Rabbit-Proofing The Garden

Rabbit proofing an entire garden is a tricky business, but it can be done. There are several things that you’ll need to consider - how big an area do you want your rabbits to roam in? How much are you willing to change your existing garden? What plants are growing there that could be harmful?

Rabbit-proofing gardens can mean your rabbits have a great big area to roam around in, but run extensions are also a safe alternative

It’s very difficult to maintain a rabbit-safe garden. Not only are there lots of different plants that might be hazardous, but a number of predators exist, even in city gardens. Additional problems include stopping your rabbits from burrowing out, and making sure that gardening equipment, pots and structures cannot fall on them. You will need to supervise your rabbits when they are outdoors, and regularly check that the perimeters of your garden are secure.

It’s for these reasons that it’s often best to select a portion of your garden to rabbit-proof, or to invest in a standalone run in addition to your hutch-run unit.

If you wish to rabbit-proof a portion, then these are just some of the things that you will want to consider:

• Preventing escape: rabbits are brilliant escape artists - they can tunnel, gnaw and wriggle their way through the tiniest of cracks and crevices. You will need to set up some fencing and check it regularly to make sure that it’s secure and that tunnels are not being created.


• Stop treating plants - rabbits can be killed by pesticides, fertilisers, herbicides, fungicides, slug pellets, rat poisons, and other garden treatments.


• Removing dangerous plants - if you are in doubt about whether it’s safe for your rabbits to eat a certain plant, it’s best to remove it or to prevent access to it.


• Ensure nothing can fall on them, such as heavy plant pots or equipment propped up on fences.


• Preventing access - just as you need to stop your pets from getting out, you’ll want to prevent predators getting in. This includes cats and dogs in the daytime, and foxes and badgers at night. It’s best to keep rabbits in a large, secure run (one that is fox-proof), and to supply lots of hiding places inside it.


• Don’t leave rabbits out in the garden overnight unless they are safely secured in their hutch.


• Don’t use garden machinery when your rabbits are roaming about

Standalone runs can be a great addition to your rabbit’s space, and can enable your rabbits to enjoy your lawn in safety. We stock a variety of different shapes and sizes to suit your space, or you can customise your very own. Outdoor Rabbit Runs are available at our Rabbit Shop.

If you want to allow your pets even more space than their hutch and run currently provides, another option is purchasing run extensions for the Eglu - visit our Rabbit Run Extensions page for more details.