Before you start
- A large enclosure and run, or a rabbit-proofed room
- Good-quality hay
- Rabbit pellets and fresh greens
- A water bowl
- A litter tray, hiding places and chew toys
- A vet experienced with rabbits
Method 1 Give them the right home
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Step 1: Provide plenty of space
Rabbits need room to hop several times in a row, run, stand fully upright and stretch out. A small hutch alone is not enough; give a large enclosure with a permanently attached run, or a rabbit-proofed room indoors.
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Step 2: Add hiding places
Include boxes or tunnels with two exits, so they can hide when scared.
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Step 3: Protect from weather and predators
Keep outdoor homes sheltered from sun, rain, wind and cold, secure from foxes, dogs and cats, and off damp ground.
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Step 4: Rabbit-proof indoors
Cover or move cables, protect furniture and skirting boards, and remove toxic houseplants.
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Step 5: Use a litter tray
Rabbits can be litter trained. Use paper-based litter with hay on top; rabbits like to eat while they toilet.
Method 2 Feed a hay-based diet
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Step 1: Unlimited hay
Good-quality hay or grass should make up most of the diet (around 80–85%). As a guide, offer a pile at least as big as your rabbit every day. It keeps teeth worn down and guts moving.
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Step 2: Fresh greens daily
Give a handful of washed leafy greens and herbs, such as romaine lettuce, kale, spring greens, parsley, coriander and dandelion.
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Step 3: A little pellet food
Feed a small amount of plain rabbit pellets (not muesli mixes), following the pack and your vet.
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Step 4: Treats sparingly
Fruit and carrots are sugary treats; give only small amounts.
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Step 5: Fresh water
Provide fresh water in a heavy bowl (rabbits often drink more from bowls than bottles), changed daily.
Method 3 Company and enrichment
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Step 1: Keep at least two
Rabbits are social and get lonely alone. A neutered male and neutered female pair is often the best match. Introduce new rabbits slowly on neutral ground.
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Step 2: Daily exercise
Allow several hours of exercise every day; rabbits are most active at dawn and dusk.
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Step 3: Chew and dig
Provide untreated wood, cardboard, willow toys and a digging box filled with soil or shredded paper.
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Step 4: Handle gently
Most rabbits dislike being picked up. Interact at ground level, and when you must lift them, support their back and bottom.
Method 4 Keep them healthy
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Step 1: Vaccinate
Ask your vet which vaccinations rabbits need where you live, such as against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in many countries.
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Step 2: Neuter
Neutering prevents unwanted litters, reduces aggression and spraying, and greatly lowers the risk of uterine cancer in females.
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Step 3: Check daily
Check that your rabbit eats, drinks and produces plenty of round droppings. Look at their bottom, eyes, nose and teeth.
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Step 4: Prevent flystrike
In warm weather, check the bottom twice a day. Flies can lay eggs on dirty fur, which is a life-threatening emergency.
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Step 5: Groom
Brush regularly, especially long-haired breeds and during moulting. Trim nails if needed, or ask your vet.
Troubleshooting
My rabbit chews everything
Chewing is natural. Provide lots of safe chew toys and hay, and protect cables and furniture.
My rabbit has soft, sticky droppings
Too many pellets, treats or sugary foods are often the cause. Increase hay, cut treats, and see a vet if it continues.
My rabbits are fighting
Separate them if there’s injury. Check both are neutered, and re-bond slowly on neutral ground, with advice from a vet or rescue.
Frequently asked questions
Can rabbits live with guinea pigs?
It’s not recommended. They have different needs, and rabbits can injure guinea pigs.
Can rabbits live indoors?
Yes, house rabbits can be very happy with space, rabbit-proofing and company.
Are rabbits good pets for children?
They can be, with adult supervision. Rabbits are fragile and many don’t like being held, so an adult should be the main carer.
Summary
Give rabbits a large, safe home with room to run and hide, and keep them in neutered pairs. Feed mostly hay with fresh greens, a little pellet food and fresh water. Provide daily exercise and things to chew, vaccinate and neuter, check them every day, and see a vet urgently if they stop eating or pooing.
