If you have acquired a rabbit as a pet, you need to understand its needs throughout its life.
The species’ scientific name is Oryctolagus cuniculus. Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents. They are social and territorial, so they enjoy another rabbit’s company when properly introduced to avoid fighting. Being mainly crepuscular, they are most active at dawn and dusk, and some individuals can be noisy at night. They are usually less active during the rest of the day, spending most of their time resting.
How sociable a rabbit is depends on how it is treated and whether it lives with another rabbit, but they generally dislike being lifted off the floor or cradled in your arms.
Your rabbit will have needs that you must meet:
Food and nutrition:
Rabbits are primarily leaf eaters. In an adult rabbit, hay should make up 80% of the diet and vegetables, mainly leafy greens, the remaining 20%. Pellets are considered a supplement; depending on the rabbit’s weight, we offer one or two level tablespoons daily. Pellets must be good quality: they are not a seed mix, and cereals should make up a small proportion of the ingredients. Rabbits younger than eight months can receive a substantially larger pellet ration to provide the protein and energy needed for growth. Intake restriction is less important until that age, but hay and vegetables should always be available, and it is essential to check that they eat hay, as reducing pellets later can otherwise be difficult.
Because hay forms such a large part of the diet, variety is advisable. Many grass species and mixtures are available. Common examples include fescue hay (often mixed with flowers and sold as flower hay), oat hay, orchard grass hay and timothy hay.
A convenient way to provide the daily vegetable ration is to use mixed salad leaves sold for people, containing lamb’s lettuce, rocket, endive, lettuce and similar greens. Carrot tops and dandelion leaves can also be offered in season. Chard, spinach, broccoli and peppers, for example, can be provided a couple of times a week. Another article will provide more detail about suitable foods. Fruit is unnecessary and, if offered, should be a small treat. Calcium blocks, cereal sticks and poor-quality treats are not recommended.
Time and enrichment:
We recommend allowing rabbits to roam freely indoors and adapting the home or their designated space to prevent damage to furniture and cables. Rabbits can learn to use a litter tray, but cables must be protected or kept out of reach. Cat litter and substrates that irritate the skin or produce dust are unsuitable. Compressed wood or paper-based bedding can be used.
Specialist veterinary care:
Rabbit medicine is very different from dog and cat medicine. Rabbits are prey animals and will usually become stressed by nearby dogs and cats, although some adapt well. As prey animals, they also tend to conceal signs of illness to avoid attracting predators. We therefore often notice disease later than in other species.
It is important to watch for nasal discharge, watery or irritated eyes, excess weight, loss of appetite and diarrhoea. Not eating and diarrhoea usually require urgent veterinary attention. Any of these changes, or alterations in the skin or activity level, warrant a veterinary visit.
We vaccinate against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease. Vaccination is recommended because infection can be spread by mosquitoes, which can reach almost anywhere. These are preventable diseases we see at the clinic.
Hay is essential for digestive and dental health. Rabbits that do not eat hay are predisposed to dental disease sooner or later. We advise them to eat at least a body-sized amount of hay daily, or more. Preventing dental disease can extend their lives.
Female rabbits should also be neutered. Many studies report a high proportion of uterine tumours in unneutered females, justifying the procedure. At the time of this article, we recommended neutering from nine months of age. Males need neutering to prevent breeding when living with females or to address behavioural problems.
We recommend six-monthly checks of general and dental health. Together with vaccination, these are the foundations of disease prevention.
We will share more information in future blog posts.
