Quick Facts

Common Name: Domestic Rabbit

Latin Name: Oryctolagus cuniculus

Native To: Europe

Size: Rabbits vary greatly in size, from the dwarf breeds weighing in at around 2kg, to the giant breeds at up to 7kg!

Life Span: Smaller rabbits tend to have a longer life span, living for up to 8 years. Medium and larger breeds usually have a lifespan of approximately 4-5 years.

Housing Your Rabbit

The majority of rabbits can be trained to use a litter tray and can be confined to an indoor cage or run when unsupervised.

Outdoor hutches and runs are very useful for allowing your pet some fresh air and a chance to eat fresh grass, but remember that your rabbit still needs daily attention even if it lives outdoors.

Keeping a rabbit in a hutch that is too small to exercise and exhibit normal behaviour is highly unfair - rabbits are active animals, and can develop painful skeletal problems if kept permanently caged so daily exercise outside the hutch is vital. Enclosures should be out of direct sunlight and at least partially covered to protect your rabbits from the elements. Rabbits should always be taken inside in extreme weather (hot or cold).

Keeping Your Rabbit Warm

In the wild, rabbits live in underground warrens where the temperature does not vary much between winter and summer. We need to bear this in mind for pet rabbits. The sleeping area should always be warm, dry and draft free. We recommend using woodshavings as a light base in the cage or hutch. Straw is warmer than hay in winter, but make sure you get soft, dust extracted bedding straw so that you minimize the risk of eye injuries and avoid a dusty environment. If you do use hay they are more likely to eat it so make sure you keep it topped up, and again, make sure it is fresh and dust free.

Behaviour & Companionship

Some rabbits enjoy being handled more than others, but few enjoy being lifted.

Rabbits respond well to food rewards, and clicker training is a very useful tool for teaching your rabbit to respond well to handling.

The best combination of rabbits is a female and a neutered male, followed by two females. Two male rabbits shouldn’t be kept together unless neutered at a young age and well bonded. Neutering usually costs around £50.

Lifting Your Rabbit

It is important to remember that rabbits have spent many years evolving as a prey species, so you need to build the rabbit's confidence in you and start off by letting them come to you. Hand feeding is a good reward and they may allow you to stroke them quite quickly. Take it at a pace they’re comfortable with until you can touch them all over without them panicking before you ever try to lift him up.

However, cooperative behaviour when being picked up is an important skill to develop in your rabbit. You should aim to check over your rabbit for lumps and bumps daily, and easy handling will make vet visits and nail clips much more pleasant for both you and your rabbit. It is important you make your rabbit feel secure when it is picked up, hold them close to your body so they can not wriggle or jump away from you.Care should also be taken when putting your rabbit back into its enclosure, lower yourself towards the ground with your knees and gently lower your rabbit onto the floor.

Diet

A complete rabbit food should be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables daily. Cabbage and broccoli are great for your rabbit, and carrots are a real treat as they are so sweet! Iceberg lettuce is not recommended. Pet Connection's Premium Rabbit Pellets will provide an excellent, high fibre diet for your rabbit, and prevent selective feeding that may occur with mixed foods. A medium rabbit should only eat approximately 70g (approximately 1 egg cup) of pellet food per day.

Introduce new foods and grass into your rabbit’s diet over a 2 week period to prevent digestive issues.

Rabbits must eat frequently through the day, so hay should be available at all times. If your rabbit stops eating for more than 4-6 hours, veterinary attention is essential as GI stasis is responsible for a high percentage of problems and deaths in pet rabbits.

If their droppings are small, dry and dark or runny you should try increasing the hay quantities and decreasing the fresh vegetable intake.

Habitat Maintenance

Cages should be cleaned out as often as needed, dependent on the rabbit’s use of a litter tray, this may be daily or every 3 days. Food and water containers should be emptied and rinsed daily.

A pet-safe disinfectant used once per week will prevent odours.

Enrichment, Chewing & Dental Health

Rabbits can be troublesome when bored, ensure your rabbit has various items which they are allowed to chew. All items left within reach of your rabbit should be safe to chew and eat.

Snack Balls provide fun playtime for rabbits, small treats can be put inside and the rabbit must roll the ball around the floor so the treats can slowly fall out and be enjoyed.

Rabbits have six incisors, or front teeth, four on the top and two on the bottom. These teeth grow continuously throughout the rabbit's life, and are kept worn down by the action of chewing and grinding of tooth against tooth. Wooden toys should always be available to help wear down your rabbit's teeth.

Grooming and Hygiene

Rabbits keep themselves clean and do not need baths unless they are aged, ill or overweight. It is particularly important to make sure your rabbit is keeping itself clean in warmer weather, to prevent fly strike. Long haired rabbits will need brushed to prevent matting.

If nails become overgrown, staff at Pet Connection will clip them free of charge (you must phone in advance for an appointment).

Health

Signs of ill health include weight loss, lethargy, lack of interest in food, sticky eyes, difficulty breathing and snuffling. Please consult a vet immediately if your rabbit displays any of these symptoms. We strongly recommend having your rabbit neutered for both health and behavioural benefits.

Vaccinations & Parasite Control

Rabbits should be vaccinated against VHD and Myxomatosis, all baby rabbits at Pet Connection are vaccinated before they leave us.

Rabbits can catch fleas, regular grooming means you will notice them early. Treatments are available at Pet Connection, if your rabbit does have fleas. Unlike treating cats and dogs for fleas, which should be done regularly, rabbits should only be treated if they actually have fleas. Rabbits rarely suffer from flea or worm infestations.