Owning a rabbit

Caring for your pet rabbit

Rabbits make great pets. In general, rabbits need appropriate housing, exercise, socialisation and a specific diet for good welfare. Some breeds of rabbits, particularly the longer haired rabbits, may require daily grooming. It is important that you understand all the requirements for caring for a rabbit before you buy one.

Rabbits generally live for 5 to 8 years depending on their environment and breed, but they can live for as long as 12 years. If you decide to purchase a rabbit, make sure you are prepared to care for them that long.

Legislation

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 protects the welfare of all animals, including rabbits.

Feeding your rabbit

Rabbits are herbivores and only eat plant material. Their natural diet consists generally of young leaves from:

• plants or bushes
• grasses
• weeds
• sometimes the bark from bushes and trees.

Rabbits need to eat small amounts frequently. Approximately 30 feeds, of 2 to 8g of food, each day is normal. Pet rabbits must be fed a high fibre diet to help maintain their body and teeth's health. Rabbits' teeth are constantly growing and need to be continually worn down by eating.

Their diet must consist of unlimited access to grass hay and/or grass. If you are keeping your rabbit inside most of the time, or they do not have access to grass for several hours a day, you can use grass hay as an alternative fibre source. Lawn clippings must not be fed as they ferment rapidly and cause digestive upset in your rabbit.

Fresh green vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, broccoli and celery should be included in their daily diet — approximately 2 cups a day. But fresh green vegetables must not be their only source of food; the fibre content is too low. Rabbits must be provided with a high fibre diet.

Rabbits need a tablespoon of commercial rabbit nuggets or pellets once or twice daily. Do not feed your rabbit muesli — this causes dental disease. Rabbits eating muesli also tend to leave the bits they don't like, and this leads to nutrient deficiencies.

High fat and high sugar foods such as carrots, other root vegetables, and fruit should only be fed in small amounts. You can use these types of foods as environmental enrichment.

There are many toxic food and plants for rabbits that you should avoid feeding your rabbit or growing in your garden.

Speak to your local vet, pet shop, or rabbit breeder about the most suitable diet for your pet. Always remember to introduce new food slowly to avoid digestive upset.

Fresh, cool water must be provided at all times.

Housing your rabbit

Rabbits require a hutch to live in that is safe from predators, such as dogs and cats. It needs an area that protects them from the weather and has enough space for exercise. A suitable hutch design is water proof and includes a dark, dry area for the rabbits to rest which has a bedding of soft hay. The other section of the hutch should be light and large enough to allow for a separate exercise and toileting area. The hutch must be well ventilated. It is best to have a hutch made out of wood, as metal hutches heat up more quickly.

Rabbits should not be placed in pens or hutches with wire floors, it is bad for their feet. It is ok for part of the pen to be made of wire as long as your rabbit has an area where it can stand on solid ground. Many two story hutches provide this option.

Your hutch needs to be at least 'three hops long' (approximately 4 times the length of your bunny when stretched out) and twice as wide as your bunny. Anything smaller and your bunny will be too cramped. If you buy a juvenile bunny, remember it will grow.

It is important to clean the hutch at least every second day by removing soiled bedding and making sure rabbits have a dry area to sleep in. Rabbits that do not have clean bedding can suffer from respiratory infections, skin ailments and pest infestations such as fleas and mites. Rabbits are capable of being toilet trained. There is plenty of information online about toilet training rabbits.

Rabbit should spend most of their time indoors, or equal time indoors and outdoors. When your rabbit is indoors it should have at least some time each day to roam free. You may wish to set up a room or two rooms where your rabbit can roam free and interact with the family. Remember, that rabbits like to chew on things, so if  you leave your rabbit free to roam unsupervised, you may come home to some chewed skirting boards, cables or chair legs.

If you wish to provide your rabbit with a larger living area than its hutch when you are not home, consider a pet pen or a children's play pen. You could attach it to the hutch to give your rabbit a larger space to exercise and play.

Your pet rabbit should have the opportunity to dig and forage when they are outside. They should be confined to an enclosed area and not allowed to roam free. A secure backyard where no other animals (particularly cats or wild rabbits) can enter is great, but a  sectioned off area of grass is also good.

Ensure that if you leave your rabbit outside for long periods of time, they have access to their hutch or a weather proof area with bedding, so they can rest.

Companionship for your rabbit

Rabbits are a social species and prefer to live in groups. If you decide to own a rabbit, always have at least 2 rabbits. However, if you don't have the room or time or money to keep two rabbits, you will need to become your rabbit's companion. This means that if you are away for long periods (more than 4 hours every day), you will need to provide your rabbit with enrichment activities and toys to keep them occupied and prevent them from becoming lonely or suffering from stress.

If you have 2 or more rabbits, it is important to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Separate males and females into different pens or have your veterinarian desex them. Males will be less likely to fight each other if introduced at a young age. Females and males can be prone to fighting with each other, so make sure you help new rabbits get used to each other in a supervised environment or through a mesh fence before they co-habit.

Rabbit behaviour

Rabbits are playful and inquisitive and require the stimulation of other rabbits or humans and their environment. They are active animals that need to exercise and play regularly. Ensuring your rabbit is adequately stimulated is an important aspect of caring for your rabbit. This can be achieved through environmental enrichment.

Rabbits are most active during the early morning, late afternoon and evening. This is the best time for you to interact with your rabbit.

Scent is an important means of communication for rabbits.

Rabbits are a prey species.  They are the animals that other animals catch and eat. Therefore, rabbits  naturally hide from things that scare them. Your rabbit's environment must cater for this. You need to provide them with places in their enclosure to hide.

It is natural for rabbits to:

• chew on things (it keeps their teeth in good health)
• nest (create nests using their own fur, hay and other materials they find lying around)
• thump their back feet
• play with objects.

Contact your vet if you notice a rapid change in your rabbit's behaviour such as:

• hiding
• aggression when you try to touch or pick them up
• excessive cage or object chewing
• over grooming
• changes in feeding or toileting
• playing with water bottles
• over drinking
• repeated circling of enclosure.

Your rabbit may be in pain or suffering from stress.

Health problems

Rabbits are vulnerable to a number of health problems, in particular diseases such as Myxomatosis and Calicivirus. These diseases are generally fatal for pet rabbits. They have been introduced into Australia to control the wild rabbit population. Unfortunately, pet rabbits are just as susceptible to them. Try to reduce the risk of mosquito bites to your rabbits as mosquitos can carry Myxomatosis from the wild rabbit population to your pet.

There is a vaccine for Calicivirus. You can have your rabbit vaccinated against this disease every 6 months by your vet.

Rabbits can develop dental problems. It is important that they are constantly chewing on something, either grass, hay or a gnawing block. Their teeth grow at a rate of 2 to 3mm per week. Overgrown teeth can lead to weight loss, severe pain and discomfort. If you think your rabbit's teeth are getting too long, talk to your vet about some suitable options for reducing their length and maintaining an appropriate length.

Rabbits are susceptible to mite infestations. Symptoms include hair loss and itchiness. Thoroughly clean out and disinfect the hutch. The rabbit should be treated by a vet.

Get advice from your local vet about any health issues your rabbit develops.

Desexing your rabbit

Many animal welfare shelters are inundated with unwanted pet rabbits, which have been bred by accident. If you do not plan to breed with your rabbit, discuss desexing with your vet. In male rabbits this is a relatively simple procedure. In female rabbits it is a more major operation. Desexing can help reduce nesting behaviour and improve toilet training.

Alternatively, you can separate males and females into different pens.

Heat stress in rabbits

Rabbits can suffer from heat stress. Once the temperature rises above 28ºC it is necessary to regularly monitor your rabbits. It is important not to place the hutch in direct sunlight during the warmer months. Keep it in the shade even on warm to cool days. It does not take long for heat to build up in small areas. On hot days, it may be necessary to provide a frozen drink bottle or ice brick in the nesting area of the hutch to reduce the temperature.

If your hutch is located inside the house and the temperature is likely to get rise above 30ºC you may need to place the hutch in an area where there is a breeze. You could open a window if there is a breeze which will help cool your rabbit.

A rabbit suffering from heat stroke may show signs of:

• weakness
• incoordination
• convulsions
• coma.

If you suspect your rabbit is suffering from heat stress, you must contact your vet immediately. While you are waiting, begin the process of reducing the rabbit's temperature by placing them in tepid water or wrapping them in cool wet towels. Never place your heat stressed rabbit in cold or iced water.

Handling your rabbit

Rabbits make great pets for children. However, they are fragile and young children should not handle them. They can accidentally cause injury by picking up the rabbit, by squeezing too tightly, or dropping it. Children should always be supervised when interacting with and, in the case of older children, handling rabbits.

Rabbits must be handled appropriately so they do not scratch or bite and so they can develop a positive relationship with humans. Handle rabbits regularly, especially when they are young. Sit while you are handling a rabbit so the rabbit can't fall. Rabbits should be picked up with two hands. Hold them close to the chest or on your lap so they can rest their feet and feel secure.

Exercising your rabbit

Rabbits need daily exercise. If your rabbit is living in a hutch of minimum size, make sure it has an exercise area that is safe. Your rabbit needs to access it for at least four hours a day. Toys, obstacles and food treats are environmental enrichment that encourages your rabbit to exercise when you are not home.

Rabbits and other pets

Rabbits can make a wonderful addition to your family. If you have other pets, it is important you consider the impact of your rabbit on them and them on your rabbit. Dogs and cats can have a natural instinct to hunt and kill rabbits. If you are introducing rabbits to a home that already has dogs and cats,  your rabbit must be safe from other pets at all times.

Barking dogs can also cause your rabbit stress. If your dog  barks at your rabbit, ensure the hutch or run is not accessible to your dog when you are not there to supervise.

If your rabbits get along well with your other pets, that is fantastic. Your rabbit will have another companion when you are unable to be with it. But always keep your rabbit safe.