Rabbits are Britain's most neglected animals.  They are often bought for children, who see them as cute, cuddly and furry.  The truth about rabbits is that they don't particularly enjoy being picked up and held.  Rabbits are ground loving animals.  In retaliation to being given an unwanted hug rabbits can scratch very badly and give an even nastier bite.  The result is parents being left with an unwanted pet.  Some people may not see too much of a problem with this, after all the rabbit will live in a hutch, need cleaning out twice a week and fed and watered daily.  WRONG!!! 

**If you consider the way rabbits live naturally then you will realise that rabbits need a lot of exercise.  In the wild rabbits have great areas of natural habitat in which they live and frolic.  They are not meant to be caged 24 hours a day all their lives.  Rabbits should have several hours of freedom daily. 

**In the wild rabbits live in social groups consisting of 8 - 15 members, this is vital for their survival.  One rabbit left alone in a hutch at the bottom of the garden is not going to be a happy bunny.  They should have permanent company.  Many rabbit owners think that guinea pigs make a good companion.  This relationship can work but if the rabbit (and guinea pig) are not getting enough exercise the rabbit may become bored and terrorise the smaller animal.  I firmly believe that rabbits should be kept in pairs at least.  If  rabbits are introduced properly and patiently to each other then the result is a "bonded" pair.  It is very satisfying to see two bunnies in such a relationship, and in my mind much more interesting.  It is amazing to see rabbits interact with each other; the dominance and submissiveness, the protection and defending of each other if something unknown is approaching.  Even the way they communicate and generally interact with each other provides me with hours of pleasure!  Each rabbit has it's own personality and when rabbits are in groups these personalities come out so much more.

**Illness in rabbits can be very scary and worrying.  They are so defenceless and susceptible to many things.  As a rabbit is not a very strong animal in terms of it's body's resilience to illnesses, it doesn't take long for a bunny to become so ill that nothing can be done.  If your rabbit is in a hutch in the garden, changes in it's behaviour or health may not be noticed straight away or in time.  One of the advantages of having your bunnies in the house is that they are always there and anything unusual is spotted straight away.

**A good diet is probably the most valuable gift you can give your bunny and here I am speaking from experience!!  I've been fooled by all the attractive packaging and colourful food that are commonly sold in pet shops.  I used to give my bunnies lots of sugary treats.  I have learnt this is not the way to go, to my cost.  Again, if you consider the diet of a rabbit who lives in the wild it's main food is grass along with other natural growing foods.  Hay is ultimately the best food you can give your rabbit, and alfalfa is the best hay of all as it contains many vitamins that rabbits would naturally find in the wild.  Rabbits need to grind down their teeth to stop them over growing, in the wild this is done by constantly eating grass and other vegetation.  The worst food you can give your bunny is the horrible colourful rabbit mixes that are available.  When my bunnies were given this mix they picked out all the things that were not particularly good for them and left all the things that were.  Nowadays my bunnies diet consists of hay, greens (such as broccoli, celery, cabbage, carrots, pea pods) and pellets that contain everything that bunnies need.

**If rabbits are kept in isolated darkness they will become aggressive and unsociable.  Wouldn't you if you had no company for weeks on end!!

**If you are lucky enough to adopt a bunny from someone else, think carefully about how it has been used to living.  If the bunny was previously a house bunny it is not a good idea to keep it outside, at least not straight away.  A house rabbit will be used to a certain temperature.  If put straight outside to live, it may get bunny snuffles which can be very serious, even fatal!





When looking after bunnies there are certain things which are a must:

1) Of course you will need an appropriate size hutch. 
There are some fantastic hutches in the shops today. 
I have a couple of double story hutches, I have even seen
a triple story one.  Size does matter, and your bunny really
should be able to hop around in the hutch, and be able to
stand on their back legs.  Of course, hutch size will depend
on the size of your bunny.  Have a good look around
several pet shops, and find the right hutch for your bunny.
I do not recommend the 'starter' hutches.  These are just
too small and are not suitable for any rabbit.

2) Consider some kind of cover for the hutch to keep out
those chilly nights.  I know rabbits are covered in fur but
I have read that they can freeze to death!  There are
specially designed hutch huggers on the market, both
for summer (to keep the hutch cool and the flies out) and
winter.  We have managed to make our own using a pvc
backed picnic blanket.  It is nailed onto the hutch at the
top.  We have hemmed the blanket at the bottom so as to
create a loop for net curtain wire to go through.  This is
then attached to the hutch by using the hook and eye system for net curtains.  As yet I don't know how durable they will be, but they cost me £5 each plus the net curtain wiring, as opposed to at least £45 each!  It's definitely worth giving it a go.

3) I always have a litter tray in the hutch.  Rabbits are naturally very clean rabbits, and like to toilet in the same area.  Find out where your bunny likes to poo in the hutch, and then put the litter tray there.  This makes cleaning easier, as you can clean out the litter every couple of days, whilst the rest of the bedding may only be changed once a week.  In the litter tray, I use wood based cat litter, with a layer of woodshavings on top.

4) You will need a dust pan and brush to give your bunnies living accommodation a good sweep out.

5) An animal friendly disinfectant can be bought from pet shops, to eliminate germs and odours.

6) Bunny clippers can be bought from vets and pet shops.  These are needed to keep claws short, and even for cutting teeth.

7) A brush or a comb is needed for grooming your bunny.  Depending on your bunnies breed, you may need to regularly groom them, or hardly ever at all.

8) From time to time your bunny may need a bath!  Larger rabbits may find cleaning themselves a little tricky, and in the summer months especially (with flies around) it is essential your bunny stays clean.  So, for bunny baths you will need a towel, bunny shampoo, and a cup or jug to pour the water on the areas which need a clean.  After the bath your bunny will need drying thoroughly, even more so if they live outside.  You can use a hairdryer to dry your bunny off, although be careful you don’t concentrate the heat of the drier on the same area, and burn your bunny.

9) Of course your bunny will need a food bowl.  A heavy, sturdy one is best so that it can’t be knocked over.  Some bunnies find it hard to use drinking bottles, so you may need a water bowl too.  Again, this needs to be heavy and sturdy, and washed out daily, as water in a bowl often get bits of bedding or food dropped in it.

10) Good quality food is essential for the bunnies health.  Don’t fall for bright colourful sugary food, as bunnies will often pick out the yummy bits and leave the bits that are good for them.  Dry pellets are good as they have everything that the bunny needs contained within them.  Pure dried grass can be bought from pet shops.  Don’t feed grass cuttings to your bunny, as they can make the rabbit very ill as they dry out quickly.   

11) To give your bunny lots of stimulation, there are many bunny toys available nowadays.  These include chewable sticks, balls to hide food in and bunny hideaways (good for outdoor rabbits, as they will need shelter from the sun).
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