words Alana Webb
Are you planning to take on a pet rabbit in 2025? Ensure your rabbit is healthy and happy under your care by following these top tips for new owners.
Understanding your rabbit’s dietary needs
As with all pets, rabbits should follow a particular diet to ensure optimal health. Eating the right food means they get the nutrients they need in a way that suits their unusual digestive system.
The image of Bugs Bunny munching on a carrot is well-known, but not an entirely accurate portrayal of what rabbits should be fed! You should stock up on feeding hay for rabbits and small animals as the basis of their food, supplemented with leafy greens and some pellets. Limit fruit and root vegetables like carrots as these can contain high levels of fructose. Sugary foods like muesli can cause serious dental disease and digestive issues, and lead to obesity.
Creating a comfortable living space
Wild rabbits reside in interconnecting underground tunnels sometimes stretching for two acres, so your domesticated rabbit needs plenty of room to run and play. Rabbits are highly active creatures who like to hop, jump and dig, and need to be able to stretch out fully for comfort.
Ensure your hutch is spacious, not only in length but also in height. It should be at least 3m long and 1m tall to accommodate your rabbits when standing on their hind legs. This living space should be split into sections with dedicated areas for resting, eating, exercising and toileting.
Ensuring social and mental stimulation
Given that up to 50 live together in tunnels simultaneously, it won’t surprise you to learn that rabbits are very social creatures. If you want to take on a rabbit, you should be prepared to keep two as they require constant companionship to be happy. However, be careful which rabbits you pair together: rabbits are picky about their friends and should be allowed to choose their hutch companions if you want to avoid them becoming territorial and stressed.
In addition to a companion, you should provide your rabbit with toys and encourage interactive play to ensure proper mental stimulation.
Conducting regular health checks and care
Knowing when a rabbit is unwell can be difficult. Sometimes signs are as subtle as reduced play at dawn and dusk, sitting hunched up, grinding teeth or breathing faster and more noisily than usual.
Creating and maintaining a routine of health checks including at-home monitoring and regular veterinary visits is essential to ensuring they stay healthy. Most important are vaccinations against common diseases such as myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease.
