Rabbits are Social Animals

In the wild, rabbits live in social groups. The rabbit in your care still requires this same species company. No one other than another rabbit can provide this security and friendship. Not a human, not a cat, not a dog – only a rabbit who speaks rabbit.

The first step to ensuring your rabbit is happy is to have them neutered and vaccinated by a rabbit savvy vet. Once 6-8 weeks post neuter, then get in touch with rescues to find a suitable bunny friend for your rabbit who will already be neutered and vaccinated. Many rescues will carry out the bonding process, and all reputable rescues will provide advice, support and rescue back up should a bond not work out.

Rabbits with the company of other rabbits spend more time engaged in “positive” behaviours such as grooming their partner, and less time feeling fear and stress. The vast majority of cases where rabbits are engaging in “destructive” behaviours are single rabbits. Neutering will also help with “aggressive” territorial behaviours in most cases.

Rabbits Naturally Dig, Burrow and Chew

Rabbits have an innate need to dig at the ground, explore items with their teeth, and burrow. We cannot, and should not attempt to, prevent these behaviours. Instead, we should provide safe ways for rabbits to express these behaviours and meet their welfare needs.

• Rabbits need a minimum enclosure size of 60 sq ft or 3m x 2m with a minimum height of 3ft/1m. They must have access to this 24/7 – shutting your rabbits into a hutch/cage/smaller area overnight or while you are out is not acceptable. Rabbits are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dusk and dawn and do not sleep through the night. See our advice pages for guidance on predator proof, secure rabbit housing.
• If indoors, create a 3x2m area just for your rabbits and their own enrichment – a spare room or penned area. You can let them free roam your house if you wish, but this is really the simplest way of stopping them destroying your carpets, wallpaper etc and also providing them with a sufficiently sized area where they can spend time away from humans or other household animals. See our advice pages for more housing tips.
• If indoors and you are concerned about damage, cover the carpet in your rabbits area with non-slip lino, or any other protective surface that is not easily chewed and isn’t too slippery. Use dog playpens or c&c panels to block access to skirting boards, walls or wires that may be chewed.
• Provide sufficient access to hay – we find that many indoor homes don’t provide enough hay, probably because it gets tracked everywhere and causes a mess. Creating a rabbit space as above would help with this. Place the hay in large piles on the floor/in litter trays. Don’t restrict access by providing hay only via hay racks.
• Make your rabbits a dig box – this should be big enough for your rabbits to get into and move around in. Fill with top soil with no fertilisers added.
• Provide multiple large hides, tunnels and platforms. This doesn’t need to be expensive – cardboard boxes work fine
• Offer forage including branches to chew and strip the bark from – scatter feed the forage to keep your bunnies engaged
• Think about relocating your rabbits outdoors (wait until Spring before moving indoor rabbits outside). Rabbits can live happily outdoors providing they have a 3mx2m x 1m high sheltered and predator proof enclosure. Consider a shed with attached predator proof run/aviary, or a kennel and run type setup.

Rabbits need Neutering

It is not uncommon for un-neutered rabbits to display territorial, aggressive behaviour fuelled by hormones. All rabbits, both male and female require neutering for both social, behavioural and health reasons. 80% of female rabbits who are not spayed will develop uterine cancer by the age of 6 years.

In the wild, rabbits live in social groups. The rabbit in your care still requires this same species company. No one other than another rabbit can provide this security and friendship. Not a human, not a cat, not a dog – only a rabbit who speaks rabbit.

Arrange for your rabbit to be neutered and vaccinated by a rabbit savvy vet. Once 6-8 weeks post neuter, then get in touch with rescues to find a suitable bunny friend for your rabbit who will already be neutered and vaccinated. Many rescues will carry out the bonding process, and all reputable rescues will provide advice, support and rescue back up should a bond not work out.

Rabbits with the company of other rabbits spend more time engaged in “positive” behaviours such as grooming their partner, and less time feeling fear and stress.

Rabbits need Space

Many “aggressive” rabbits display this behaviour because their living space is too small. All rabbits need 24/7 permanent access to an enclosure of at least 60 square feet (or 3m x 2m).

Ditch the hutch or cage and use a shed with attached predator proof run/aviary, or a spare room/penned off area if indoors.

See our advice pages for more housing tips.

Rabbits are Prey Animals

So you have had your rabbit neutered, waited 6-8 weeks and had them bonded with a rescue bunny friend and they are now living happily together in a lovely 3mx2m predator-proof enclosure, what next?

Reconsider how you are interacting with your rabbits.
Are you trying to pick them up? Reaching into their space rather than letting them come to you?

The vast majority of rabbits find being handled/picked up stressful as this is a similar experience to being capture by a predator. Most rabbits do not wish to be picked up and “cuddled”. They may bite, kick, scratch or just freeze in response to this stressful experience.

Change your interactions with your rabbit. Sit on the floor and offer them some tasty forage from your hand, or just on the floor near to you. Allow them to approach you in their own time, and remember it can take many months for rabbits to learn that you aren’t a threat – some might always be fearful, and we should respect this and their need for their own space.

You can enjoy your rabbits without handling them. There is nothing better than watching a pair of bonded rabbits snuggling and grooming each other, or binkying around an appropriate sized enclosure.

These animals have value outside how well they tolerate our desire to pet and cuddle them.care

Guess who else works full time – us! AND we run a rescue voluntarily alongside that.

Properly housed, bonded rabbits, don’t actually take up that much time. Refreshing their hay and water supply, providing forage, and checking your rabbits are eating, drinking, pooping, and hopping around normally once in the morning and once in the evening is sufficient (for healthy buns). Most rabbits will happily pee in a litter tray filled with hay, which you can then easily clean out as needed in minutes.

Rabbits need Same Species Company

In the wild, rabbits live in social groups. The rabbit in your care still requires this same species company. No one other than another rabbit can provide this security and friendship. Not a human, not a cat, not a dog – only a rabbit who speaks rabbit.

Arrange for your rabbit to be neutered and vaccinated by a rabbit savvy vet. Once 6-8 weeks post neuter, then get in touch with rescues to find a suitable bunny friend for your rabbit who will already be neutered and vaccinated. Many rescues will carry out the bonding process, and all reputable rescues will provide advice, support and rescue back up should a bond not work out.Rabbits with the company of other rabbits spend more time engaged in “positive” behaviours such as grooming their partner, and less time feeling fear and stress.

A rabbit with a bonded partner(s) will not miss you when you are at work.

Rabbits need Space & Enrichment

All rabbits need 24/7 permanent access to a minimum enclosure size of 60sq ft (3x2m) with plenty of enrichment.

The enclosure must be fully predator and escape proof and free from hazards so your rabbits can be left with access to the whole space without supervision. A secure enclosure of the correct size means you don’t need to shut the buns away in a small space where they will become bored and stressed when you are out of the house/asleep.

See our advice pages for housing and enrichment ideas.

In a correct sized enclosure, with a bonded partner(s) and sufficient enrichment, rabbits will happily keep themselves entertained!

We appreciate that circumstances change and times are tough, so this can really be difficult to get around but we will provide some tips which may help you to feel able to continue caring for your rabbits, or at least until rescue space becomes available.

Insure your Rabbits

Insurance is absolutely vital for rabbit carers. An out of hours gut stasis case can easily lead to a vet bill of over £1000. There are many options available to suit different budgets. Read the terms of any policy carefully so that you are clear on what the insurer will and will not cover.

Subsidised Veterinary Care

Check if you are eligible for lower cost veterinary care via the PDSA or RSPCA. Be aware, however, that these services will not provide specialist exotic veterinary care and you may need to be referred to a vet with the knowledge required to treat sick rabbits. Insurance is absolutely vital.

Buy in Bulk

Instead of buying small plastic wrapped packs of hay from large chain pet stores, look for horse feed supplies or farm shops which will often sell huge bales of hay for less than £10. 

Forage for free food!

In the spring/summer months, there is an abudance of free food available for your rabbits in your local park, woodland, etc. The Wild Nutrition & Foraging for Pet Rabbits Facebook Group is a great place to start.

Firstly, I understand how awful allergies can be. I am allergic to hay, yet I run a rescue where I care for multiple hay-eating animals! In most cases, there are steps you can take to manage the situation.

Protect Yourself

Appeal to the better nature of the landlord. Contact them to provide them with information about your rabbits, how you care for them and how you will protect the property from damage.

Explain to the landlord:

• Your rabbits’ names, ages, sexes and that they are neutered & vaccinated (if they aren’t, they should be!)
• That rabbits generally are not smelly animals – you clean their litter tray regularly
• How you will protect the carpets, walls, etc – do not expect a landlord to agree to free roaming house rabbits. Explain how you will house the rabbits in a large penned area, that you will cover any carpet in their enclosure with non slip lino or other suitable flooring
• Show them photos of how you currently house your rabbits
• Offer to pay an additional “pet” deposit 

We live with a rescued ex-racing greyhound, who has a high prey drive, so we understand your worries. There is a lot you can do to manage the situation and ensure the safety of your rabbits.

Your rabbits absolutely need their own secure space – if indoors, relocate them to a spare room and install a lock on the door. If this isn’t possible, consider moving them outdoors (move indoor rabbits outdoors between March and October). Rabbits can live happily outdoors providing they have a 3mx2m x 1m high sheltered and predator proof enclosure. Consider a shed with attached predator proof run/aviary, or a kennel and run type setup. See our advice pages for more housing tips.

Obstruct your dog’s view of and access right up to the rabbits – we have an extra internal 3ft high fence across our garden to prevent our boy from getting right up to the rabbit enclosures. Distancing him from the rabbits helps him fixate less on them, allowing us to work on training him to ignore them by calling him away from the fence and rewarding him with tasty treats. The fence also obstructs his view slightly – for many dogs, it is the movement of small animals which triggers their prey drive. We also have bamboo screening across one side of one of the rabbit enclosures which comes closer to the fence.

Make sure your dog’s life is enriched – Dogs are generally easier to manage if they are receiving sufficient exercise and mental stimulation. Ensure they are getting walked regularly and look into enrichment/puzzle games for them. There are some great groups on Facebook!