The correct diet is vital for the health of a rabbit, and getting this right from the start can save a lot of problems further down the line.
A rabbit’s diet should include:
- 85% Hay
- 10% Veg
- 5% Pellets
Hay is very important as it provides fibre to keep their guts moving. Chewing is very important to wear down teeth and prevent dental problems so a diet rich in good-quality hay will help with this.
Vegetables are an important part of your rabbits’ diet as they provide essential nutrients. However, you must be careful as some vegetables and fruits could make your rabbit unwell.
Examples of fruit and veg that are suitable for rabbits:
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower leaves
- Spinach
- Peppers
- Carrots, sometimes
- Strawberries
- Apple, without pips
- Banana
Examples of vegetables that you should not feed your rabbit:
- Onions
- Iceberg lettuce
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Avocado
- Mushrooms
- Beans
- Sweet corn due to high sugar content
- Tomato leaves and stems
Pellets are also important as they provide a good balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Pellets are recommended over muesli because muesli can promote selective feeding meaning that your rabbit isn’t getting the correct nutrition. Muesli can also stop effective wearing of the teeth if the rabbit is choosing what is easiest to eat.
Here is a handy rabbit feeding plan
Accommodation
Making sure you have the right accommodation is of vital importance for the health and wellbeing of your rabbit.
The minimum amount of space a pair of rabbits is 3m by 2m by 1m high, however the bigger the better when it comes to their enclosure. It is vital they have enough space to be able to binky and run around and it is a basic welfare need to allow them to display natural behaviours. Living in a confined space can lead to boredom and health problems such as gut stasis, spinal issues, and arthritis.
You need to make sure they have the correct diet as well as access to lots of fresh water. You will also need to make sure you are providing adequate shelter from the elements including shade from the heat, protection from the cold, and shelter from wind and rain.
Rabbits are social creatures and thrive with company so you should make sure your rabbit is paired up and correctly bonded with another rabbit. It is not recommended to keep different species together (i.e. a rabbit and guinea pig) because they have different communication methods, different dietary requirements, and rabbits can kill guinea pigs with their powerful kicking legs!
Rabbits need plenty of enrichment to keep them entertained. They should be able to display their natural behaviours, such as being able to dig, so you can provide them with enrichment items such as dig boxes and tunnels.
To keep your rabbits happy and healthy it is important to keep stress levels to a minimum. Here are some ways you can help:
- Keep your rabbit cool in the summer with some frozen enrichment, frozen bottles, etc.
- Keep your rabbit warm in the winter with heat pads and extra bedding.
- Keep them away from loud noises that could scare them, for example fireworks. If you can, bring them inside where you are able to block out sounds with a radio or other background noise.
A cosy, enclosed bedding area with extra straw and a heat pad for when its very cold.