The Make Mine Chocolate! 10 Point Rabbit Care Guide

Feeding Your Rabbit

Keeping your rabbits diet as close that of its wild counterpart will help to ensure they have a long healthy and happy life. The daily diet should consist of around 80% good quality hay with a small amount of suitable vegetables and a small quantity of pelleted rabbit food (think egg cup rather than bowl full for the average adult). This diet will ensure your rabbits have a healthy gut and eat enough hay to ensure their constantly growing teeth are kept in check. 

Keeping Your Rabbits Healthy

Your rabbits will need to be given two vaccines regularly, whether they live inside or out.

The first is to prevent against Myxomatosis and is recommended to be given every six months. The disease is spread by biting insects such as mosquitoes and fleas so is easily spread. An unvaccinated rabbit catching Myxomatosis will almost certainly die.

Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) should be given annually.  VHD is widespread and is passed by direct contact (on clothing/hands/shoes), on the wind and also by biting insects. There are often no outward symptoms and there are no known treatments. The disease is fatal.

Your Rabbits Accommodation

Your rabbits need as large a space as possible! Rabbits just love to run and jump about, and they need to do this in order to remain fit and healthy.

Rabbits living outside need a hutch of at least 6ft x 2ft x 2ft, with an attached run of at least the same size if not larger.

Hutches can be replaced with wendy houses or sheds. Whatever is used, it must be weatherproof, secure and predator proof and allow for the rabbits to hop around freely, stretch up on their hind legs unhindered and fully stretch out when lying down.

Rabbits can also live indoors as they are easily litter trained. They can make a wonderful addition to the family, but care must be taken to ensure the home or area they are living in is totally bunny-proofed for their safety. There should also be somewhere where they can feel safe and secure.

Your Rabbit’s Friend

Your rabbit’s friend should be another rabbit; not a guinea pig or other animal. The best combination is a neutered male and spayed female, but a rabbit can also live in a group too.

And there’s no rule about shape, size or colour. Your rabbits are not worried about such things; they just have to like each other.

Pairing two rabbits can be tricky. The best option is to speak with your local rescue; most will carry out a ‘bonding’ service (bunny dating!) for you to ensure your rabbit meets the perfect partner. Some rabbits just don’t get along, so visit a rescue rather than buying a potential partner from a pet shop, else you may end up with two single rabbits!

A Rabbits Life

Rabbits can live for anything around 6 to 12 years. A lot depends on lifestyle and diet, but also hereditary issues too. Some rabbits coming from over-bred sources may suffer from genetic issues. Visit your local rescue to discuss options; most rescues will health-check, vaccinate and neuter rabbits before re-homing.

Handling Your Rabbits

As rabbits are prey species they really do prefer to keep their feet firmly on the floor; most do not like being handled at all, and this is one of the reasons rabbits do not make suitable pets for children.

The best way to interact with your rabbits is to sit on the floor and let them explore. Rabbits that have learned to trust will sniff, climb, stand, nudge and even wash you!

Rabbits do need regular health checks so should be picked up to ensure they are clean and healthy. To do this, put one hand under the chest and then scoop up the rabbits behind in the other. Hold the rabbit closely and confidently across the chest so that the rabbit feels secure.

Never scruff a rabbit or pick it up by its ears. And contrary to popular belief, rabbits do not like being ‘tranced’ and put on their backs.

Money, Money, Money

Despite the myth, rabbits are not cheap pets. To care for them correctly, they can cost over a £1000 a year – and as rabbits need to live at least in pairs, the actual cost can be significantly higher than this.

Before you commit to rabbits, think carefully about these costs. Think about accommodation costs (hutch/run), neutering, vaccinations, medical insurance, holiday boarding, food, hay, toys, health checks...the list goes on!

And think about the time you have to commit to the rabbits too - caring for rabbits is time consuming – so make sure you have enough!

To Neuter Or Not?

The answer is always neuter and spay! Neutering for males and spaying for females is necessary to help ensure a happy and long life.

Non-neutered rabbits are extremely territorial and can fight to defend their home – even if you are just cleaning them out!

There are both behavioural and health benefits to neutering. Females are at an extremely high risk of developing uterine cancer – evidence suggests that it could develop in around 80% over the age of 3 if un-spayed.

If your rabbits remain un-neutered they are at risk of having to undergo very costly and painful veterinary treatment, and in the worst case euthanasia, as cancers in rabbits are almost always untreatable.

A Clean Home is a Happy Home

Rabbits just love to be clean, and will spend a large part of the day grooming themselves or their partner.

Their litter tray/area should be cleaned out daily, with the entire accommodation cleaned out at least twice a week.

Any soiled areas will be a hazard to health so make sure they are cleaned out thoroughly. Soiled areas can attract flies which can spread disease or cause flystrike (a horrible, painful maggot infestation), and a rabbits urine gives off ammonia which can cause respiratory problems and sores.

So keep it clean - the rabbits will thank you!