This is a specific conversation about Rabbit housing — space and setup that works — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Three cats and a Netherland Dwarf rabbit under one roof — that's a setup where the housing choice really matters. Most rabbit hutches sold in pet shops are far too small to begin with: rabbits need room for at least three full hops, space to stand fully upright on their hind legs, and separate zones for sleeping and toileting. Add cats to the picture and you also need something structurally secure — not just a flimsy door with a push-latch. Before I point you in the right direction, a few quick questions: how much floor space do you have available for the enclosure, and is the rabbit currently in a room the cats can access freely, or do you have a cat-free zone you could use?
The rabbit is in the living room which the cats definitely access. I've got maybe a 120cm by 60cm footprint I could use, possibly a bit more if needed. The cats haven't hurt her yet but they sit on top of her current cage and it stresses her out badly.
inparticular.ai
That stress from cats sitting on top is a real welfare issue — chronic stress in rabbits suppresses their immune system and can cause serious illness over time. Your current setup isn't working for her even if there's been no physical attack. What's she in at the moment — a standard hutch-style cage, a wire pen, something else?
It's a wire cage, one of the common ones from a pet shop. Medium sized, probably 90cm. The top just clips shut, no proper lock.
inparticular.ai
Right, so clips are not enough — a determined cat can pop those open, and even if they can't, a cat sitting or pawing at the roof is still terrifying for the rabbit inside. For a Netherland Dwarf in a 120 x 60cm footprint with cats in the same room, I'd recommend the Savic Nero 3 XL Indoor Rabbit Cage. It's a substantial two-level unit — around 120 x 57cm base — with a metal frame, a solid lift-off roof that doesn't flex under cat weight, and a door with a proper bolt closure that cats can't work open. The two levels give your rabbit somewhere to retreat upward, which helps her feel less cornered. It's well-ventilated but fully enclosed, and the bar spacing is tight enough that cats can't get a paw in to swipe. It won't eliminate the cats watching her, but it stops the physical intrusion and removes the roof-sitting problem entirely.
That sounds good. Is the bar spacing really tight enough? One of my cats is quite persistent and has long legs.
inparticular.ai
The Nero 3 XL has bar spacing of around 2.5cm, which is tight enough to block even a slender cat paw from reaching through. The bigger risk with persistent cats is actually the door, not the bars — make sure you always use the bolt fastening rather than relying on the magnetic catch alone. Some people also add a small carabiner clip to the door as a belt-and-braces measure, which costs next to nothing and takes two seconds. One other thing worth doing: position the cage so at least one side is against a wall rather than freestanding in the middle of the room. It reduces the angles cats can approach from and helps your rabbit feel less exposed.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll look at the Nero 3 XL. Should I put anything inside to help with the stress she's already built up?
inparticular.ai
Yes — give her a proper hide box inside the cage, something fully enclosed like a wooden tunnel or a snuggle hut so she can get completely out of sight when she wants to. Netherland Dwarfs are prey animals and being able to hide is genuinely calming, not just a nice extra. A layer of deep hay in the sleeping area also helps — she can burrow into it. Once she's in the new cage and realises the cats can't reach her, most rabbits settle down within a week or two. The Nero 3 XL should sort the structural problem; the hide box addresses the psychological side.
