Temperament and company
Rabbits are not rodents: they are lagomorphs. They are social animals that get lonely and stressed on their own, so keep them at least in pairs, ideally a neutered male with a female. A guinea pig is not a suitable companion or neighbour: a rabbit can injure it.
Rabbits are liveliest at dawn and dusk and rest more during the day. They talk with their bodies: a happy rabbit leaps and stretches out beside its companion, a frightened one freezes or thumps a hind foot.
Housing
Rabbits need far more room than it seems: in their home they must be able to hop freely, stand up on their hind legs and stretch out, and every day they also need to run in a larger safe pen or room. Give them a hideaway big enough for both and a raised spot to look out from.
Before letting a rabbit into a room, hide cables and anything it could chew. Rabbits take readily to a toilet corner with litter, so they are easy to train to one place. Keep them away from heat, draughts and direct sun.
Feeding
The bulk of what they eat should be hay or fresh grass, available without limit all day: chewing it wears down their ever-growing teeth and the fibre keeps the gut working. Add fresh leafy greens every day and a small amount of pellets made for rabbits.
Give fruit and sweet treats only now and then, and only a little. Clean water must always be available. Introduce new foods gradually, as a sudden change can upset digestion.
Handling
A rabbit is a prey animal, so being lifted off the ground frightens it. It is best to spend time with it on the floor: sit beside it and let it come to you. If you must lift it, support the chest with one hand and the hind legs with the other, and hold it firmly against you.
Never lift a rabbit by its ears or the scruff of its neck. Young children should stroke a rabbit sitting on the floor, with an adult watching: a frightened rabbit kicks and can hurt itself if it falls.
Everyday health care
Check your rabbit every week: clear eyes, nose and ears, a clean coat around the rear, nails and front teeth that are not overgrown. Every day, see that it is eating and passing droppings as normal: these are the key signs of its health. Brush the coat while it is moulting.
Find a vet who sees rabbits before you need one, and ask them how to protect your rabbit against disease.
What you will need
- A roomy enclosure or hutch with room to run Cages · 924 products
- Bedding and litter for the toilet corner Bedding · 401 products
- Hay available all day Food · 2,670 products
- Pellets made for rabbits Food · 2,670 products
- A heavy bowl and a water bottle or bowl Bowls & Feeders · 260 products
- A hideaway big enough for both rabbits
- Chew toys and tunnels Toys · 259 products
- A carrier for trips to the vet Carriers & Crates · 57 products
The links lead to product categories, never to a product or a brand. Not a recommendation.
When to see a vet now
See a vet straight away if your rabbit stops eating or passing droppings, sits hunched, breathes with effort, has diarrhoea or is dull. Rabbits hide illness for a long time, so even a short spell off food means it should be seen.
Sources
Lifespan, weight, social needs and diet are taken from these sources. The text is our own.