How to Raise Rabbits

Co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Last Updated: December 17, 2024 Approved

Rabbits are lovely pets to have. A rabbit is tame and playful, and yet also social. However, it does take a lot of work to take care of a rabbit. Like all pets, rabbits need a clean, healthy environment and the right kind of food in order to thrive.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Establishing a Home

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Decide whether indoor or outdoor is best for your rabbits. Some rabbit breeders prefer outdoor living quarters, as it allows rabbits to experience fresh air and sunshine, however, keeping your rabbit outdoor(s) can increase the risk of predation. They might benefit more from being indoors and around humans.
- If you decide to keep your rabbits outdoors, it's important that they are kept out of the sun, cold and rain.
- Outdoor rabbits need to be given extra bedding when it's cold out. If temperatures dip below freezing, consider moving the rabbit hutch to a more protected environment, like a garage or shed.
- Be aware that being outdoors leaves rabbits vulnerable to predators.
- Rabbits can also catch diseases if they're housed outside.

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Choose a proper pen. Though rabbits are commonly kept in cages and hutches, these do not give adequate exercise space, which they should have 24/7 access to. A pen that is 3x4 feet or larger is good, but if it is possible bunny proofing a space for free-roaming is best. Consider the size of the space, so your pets have enough room. Rabbits can get sore hocks on any surface if not cared for properly, whether wire or solid floor. Making sure your rabbit has a clean surface to walk on is important to prevent sore hocks and other foot issues. Rabbits should not be in wire bottomed enclosures!
- Pens should be large enough for your rabbits to stand upright, lie down, and run around freely.^{[2]
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Give your rabbits space. Rabbits are best as indoor pets, but giving them some outside time can really benefit them. Your pets will need daily exercise, and a run allows your rabbits to move around without getting anywhere in the house that could be dangerous. A rabbit in the wild may cover hundreds of feet on any given day, so having room to roam safely is crucial for your pets.
- If you don't have room for your rabbit to run indoors this may not be the best pet for you. You can put a run in your garden. The run should be spacious and predator-proof. Rabbits need 24 hour access to a space that is at least 3m x 2m and 1m high^{[3]
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Make your rabbits comfortable. Give them plenty of fresh hay, water, tunnels and different levels to explore. Try to keep your rabbit in a cool, low-humidity environment, ideally between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5-21.1 degrees Celsius). ^{[4]
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Research source} Set up your rabbit's pen in a quiet part of the house, and be sure that your rabbits won't be harassed by other animals.
- Allow your new rabbits to acclimate to your home before you interact with it. This can be stressful and overwhelming. Do not allow your rabbit to be free around your cat or dog as both could easily harm or kill your rabbits.

Part 2

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Caring for Your Rabbits

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Feed your rabbit a healthy diet. A rabbit's diet should consist of grass and timothy hay. It's vital that rabbits have an unlimited supply of hay. You can also feed your rabbit a small amount of store-bought pellets - but avoid muesli-style food. Herbs like basil, parsley and mint are great healthy treats. Try to avoid feeding fruit and vegetables. These items are healthy for us but not for rabbits and feeding vegetables will fill them up too quickly - putting them off eating hay. This can lead to serious health problems like gut statis and overgrown teeth.
- High-fiber pellets should be offered daily, but in small quantities to prevent health problems. Rabbits under four pounds can be given 1/4 cup of pellets. As a general rule, you can add another 1/4 cup of pellets daily for every additional two pounds of body weight on your rabbit.^{[5]
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- Young rabbits can be given alfalfa hay, but alfalfa is not a healthy option for adults. It's recommended that you switch your rabbit to timothy hay before it reaches one year old.
It's important to change your rabbit's water every day to prevent bacteria from growing. Use a water bowl made of ceramic, rabbit safe plastic, or metal, as these are easier to clean.
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Empty your rabbits' litter box every 1-2 days. This will not only reduce the risk of unpleasant odors, but it will also keep your rabbit healthy and happy.
- If you are just starting out training your rabbit to use a litter box, you should be able to tell which corner your rabbit goes in to relieve itself. If you put some newspaper or a litter box down there, your rabbit will quickly learn to use the box.
- You may want to scoop out urine-soaked litter on a daily basis to keep your rabbit clean and keep the litter box smelling fresh.
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Remember that rabbits are coprophagic. Rabbits excrete two kinds of droppings: fecal pellets (round, hard, dry waste product) and cecotropes (large, soft, light-colored droppings). The digestive system of rabbits requires that the animal eats its cecotropes in order to adequately absorb and digest the nutrients found in food.^{[6]
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- When cleaning out the litter box, remove hard, dry fecal pellets, but be sure to leave cecotropes behind. These "droppings" are an essential part of your pet's diet.
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Clean your rabbit's area once every week.
- Use white vinegar to clean your rabbit's litter box, or soak it for stains that are tough to remove.^{[7]
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- Spot cleaning should be done daily.^{[8]
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  Research source} Clean the cage out while your rabbits are in the run.
- Change soiled bedding daily. Straw makes an excellent bedding material and is easy to change every day.
- Clean out the food bowl and change the food daily. Do not overfeed your rabbit. Food portions should be commensurate with the size and weight of your rabbit.
Rabbits are social animals, so make sure you keep them in pairs or groups.

Part 3

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Grooming Your Rabbit

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Brush your rabbit at least once every week. Wool rabbits need their coats blown and brushed daily (never blow out coat with hot air). Carefully brush out mats, but never tug on the delicate skin. You can alternatively shear the coat to less maintained. Pay special attention to a wool breed's feet as wool grows on the foot in heavily wooled rabbit breeds. The wool can mat up and part the protective hair on the feet, leading to sores.

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If you are uncomfortable doing this on your own, you may take your rabbit to a veterinarian or to an animal groomer to have this done.^{[10]
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Bathing can be very traumatic, and is unnecessary, as rabbits tend to groom themselves. If you notice a soiled area on your rabbit, you may want to spot-wash it with a wet towel, but do not submerge your rabbit in water as it can lead to shock.

Expert Q&A

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At what age are baby rabbits weaned in the wild?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

Most wild rabbits are weaned by the age of seven weeks. Rabbits are unique in that their mother usually only feeds them twice a day, so it's natural as they become better able to move around that they start nibbling on tempting shoots and herbage that is near the burrow.

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How do I know when my rabbit is mature enough to mate?

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Expert Answer

This is largely a matter of the rabbit's age. Most rabbits are able to reproduce from an age as young as four months. However, breeding at such a young age is not advisable as the mother is still growing and maturing herself. Ideally, a female should have her first litter at six to 12 months of age.

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Feed apple sticks and brambles to help your rabbits wear their teeth down.

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Never keep a rabbit in a hutch. This is an outdated way of keeping rabbits and is now seen as cruel. Give them space in a shed or room inside to run and jump.

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Always keep rabbits in pairs or groups. They get lonely very easily.

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Warnings

Rabbits don't need baths, and they often find them stressful. It can also cause hypothermia.

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The best "cage" for a rabbit is a doggy pen since they are very spacious.

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Do not give your rabbit too much fruit or vegetables, as it can cause diarrhea.

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If your rabbit isn't fixed, you can go to the vet and schedule an appointment to reduce hormonal aggression. Also, it helps with territorial behavior, and smell.

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Do not use information from the House Rabbit Society without verifying with other sources!!

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Never cut your rabbit's hair unless it's a wool breed. If you're afraid to give your rabbit a haircut, have a breeder who's experienced do it for you. You can learn from them as well, and they can teach you as they do it.

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Never feed rabbits chocolate. It is deadly.

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If you free roam a rabbit, Please make sure that your home is rabbit-proofed (no exposed wires, nothing that they could hurt themselves on, etc.).

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