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
Before we sort out your escape artist — a quick note that most rabbit hutches and pens sold in pet shops are genuinely too small. Rabbits need room for at least three full hops, space to stand completely upright on their hind legs, and separate areas for sleeping and toileting. A modular pen that keeps getting breached is a real problem, especially with a Californian — they're big, strong, and clever. So: is your rabbit housed indoors or outdoors, are you keeping one rabbit or more, and roughly how much floor space do you have to work with?
He's outdoors, just the one rabbit — he's about 4.5kg. The modular pen I had kept popping apart at the connectors and he'd just push through. I've got a decent sized garden so space isn't really the issue, it's more about something he physically can't dismantle.
inparticular.ai
That's a classic problem with those clip-together panel systems — the connectors aren't designed for a determined rabbit with any weight behind him, and a 4.5kg Californian is a seriously strong animal. What you need is something with a rigid welded frame rather than push-fit joints, and ideally roof panels too, because once they know they can push walls they often start jumping as well. Can you tell me roughly what footprint you're working with, and do you need the run to be permanent or something you can move around the garden?
I'd like to be able to move it occasionally but it doesn't need to be super lightweight. Maybe something around 2–3 metres long? And yes, a roof would be good — I've got foxes nearby.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — foxes change the brief completely, so a fully enclosed roof is non-negotiable. My recommendation is the Eglu Go Rabbit Hutch and Run by Omlet. The run section is built from welded steel mesh with proper bolt-together frame sections — there are no flimsy clip connectors to push apart. You can get it in a 2m or 3m run length, and Omlet sell extension kits so you can grow it over time. The hutch unit itself is well-insulated, easy to clean, and sits at a height that keeps him off cold ground. It won't pop at the seams because it doesn't have any. It's not the cheapest option out there, but it's the one that will actually contain a large, motivated rabbit long-term.
That looks really solid. Is the mesh gauge strong enough to keep foxes out though? And is it easy enough to move if I want to rotate it around the lawn?
inparticular.ai
The Omlet run uses 1.2mm gauge welded wire mesh throughout — it's significantly heavier than the thin mesh on most budget runs and has been tested against fox pressure. Omlet specifically market it as fox-resistant and the frame connections are bolted rather than clipped, so there's no weak point for a fox to work at. For moving it, a 3m run with the hutch attached is manageable for one person with a bit of effort — it has handles and lifts cleanly. If you want to rotate it daily it's doable, though most people move it every few days rather than every day. One tip: use the ground anchors Omlet sell with it, especially overnight, so it can't be shifted or lifted even if a fox is persistent.
Great, that sounds like exactly what I need. I'll go with the 3m run version. Thanks.
inparticular.ai
Good choice — the 3m gives him proper room to stretch and you won't feel like you need to upgrade it again in six months. Grab the ground anchors at the same time if you can, they're inexpensive and really do matter with foxes around. He should be a lot less interested in escaping once he has the space and security sorted.
