The Rabbit Residence Rescue

BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR KEEPING RABBITS AS PETS

Agreed by most rabbit experts, supported by The Rabbit Residence Rescue & RSPCA Cambridge & District Branch

The Rabbit Residence Rescue and RSPCA Cambridge & District branch along with many other rescues ask for the following requirements. We hope you enjoy visiting the rescue and that your visit has helped you understand why rabbits' requirments are so different from what has been portrayed by pet shops and breeders since rabbits were first thought of as pets many years ago and attitudes have not changed.

DIET

• Hay based diet which must be available at all times.

• Also highly recommend dried grass and Timothy hay.

• Oxbow, Burgess or Supreme Selective pellets. 2 ounces per rabbit fed in the evening recommended. Do not feed any of the mixes. These are the only recommended commercial feeds due to ingredients and fibre content.

• Vegetables such as curly kale, greens, broccoli, carrots & tops and cabbage are appreciated daily. They are used to a few leaves each morning.

• Edible wild plants & apple, pear and willow branches are great for front teeth.

• Fresh drinking water, a bottle will help indicate exactly what your rabbit drinks and helps prevent contamination/infections, a bowl gives easy access in hot weather and a bowl of warm water is appreciated in cold weather.

ACCOMMODATION & ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT

• Minimum size 6ft long by 2ft wide by 2ft high hutch, ideally with a 3ft bedroom compartment (a 6ft by 4ft shed can be bought for £95).  See our links section for recommended retailers of hutches.  Additionally, I am also able to supply the recommended sized hutches and runs, so please let me know if you would be interested in this service.

• Minimum 6ft wide by 10ft long by 3 ft high run made from light welded mesh that must be attached to hutch/ shed (Rabbits may be locked in hutch at night or let out in secure garden when owners at home). We highly recommend that a tarpaulin be fixed over the run to create vital coolness from heat and protection from rain.  I am able to supply recommended sized runs, so please let me know if you would be interested in this service.

• Places to dig and hide. A rabbit loves the freedom to leap & bound but they are prey animals and are very aware of threats so plenty of boxes to hide in will make them more relaxed and content. They also have many natural behaviours such as burrowing holes and digging small scoops to toilet in to mark their territory, so space to do this will prevent this being "unwanted, nuisance" behaviour.

The following fact sheet shows what equipment you should invest in when taking on a rabbit as a pet (right click to download):

Shopping list for rabbit care

COMPANIONSHIP

• Rabbits MUST live in pairs. Whether you have a single rabbit that wants a friend or are able to adopt a pair; a neutered buck and spayed doe pairing works best. Though they live in colonies, with sub-groups of up to 8 in the wild, they would be related and have a female line and acres of space, so it's more difficult to get domestic rabbits to live in groups without preventing natural pecking order which can lead to health and behavioural issues and make them less likely to trust humans.

• Bucks or Does? The majority of bucks will fight once they reach sexual maturity, even if neutered and most doe pairings will not be as content or friendly towards humans, often one more dominant over the other.

•  See below for one of our client's experiences of bonding their house-rabbit through the Rabbit Residence rescue centre (you can also see this text in a larger font by clicking here).

SUITABLE VET CARE

• Make sure you search for a rabbit friendly, experienced vet and ask the right questions. See how they handle the rabbit. A rabbit will be calm with a confident vet. With so many animals, all vets will have their favourite species. Knowledge on curing rabbit diseases surgery possibilities and understanding what medicines work best is changing so much thanks to the RWF funding Bristol University to specialise in rabbit veterinary studies. There are many common aliments you need to be aware of, so buy the recommended books included on my recommended reading page.

HANDLING/ WELFARFE/ HAPPINESS

• Rabbits are ground loving and do not like to be picked up as portrayed. Think- foxes pick them up. Cats adapt to being held as they can naturally balance above ground level and climb.

Rabbits are prey animals and though they have been portrayed as children’s pets, that only live in hutches and don't do or feel anything this is all very wrong. They are intelligent animals, which are extremely sensitive to noise and chaos. They have deep emotions and will be living in fear and display stress behaviours if kept only in a hutch with noisy children to torment them and no routine or proper acknowledgement from adults.

• If handled, loved and appreciated correctly you will bond with them as much as a family pet dog and also recognise the subtle signs of illness preventing serious irreversible problems.

PROTECTION AGAINST PREDATORS

• FOXES CATS DOGS VANDALS

• Depending on the location of your house and design of your garden, what you will be able to offer a pair of rabbits will vary. Security measures may have to be higher for some people, such as security lights, concrete base for run, a wooden trellis put over the wire mesh run frame to help prevent foxes biting through and padlocks, where as other people will be able to let their rabbits have access to the entire garden.

HYGIENE

We have to pick up our dog mess when we take them for walks. Cats are independent and have the freedom to go to the toilet well away from the house, unless litter trays are used, where the smell soon has us getting rid of the deed. Rabbits may be seen as children's pets but require far more work and cleaning than all animals except for horses. This is a major issue we need to consider, that seems to be forgotten. People generally only see the cute, toy-appeal that rabbits appear to have.

• Keep living area clean and hygienic. Litter training your rabbit and changing the toilet areas every couple of days will prevent wooden homes getting ruined and discourage bacterial and fungal growth. Various disinfectants for rabbits are available. Some will kill virus's will others only smell nice or kill mites and fleas.

• Regularly handle and health check your rabbits. Rabbits are prone to the deadly fly strike. This is when flies are attracted to the rabbit if they have a dirty bottom or dirty living area. They lay eggs, which turn into maggots, which in turn eat the rabbit alive.

See my fact sheet for further information about bedding and cleaning of rabbit hutches (right click to download):

Bedding and cleaning rabbit accommodation

Thank you for listening.

It saddens me as I see 3 types of rabbit.

1. The happy rabbit kept by adults or loving families, behaviour understood and appreciated.

2. The lost rabbit. People thinking their rabbit is happy because it is quiet and still and doesn't complain, when in fact these behaviours are signs of sadness and fear just as much as rabbit 3

3. Rabbits which are given up, because they do show their discontent though aggression and unsociable behaviours.

The wrong type of keeping induces the majority of behavioural problems or rabbits seeming stupid and not showing their true character or intelligence. Get the most out of your rabbits. You will be astounded and happy and so will they!

If you have decided rabbits are right for you after reading all this, even if we don't have any that suit you, I know that if you follow these guidelines you will have a beautiful bond and many happy years with your rabbits and they will be a true part of your family, not just stuck in a cage outside and forgotten.

If you are still interested, and I really hope you are !

If you live too for away to visit and feel you can't offer exactly what is requested, but have already purchased a hutch and runor don't understand and feel I am asking too much, I am more than willing to compromise or help, please don’t give up on me too soon as it is the welfare of the rabbits that concerns me. Maybe we can sort something out!

If I am able to visit I will. This is dependant upon time and a busy schedule, but if you are willing to send photos of your garden, hutch and run so I can get a good idea of the home you can offer it will hopefully help me match a suitable pair of rabbits to you. Many people have changed their minds with suggestions and ideas from me that they hadn't considered or thought possible. I also have 30 metre reels of welded mesh for runs for sale and piping for rabbits to hide in.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and now appreciate that rabbits should be valued and respected as much as a cat or dog.

Heathlands rescue and Wood Green ask similar requirements but ARC in Bishops Stortford is more casual.

Please don't buy from a pet shop. DO NOT get 2 boys. If you get 2 girls, please be aware that with less than my educated suggested sized housing, they will start fighting around 6-8 months old or may become aggressive to humans.

The next step, once you decide to adopt a pair of rabbits will be for us to arrange delivery. So call me right now and let’s arrange it!