If you let small pets such as guinea pigs or dwarf rabbits run free in your home all the time, they are exposed to dangers and can damage and soil furniture, cables or floors. A small animal hutch protects your animals and your furniture. It also gives the animals a sense of security because they see the small animal hutch as a kind of den and a safe home. You can provide your rabbits or guinea pigs with adequate exercise and variety with daily, controlled exercise.

Although guinea pigs are considered to be quiet and undemanding, they are very active and like to move around. Therefore, they need enough space and retreat possibilities in the small animal house to have peace and quiet from their companions or environmental influences outside the house. You should plan at least half a square metre of floor space per animal. However, it is better to choose a guinea pig cage that is as large as possible. This is especially important if you keep more than one animal, because guinea pigs need their own space.

Rabbits also need plenty of freedom of movement. In this case, the small animal stall should therefore be at least one metre long, 50 centimetres wide and 45 centimetres high. But here too, the larger the better. The rabbit cage must also have room for the food bowl, the hay rack and, if possible, a little house for retreat. If you want to house-train your rabbit, there should also be room for a litter tray. Rabbits are very clean and usually always use the same place to defecate.

That depends on your pet and the location. Since guinea pigs do not climb or jump, the cage can be open at the top. For rabbits, however, the small animal hutch should be closed so that the animals cannot jump out and injure themselves. It is practical if the small animal stall can be opened at the top, as this makes it easier to feed the animals and clean the cage. The wide door on the side allows the animals to access their home at any time when running free. If you are setting up an outdoor enclosure on the balcony or in the garden, it is recommended to choose models with a roof or net that protects them from the sun, wind and rain.

With a special small animal hutch made of wood, it is possible to keep rabbits or guinea pigs in the garden or on the balcony all year round. When choosing a hutch, make sure that the animals are reliably protected from wind and weather. The hutch should offer the animals enough space so that they can also withdraw from their fellow animals. However, having available space is not a substitute for exercise. The animals will find adequate exercise and variety on the secured balcony or in the attached outdoor enclosure.