Rabbits can be bought from pet stores or through breeders. Alternatively, you may wish to offer a home to an unwanted
rabbit via an animal rescue or charity centre. Reputable centres will have done a full health check and most will neuter and
vaccinate rabbits prior to re-homing.
What are the housing requirements for my rabbit?
Rabbits make good house pets and can be easily litter trained. However they love to chew and can be destructive to furniture
and carpets. It is best to supervise your rabbit whilst loose in the house, and to have a secure cage or
pen that it can be kept in when you are out and at night. It is also wise to take
measures to prevent chewing of electrical cables – a potentially dangerous pastime!
Outside rabbits may be housed in a hutch, but should always have access to a grassed run. Cages should be as large as possible and allow the rabbit to stand up fully on its hind legs and perform at least three consecutive hops. No hutch can be too big, but minimum sizes are 60x24x24 inches per average rabbit. Large or giant breeds will require more space than this. The hutch should be divided into an enclosed sleeping area where the rabbit can hide and a larger area for daytime use.
House rabbits may be kept on soft towels, or shredded paper. Outside rabbits may be kept on wood shavings or straw. Straw is a better alternative to hay as the latter is easily flattened and gives little warmth. Barley straw is recommended as it is softer than wheat or oat straw and there is less likelihood of it damaging the eyes. Avoid dusty or mouldy straw, as this can predispose your rabbit to developing respiratory problems. Sawdust should be avoided as it is dusty and can irritate the eyes. It is important, but also easy and inexpensive to provide your rabbit with many activities and toys to prevent boredom. Everyday household items can be used such as plant pots, boxes or tubes.
How do I litter train my rabbit?
Rabbits can be litter trained relatively easily. Initially the rabbit should be kept in a small area (either a cage or a blocked off area of a room), and a litter box placed in a corner of the area that the rabbit has already used to soil. The sides of the litter box must be low enough so that your rabbit can get in and out easily.Newspaper or paper-based litter is best. Avoid cat Fuller’s earth products, as these may be harmful if eaten. It may help to put some droppings in the litter box as well, to encourage your rabbit to use it.
How often should I clean my rabbit out?
It is essential, particularly if it is outdoors in the summer, that
your rabbit is kept as clean as possible. You should check your
rabbit twice daily, especially in the summer, for any signs of
matted droppings or maggots around its rear end. Clean your
rabbit out at least twice weekly and if possible removing any
urine soaked bedding each day. The hutch may be cleaned
with a suitable dilute disinfectant.
What temperature should my rabbit be kept at?
Rabbits kept indoors should be kept in the coolest and least humid part of the house. The optimum room temperature range for rabbits is 60-70°F (15-21°C). If a rabbit’s environmental temperature rises above 80°F (27°C) heat stroke may occur. Outdoor rabbits should have access to shade and be free from draughts, wind and driving rain. They should also be protected from dogs, cats and predators. Plenty of straw bedding in the winter and covering the front of the cage with a blanket at night will prevent your rabbit from getting hypothermia. Water bowls and bottles should be changed daily in the winter as they may freeze.How should I handle my rabbit?
When picking up your rabbit always support its hindquarters, as
this will prevent any spinal injuries. The rabbit’s spine is very fragile
and will easily snap if the hind legs are allowed to dangle and the
rabbit gives a strong kick. This can result in paralysis of the hind
legs. One of the best ways to pick up a rabbit is to grasp a large
scruff of loose skin behind the neck with one hand and scoop up
the rear end with the other. Always hold a rabbit close in to your
body so it feels secure. You can tuck its head under your arm.
NEVER pick a rabbit up by its ears.
Should I neuter my rabbit?
Routine neutering of both male and female rabbits is strongly
recommended unless you wish to breed from your rabbit.
Rabbits become sexually mature between 4 months (in
smaller breeds) and 6-9 months (in larger breeds). It is
recommended that young rabbits be separated into single sex
groups at 16 weeks of age.
Breeding is prevented by castration of male rabbits at
about 5-6 months of age in males (once the testicles have
descended), or spaying of female rabbits at about 6 months of
age. Having your female rabbit spayed at between 6 months
and 2 years old dramatically decreases the chance of her
developing uterine cancer later on in life. In some breeds the
incidence of this cancer is over 80% in does over 5 years.
Intact males are more prone to developing behavioural
problems including fighting, biting and urine spraying. The urine
may also become strong smelling.
However, neutered rabbits are more prone to obesity as
they grow older, so care must be taken not to allow overeating.
Feeding the correct diet is fundamental to maintaining health, particularly of the teeth and the digestive system. A low fibre, high carbohydrate diet (e.g rabbit mix) can lead to dental disease, facial abscesses, sore eyes and conjunctivitis, obesity, intestinal upsets such as diarrhoea and furballs. It is vital to feed mainly fresh good quality hay or grass and green vegetables as a source of fibre.
The best diet for rabbits is one that mimics as closely as possible their natural grass-based diet in the wild. Grass is approximately 20-25% crude fibre, 15% crude protein and 2- 3% fat. The bulk of the diet of the pet rabbit should consist of grass (fresh or freeze-dried) and/or good quality meadow/timothy hay. This should be available at all times. Nibbling throughout the day will keep your rabbit occupied and prevent boredom. Hay can be fed from racks or nets to minimise contamination and increase the time spent feeding. Good quality meadow hay should be sweet smelling and not be dusty. Dried grass products that retain colour and are highly palatable are now also available, such as Supa Forage Excel.
Green foods are also important and a variety should be fed daily to rabbits of all ages. They should be introduced gradually to weanling rabbits. Examples are broccoli, cabbage, chicory, chard, parsley, watercress, celery leaves, endive, raddichio, bok choy, dock, basil, kale, carrot and beet tops. Wild plants can be given if available, e.g bramble, groundsel, chickweed, dandelion. All green foods should be washed before feeding.
Commercial feed
A large number of rabbits will only eat certain components of
mixed feeds (otherwise known as coarse mix or muesli mixes),
risking an insufficient uptake of protein, calcium and
phosphorous. Picking out the bits they like and leaving the bits
they don’t like means they get a very unbalanced diet and can
lead to many problems, the main one being dental disease.
This is why high quality nuggets, where all the nutrients are
present in each individual nugget are the preferred option.
Overfeeding dry foods to adult rabbits is a common cause of
diseases such as obesity, heart and liver problems, chronic
diarrhoea, dental and kidney disease. A good general rule is to
feed a maximum of 25g of pellets per kg bodyweight per day,
and it must be emphasised that that hay or grass should
always be available and make up the bulk of the diet.
Baby rabbits require different protein levels to that of adult
rabbits. Supa Rabbit Excel Junior & Dwarf (suitable also for all
dwarf breeds due to the smaller sized nugget) is ideal for
babies.
Adult rabbits should be fed on Supa Rabbit Excel at the stipulated amount to avoid overfeeding.
What about feeding treats?
High fat or high carbohydrate/starchy treats should be avoided completely as they can lead to obesity and digestive upsets. These include commercial “treats” such as honey sticks, beans, peas, corn, bread, breakfast cereal, biscuits, nuts, seeds, crisps and chocolate. Fruit should be regarded as a treat item and fed in limited quantities only as it is high in simple sugars and can lead to gastrointestinal disturbance and teeth problems. For some tooth wear and mental stimulation you may provide your rabbit with twigs or tree branches. They will enjoy gnawing and stripping the bark. A general rule is that you can offer branches from any tree that we eat the fruit from.Examples are apple, pear, plum, hawthorn, whitethorn and wild rose. Make sure the tree has not been sprayed with chemicals.
Sudden changes in diet must be avoided. Any change in diet should be made gradually over several days to weeks, starting with small amounts of the new item and gradually increasing them, whilst making a corresponding decrease in the unwanted item if necessary. Hay should always be available, and it is especially important to ensure that weanling rabbits eat plenty of hay. A sudden change in diet and lack of fibre combined with the stress of movement is a significant cause of disease and death in young rabbits over the period of weaning and moving to a pet shop or new owner. When purchasing a rabbit it is important for a new owner to be informed of the rabbit’s diet so that any changes can be introduced gradually.
Frosted or mouldy food and lawnmower clippings should not be fed as these can lead to severe digestive disturbances. Dietary supplements consisting of vitamins and minerals are not generally necessary if the correct diet is fed. They should be used only under direction of a veterinary surgeon. Fresh drinking water must be available at all times. Drinking bottles are easier to keep clean than water bowls, and avoid wetting the dewlap, which can lead to a moist dermatitis.
Vaccinations
Myxomatosis is caused by a virus. The first signs of infection are puffy, fluid filled swellings around the head and face. “Sleepy eyes” are another classic sign, along with swollen lips, tiny swellings on the inside of the ear and puffy swellings around the anus and genitals. Within a day or so, these swellings can become so severe that they can cause blindness. Eating and drinking becomes progressively more difficult and death usually follows within 12 days.
Is my rabbit at risk?
All breeds of rabbit can be affected, including the wild rabbit found throughout the country.
Myxomatosis is spread by blood-sucking insects, such as the
rabbit flea and possibly mosquitoes. The virus can remain alive
in the blood of hibernating fleas over the winter.
A small amount of live virus is placed in the skin of the rabbit as
the insect sucks blood. Within a few days the virus passes into
the blood of the rabbit which enables it to be spread to several
sites. The virus mainly multiplies in the skin around the eyes, the
nose, the face, the soft skin inside the ears and also the skin
around the anus and genitals of the rabbit.
The incubation period can be anything from 5 to 14 days before signs of the disease
begin to show.
Some infected rabbits may survive for weeks or months after infection. But in
general, a severe infection in a susceptible rabbit will lead to
death within 12 days, usually from a secondary lung infection.
Not all affected rabbits die - although in the wild, fewer than
10% survive. But even with intensive nursing, myxomatosis can
be a very protracted disease, leading to severe scabbing and
scarring on the head and body.
There are two main methods of controlling the disease:
