Caring for your rabbits

Rabbit care is a lot more complex than many pet owners realise. That’s why so many rabbits end up in our Centres due to unintentional neglect. Owners have a duty of care towards their pets.

This means you are responsible for ensuring your rabbits are happy and healthy by protecting them from pain, suffering, injury and disease. You might also be interested in our pages on general rabbit advice, getting a rabbit and rabbit healthcare.

Accommodation

Rabbits can live indoors or outdoors providing their welfare needs are met.

Rabbits need a very large space to call home. Commercially available hutches and runs are often inadequate. It can be cheaper to buy or convert a shed, play house or spare room for your rabbits, and is certainly more comfortable when you’re spending time with them! Enclosures can also be linked together with robust tubes and tunnels to extend your rabbits’ living area.

The more space you can give your rabbits, the better. However, a pair of rabbits need space with a minimum footprint of 3m x 2m and 1m high. This will allow your rabbits to run, jump and binky instead of being restricted to just a few hops.

The bedding area must be tall enough to allow your bunnies to stand on their hind legs without their ears touching the top. A hutch should never be the sole or main accommodation for rabbits.

Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn so they need permanent access to the whole enclosure. Don’t lock them in their sleeping area at night time or when you’re out. Rabbits also benefit from having some free-roam time, either in a secure garden or inside a bunny-proof room. As well as having space to display their natural behaviours, your rabbits’ accommodation should also protect them from the elements and predators.

Ensure the enclosure is not in direct sunlight and is at least partially covered. During particularly cold, wet or windy weather, you may need to provide additional covering like tarpaulin. Make sure the sleeping area is warm, dry and free from draughts. Line the bedding area with soft, dust-free straw or hay to keep your bunnies cosy.

Ensure the enclosure is secure and sturdy. Thick mesh with small gaps is good for keeping your rabbits in and predators (such as stoats and weasels) out. Remember to check regularly for signs of damage such as chewed wood, gaps in the mesh or staples sticking out. These can cause injury or allow your rabbits to escape.

Digging is a natural behaviour for rabbits. If their enclosure is on grass, make sure they aren’t able to escape. You can fill in the holes regularly or use mesh or paving slabs around the outside to make it more difficult for your bunnies to tunnel out. Rabbits are more likely to try to dig their way out of a small, cramped enclosure so be sure to give them plenty of space.

Building an enclosure on concrete, slabs or decking will prevent them from digging their way out but it’s important to line the enclosure with a soft material like hay to help prevent sores on their feet and joints. Also, make or purchase a digging pit so they can still display their natural behaviours.

Handling

Rabbits prefer to keep all four feet on the ground at all times. In the wild, rabbits are prey for many larger animals. Therefore, picking them up can cause them to feel fearful, threatened and stressed, and they may scratch and bite to get away. Likewise, you should never hold a bunny on their back. This causes them to freeze with fright and is very distressing to rabbits. If you do need to pick your rabbit up, covering their eyes can help keep them calm. When putting them back on the ground, lower them down carefully and ensure they are facing you so to prevent them kicking and getting injured.

Rabbits are very sociable and can learn to see humans as friends. Always let them come to you. If they approach you to be petted, be very gentle. Rabbits have incredibly delicate skin and can be fragile. Always supervise children around your bunnies to ensure they’re being careful. Spending time with your rabbits and handling them regularly also makes it easier to check them over for any abnormalities.

Diet

Rabbits have extremely sensitive guts so it is essential to provide a suitable diet to help keep them healthy. Not eating, even for a short period, can be harmful.

For dietary advice specific to your rabbits’ needs, or if you notice any changes to their eating habits, please consult your vet.

Food can also be a form of enrichment for rabbits. Try hiding veggies around their enclosure or in toys to keep your bunnies entertained.

What can I give my rabbits to eat?

Your rabbit’s diet should mostly be made up of good quality hay, at least a bunch the size of their body each day that is always available to them. Hay not only provides the right balance of fibre and protein but it also helps keep rabbits’ teeth in good condition, as they are constantly growing and chewing stops their teeth overgrowing.

You can also give your rabbits dark green leafy vegetables and herbs such as spinach and kale, as well as small amount of good quality rabbit nuggets in order to meet their nutritional needs. Always follow the serving sized on the packaging. Avoid muesli mixes as this can encourage selective feeding.

What can I give my rabbit to drink?

Water is essential to keeping a rabbit’s digestive system working properly. It also prevents them from absorbing too much calcium.

Always ensure your rabbits have access to lots of fresh water, and top up more often during spells of hot weather. If your rabbits live outdoors, watch out for their water freezing in the winter. It’s a good idea to provide a choice of a water bottle and bowl for drinking from as each rabbit will have a preference.

Which foods are unsafe for rabbits?

Beware of certain types of plants which are poisonous to rabbits.

Avoid feeding your rabbits anything containing dairy, nuts and seeds. Be careful not to feed your rabbits too many treats as this can lead to obesity. Besides, your rabbit would prefer natural (and free!) treats foraged from the garden, like dandelions, leaves and flowers.

How much should I feed my rabbits and how often?

The amount of food you give your rabbits and how frequently you feed them will vary depending on their breed, size and age.

You can find recommended portion sizes and feeding instructions on the packaging.

If you notice your rabbits are gaining or losing weight, adjust the amount you’re giving them and monitor their weight. If you notice your rabbit has lost weight but their eating habits haven’t changed, or if they have trouble putting on weight when food intake is increased, speak to your vet.

Toilet training

Rabbits are naturally very clean animals and can often be easily trained to use a litter tray.

Rabbits like to eat while they do their business so hanging a hay rack above a litter tray is the easiest way to coax them into using it.

Line the tray with an absorbent material like newspaper, bedding hay or shredded paper. We don’t recommend using wood shavings or clumping cat litter.

If you’re using newspaper, avoid petroleum-based inks and remove any staples. Most newspapers are printed with soy ink, which is vegetable-based. Vegetable and water-based inks are non-toxic and safe for rabbits.  Soy inks do not smudge or leave dark marks on your hands.
Your rabbit might nibble the paper but if they are eating it regularly, stop using it. Ingesting lots of paper can cause an intestinal blockage which can be deadly.

Many of the rabbits we rehome will already be litter trained. However, rabbits also mark their territory with their droppings so you should always be prepared for them to do the toilet outside of their tray as well. Unneutered male rabbits can also mark their territory by spraying urine. If your rabbit is unsure, try putting some of their droppings in the tray to coax them in.

To aid digestion, rabbits eat their food twice. After eating, they produce soft droppings called caecotrophs which have a high nutritional value. Rabbits eat these then produce the hard, pellet-like droppings we’re more familiar with. This is completely normal behaviour so don’t be alarmed or repulsed.

Exercise and play

Like all animals, rabbits need exercise to stay healthy. Their enclosure must be large enough to allow them to display natural instincts such as digging, foraging, hiding, rearing up, running and jumping. Providing enrichment items and activities which encourage these behaviours through play is a great way to ensure your bunnies are getting enough exercise.

Rabbits are much more sociable and intelligent than many people give them credit for. Playing not only allows you to build a strong bond but it also provides essential mental stimulation too. Your rabbits will need lots of suitable enrichment items such as tunnels, hideouts and puzzles. You can make many of these yourself with items found around the house.

Enrichment items do not have to cost a lot of money. Try filling a cardboard tube with hay or grass. You can even hide goodies inside and fold over the ends. Your rabbits will enjoy figuring out how to get to the tasty treats. This keeps their brains stimulated and gnawing on the cardboard naturally wears down the teeth.

Grooming

Whilst grooming themselves, rabbits swallow a lot of fur which can slow down their digestive system. Unlike cats, rabbits are unable to vomit so you can help your bunnies by removing as much loose fur as possible.

Rabbits also have very fragile skin so make sure you get tools designed for rabbits. There are lots of combs, brushes and mitts on the market. If you’re unsure which tools will suit your rabbits best, speak to your vet.

Gently brushing your rabbits everyday will keep their fur in good condition as well as allowing you to check for any abnormalities. Daily grooming will also help you build a bond with your bunnies.

Never hold a rabbit on their back.

When a rabbit is put on their back, they lie perfectly still as though they have been hypnotised or put in a trance. This is extremely frightening for them, so much so that they’ll play dead to avoid being caught by a predator.

If your rabbit isn’t particularly fond of being groomed, try distracting them with a tasty treat. This will also help them to associate grooming with high value rewards and turn it into a more positive experience. Consider asking someone else to help you, or seek out a professional groomer.