Rabbit Cage Size Calculator
Calculate the optimal cage dimensions for your rabbit based on weight, breed size, and activity level to ensure proper welfare standards
🐰 Calculate Minimum Cage Requirements
Rabbits should be kept in pairs
🔬 Scientific Cage Size Formulas
Minimum Floor Area Formula (Animal Welfare Act)
For rabbits weighing less than 4.4 lbs: minimum 1.5 sq ft
For rabbits 4.4-8.8 lbs: minimum 3 sq ft
For rabbits 8.8-12 lbs: minimum 4 sq ft
For rabbits over 12 lbs: minimum 5 sq ft
Length Requirement (Hop Distance)
Where Hop Distance ≈ 1.5 ft (small) to 2 ft (large)
Minimum length allows 3-4 consecutive hops
Width Requirement (Stretch Length)
Small rabbits: ~2 ft width minimum
Medium rabbits: ~2.5 ft width minimum
Large/Giant rabbits: ~3 ft width minimum
Height Requirement (Standing Upright)
General minimums: 14-18 inches (small) to 24+ inches (giant)
Ears must not touch the roof when standing
📊 Official Size Guidelines by Weight
📏 RSPCA Gold Standard Recommendation:
For 2 average rabbits: 3m × 2m × 1m high (10ft × 6.5ft × 3.3ft) as a single enclosed space including sleeping area and exercise zone—this allows running, not just hopping.
🎯 Why Proper Cage Size Matters
Physical Health
Inadequate space causes spine problems, muscle wastage, obesity, and joint issues—rabbits need room to hop, stretch, and exercise to maintain healthy bones and muscles throughout their 8-12 year lifespan.
Mental Wellbeing
Cramped spaces lead to boredom, depression, aggression, and destructive behaviors—rabbits are intelligent, active animals requiring environmental enrichment and space for natural behaviors like running and jumping.
Natural Movement
Rabbits naturally hop 3-4 times to survey surroundings and run at speeds up to 35 mph when startled—minimum cage dimensions must allow these instinctive movements to prevent behavioral and physical problems.
Safety Monitoring
Rabbits stand upright on hind legs to scan for predators—cages must have sufficient height for this natural behavior without ears touching the roof, allowing proper environmental awareness and reducing stress levels.
Social Interaction
Bonded rabbit pairs need space to coexist peacefully—too little space causes territorial aggression and prevents normal social behaviors like grooming, playing, and resting together that are essential for rabbit happiness.
Legal Compliance
Many jurisdictions enforce minimum cage size laws based on Animal Welfare Acts—providing adequate space ensures compliance with legal standards and protects both rabbit welfare and owner responsibilities under animal protection legislation.
🏡 Essential Housing Features Beyond Size
🛏️ Solid Flooring Required
Wire mesh or slatted floors are prohibited—they cause painful foot sores (pododermatitis), leg injuries, and severe discomfort. Use solid wood, vinyl, or carpet flooring with absorbent bedding like hay or paper-based litter for traction and comfort.
🏃 Separate Exercise Area
Sleeping quarters are NOT sufficient—rabbits need an attached run of at least 32 sq ft (3m²) for daily exercise, ideally with 24/7 access. Total combined space should exceed 60 sq ft for optimal welfare and behavioral health.
☀️ Weather Protection
Outdoor hutches require weatherproof roofing, draft-free shelter areas, protection from direct sunlight, predator-proof construction with secure latches, and adequate ventilation without creating drafts that can cause respiratory infections.
🎨 Environmental Enrichment
Include hiding boxes, tunnels, platforms at different levels, chew toys, digging boxes with safe substrate, and multiple food/water stations—enrichment prevents boredom and encourages natural foraging, exploring, and playing behaviors.
🧹 Easy Maintenance Access
Design must allow daily spot-cleaning and weekly full cleaning—provide large access doors, removable trays, easy-to-clean surfaces, and adequate working space to maintain hygiene without disturbing rabbits excessively or causing unnecessary stress.
🐇 Common Breeds and Recommended Housing
Netherland Dwarf
Weight: 2-2.5 lbs | Min: 1.5 sq ft | Ideal: 12+ sq ft
Holland Lop
Weight: 2-4 lbs | Min: 1.5 sq ft | Ideal: 12+ sq ft
Mini Rex
Weight: 3-4.5 lbs | Min: 1.5-3 sq ft | Ideal: 16+ sq ft
Dutch
Weight: 4-5.5 lbs | Min: 3 sq ft | Ideal: 16+ sq ft
Mini Lop
Weight: 4.5-6.5 lbs | Min: 3 sq ft | Ideal: 20+ sq ft
Lionhead
Weight: 2.5-3.75 lbs | Min: 1.5-3 sq ft | Ideal: 16+ sq ft
Californian
Weight: 8-11 lbs | Min: 4 sq ft | Ideal: 24+ sq ft
New Zealand
Weight: 9-12 lbs | Min: 4 sq ft | Ideal: 24+ sq ft
Flemish Giant
Weight: 14-20+ lbs | Min: 5+ sq ft | Ideal: 30+ sq ft
French Lop
Weight: 10-15 lbs | Min: 5 sq ft | Ideal: 30+ sq ft
⚠️ Critical Housing Warnings
❌ Never Use Wire Floors:
Wire mesh flooring causes severe foot injuries, pain, and permanent damage—rabbits' feet lack protective pads and are anatomically unsuited to wire surfaces. Always provide solid flooring with appropriate bedding material for comfort and health.
🚫 Minimum ≠ Recommended:
Legal minimum standards represent bare survival conditions, not optimal welfare—rabbits living in minimum-sized cages experience reduced lifespan, behavioral problems, and health issues. Always provide the largest space possible, ideally 2-3× minimum requirements.
⏰ Constant Confinement is Cruel:
Even large cages cannot substitute for exercise time—rabbits confined 24/7 suffer physical deconditioning, obesity, skeletal problems, and severe psychological distress. Provide minimum 3-4 hours daily supervised exercise in a larger space or permanent access to an attached run.
👥 Solitary Housing Inadequate:
Rabbits are highly social animals requiring companionship—single rabbits experience loneliness, depression, and behavioral problems regardless of cage size. Keep rabbits in bonded pairs or groups with appropriately sized housing adjusted for multiple occupants.
About the Author
Adam
Co-Founder @RevisionTown
Math Expert specializing in diverse international curricula including IB (International Baccalaureate), AP (Advanced Placement), GCSE, IGCSE, and various other educational programs worldwide.
Connect on LinkedInThe rabbit cage size calculator is a perfect tool if you plan on buying a cage for your rabbit and creating a suitable living environment. Our calculations will provide you with the minimal size of the cage that your rabbit needs.
When rabbits live in a space that is too small, they can develop:
- Medical conditions;
- Obesity;
- Spine problems; or
- Behavioral problems.
So, how big should a rabbit cage be? Well, it depends on the size of the rabbit, but the main objective is to make your bunny feel comfortable with your rabbit cage setup.
Read on to learn more about how to build a rabbit cage or answer the question what do rabbits need in their cage? We also describe how our tool can find the rabbit cage size in centimeters (cm) or feet (ft). Be sure also to check the rabbit color calculator, where we investigate the genes of rabbits responsible for their colors!
How big should a rabbit cage be?
There isn’t a standardized set of regulations specifically for rabbit cages that applies universally, and it can vary depending on the country. However, there are general guidelines provided by animal welfare organizations, rabbit breeders’ associations, and veterinarians who specialize in rabbits. In particular, if you want to know how much space a rabbit needs in its cage, you will need to take your rabbit’s size into consideration.
There are a lot of cages for rabbits that aren’t really ideal for them. Some are too small, and others don’t provide much comfort to the rabbit. Generally, the cage should be at least four times the size of the rabbit. Rabbits :
- Hop around and take three hops from one end to another;
- Lay down easily, fully stretching out; and
- Stand on their hind legs without touching the top and without folding their ears against the roof.
Rabbits are active and social animals. They need somewhere to eat, drink, sleep, rest, hide when needed, and go to the toilet. However, it’s not enough! They also need room for exercise so that they can hop around, run, and play for a minimum of 4 hours per day. The suggested exercise area for one rabbit is between 24-32 square feet or 2.2-3 square meters and should be larger if you want to accommodate multiple rabbits.
Are you interested in other pet calculators like this? Check out our rat cage and turtle tank size calculator designed to help you make a suitable home for different animals.
What do rabbits need in their cage?
In every cage, there should be enough room for the following:
- A hide box and sleeping area;
- Feed and water bowls;
- A litter tray (preferably placed far away from the food); and
- An area for pellets and hay.
The rabbit should have enough room to move around and have the possibility to play with toys for mental stimulation. Rabbits enjoy playing with tunnels, castles, digging boxes, sticks, and toys they can throw and chase.
Rabbits are most active in the early mornings and late evenings, and they may become frustrated if confined to a small area during those times of the day. You will need to take those parameters into account when you ask yourself how big do rabbit cages need to be?
How to build a rabbit hutch for a young rabbit?
If the rabbit is still young, it is necessary to estimate its eventual adult size. This will help in buying a large enough rabbit cage design by the time they reach their full adult weight. When the rabbit is about 4 months old, they are approximately half of their adult weight. Then, at 6-8 months old, rabbits are approximately 2/3 of their adult weight.
How big do rabbit cages need to be for young rabbits?
It should be straightforward to estimate it from the above information. The general rule is to use the rabbit cage design for a rabbit two times bigger than your 4-month rabbit or time and a half bigger than your 6-8 month rabbit.
If you want to learn more about the habits of rabbits, check out our rabbit gestation calculator!
How to use the rabbit cage size calculator
To use the rabbit cage size calculator and determine how big rabbit cages need to be for one rabbit, you should measure the rabbit’s length, height, and single hop distance:
Measure the rabbit’s length when it is lying down, from the most anterior point to the most posterior part of the rabbit. By default, we assume 2 ft (~60 cm) for small rabbits and 3 ft (~90 cm) for larger ones.
Try to measure how far your bunny can hop ( provides an example of how to do this). We consider 1.5 ft (~45 cm) hop for small and 2 ft (~60 cm) for bigger rabbits.
Measure your rabbit’s height when it stands on its hind legs, from the floor to the top of the ears.
Select whether your rabbit size is
smallorlargein our tool if the measurements you obtained are close enough to the default measurements provided by our calculator. If not, choose the last option for the rabbit size variable in the rabbit cage size calculator to enter your obtained values and read the results. You can switch between various units, e.g., to find the rabbit cage size in centimeters or inches.
These calculations and guidelines are intended to provide a minimum standard of care. Providing a larger cage or additional space is always beneficial for the rabbit’s well-being. Also, remember about the exercise space that should provide greater space for your bunny’s activities.
How many rabbits can live together in one cage?
The hutch dimensions from the rabbit cage size calculator are, by design, correct for one rabbit, although you can also use it to find the rabbit cage size for 2 rabbits. They don’t need twice as big a hutch to feel comfortable.
However, if you want to accommodate more rabbits in one cage, you should provide them with more living space. Remember that the rabbits can be territorial and might not like an additional friend in their cage. You should also consider spaying and neutering the rabbits to avoid uncontrolled breeding.
What is a rabbit hutch?
A rabbit hutch is a cage for domestic rabbits, although it can be used for other animals, such as guinea pigs or hamsters. It should be big enough to accommodate at least one rabbit with a suitable living environment.
To answer, what size hutch does a rabbit need?, you need to measure the rabbit and use the rabbit cage size calculator or read a guide about how to build a rabbit cage.
How big should a rabbit cage be for a single bunny?
As a rule of thumb, a rabbit cage should have the dimensions of 4.5×2×3 ft or 135×60×90 cm for one small rabbit. More specifically:
- The length of the rabbit cage should be at least 3 times the rabbit’s hop distance.
- The width should be equal to rabbit length while lying.
- The height must be at least as high as the standing rabbit, but it may be higher for better comfort.
Note these are minimal dimensions. To answer, what size hutch does a rabbit need?, precisely, you should contact rabbit experts who know more about their behavior and habits.
How long cage do I need if rabbit hops 2 ft a time?
The rabbit cage should be at least 6 ft long to allow three hops of the rabbit hopping 2 ft at a time. For better comfort, you should consider extending the length to four times the hopping distance, i.e., 8 ft. Don’t forget to make the hutch wide and high enough!
What to put in bottom of rabbit cage?
In the bottom of the rabbit cage you can put, e.g., straw, hay, cardboard, or fleece. In general, it should be non-toxic and absorbent materials that are safe to eat and can absorb fluids. Be sure to replace it from time to time!
How often should I clean my rabbits cage?
As a general rule, you can clean your rabbit’s cage and replace its bottom once every two weeks. However, you should do it more frequently if you have a rabbit cage size for 2 rabbits or even more.
A good idea is to make some small daily cleanings to prevent the mess from building up so you can do your deep cleaning less often.
Should I cover my rabbits cage at night?
It is sometimes recommended to cover your rabbit cage at night, for example, with a blanket. It creates a dark and warm environment that may improve the sleep of your rabbits.
On the other hand, rabbits can naturally warm up with straw or hay, and they cannot see in the dark, which could make them nervous. Some people say that putting a blanket on the rabbit cage can also reduce the airflow, which can have harmful consequences for their respiratory system.