Considerations of Buying a Rabbit

Before you purchase a rabbit please ensure that you have thought carefully about the responsibility of pet ownership. Speak to your local veterinarian and other pet owners, and gather as much information as you can to aid you in your decision. Never buy a rabbit on impulse - owning a pet is a commitment, which should be carefully considered. For more information about pet ownership click here.

Basic Rabbit Needs

The following information is intended to provide a very basic overview of the essentials of caring for your pet. It does not cover every aspect of the care of your pet and we strongly advise that you seek further specific information and advice in order to ensure the welfare of any animals in your care.

Companionship
Rabbits need to be with other rabbits or with humans.

Housing
A rabbit must be provided with a good roomy hutch. A recommended design for a hutch is a cage divided into two connecting compartments. One compartment is for daytime with a wire mesh door to admit light and air, and the other is to provide a mosquito proof retreat at night or to provide shelter from wind, rain, or cold.

The roof of the hutch should be hinged to allow ease of access to the compartments for cleaning purposes and the hutch should be raised off the ground and sited to catch the morning sun. A ramp or steps from the ground to the day compartment will allow the animals access to the exercise enclosure.

The floor of the hutch should be designed to contain a litter of wood shaving about 5cm deep covered with a thick layer of bedding straw. The day compartment should be fitted with a water bottle, hayrack, gnawing block or bark covered log, and an earthenware feeding bowl. Where possible your hutch should be made mosquito proof.

A suitable hutch size for two rabbits is 180cm in length by 90cm in width by 90cm in height. The hutch should be thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed weekly and replacing the bedding straw must be done on a daily.

Exercise Enclosure
A strongly fenced enclosure should be built about the hutch to provide earth-contact exercise for rabbit. The enclosure fence must not only protect your pets from predators, but must prevent their escape by burrowing, or jumping. Inside the enclosure there should be some hollow logs and pipes, shrubbery, or rocky caves, to provide the animals with cover and protection. At night, or in bad weather, your rabbit must be locked up in the hutch.

Grooming
Daily grooming is essential for long-haired rabbits to help keep their coat in good condition. Using a stiff brush, gently remove dead hairs, tangles and pieces of twigs, dry leaves or burrs.

During grooming take the opportunity to check your rabbit's health and to ensure that it is free from external parasites. Also check the length of your rabbit's toenails and, if found to be overlong, have them clipped by a veterinarian or someone experienced in clipping. Daily handling and grooming is important in building your rabbit's confidence and for developing a friendly and social rabbit.

Feeding
A rabbit's diet should consist of pellets, hay and fresh fruit and vegetables. Vegetable matter is extremely important but hay and pellets (available from some supermarkets and from pet supply stores) are also needed to ensure dietary requirements are met.

Fresh food can include apples, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, parsnip, pears, peas and their pods, spinach, swedes, and turnip. Wholemeal bread made into a mash with water or milk is suitable.

Fresh hay should be placed in the hutch in a rack, and fresh water supplied via a drip feed bottle rather than an easily contaminated bowl.

Health

Signs of Health
A healthy rabbit should display the following signs of health:

• Demeanour: alert, watchful and responsive to human approach;
• Movement: strong movements particularly in hind legs;
• Appetite: good - eating frequently and drinking regularly;
• Breathing: quiet and regular;
• Coat: clean; no soiling by faeces or urine; no tangles, skin sores or parasites;
• Ears: alert to sound; no discharge;
• Eyes: clear and bright with no discharge;
• Nose: no discharge. Rabbits' noses twitch rhythmically;
• Feet: clean and dry with no skin broken and nails not overlong.

Rabbits can become ill quickly and without warning. Illness is usually characterised by weight loss, lethargy or a failure to eat and drink. You should seek veterinary advice immediately.

Common Ailments & Diseases

• Respiratory Infections: rabbits are susceptible to respiratory infections similar to those of the common cold in humans but may develop into pneumonia. Often infection is caused by poor living conditions;
• Skin Ailments: usually caused by inadequately cleaning of the hutch and removal of soiled bedding straw. Urine scald and faecal contamination of the coat is easily recognised. Skin irritation with balding can also be caused by mites and ringworm;
• Skin abscesses: abscesses occur more commonly with male rabbits as a result of fighting. The abscesses can reach golf ball size before bursting. Veterinary assistance is required where skin irritation or abscesses occur;
• Overgrown teeth: insufficient hard food, or absence of a gnawing block of bark-covered wood can cause overgrown teeth. This can cause your rabbit intense discomfort and severe weight loss;
• Fleas: like all animals rabbits are susceptible to fleas. These may be removed by use a suitable flea powder;
• Myxomatosis: this disease is transmitted from rabbit to rabbit via mosquitos. Symptoms include very sore eyes and nose, swollen earflaps and genitalia, and failure to eat or drink. The disease is often fatal and no vaccination is available. An affected rabbit should be humanely "put down" as soon as the disease is diagnosed by a veterinary surgeon. Domestic rabbits can only be protected by being housed in a mosquito-proof hutch.
• Calicivirus: this is a virus which is spread by insects and is will cause a rapid death. A yearly vaccination will protect your rabbit from this disease.

Desexing
It is important to desex your rabbit to prevent unwanted litters. Desexing of male rabbits is advisable as it reduces fighting amongst males. Rabbits can be desexed from an early age - your veterinary surgeon will advise. Please click here to find out further information about desexing.