Home Get To Know Your Rabbit: A Care Guide

Get To Know Your Rabbit: A Care Guide

May 7, 2024 JOLLYES TEAM

Questions

What do I need?
Your rabbit's health
Your rabbit's behaviour
Shopping list

Being a parent to a pet rabbit can be a wonderful experience, but as with all pets it's important to know what's involved in caring for them so they can lead a happy, healthy life.

What do I need?

I need daily care and attention. You'll need to provide me with fresh food and water, clean my living area regularly, and spend time with me.
I need a diet made up of hay, fresh vegetables, and a small amount of nuggets.
I need a safe space to live and play, whether I live indoors or outdoors. You'll need to provide me with a suitable house and a safe area for me to exercise in.
I'll need regular visits to the vet to ensure I stay in good health.
I can live for 8 to 12 years or even longer with proper care. Can you care for me for that long?
I thrive with a companion, as long as we get on well with each other.

Choosing a rabbit

When it comes to choosing a rabbit, there's a wide array of options, each differing in size and personality. You'll need to decide which breed suits your lifestyle. For example, a long-haired rabbit requires daily grooming, which may not be feasible for you. Some rabbits can grow to 2kg in size so need more space and food.

Talk to our team about the different rabbit breeds we have to help you discover your perfect floppy-eared friend.

Handling your rabbit

Approach your rabbit calmly and gently - sudden movements and loud noises can startle them.

When picking up your rabbit, use both hands to support their body. Place one hand under their chest, with your thumb and fingers on either side of their body, and the other hand supporting their hindquarters. Lift them gently but firmly, ensuring their entire body is well-supported.

Once you have your rabbit in your hands, hold them securely but not too tightly. You can keep your rabbit close to your body to make them feel more secure and cradle them against your chest or hold them on your lap.

If children are handling your rabbit, closely supervise the interaction to ensure your bunny's safety and well-being.

Also, don't forget to wash your hands after touching your rabbit!

Housing

All rabbits, including those that live indoors, need a secure and clean environment with protection from hazards. They also need a safe, comfortable place they can rest undisturbed and hide from things that may scare them.

Your rabbit's house should ideally allow them to stand comfortably on their hind legs. If you choose an outdoor hutch, ensure it's both robust and waterproof, and a height of roughly25cm off the ground. Select a sheltered location to shield your rabbits from the elements! On chilly nights, consider using a hutch cover, a blanket, or even an old carpet to provide extra warmth. For indoor rabbits, place their enclosure in a cool room, away from direct sunlight and drafts.

Given their active nature, daily exercise outside their cage is essential. This can be achieved in a secure garden enclosure or a designated rabbit-proof area within your home. An ideal setup includes a permanent exercise area attached to their hutch or cage, allowing your rabbits to move and play whenever they wish!

An exercise run offers your rabbits the chance to engage in natural behaviours like running, digging, burrowing, jumping, hiding, and grazing. All hutches and runs should be sturdy and designed to prevent potential predators.

If you choose to keep your rabbit indoors, it's essential to rabbit-proof your home. Be mindful of exposed electrical wires, other pets, and potentially toxic plants.

Bedding

To ensure their hutch or cage remains a comfortable and hygienic living space for your rabbit, put a layer of absorbent bedding on the hutch floor, and provide an ample supply of hay or straw for nesting. Remove any bedding that gets wet every day, as keeping your rabbit and its environment clean, especially during the warmer months, is crucial. Neglecting hygiene can attract flies and unwanted pests, so it's essential to thoroughly clean their hutch at least once a week.

Feeding your rabbit

To keep your rabbits healthy and thriving, it's essential to provide grass and hay. You'll also need to add some fresh leafy vegetables and a small portion of commercial feed into their daily diet.

Here's a breakdown of a balance daily diet for your rabbits:

80% Grass or Hay: Ensure your rabbits have access to grass or hay at all times.
15% Leafy Green and Vegetables: Include leafy greens and veggies like kale, carrot tops and broccoli, which make up about 75% of their daily intake.
5% Commercial Feed: Offer a small amount of commercial feed, equivalent to approximately two egg cups.

Hay plays a crucial role in providing the necessary fibre for a healthy gut and preventing dental issues. Since rabbits' teeth continuously grow, hay also helps keep them at an ideal length.

There's a variety of prepared rabbit foods available, formulated for different ages and sizes. Be careful not to overfeed, as this can lead to obesity. Avoid abrupt changes to their diet; when changing commercial foods, do this gradually over at least two weeks.

Fresh foods should be given sparingly, especially for baby rabbits who should receive only small amounts. Choose suitable fresh options such as kale, spring greens, broccoli, and dandelions. Don't forget to wash fresh foods before feeding and remove any uneaten food quickly. Your rabbit needs constant access to fresh water so provide them with a gravity-fed bottle or a bowl.

Your rabbit's health

To help your rabbit stay healthy, there are some other steps you'll also need to consider:

Veterinary care and insurance: Register your pet rabbits with a veterinary surgeon and think about getting pet insurance to cover any unexpected veterinary expenses.
Annual vaccinations: Book annual vaccinations with your vet to protect your rabbit against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrohagic Disease (VHD). These diseases pose a significant threat to rabbits if left unvaccinated. Most Jollyes clinics offer this annual booster.
Neutering: Consider having your rabbits neutered, as it helps prevent certain behavioural and health issues and also allows for compatible social groupings amongst them.
Daily health checks: Regularly examine your rabbits, particularly during the summer, to ensure they remain clean and healthy. All rabbits are susceptible to fly strike, as flies are attracted to soiled areas around their tail, where they lay eggs. If you suspect fly strike, contact your vet immediately.

Your rabbit's behaviour

Rabbits are social animals and thrive from companionship. You should consider introducing more than one rabbit by keeping them in neutered pairs or compatible groups. It's crucial to remember that introducing new rabbits should be gradual to ensure compatibility. An individual rabbit must spend lots of quality time with its human companions to be happy.

Make it a daily routine to spend time with your floppy-eared friend. They genuinely enjoy human interaction, and offering them a small treat can be a delightful way to bond and build trust!

Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are active at dawn, dusk and overnight. Therefore, they need constant access to their safe exercise area. Rabbits are naturally athletic and inquisitive, so they need opportunities to run, jump, forage and dig! Provide your rabbits with plenty of activities to do and enough space to exercise, stand on their hind limbs without their ears touching the roof, dig and forage.

Rabbits show many positive behaviour traits when they're happy, including: binkying, playing with objects, rolling on their back and playing with toys.

Shopping list

Large outdoor hutch/indoor cage.
Choose one spacious and secure enough for two rabbits to run and jump!
Large run or pen for the garden.
Commercial rabbit food and ceramic food dish.
Hutch cover to protect from extreme weather.
Water bottle, bottle brush and water dish.
Litter tray and litter for indoor rabbits.
Such as paper/wood.
Pet safe disinfectant.
Hay for feeding.
Gnawing items.
Willow is a great choice.
Hay rack.
Toys and tunnels.
Treats.
Fly repellent.
Hay or straw for bedding.
Absorbent bedding for lining the hutch.
Such as dust-free paper/straw.

This blog is produced by Jollyes – The Pet People in collaboration with the Pet Industry Federation.

Disclaimer: This blog provides general guidance for your new guinea pig, but is not a comprehensive guide. The information contained is not a substitute for veterinary advice and any concerns about your individual pet’s health should be raised with your veterinary surgeon.