TAYLOR VETS
Rabbits need daily care and can live for 10 years or more. Before bringing them home, you’ll need to think about where they’ll live, who they’ll live with and the costs of looking after them.
Whether it’s time for a routine health check, vaccinations, or advice on caring for your rabbit, our team is here to help. Book an appointment at our Brackley practices today.
We encourage adoption through a reputable rescue, which can help you find a pair who already get along. Young rabbits should be at least eight weeks old and fully weaned before leaving their mother.
Allow for food, bedding, accommodation and vet bills in your budget. Rabbits have sometimes been seen as cheap pets, but their care can be costly.
The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) has advice for anyone new to rabbits and information about the responsibilities and costs of ownership. You can also pick up its free On the Hop care guide from our Brackley practice..
Rabbits need another rabbit for company. A neutered male and female often make a good pair, although neutered same-sex pairs can live together too. Ask for advice before introducing rabbits who haven’t met.
They can breed from a young age, even with siblings, and females can become pregnant again soon after giving birth. Neutering prevents unwanted litters and can reduce spraying and aggression. It won’t always stop rabbits fighting, particularly if they’re neutered later in life or simply don’t get along.
Many rabbits like being around people but don’t enjoy being picked up or cuddled. Sit on the floor and let them come to you.
Children can help look after rabbits, but an adult needs to take responsibility for their care and supervise time spent together.
Rabbits can live indoors or outside. They need much more space than a hutch alone provides, with room to run, hop and stand upright. Give them somewhere to hide and safe opportunities to dig and chew.
Indoors, keep cables, toxic plants and anything unsafe to chew out of reach. Outdoors, check that rabbits can’t dig out and predators can’t get in. Provide shelter from rain and plan how you’ll keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
Around 80–90% of their diet should be good-quality hay or grass, available day and night. Rabbits’ teeth keep growing throughout their lives; chewing hay and grass wears them down and helps keep their gut moving.
Meadow, timothy, orchard and oat hay are all options. Choose hay that smells fresh and isn’t dusty. Don’t feed anything musty or mouldy.
Pellets should make up around 5% of their diet. An eggcupful per rabbit a day is a common guide, but check the packet and ask us about the right amount for their age, weight and health.
We recommend Supreme Science Selective or Burgess Excel, using the variety for young, adult or senior rabbits as appropriate. Avoid muesli-style mixes. Rabbits can pick out the bits they like and leave the rest, contributing to dental problems and obesity.
Vegetables, leafy greens, herbs and forage should make up around 5–10% of their diet. Introduce new foods gradually. The RWAF’s list of suitable vegetables and herbs has suggestions.
Keep fruit and treats occasional. Look for treats made from hay, herbs or forage, and avoid those with lots of cereals, sugar or added colourings.
Always provide fresh, clean water.
Dwarf breeds can be prone to dental and ear problems. Lop-eared rabbits can develop a build-up of wax and infections because of the shape of their ear canals. Feed a suitable diet and bring them for regular checks so we can look for problems.
Rabbits can get fleas and worms, but don’t usually need regular treatment. Call us if you notice parasites, worms in their droppings or anything you’re unsure about. Check before using a treatment, as some products for cats and dogs are unsafe for rabbits.
If your rabbit is moving less or struggling to keep clean, let us know. Arthritis or another condition could be making things difficult. We can discuss treatment and suggest changes at home to help them stay comfortable.
For check-ups, vaccinations, neutering and emergency advice:
You can ask our team about any part of your rabbits’ care. The RWAF website also has detailed information and publishes Rabbiting On magazine.
