Creating better tomorrows for all pet rabbits
New to Rabbits
Welcome to the world of owning rabbits. It’s fun, interesting and certainly all-absorbing. Rabbits are wonderful pets but there’s more to looking after them than you realise.
Firstly, they aren’t cheap, easy children’s pets. They have complicated needs. Under the fur, pet rabbits are exactly the same as wild rabbits. So, if you’re thinking of going ahead, please check if rabbits are right for you before jumping in.
It’s also worth considering the long term costs. Rabbits aren’t inexpensive to keep. In fact, they can cost up to £11,000 over their lifetime.
If you’ve just become a rabbit owner, congratulations! This page helps you give your new pets the lives they deserve. The more you put in, the more rewarding it’ll be.
Rabbits are sociable
Scientific research confirms that rabbits suffer stress and loneliness if kept alone. Wild rabbits live in colonies and pet rabbits should be kept in neutered pairs or compatible groups. Did you know they value companionship as much as food? If you have a single rabbit, check your local rescue centre for a bunny buddy.
Rabbits are very active
They need plenty of room, including a safe exercise area permanently attached to their hutch or cage. They’d also enjoy a free run of the garden or rabbit-proofed parts of the house when supervised. Cages or hutches should act as burrows to rest in as part of a larger living area. In the wild they run around for several hours every day.
Rabbits can live indoors as house rabbits too. Whichever you choose, you’ll need to adapt part of the house or garden. If you need some inspiration, check out our housing sections.
Rabbits love grass or hay
Rabbits’ food should be as close as possible to their natural diet, of mostly grass or hay. In fact, rabbits could live on hay and water alone, but we recommend fresh leafy vegetables and a little commercial feed. The long fibre of grass or hay is vital to their digestive, behavioural and dental health.
Don’t frighten your rabbits
Because rabbits are preyed upon by many other animals, they’re naturally shy, quiet creatures who don’t like being picked up and carried. Encourage children to interact with them at ground level instead. Gaining the trust of a rabbit takes time and effort. If your child’s looking for something soft and cuddly to pick up, a fluffy toy’s a better idea. Loud noises or sudden movements also frighten rabbits. So music, toddlers and rowdy games will scare your pet.
Find a good vet
Well cared for pet rabbits can live for 10 years or longer and a rabbit-savvy vet is your bunny’s best friend. Even healthy pets need regular vet visits for things like annual vaccinations and a check-up at least once a year. If they’re ever injured or ill, they’ll need speedy veterinary care, so having one on hand is a godsend. And finally, we can’t stress enough how important it is to have your pet rabbits neutered.
Can they dig it?
Rabbits love to chew and dig. It’s what they do when making burrows. Pet rabbits need things to chew, like hay, an apple or willow twigs. They love kitchen roll inner tubes stuffed with hay and grass. Don’t worry if there’s nowhere to dig; making a digging box is easy. Put topsoil in a cardboard box and cut a hole halfway up the side. Let your rabbits play in a sandpit, or just accept they love burrowing in the garden and make it secure to avoid escapes.
Hide and seek
Rabbits are inquisitive and love exploring. In the wild, bunnies need to know the quickest way back to their burrow and where to find the best food. They like to climb into and onto new toys, so give them cardboard boxes, large pipes or bits of rolled-up carpet to play with. Searching for tasty food is another favourite pastime. Why not hide titbits and watch your pets hunt for them? Rabbits also love somewhere to hide. Burrows are a rabbit’s safe haven, where they can relax out of harm’s way. That’s why they seek out a dark hidey-hole to chill in peace. Leave them to enjoy their space. If you force them out, they may become frightened and could bite or scratch.
Indoor rabbits
Indoor rabbits need at least as much space as they do outdoors. You should keep them safe from any other pets, like cats and dogs. These are predators, no matter how friendly they might seem. Make sure your rabbits can’t chew electrical cables, or anything else that might harm them, like house plants. Your home should also be a comfortable climate. Not too hot and not too cold. And finally make sure they can’t escape when the front door’s open.
Have a routine
Routines are important so things don’t get forgotten. Breakfast time is a good opportunity for feeding, changing water, cleaning out and checking your rabbits for any health problems like dirty bottoms. Work out what you’ve got time for.
If you have more time in the evening, it might be a good time for a full clean of their home. Check water again, give them more hay, they can never have too much, check their bodies again and move toys around. Make sure their home is secure, and just enjoy spending time with them.
Common illnesses
Because rabbits are prey animals, they hide symptoms of illness for as long as possible. If you’re worried about your rabbits’ health, visit your vet straight away.
There are two very common illnesses caused by viruses that are fatal to unvaccinated rabbits. Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (1+2). Whether yours are indoor or outdoor pets, they can catch either, so vaccination is essential every year.
Bunnies can’t catch cold, but if they look like they have, it’s called snuffles, caused by bacteria.
Head-tilt looks exactly like it sounds. The rabbit’s head tilts over to one side and won’t straighten up. It can also cause a loss of balance, weakness in the hind legs, incontinence and in severe cases, spinning and rolling. This, and losing the use of their back legs or dragging them, can be caused by a brain parasite called E. cuniculi. Don’t worry; it can be treated. Bear in mind ear infections can also cause this, so it’s important to have regular ear checks with your vet.
Dental disease is a common problem. Often poor diet is to blame. Rabbits need to eat hay, hay and more hay. Grass is much the same thing as hay, with a higher water content, but NEVER feed your bunny grass clippings from the lawnmower. They ferment and cause gastrointestinal disease. Every rabbit should eat its own body size or more in hay every day to keep the gut healthy and keep teeth ground down. So between 80% and 85% of what they eat should be hay or grass.
If you find a lump or an oozing spot, then it may well be an abscess. These can be extremely serious and need to be treated straight away. Take your rabbit straight to your vet.
Rabbits can get cancer too. The biggest risk is uterine cancer in females. This can be avoided by having your female rabbits spayed. By the time they’re 4 years old, most unspayed females will already have uterine cancer. Please make sure yours isn’t one of them.
It’s a good idea to budget for healthcare costs throughout your rabbit’s lifetime. Set aside funds and think about having an insurance or health care plan.
Emergencies
We have a page on emergencies. Get ahead and take a look so you’re prepared in case your rabbit needs a vet immediately.
Find out more
We’re always posting the latest information and recommendations here. Keep coming back to make sure you’re on the ball, or why not join us to keep yourself up to date with everything in the world of rabbit care?
