WELCOME TO THE RABBIT CARE GUIDE
INTRODUCTION
Rabbits are intelligent, social (not to mention cute!) animals that are becoming more popular as household pets.
In order to ensure they live a happy, long life it is important to understand what caring for a rabbit entails and the many rabbit health issues that are brought about by poor husbandry and nutrition.
Lifespan
The domestic rabbit’s average lifespan is 7 to 14 years.
This is an important consideration before you acquire a rabbit to make sure you are able to care for them for their entire life.
RABBIT HANDLING
One of the most important things to acknowledge with rabbits is that unlike cats and dogs, rabbits are what we call a prey animal. This means that rabbits in the wild are used for food by other predator species. Therefore when it comes to bonding with your rabbit, a lot of it is about building a positive, trusting relationship.
NEVER SNEAK UP ON YOUR RABBIT
Let them know you are coming by gently talking to them while you are approaching. If your rabbit is very shy or scared, it is usually best to let them come to you first. In a safe, secure environment, lie on the floor or sit in the vicinity of your rabbit. Over time, they will come and sniff you. Try not to make any sudden movements as this will scare your bunny away.
picking up your rabbit
When picking up your rabbit the most important thing to do is support their back legs. Rabbits have a very fragile back and excessive struggling and kicking with their back legs during inappropriate handling can lead to their back fracturing. Whilst supporting their back legs, place your other hand under its chest and hold them closely to you, as pictured.
handling your rabbit
Start handling your rabbit from a young age to get them used to it. Daily handling of your rabbit will make them used to being handled, and will give you the opportunity to be more aware of how their health is and notice any abnormalities sooner. If picking up your rabbit, only do so for short periods of time and make sure to reward them with treats afterwards – this will help to build a positive association with interacting with you!
interacting with your rabbit
It is best (and safest) to interact with your rabbit on the floor. Being picked up or handled above ground is very scary and unnatural for a rabbit and increases the risk of being dropped or injured.
housing
Rabbits can be housed indoors or outdoors. Below are the recommendations for housing.
outside
If you choose to keep your rabbit outside you will most likely house them in a hutch or a run.
A hutch should…
- Be strong and secure enough to keep predators out (such as cats & dogs)
- Have a sleeping area that is sheltered from wind and rain
- The sleeping area should have a bed made out of hay, straw or shredded paper. This should be changed daily (treated wood-chippings can be toxic to your rabbit if eaten so it is best avoided)
- Have a roof that is high enough for your rabbit to stand up on their back legs and stretch
- Be long enough so they can easily do 3 big hops from one side to the other minimum (ideally the run should be as long as possible)
- Be made of non-toxic material as bunnies like to chew things
- Be moved frequently so your rabbit has access to fresh grass
- Have areas to shelter your rabbit from the sun
Note: Rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk. They should be given a chance to run freely in a safe area during these times daily to encourage natural behaviour such as binkies or foraging.
inside
Rabbits can make great indoor pets! They are relatively easy to litter train as they generally go to the toilet in one place only.
Litter training tips:
- Place a litter tray in the spot where your rabbit naturally goes to the toilet. Over time, move the tray to an area where you would like it kept. This may take a couple of weeks and is a lot easier to do when your rabbit has been spayed or neutered.
- Rabbits like to munch while using the toilet, so adding a hay rack next to the litter tray or adding hay to the tray may help.
Rabbits love to chew things so all pot plants should be kept out of reach! Electrical cords should be moved away from the rabbit area or covered with something such as an old garden hose.
When loose in your house, your rabbit should be supervised at all times. When you are not home, your rabbit should be placed in a house or a pen that meets the same requirements as a hutch.
Make sure you provide your bunny with some outside time, in an exercise pen if you have access to such an area. This can be highly enriching for them! Always make sure your rabbit is supervised during outside play time.
Exercise & Behaviour
Rabbits require a lot of exercise, and quite often the size of the hutch does not allow this. Once a day your rabbit should be able to have supervised exercise around your back-yard, or in an exercise pen to allow them to run around. Lack of exercise can lead to obesity and joint problems – but remember to watch out for those predators!
Rabbits are highly intelligent animals who benefit from toys and enrichment to keep them happy. Below are some enrichment ideas:
- Cardboard boxes without anything toxic on them - one idea with this is to create a “box mansion” by making holes in the boxes and creating an above ground rabbit warren
- Tunnels and ramps
- A dirt box to dig around in
- Untreated wicker baskets
- Branches from rabbit safe trees (willow, apple, citrus etc.)
- Solid objects to jump on as rabbits like to get up high and look around
- Balls with bells in them
- Encouraging them to search for their food by putting hay in toilet paper rolls, hiding their food around the cage etc.
food
See the Rabbit Food Fact Sheet for a list of foods you can feed your bunny.
It may be a good idea to put this in your kitchen to refer to on a daily basis!
Improper feeding is one of the main causes of rabbit health problems, therefore it is very important to ensure your rabbit is fed a healthy, balanced diet with variety. Here are a few things you may or may not have known about rabbits that are important to remember when feeding them:
- Rabbits are herbivores! They can only digest vegetable matter.
- Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their life, meaning they rely on a proper diet and chewing motion to grind them down.
- Rabbits produce two sets of poos. The first set is known as the caecotroph. This poo is quite soft, smelly and looks like a raspberry. It is important for the rabbit to eat this poo as it contains a lot of vitamins and nutrients it needs to absorb. You should not normally see this poo as rabbits eat it directly from their anus. The other poo is the firm, round, pellet that is normally seen by the owner.
The most important thing to remember about feeding rabbits is that 90% of their diet should consist of grass or good quality hay. They should always have access to fresh water. The grass, hay and water should be changed daily.
It is important your rabbit has access to fresh water as this will promote bladder health. Rabbits tend to drink more water than cats and dogs, consuming around 100ml/kg/day. Bowls are preferred over bottles as they encourage rabbits to drink more.
pellets
When feeding rabbits pellets it is important to avoid buying one that includes seeds, dried fruits, nuts, grains and coloured pieces. These diets are very high in sugar and fat composition for your rabbit. Look for a pellet that has 20-35% fibre and a protein content that is around 15% (Burgees, Oxbow and Selective are brands you can generally count on). Feed according to the packet instructions. Generally a rabbit should get an eggcup of pellets a day (2 egg cups for giant breeds).
Rabbits up to 6 months of age, pregnant rabbits or lactating rabbits can have access to a larger quantity of pellets - after this time it is important to reduce your rabbit’s feed to the normal recommended portion as feeding excessive pellets can lead to obesity and dental problems.
Due to the composition of the rabbit’s gut, it is very important to introduce new foods to your rabbit gradually. A sudden change in diet can cause diarrhoea, which can be fatal. Whilst introducing your rabbit to vegetables, introduce them one at a time, e.g. feeding one for three days before trying another. If diarrhoea occurs, note that down and don’t feed that particular vegetable again.
Treat foods, such as fruits, carrots and non-green vegetables, are like “lollies” for bunnies! These are usually high in fats and sugars. Your rabbit should only get around 1 TBS per 2kg body weight TOTAL per day (not of each variety!).
If you have any other questions regarding feeding feel free to ask your vet.
de-sexing and vaccination
de-sexing
It is highly recommended to de-sex your pet rabbit. This can be done at any time after they reach 4 months old, and is best done before they reach 6 months old. Rabbits reach puberty at 3-6 months old.
Below are some of the benefits of getting your rabbit de-sexed:
- To prevent male and female rabbits breeding
- To prevent aggression and displays of dominance towards rabbits of the same sex living together
- To help with behaviour problems such as inappropriate urination
- To prevent uterine cancer in female rabbits (~80% of females will get this disease after 4 years old)
vaccination
Rabbit Calicivirus (also known as rabbit haemorrhagic disease) is a deadly disease of rabbits which results in death in almost 100% of rabbits that contract it. Unfortunately this disease has no cure. Most rabbits will not show many symptoms and can die within a few hours.
It is highly recommended to vaccinate your rabbit against this disease every year throughout their lifetime. There are two strains of calicivirus present in NZ. We recommend annual vaccination with the Filavac vaccine from 10 weeks of age - this vaccine provides protection from both strains of this virus. It is recommended that indoor rabbits are also vaccinated annually, as this virus can be transmitted by fomites (contaminated objects and food).
Cylap is another vaccination available for rabbits in NZ - we do not recommend this vaccine as it only provides protection against the older strain of Calicivirus and provides no cross protection for the newer strain.
Things to look out for
Since rabbits are prey animals they are very good at concealing pain or signs of disease. There are, however, some subtle signs that you may notice which may indicate your rabbit needs to be seen by a veterinarian:
Reduced or lack of appetite (can be life-threatening!)
If your rabbit has not eaten for more than 12 hours this is an emergency!
Weight loss
Discharge from your rabbits eyes, ears or nose
Excessive scratching at ears
Dandruff, bald patches, excessive scratching
Drooling
Staining around their bottom
Urine staining around the back area
Seeing a lot of caecotrophs or faeces stuck to their bottom
Hunched posture or swollen abdomen
Not moving
An obvious wound or injury
Change in behaviour
