How to make the best home for a new pet rabbit

Beyond the familiar wagging tails and contented purrs that often define our domestic pets, a different kind of charm hops into the hearts and homes of many: the rabbit. With a burgeoning population in UK households, these long-eared companions are carving their own niche in the pet popularity stakes.

Their appeal lies in a delightful blend of compact size, the captivating diversity of breeds, and a surprising depth of personality and intellect. Welcoming a rabbit into your life can be an incredibly enriching journey, promising years of companionship, especially when their specific needs are met with understanding and care. Indeed, with proper husbandry, rabbits often outlive their smaller furry counterparts like guinea pigs and hamsters. This guide serves as your foundational map to navigating the rewarding landscape of rabbit care, ensuring you and your bunny embark on a fulfilling adventure together.

Laying the Groundwork: The Essentials of Rabbit Wellbeing

One of the initial draws of rabbit ownership is their potential for a relatively long lifespan, typically ranging from 8 to 12 years. However, this longevity is intricately linked to their lifestyle, overall health, and breed. Interestingly, smaller breeds, such as the endearing Miniature Lion Lop, can sometimes grace your life for up to 18 years with meticulous care, while larger breeds like the majestic Flemish Giant Rabbit tend to have a slightly shorter average lifespan of 8 to 10 years. Regardless of the breed that hops its way into your family, a happy and fulfilling life is well within reach, provided their fundamental needs are consistently met. To set you on the right path, here are the cornerstones of caring for your new bunny:

Creating Their Sanctuary: The Enclosure

Just as with any small, furry companion, providing a secure and appropriate enclosure is paramount. This serves not only as a haven, protecting them from potential hazards and accidents (particularly crucial if you share your home with larger pets), but also safeguards your belongings from their ever- growing teeth, especially if your rabbit will be spending time indoors. However, with careful bunny- proofing, allowing your rabbit the freedom of your home is a perfectly viable and enriching option. It’s vital to remember that rabbits are inherently social creatures and thrive in companionship. Therefore, adopting at least a bonded pair is highly recommended. This necessitates an enclosure that comfortably accommodates more than one rabbit, offering ample space for them to run, leap, rest, and attend to their bathroom needs with ease.
The ideal size of your rabbits’ abode will depend on their breed and size. However, a general guideline for two medium-sized rabbits is an outdoor hutch with an attached run or an indoor cage with a connected pen, providing a minimum of three by two square metres of floor space and a height of one metre. Remember, when it comes to rabbit real estate, bigger is always better! Consider their adult size when choosing, ensuring the enclosure adheres to the “three-hop rule”; meaning your rabbits should be able to take at least three full hops along the length of their living space. Crucially, they should also be able to stand fully upright, at least within the run section.

Crafting the Perfect Rabbit Home:

Your rabbits’ living quarters should prioritise good ventilation, dryness, and freedom from draughts to prevent illness. They should also have unrestricted access to their exercise run or pen, as rabbits are most active during the twilight hours of dusk and dawn, as well as sometimes overnight. If your rabbits reside outdoors, thermal and waterproof covers can offer essential protection from the elements.
As prey animals, rabbits instinctively seek safe havens. Providing tunnels, igloos, or other hideaways where they can retreat when feeling anxious or threatened is crucial. Their bedding should be comfortable, edible, and dust-free, such as good-quality hay. Interestingly, rabbits are naturally clean and, if given a designated litter tray, will readily use it as their primary bathroom area. Daily spot-cleaning of their litter tray and a thorough weekly cleaning of their entire enclosure will contribute significantly to their hygiene and health.

The Freedom of Roam: Free-Range Rabbits Indoors

The delightful prospect of allowing your bunnies to explore a room or even the entire house is achievable, either under your watchful eye or with constant access. This offers them unparalleled opportunities for exercise, mimicking their natural behaviours. However, it requires meticulous preparation. If you choose to have free-range rabbits, ensure every potential hazard is well beyond their reach. Rabbits are notorious for their chewing habits, targeting wires and virtually anything else within their grasp, and they can also be surprisingly adept at knocking things over. Therefore, secure anything that could be dangerous or valuable, and provide them with an abundance of safe chew toys to redirect their natural instincts. Even a cat scratching post can provide unexpected entertainment! For furniture you wish to protect, consider using a rabbit-safe anti-chew spray. Even free-range rabbits still need a designated sanctuary for rest and security. Therefore, a suitably sized enclosure remains essential. Despite their freedom to roam, their cage should still adhere to the three-hop rule, allow them to stand upright, and include a comfortable hideaway space.

Nourishing Your Hopper: The Importance of Diet

In their natural habitat rabbits are grazers, primarily consuming grasses and other vegetation. To maintain a healthy digestive system, your pet rabbit’s diet must mirror this, with unlimited access to either fresh grass and/or high-quality hay, alongside a constant supply of clean, fresh water provided in either a bowl or a rabbit-specific water bottle. Each rabbit should consume a daily amount of hay roughly equivalent to their body size, ideally presented in a hay rack or hanging basket to keep it clean and off the floor. Providing unlimited hay or grass is the easiest way to ensure they are getting enough essential fibre. While hay and grass forms the cornerstone of their diet, a variety of leafy greens (such as kale, broccoli, and cabbage) and certain fruits and vegetables can be offered as healthy treats in moderation. However, hay remains the non-negotiable foundation for their well-being.
To ensure a complete and balanced nutritional intake, a small portion of high-quality, high-fibre commercial rabbit nuggets should also be included. A general guideline is approximately 25g of nuggets per kilogram of your rabbit’s body weight per day. Overfeeding nuggets or treats can quickly lead to weight gain and other health issues. It’s generally advised to avoid muesli-style rabbit foods, as these often encourage selective feeding and have been linked to dental and digestive problems in rabbits.

In essence, your rabbits’ daily dietary blueprint should look like this:

80% grass/hay (unlimited access)
10% leafy greens
5% high-fibre pellets
0-5% healthy treats (commercial or natural fruits and sugary vegetables like carrots, offered sparingly)

The Curious Case of Cecotropes: Why Rabbits Eat Their Own Poo
You might be surprised (or even a little concerned) to observe your rabbit engaging in a seemingly unusual behaviour: eating their own droppings. However, this is a perfectly normal and vital part of their digestive process. Rabbits produce two distinct types of droppings: the familiar hard, dry pellets, and softer, more moist pellets known as cecotropes. These cecotropes are packed with essential nutrients, protein, and fibre that weren’t fully absorbed during the initial digestion. Rabbits instinctively consume these moist pellets to extract these vital elements. So, if you see your rabbit indulging in this behaviour, either directly from their rear end or shortly after they’ve been passed, there’s no cause for alarm – it’s a crucial part of their healthy diet.

Building Bonds: The Art of Handling
Rabbits are naturally inquisitive and social creatures, and with patience and gentle interaction, you can cultivate a trusting and rewarding relationship with them. It’s important to reiterate that rabbits are social animals and should ideally be kept in pairs. If you’re not in a position to care for two rabbits, exploring solitary small pet options like Syrian hamsters might be a more suitable choice. As prey animals, rabbits have an inherent instinct to be wary of being lifted, which they can perceive as a potential threat. Understanding the correct way to pick up and hold a rabbit is crucial to avoid triggering a fear response. Ideally, aim to interact with them at their level as much as possible, only lifting them when necessary (and to gradually acclimate them to the sensation). Building trust takes time. Younger, well-socialised rabbits tend to adapt more readily to handling, while older rabbits or those with negative past experiences may be more hesitant, potentially never fully enjoying being held.

The Gentle Approach: How to Pet Your Rabbit
The most effective way to earn a rabbit’s trust is to meet them on their own terms. Sit quietly and still on the floor, allowing your rabbit to approach you. Sudden movements will likely startle them. With regular, patient interaction, their natural curiosity will eventually overcome their apprehension. Offering small, healthy treats during these interactions can further encourage them to associate your presence with positive experiences.
Rabbits are social beings and generally enjoy gentle petting once they feel secure in your presence. Most prefer being stroked on the top of their heads and behind their ears. Once your rabbit appears relaxed and comfortable around you, begin by gently stroking them in these areas.

Remember these key principles when interacting with and handling your rabbit:

Be gentle in all your movements.
Be patient; trust takes time to build.
Prioritise their safety and comfort.

Safe Lifting Techniques: How to Pick Up Your Rabbit

When a rabbit feels threatened, such as when being lifted, their natural instinct is to struggle frantically to escape and regain solid ground. This panicked wriggling can easily lead to them being dropped, resulting in potentially severe injuries to their delicate spine or even fatal trauma. Therefore, when first attempting to pick up your rabbit, do so while sitting on the floor to minimise the distance of a potential fall.

Here are some additional guidelines for safely holding your rabbit:

Support their back firmly with one hand while the other hand supports their hindquarters, ensuring all four feet are against your body at all times. Never let your rabbit dangle, as this can strain their spine.
Avoid holding them too tightly, which can cause stress and trigger their escape response. Hold them securely enough that they feel supported, but if they resist being held, don’t force it. Gently and quietly return them to the floor.
Always supervise children when they are handling rabbits to ensure they are doing so correctly and are not inadvertently harming the animal.
Never pick up a rabbit by its ears. This is incredibly stressful and can cause significant pain and injury. Building trust is about creating a sense of safety and security for your rabbit. Never force handling if they are unwilling, and always consider their age, health, and individual temperament before attempting to pick them up. Guardians of Health: Prioritizing Healthcare As prey animals, rabbits have a natural tendency to mask signs of pain or illness until their condition is quite advanced. Additionally, outdoor rabbits are more susceptible to certain diseases and even poisoning. This underscores the importance of being keenly aware of your rabbit’s normal behaviour, ensuring they receive timely vaccinations, preventative parasite treatments, and regular veterinary check-ups. Be vigilant for subtle changes that could indicate illness or injury, including:
Alterations in behaviour or attitude towards you.
Changes in appetite or water intake.
Changes in bowel movements, such as producing more or fewer pellets or experiencing diarrhoea.
Slowed movement, increased fearfulness, or excessive hiding.
Changes in breathing rate or effort (too fast or too slow).
Discharge around the eyes or excessive saliva around the mouth.
Changes in skin and coat condition, including unusual shedding, excessive grooming or fur pulling, flaky skin, or any signs of blood. If you observe any of these signs, consulting your veterinarian promptly is crucial – remember, these changes can be very subtle.

Hands-On Health Checks: Your Role in Preventative Care

In addition to routine veterinary examinations, learning how to perform basic health checks at home is essential for early detection of potential problems. Pay particular attention to their eyes, ears, claws, and teeth. You should regularly check your rabbits’

Front teeth and nails: Inspect these at least weekly, as they can grow rapidly. If you notice any overgrowth or misalignment, consult your vet.
Rear end: Check twice daily for any signs of urine scalding or stuck droppings, which can attract flies and lead to potentially fatal flystrike.
Skin and fur: Regularly examine their coat and apply parasite protection as recommended by your veterinarian (often monthly, using products like Advantage Spot On Flea Treatment for Small Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits).
Coat: Groom your rabbit regularly, increasing frequency during shedding seasons. If you’re unsure about proper grooming techniques, seek guidance from your vet.

The Importance of Dental Care:
A rabbit’s mouth houses 28 teeth, though you’ll primarily notice the four prominent incisors at the front (they actually have six incisors in total, with a smaller pair located behind the upper front ones). Much like rodents, rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their lives and require constant wear to maintain the correct length and prevent painful overgrowth or misalignment. The best ways to ensure your rabbit’s dental health include:

Providing a high-fibre diet rich in grass, leafy vegetables, and high-quality nuggets.
Regularly checking their front four teeth at home and scheduling routine dental check-ups with your veterinarian. Even a single misaligned tooth can have significant consequences for their overall health, and realignment can only be performed by a trained veterinary professional. A vet can also identify any signs of dental injury or disease.
Offering safe and appropriate chew toys that are free of small parts that could pose a choking hazard. Opt for toys with smooth edges made from natural materials, such as small pet chew sticks and other gnawing toys. Enrichment and Exercise: Fuelling Their Active Minds and Bodies Rabbits are remarkably active, playful, and curious pets. Providing ample space and opportunities for exercise is fundamental to their physical and mental well-being. Ideally, their permanent enclosure should include a spacious run where they can hop and explore freely at any time. Alternatively, allowing them free-range access to a bunny-proofed room or even the entire house during their most active periods is highly beneficial.

These active times typically include:

Early morning
Late afternoon
Overnight (if it’s safe and secure) The contents of your rabbits’ enclosure are just as crucial as its size. They need stimulating activities and toys to prevent boredom and encourage natural behaviours. Rabbits are intelligent creatures, and without adequate enrichment, they can become stressed, inactive, and prone to obesity. Fill their space with a variety of safe toys, a comfortable hideaway, and even platforms to explore, ensuring the area doesn’t become too cluttered. A happy and well-stimulated rabbit will often exhibit a delightful behaviour known as a “binky” – a joyous leap with all four feet off the ground, often accompanied by a mid-air twist!

Other signs of a content rabbit include:

Lying down with a relaxed posture, all four feet tucked neatly beneath them.
Stretching out comfortably with their front legs extended forward and their back legs spread out behind them.
Sleeping in a “flop” – a dramatic act of throwing themselves onto their side, appearing almost lifeless, which indicates they feel completely safe and secure. To keep your rabbit mentally engaged, provide opportunities for their natural behaviours such as chewing, digging, chin marking (rubbing their chin on objects to mark them with scent), and investigating. This doesn’t necessitate expensive store-bought toys; they often find just as much enjoyment in playing with cardboard boxes and shredded paper (ensure no harmful chemicals are present) as they do with wooden enrichment toys, although the occasional rabbit-safe toy is always a welcome addition. Rotate their toys and rearrange their enclosure periodically to remove anything that has been chewed to an unsafe level (small, swallowable pieces or sharp edges) and to offer a novel environment to explore. This helps prevent boredom, stress, and even frustration. If you’re unsure whether your rabbit is content, observe their behaviour closely. While each rabbit has its own unique personality, general signs of a stressed or unhappy rabbit include:
Crouching low to the ground with a tense body, ears held wide apart, and large, dilated pupils.
Spending excessive time hiding away.
Thumping their back legs on the ground.
Standing tensely with their mouth open, ears held back, and teeth bared. Understanding your rabbit’s individual behaviours will equip you to respond appropriately to their needs. If they appear worried, try to identify the underlying cause, which could range from the presence of other pets or children, loud noises, or simply a shy temperament.

The Decision to Spay or Neuter: Promoting Health and Harmony

Spaying (for females) and neutering (for males) are surgical procedures that prevent reproduction. In males, this involves the removal of the testicles, while in females, it entails the removal of the ovaries and uterus. There are numerous benefits to spaying or neutering your rabbits, including:

Preventing accidental pregnancies: This is particularly crucial if you keep a mixed-sex pair or group of rabbits, as a male and female often form the strongest bond. Without neutering/spaying, you could quickly find yourself with more rabbits than you anticipated!
Improving socialization: Spayed and neutered rabbits tend to be less territorial and more likely to bond with each other.
Reducing the risk of certain cancers: Spaying significantly lowers the risk of uterine cancer in females, which is a common and often fatal condition in unspayed does. It can also reduce the risk of womb infections and mammary (breast tissue) cancers.
Improving temperament: Neutering male rabbits reduces the production of testosterone, leading to less aggressive behaviour towards other rabbits and a decreased tendency to chase or mount their companions.
Enhancing house training: Neutered rabbits are less likely to engage in scent-marking behaviours like urine spraying.
Eliminating the risk of false pregnancies in females: These hormonal episodes can lead to nesting behaviours and aggression towards owners and other rabbits.

Rabbits as Cherished Companions: With the right care, attention, and a genuine understanding of their unique needs, rabbits can blossom into exceptionally rewarding pets, bringing joy with their playful antics, endearing “flops,” and overall adorableness. By staying informed about their health, providing a stimulating environment, and nurturing their social nature, you can look forward to many happy years of companionship with your long-eared friends. Remember, rabbits are intelligent, social, and active creatures who thrive on space, enrichment, and the company of their own kind. Their dietary needs are paramount for their health, and while they may be shy initially, patience and gentle interaction will unveil their friendly and loving nature.