Predator-Proofing a Rabbit Run: Mesh, Burial and What Actually Works

Rabbit “fencing” isn't really about containing a rabbit — it's about keeping everything else out. Our housing mistakes guide already flags predator risk as a real threat even in an ordinary garden; this guide covers what actually stops it.

UK: RWAF's mesh gauge and hole size

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund is specific: 16g (1.2mm) wire is the minimum it recommends, with 12g even better. Chicken wire doesn't meet that bar — RWAF is direct that predators can bite through it, so welded mesh of a heavy gauge is what actually holds. On hole size, 13mm is ideal, but most commercially made runs use a 25mm gap instead, which keeps out foxes and rats but not smaller predators like stoats, polecats and weasels. Where those are a genuine local risk, RWAF's advice is to build your own run with 13mm mesh, or add a second layer of mesh over an existing 25mm-gap frame.

Attachment and fastenings matter as much as the mesh itself

RWAF's guidance goes beyond the wire itself: a single layer of mesh is safer fixed to the inside of the run frame rather than the outside, since it's harder for a predator to work at from the inside. Use the sturdiest staples available to fix wire to wood, and a bolt you can padlock rather than a simple latch — a determined predator (or a rabbit-savvy fox) will test weak fastenings the same way an escape-artist goat tests a fence.

Digging in from below

A run that's secure on all four sides can still be dug under. For grass-based runs, RWAF recommends either a buried wire-mesh skirt around the perimeter or paving slabs laid around the edge to slow diggers down — it doesn't give one official depth figure for the buried skirt, and we're not inventing one here, so treat “buried, not just resting on the surface” as the actual requirement rather than a specific number of inches.

US: House Rabbit Society is more skeptical of outdoor housing generally

The House Rabbit Society's framing is notably stronger than a mesh-and-gauge specification: it states plainly that wire cages “won't cut it” for protection, and that raccoons can actually open many hutches outright, not just breach the wire. For secure daytime outdoor play, its recommendation is a fully enclosed pen — top, bottom and sides — to block both escapes and “uninvited guests,” with mesh or screens on every surface where myxomatosis is a local risk.

Its strongest recommendation, though, is about timing rather than materials: because most predators hunt at night, bring an outdoor rabbit indoors after dark. Where that genuinely isn't possible, it should be secured somewhere with solid walls and a sturdy locked door — a garage, shed or basement — not left in a hutch or run overnight regardless of how well-built it is.

A predator doesn't need to touch a rabbit to harm it

This is worth taking seriously on its own: the House Rabbit Society notes rabbits can die from shock simply from sensing a nearby predator, with no physical contact and no visible injury at all. That's a genuinely different risk from a breached fence, and it's the reason HRS's guidance goes further than wire strength — toward never leaving a rabbit outdoors unsupervised, even briefly, since cats, dogs and birds of prey can get close enough to cause that stress response without ever breaching the enclosure.

What this means for your setup

• Build or buy to RWAF's 16g/13mm spec rather than a standard commercial hutch's wider mesh, if local predators include anything smaller than a fox.
• Bury or slab the run's perimeter against digging predators — a secure-looking run with an unprotected base is still genuinely vulnerable.
• Plan for rabbits to come indoors, or into a solid-walled space, overnight — treat this as the House Rabbit Society's actual recommendation, not an optional extra on top of a good run.
• Combine this with the housing dimensions in our space guide — security and size are separate requirements, and a secure but undersized run doesn't meet either standard on its own.

Sources: Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), outdoor housing guidance: rabbitwelfare.co.uk; House Rabbit Society, “Rabbits Outdoors: Lowering Risks”: rabbit.org. Sources checked: September 2026.

Common questions

What wire gauge do I need for a rabbit run?

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund gives 16g (1.2mm) as the minimum, with 12g even better. Chicken wire specifically isn't strong enough — RWAF is direct that predators can bite through it — welded mesh of a heavy gauge is what actually holds.

What mesh hole size keeps predators out?

RWAF says 13mm is ideal, though most commercially made runs use a 25mm gap, which keeps out foxes and rats but not smaller predators like stoats, polecats and weasels. If those are a risk locally, RWAF recommends building your own run with 13mm mesh or adding a second layer of mesh to an existing frame.

Is a standard hutch enough to keep a rabbit safe outdoors?

No, according to the House Rabbit Society, which is direct that wire cages "won't cut it" and that raccoons can actually open many hutches. Its stronger recommendation is bringing rabbits indoors at night, or securing them somewhere with solid walls and a sturdy locked door if that's not possible.

Can a rabbit be harmed by a predator without being physically attacked?

Yes — the House Rabbit Society notes rabbits can die from shock simply from sensing a nearby predator, even with no physical contact and no visible injury. That's part of why its guidance goes further than just wire strength, toward not leaving rabbits outdoors unsupervised or overnight at all.