Rabbits – how should we look after them?
It’s rabbit month here at Ashley Veterinary Centre! This month we are celebrating our furry friends and taking a bit of extra time just to review a rabbit’s needs.
Housing
While rabbits are often seen in hutches as pets, in the wild they have a very active lifestyle and complex social structures. When choosing a hutch for your pet, we recommend one long enough for your rabbit to hop 3-4 times along, ideally wide enough to completely stretch out, and tall enough for your rabbit to stand upright and not touch the top of the cage. These measurements are per rabbit, so be sure to double this if you have a pair of rabbits (which we encourage!) It is also very important that rabbits not be confined to their hutches, but rather have 1-2 large, bunny proofed rooms or safe outdoor spaces to run around in.
- Long enough to hop 3-4 times
- Wide enough to stretch out fully
- Tall enough to stand upright
Feeding
A rabbit in the wild will typically spend most of their day chomping on grass or vegetation- that means that your pet bunny’s diet should mostly be made up of grass or hay. We recommend that they eat a pile of hay about the same size as them each day, as well as a healthy handful of leafy green veggies 1-2 times daily. Treats and nuggets should only make up a very small portion of their diet.
- Lots of hay
- Leafy green veggies
- Very small amount of nuggets
If you have any questions or concerns about your bunny or their habitat, please call and make an appointment with one of our vets or vet nurse.
