Rabbit — care sheet

Beginner–Intermediate. Gentle and rewarding once set up right — but not the low-effort “child’s starter pet” they’re sold as. A rabbit needs real space, a bonded companion, a hay-based diet, neutering and vaccination, and an owner who spots the early signs of gut trouble. Do that, and you get a litter-trainable friend for a decade.

About 85% good-quality hay and/or fresh grass — a bundle at least as big as the rabbit, available at all times, as it keeps both the gut moving and the continuously-growing teeth worn down. Add around 10% washed leafy greens and herbs daily (a large handful, ideally 5–6 different types such as kale, parsley, mint, dandelion), and only about 5% pellets — a small, measured daily amount, never topped up. Fruit and root veg (carrot, apple) are occasional treats only. Always provide fresh water. Never feed muesli-style mixes (they cause dental and gut disease), and never feed lawnmower clippings. Change any diet gradually over weeks — sudden changes cause dangerous gut upset.

For two medium rabbits, a living space no smaller than 3m × 2m × 1m high (about 10 × 6 × 3 ft), combining a secure shelter with an attached exercise area they can use whenever they like. They must be able to hop several times, stand fully upright on their back legs without their ears touching the roof, and stretch out flat. A traditional small hutch is not enough. Housing must be draught-free, dry, well-ventilated and predator-proof, with the shelter raised off the ground.

Rabbits are social and should live with at least one other friendly, compatible rabbit — a neutered male paired with a neutered female is the classic bond, because neutering reduces fighting in both sexes. Give bonded rabbits both space to be together and space to get away from each other (as many hiding spots as rabbits, plus one). A rabbit that truly must live alone needs daily human interaction as a poor substitute for its own kind.

Comfortable in normal room or outdoor temperatures, but must be protected from damp, draughts and extremes of heat and cold — add shade over part of any run in warm, sunny weather. (A healthy rabbit’s own body temperature runs 39.4–40°C / 103–104°F; a reading below 38°C or above 40.6°C is a warning sign of illness — see a vet.)

Warm, safe-to-eat bedding — dust-free straw or hay — over an absorbent layer such as newspaper or dust-free, non-cedar wood shavings. Provide a separate litter area (they can be litter-trained) using newspaper, hay/straw, shredded paper or paper-based non-clumping, non-expanding litter, kept apart from the sleeping area. Never use a wire floor — it hurts their feet. Spot-clean toilet areas daily and clean the whole enclosure about weekly.

Rabbits are intelligent and active, and get bored easily. Give daily exercise plus things to do: a platform to climb, a sand/soil dig box, cardboard boxes and tunnels, safe objects to chew, and food hidden or scattered to forage (try hay in a rack or stuffed in cardboard tubes). They’re most active at dawn, dusk and overnight, so make sure they can reach their exercise space then.

Brush short-haired rabbits about twice a week and long-haired rabbits daily to remove loose fur; trim nails every 1–2 months as needed. Rabbits should never be declawed. In warm months, check the fur around their bottom daily — soiling and sticky droppings there can lead to deadly flystrike.

None needed on a correct hay-based diet: hay does the real work of wearing teeth down and keeping the gut moving, and rabbits make their own B-vitamins by re-eating their soft caecotroph droppings. Do not add vitamin/mineral supplements unless a vet advises it.

Hugely breed-dependent: small breeds ~0.9–2.7 kg (2–6 lb, e.g. Netherland Dwarf, Mini Lop), medium ~2.7–4.1 kg, large ~4.1–5 kg, and giant breeds (Flemish Giant, French Lop) over 5 kg (11 lb+). Always check the adult size of your specific breed before you buy.

With a proper diet and good living conditions, 10–12 years or longer — some reach their mid-teens. This is a decade-plus commitment, not a short one.

See a small-animal or exotics vet if you notice: Not eating, OR no droppings, for more than about 12 hours — this is gut stasis, a genuine emergency; see a vet the same day; Sitting hunched, grinding teeth, or a sudden loss of energy — signs of pain rabbits try to hide; Drooling, or difficulty eating (often dental disease); Runny nose or eyes, or trouble breathing; Diarrhoea, or soft sticky droppings around the bottom (flystrike risk in warm weather); Dark red urine, fur loss, or red, swollen skin; Not hopping or moving normally; Body temperature below 38°C (100.4°F) or above 40.6°C (105°F).