Keeping rabbits

Rabbits are among the most popular pets in Britain and among the most misunderstood. They are not low-maintenance animals for small children: they live for eight to twelve years, need the company of another rabbit, far more space than a traditional hutch gives, and a diet made up almost entirely of hay and grass.

Company

Wild rabbits live in groups, and a rabbit kept alone is lonely however much attention people give it. Welfare organisations advise keeping them in neutered pairs or small groups; a neutered male with a neutered female is the combination that most reliably gets on. Rabbits from rescue centres are often already paired.

Guinea pigs are not suitable companions for rabbits. The two species have different diets, communicate differently, and a rabbit can injure a guinea pig.

Space and housing

A hutch alone is not enough. Veterinary charities give about 3 metres by 2 metres, and 1 metre high, as the absolute minimum living area for a pair, available to them at all times, and recommend much more. The rabbits must be able to run, jump, stretch out fully and stand upright on their hind legs without their ears touching the roof.

The usual arrangement is a weatherproof shelter, such as a large hutch, a shed or a child's playhouse, joined permanently to a secure run. A good set-up has:

• a dry, draught-free sleeping area raised off the ground, with straw for warmth;
• strong welded mesh, a roof and a floor or sunken mesh skirt, to keep foxes out and stop the rabbits digging free;
• shade in summer and insulation or a move under cover in hard frost;
• hiding places with two exits, platforms to jump on, tunnels and somewhere to dig;
• a litter tray filled with paper-based litter and hay, which most rabbits learn to use.

Home-built housing is practical for anyone with basic tools, provided it meets these sizes and uses untreated or pet-safe timber. Toilet areas are cleaned daily and the whole enclosure weekly.

Rabbits can also live indoors, given a rabbit-proofed room or large pen, protection for cables and skirting boards, and time outside on grass.

Diet

A rabbit's teeth grow throughout its life and are worn down by chewing fibrous food, and its gut depends on a constant supply of fibre. The recommended diet is:

• Hay and grass: about 85 per cent of the diet, available without limit. Each rabbit eats a pile roughly its own size every day. Lawnmower clippings are never fed, as they ferment.
• Leafy greens and herbs: about 10 per cent, such as spring greens, kale, parsley, coriander, dandelion leaves and bramble.
• Pellets: about 5 per cent, a measured tablespoon or so per kilogram of body weight. Muesli-style mixes are linked to dental disease and obesity because rabbits pick out the sweet parts.

Carrots and fruit are high in sugar and are occasional treats. Fresh water is always available; many rabbits drink more from a heavy bowl than from a bottle.

Health

• Vaccination: rabbits in the United Kingdom are vaccinated every year against myxomatosis and both strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease, all of which are widespread and usually fatal. Indoor rabbits need vaccinating too, since the viruses are carried by insects and on shoes and hay.
• Neutering: prevents litters, reduces fighting and spraying, and protects females from cancer of the womb, which is very common in older unspayed does.
• Teeth: overgrown teeth cause drooling, weight loss and a reluctance to eat, and are mostly prevented by a hay-based diet.
• Flystrike: in warm weather flies lay eggs on a soiled rear end, and the maggots eat into the skin within hours. Rabbits are checked underneath at least once a day in summer; flystrike is an emergency.
• Gut stasis: a rabbit that stops eating or stops producing droppings needs a vet the same day.

Rabbits hide illness, so a quiet rabbit that sits hunched or refuses a favourite food is treated as unwell. Pet insurance is available for rabbits.

Handling and children

Rabbits are prey animals and most dislike being picked up. They are best approached at ground level and allowed to come forward by choice. When lifting is necessary the hindquarters are supported at all times, since a rabbit that kicks out can break its own back. An adult, not a child, is responsible for a rabbit's care.

Where to get rabbits

Rescue centres rehome large numbers of rabbits, usually neutered, vaccinated and in bonded pairs. Wherever they come from, the keeper has a legal duty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to provide a suitable environment, diet, company and veterinary care.