Rabbit & Guinea Pig Housing Checker
Measure what you have, and see how it compares with the space rabbits and guinea pigs actually need.
Your hutch
Your run
Your setup
Falls short of the recommended space
Usable, continuous space: 1.08m² · recommended for 2 rabbits: 6.00m² (at least 3m long and 1m high).
Rule by rule
- Total continuous floor area of at least 6.00m² – you have 1.08m²
- At least 3m in one straight line – you have 1.8m
- At least 1m high – you have 0.60m
- Available 24 hours a day, with the run permanently attached and open
- Living in at least a pair
Your 2-storey hutch counts once: only the ground floor area is included above.
Your space, seen from above
Recommended (3m × 2.0m)
Yours (1.8m longest run)
The run is not shown as part of the space because it is not attached and open all the time.
How to fix it
- Leave the hutch-to-run door open all the time, so they can choose to run at 3am when they are most active.
- You are about 4.9m² short. Attaching a run of roughly 3.0m × 1.7m would close the gap.
- The longest straight run is 1.8m. Aim for at least 3m in one direction so they can properly run rather than just hop.
- Height is 0.60m. Rabbits need at least 1m so they can stand fully upright on their back legs and binky without hitting the roof.
- The upper floor of your hutch, plus any platforms and tunnels, are great enrichment but do not count towards the floor area above.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026
A hutch is not enough
The traditional garden hutch was designed to keep rabbits still, not to keep them well. Current guidance from the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund and the RSPCA is a single connected space of at least three metres by two metres, at least a metre high, available every hour of the day and night. That is roughly the footprint of a large garden shed or a decent playhouse, and it is a minimum for two average-sized rabbits rather than a luxury.
Why length matters more than area
Rabbits do not potter. Given the room, they sprint, skid and twist in mid-air – the famous binky. Three metres in one direction gives them enough to build up to it. The same floor area arranged as a square does not, which is why the checker tests length separately.
What does not count
Only continuous floor space counts. The upper deck of a two-storey hutch, shelves, platforms and tunnels are all excellent enrichment and should absolutely be there – but they are additions to the recommended area, not part of it. A run that the rabbits are carried to for an hour a day does not count either; the space must be theirs to use at three in the morning when they are liveliest.
Bigger rabbits, more rabbits
A pair of Continental Giants needs considerably more than a pair of Netherland Dwarfs, and every extra rabbit adds to the requirement. The checker scales the recommendation with breed size and group size for this reason.
Rabbits need rabbits
Rabbits are social animals and suffer kept alone; a neutered pair is the usual arrangement. A single rabbit still needs the full space – reducing it because there is only one misses the point of what the space is for.
Guinea pigs
Guinea pigs need at least 1.2m by 0.6m for a pair, and like rabbits, more is better. They are herd animals and should live with their own kind. Rabbits and guinea pigs should never be housed together: they speak entirely different languages, need different diets, and a startled rabbit can badly hurt a guinea pig without any intent at all.
Frequently asked questions
How big should a rabbit hutch be?
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund and the RSPCA recommend a single connected space of at least 3m by 2m and 1m high for two average-sized rabbits, available 24 hours a day – not a hutch they are shut into at night.
Does the upstairs of a two-storey hutch count?
No. Only continuous floor area counts. Upper floors, platforms, shelves and tunnels are enrichment, not living space.
Why does the 3m length matter?
Rabbits run and binky rather than hop about on the spot. Three metres gives them room to build up speed – the same floor area in a square shape does not.
How much space do guinea pigs need?
The RSPCA suggests at least 1.2m by 0.6m for a pair, and bigger is always better. Add more space for each extra guinea pig.
Can rabbits and guinea pigs live together?
No. They communicate differently, have different diets, and rabbits can seriously injure a guinea pig even without meaning to. Each should live with its own kind.
Should the run be attached to the hutch?
Yes, ideally. A run your rabbits can use whenever they choose, day and night, is far better than one they are carried to for an hour. A single rabbit still needs the same space as a pair.
Do rabbits need to live in pairs?
Rabbits are highly social and should live in at least pairs, usually a neutered male and neutered female. A lone rabbit still needs the full recommended space.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026