from solid fir wood and metal wire fencing, this hutch is extremely sturdy. It feels more durable than any other hutch we tested, instilling a lot of confidence in its ability to protect your pets.
When it’s time to clean up, this hutch makes it simple. You get multiple entrances that allow easy access to the entire interior. Even better, you get a slide-out removable tray in the main housing portion of the hutch that lets you clean up all the mess in mere minutes. It may cost a bit more, but we think all the great features and extra space warrants the higher price tag.
4. PawHut 2-Tier Wooden Rabbit Hutch
This two-story Wooden Rabbit Hutch from PawHut provides some great features for you and your rabbits. However, it falls short in a few key areas as well. We did like the lockable doors that helped us to feel that our rabbits were safe and secure. The asphalt roof is also nice, providing plenty of protection from sun and rain. And the slide-out dropping tray made it quick and easy to clean the main living space.
We were excited to assemble this hutch, but as soon as we opened the box, we were hit with a strange and very strong odor. Undeterred, we continued assembly and were surprised to find that once complete, it was not nearly as sturdy as we had hoped. Worse, the completed dimensions were several inches smaller than the dimensions advertised, providing less space for our rabbits than we had planned.
Despite its drawbacks, the PawHut 2-Tier Wooden Rabbit Hutch is still a great product. We just think there are better options available for the price, such as the Tangkula rabbit hutch in the second position of this list.
5. Pets Imperial Rabbit Hutch
The Pets Imperial Rabbit Hutch looks like a mansion for bunnies, but it actually offers less floor space than it seems at first glance. Still, it provides plenty of space for one or two rabbits to live comfortably with two stories of space. Cleanup is also easy thanks to the metal pullout tray.
It’s built mostly from treated lumber that’s supposed to be animal-friendly and long-lasting. Unfortunately, it gives off a very strong odor that smells like cedar, which is very dangerous for rabbits and should be avoided. We were quite put-off by this smell, even though it is supposed to be animal-safe.
Aside from lumber, fox and coyote-proof reinforced galvanized mesh was used to provide plenty of ventilation for your rabbits as well as make them visible from the outside for your viewing pleasure. But that’s not the only ventilation they’ll get. Gaps between the poorly fit panels allow the elements inside. This is mostly because the pre-drilled holes often didn’t line up properly. The result was a large structure that wasn’t as sturdy as we expected and didn’t keep our rabbits fully protected from the weather.
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Predator-Proof Rabbit Hutch
If you’re still unsure of what hutch will be the best one for your rabbit, then we’re going to provide a few helpful tips that should make the decision easier. After testing so many of these hutches, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what to look for when picking one, and we’re going to share our thoughts on the subject with you.
What to Look for in a Rabbit Hutch
Ease of Access
It’s important that you can easily reach the inside of your rabbits’ environment. It will need to be cleaned regularly, and you’ll also want to be able to get your rabbit in and out easily. For this reason, we suggest prioritizing ease of access.
Most of the hutches we’ve seen offer several entry points, though most of them are somewhat small. Look for a hutch with a roof that opens to allow complete access to the interior.
Slide-Out Dropping Pans
We’ve already mentioned the need for regular cleaning, but there’s a way to speed that up even more. A slide-out pan will allow you to remove all of the old bedding and pet waste in a single swoop, saving you loads of time and effort. Plus, who really wants to scoop all that up by hand, anyway?
Ventilation
It’s no surprise that your rabbits need to breathe! Look for a hutch that provides plenty of airflow and ventilation, but still gives your rabbits space to get away from the wind. Many of these hutches incorporate wire fencing that will allow lots of air to pass through while still keeping your rabbits safe from predators. Just be sure that you pick one with sturdy enough wire to provide you with peace of mind!
Protection from Predators
Foxes, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions; there are plenty of predators out there that will view your rabbits as a tasty treat that’s conveniently waiting for them inside of a little lunchbox. You may not have to deal with all of these predators where you live, but you may very well encounter a few. Even a big enough bird might make a meal of a small rabbit!
It’s important that your hutch provides enough protection to keep out whatever predators are in your area. Hutches made from durable, solid wood will do well, as long as they use very strong wire where they allow ventilation. But not all wood is created equal, so make sure the one you pick is built from sturdy wood and nothing too flimsy and soft.
Protection from the Elements
Predators are only half the equation. You’re also going to have to protect your pets from the elements, which is a more constant issue. Rain, heat, snow, cold, wind, etc. can all be dangerous to your rabbit. A good hutch should provide ample protection from all of these. This means space to escape the wind, cold, and rain, but also space to get fresh air and escape the heat when the sun is out.
Space for Your Rabbits
When picking a hutch, you’ll need to make sure it’s big enough for your rabbits. If you’re just keeping one rabbit, you can probably get away with a smaller hutch, unless your rabbit is really big! For keeping two or more rabbits, you’ll need a lot more space. Ensure that you pick an enclosure big enough to keep your rabbits comfortable.
Conclusion
There are many rabbit hutches on the market, but to really protect your rabbits, it must be predator-proof as well as weatherproof. After letting our rabbits try out many different hutches, we’ve finally narrowed down the choices to our top three, though we shared five reviews for you to see how some top contenders compared.
Our favorite rabbit hutch overall was the Trixie Natura 1- Story Rabbit Hutch. This safe and stable structure is made from anti-corrosion wood to provide long-lasting protection for your pets. It’s also easy to assemble.
For the best value, we recommend the Tangkula Rabbit Hutch. Its elevated design keeps your rabbits safe and dry while multiple entries and a removable bottom tray make cleanup a cinch.
If you want the most luxurious accommodations for your rabbits, we suggest checking out the PawHut Solid Wood Rabbit Hutch. Its solid fir and metal wire construction provide two stories of safe living space for your rabbits. For your convenience, multiple entries allow complete access to the interior and a removable tray makes it easy to keep the space clean.
Featured Image: Tangkula AM0150PS Rabbit Hutch
