Behaviour

• Rabbits are social animals and have a complex social system in the wild.
• Rabbits need to be kept with at least one other companion. Ideally a neutered rabbit of the opposite sex that they are familiar with (preferably litter mates).
• They will need daily interaction with their companion and people. Interaction with people should be in  a calm and gentle manner in which your rabbit feels safe. Handling your rabbit in this manner from a young age facilitates this.
• Rabbits need to be able to graze, forage, hide, play and dig on a daily basis. There are a variety of safe toys that are available for rabbits to fulfil their playful needs.
• Rabbits eat their own droppings! They produce two different types of stool. The first is a looser, sticky type of dropping called caecotrophs that contain an important source of protein that they eat. This is normal behaviour. The second type of dropping is the dry pellet type droppings that you find in their hutch or run. If your rabbit is obese, painful or has severe dental problems they may not be able to reach round and eat their caecotrophs. This results in your rabbit not getting the vital nutrients they need and can result in your rabbit having a mucky bottom which attracts flies.

Environment

• Whether your rabbit is housed indoors or outside they will need plenty of space to interact with each other or spend time apart from each other as they see fit.
• They will need a sheltered area and also access to an outside run where they can exercise and forage.
• Their sheltered area needs to be big enough to allow them to stand fully on their hind legs without their ears touching the roof.
• They will also need safe hiding places where they can retreat to if they ever feel they want to be alone.
• Their shelter needs to be adequate to protect your rabbits from adverse weather and extremes of temperature.
• Both their shelter and outside run needs to be adequate to protect your rabbit from predators.
• Link to www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk

Diet

• The right diet is essential for the health of your rabbit. It ensures a healthy gut and minimises the risk of dental problems.
• Rabbits should always have access to fresh clean drinking water.
• Good quality hay such as timothy hay should be available 24 hours a day. Access to grazing or freshly picked grass is also advised. However never feed your rabbit lawnmower clippings. Click here to download 'The RWF Guide to Feeding your Pet Rabbit' - PDF
• A daily portion of good quality pellets/nuts may be fed as supplementary food.  The older 'muesli' style diets are not recommended as they encourage selective feeding.  The single pellet diets are a better balance.  We stock and recommend Burgess Excel Click here 
• Many people overfeed this part of the diet, the average sized adult rabbit (2-3kg) would require about 2 egg cup sized portions a day.
• Your rabbit would also appreciate a handful of fresh leafy greens each day. Greens such as broccoli, kale, cabbage and mint are all safe.
• Treats such as carrots should be given in moderation and only in small amounts.

Vaccinations

• Rabbits should be annually vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD).
• These are both fatal infectious diseases that can be transmitted by wild rabbits.
• During the vaccination consultation, your rabbit will also get a health check from our vets. This is a good opportunity to pick up any health problems and discuss the general well being of your rabbit.

Rabbits are a prey species. Therefore they often don't show overt signs of illness until they are severely unwell. Subtle changes in behaviour can indicate that your rabbit may benefit from a health check from the vet. For example, if you notice your rabbit is not eating as much as normal, not passing as many droppings, not as playful or active, not willing to interact with you or their companion or have a messy bottom then we would recommend a consultation with one of our vets.