Rabbits are prey animals and as such they need to be able to hide from things that scare them. Providing hiding places allows your rabbits to perform this important behaviour and will help them to feel safe.
 

To ensure the hiding places you provide are safe for your rabbits, please read and follow our guidance for using enrichment.
 

Hiding places

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Rabbits tend to hide when they are feeling afraid, stressed, unwell or when they simply wish to withdraw from social contact (with other rabbits or people) for a while.

Hiding places, or ‘refuges’ or ‘shelters’, allow rabbits to escape and hide, which is a natural behaviour that they need to be able to perform. Providing constant access to safe hiding places within your rabbits' home allows them to perform this important coping strategy and should help them to feel safer and more reassured. Hiding places should be provided in addition to your rabbits' main shelter (e.g. hutch, cage, shed).

As rabbits are prey animals it is really important that they are able to hide in a secure place, away from the sight and smell of potential predators, such as foxes, cats, dogs, ferrets, birds of prey and people. Therefore when deciding the location of your rabbits' hiding places, ensure they are positioned in an area free from potential predators (including out of sight of people). Hiding places should also be located away from draughts, out of direct sunlight and in a quiet area of your house or garden. 

Hiding places should be high enough to allow rabbits to rapidly move underneath but low enough to give rabbits a feeling of security. If rabbits can jump onto the hiding place, it will also function as a platform.

To ensure that the hiding places you provide are effective 'safe' hiding places, never trap or remove your rabbits from their hiding place.

For rabbits kept in pairs or groups, we recommend that you provide at least one hiding place per rabbit with preferably one more in addition, so that all your rabbits can hide at the same time if they want to. It is also important to ensure that, where possible, hiding places have two entrance/exit points, to prevent dominant rabbits becoming territorial or aggressive to subordinates inside a hiding place. You should provide at least one hiding place that is large enough for all your rabbits to rest together.

If you keep rabbits of different sizes together, ensure that one or more of the hiding places has an entrance that is large enough for the smaller rabbit to enter but which is too small for the larger rabbit to enter. This will ensure the smaller rabbit can get away from his/her larger companion if he/she wants to.

If your rabbit uses his/her hiding place regularly and seems to be hiding for much of the time, speak to your vet for advice as your rabbit may be unwell, stressed or frightened. Your vet will be able to examine your rabbit to rule out any form of illness or injury that could be causing the behaviour problem. Your vet may then refer you to a qualified animal behaviourist who will be able to help identify the cause of the behaviour and offer advice to help improve your rabbit’s welfare.

Examples of suitable hiding places include cardboard boxes with two entrance/exit holes cut out, wooden shelters or hutches within a larger enclosure, a travel carrier with the door kept open, a table or chair with a blanket draped over it. If you provide cardboard boxes as hiding places, don’t be surprised if your rabbits chews and shreds it – this is great fun for your rabbits and just means they are enjoying the enrichment. If this occurs, provide your rabbits with a new cardboard box so they can start all over again!

Partitions are also really useful in breaking up your rabbits' living enclosure and separating different areas for different activities. For example, rabbits should be provided with separate areas for sleeping/resting and going to the toilet. Partitions can also be beneficial for rabbits kept in pairs or groups, as they allow rabbits to withdraw from their companions when they want to.