VET SPEAK: Vet discusses the best way to care for pet rabbits

I have fond memories of my first two pets as a child, Adam and Eve, a beautiful, neutered pair of New Zealand white rabbits.

Over the past two years, since Covid restrictions began, there has been a surge in families acquiring rabbits as pets.

The general docile nature of rabbits makes it seem like they can be easy pets to be looked after by young children. However, there are many things to consider before welcoming a rabbit into the family, as their care can be much more complex than you think. Pet rabbits still require just as much care and attention as any other family pet.

Rabbits need plenty of space to exercise, a nutritious, healthy diet, regular handling and monitoring, social interaction and companionship, and preventative health care from your vet.

Provide plenty of space for your outdoor pet rabbits. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWAF), advises that “a hutch is not enough”. Your rabbit needs to feel as free as they would do if they were in the wild. By providing a spacious permanent enclosure run of at least 6ft x 10ft, you’ll be giving your pet rabbit the space and opportunity to run, play, rear up and jump. Large, wooden boxes, wooden ramps, tunnels, and igloos placed in the run can provide a wonderful area to allow exercise and play and provide a paved area to allow good wear of their claws.

Maintain a consistent healthy diet. Rabbits are herbivores and the most important part of their diet which they need to stay healthy is fibre. Grass and good quality hay provide this fibre and make up the most important part of a rabbit’s diet and should comprise between 80 and 90 per cent of it.

Rabbits can also be given a handful of clean, green leafy vegetables daily which can include broccoli, cabbage, parsley, sprouts and celery leaves. Rabbit complete pellets should only make up around five per cent of your rabbit’s diet. Also, don’t feed them too many extra fruits and vegetables which are high in sugars and can give them an upset stomach.

Also, do not feed any cut grass lawnmower clippings, as these ferment quickly. It is healthy to let your rabbits naturally graze and forage for their food, as they would do in the wild. Give them their complete pellets in a rabbit feeding ball that can be nosed around on the ground. Greens can be chopped up and hidden inside clean wooden boxes or plant pots, or in feeding areas pegged to the top of the run enclosure. This will keep your pet rabbit stimulated, happy, active and healthy.

Rabbits are highly social animals, and they need contact and interaction with their owners and other rabbits. Spend some daily quality time with your rabbit, as they do thrive on social interaction. They do like companionship and are much happier living in pairs and can become anxious, and depressed if kept on their own, the best combination being a neutered male with a spayed female.

Keep their annual vaccinations up to date. Regular vaccinations protect rabbits from two potentially fatal diseases: myxomatosis and the rabbit viral haemorrhagic diseases (strains RVHD 1 and 2).

Rabbit’s teeth grow continuously as much as 10-12cm every year. So, regular dental checks are advised for early detection of any dental problems.

n Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets in Inverness.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.