How to take care of your pet rabbit: A complete beginner’s guide
News Desk | Mar 29, 2025, 23:59 IST
Having a pet rabbit is a delightful experience, as they are affectionate, playful, and intelligent companions. To care for a rabbit, provide a spacious cage, a balanced diet of hay, vegetables, and pellets, and fresh water. Ensure regular vet check-ups, daily exercise, and mental stimulation. Grooming, social interaction, and a clean living space are key to their well-being.
If you want to have a small, cute, furry, and unusual pet (read: apart from cats and dogs), then rabbits are the perfect animal. They are not only adorable pets, but also quite intelligent and social which makes them great companions for their owners. And just like any other pet, rabbits too have certain needs of their own to live a happy and healthy life. If you are planning to have a pet rabbit or are a new pet parent to a bunny, then read this beginner’s care guide to know more:
1. Housing and living space
Rabbits need a spacious, safe, and comfortable place as their home. Whether they're kept indoors or outdoors, their living environment should protect them from extreme temperatures, predators, and stress-- all of which would add to their longevity.
2. Cage: As a thumb rule, a rabbit's cage or enclosure should be at least 4-6 times the size of your rabbit when fully stretched out. This will give them enough space to stay in a cage. Also note that wire-bottom cages can hurt your rabbit's feet. And so, it should have a solid flooring with soft bedding like hay, fleece, or paper-based materials to make them feel comfortable.
3. Litter training: Rabbits are intelligent pets which makes them easier to train. They can be litter-trained, just like cats, which makes them easier to handle and care for. They require a litter box filled with paper-based or natural wood pellet litter (Do note o avoid clay or clumping litter).
4. Diet and nutrition: Just like any other pet, rabbits too need a nutritious diet to live a healthy life. Their diet should contain: Hay (80% of diet) for digestion and dental health, fresh vegetables (10% of diet) for nutrition, and pellets (5% of diet) without added sugars or seeds, small portion of fruits as treats, and plenty of water for hydration.
5. Grooming and hygiene: Rabbits are naturally clean animals, but they do need occasional grooming to stay healthy. For grooming needs include: regularly brushing their coat can help reduce shedding and keep them clean, trim their nails can prevent overgrowth and injuries, and regularly check their ears and eyes for dirt or signs of infection. However, one should note that they should not bathe a rabbit as it can cause extreme stress in their pet. Instead, spot-clean them with a damp cloth, if needed.
6. Exercise and mental stimulation: Rabbits are active animals and so, they need at least 3-4 hours of daily exercise outside their cage to stay happy and healthy. They also need toys, like tunnels and cardboard boxes, to keep them mentally active.
7. Bonding time: Rabbits are social creatures. So, spend time with them through petting, play, and gentle interactions and they'll surely love you back!
8. Vaccination and veterinary care: Apart from these, one must also take their pet rabbit to vet regularly for check-ups and vaccinations. This can help in preventing common rabbit diseases.
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1. Housing and living space
Rabbits need a spacious, safe, and comfortable place as their home. Whether they're kept indoors or outdoors, their living environment should protect them from extreme temperatures, predators, and stress-- all of which would add to their longevity.
2. Cage: As a thumb rule, a rabbit's cage or enclosure should be at least 4-6 times the size of your rabbit when fully stretched out. This will give them enough space to stay in a cage. Also note that wire-bottom cages can hurt your rabbit's feet. And so, it should have a solid flooring with soft bedding like hay, fleece, or paper-based materials to make them feel comfortable.
3. Litter training: Rabbits are intelligent pets which makes them easier to train. They can be litter-trained, just like cats, which makes them easier to handle and care for. They require a litter box filled with paper-based or natural wood pellet litter (Do note o avoid clay or clumping litter).
4. Diet and nutrition: Just like any other pet, rabbits too need a nutritious diet to live a healthy life. Their diet should contain: Hay (80% of diet) for digestion and dental health, fresh vegetables (10% of diet) for nutrition, and pellets (5% of diet) without added sugars or seeds, small portion of fruits as treats, and plenty of water for hydration.
5. Grooming and hygiene: Rabbits are naturally clean animals, but they do need occasional grooming to stay healthy. For grooming needs include: regularly brushing their coat can help reduce shedding and keep them clean, trim their nails can prevent overgrowth and injuries, and regularly check their ears and eyes for dirt or signs of infection. However, one should note that they should not bathe a rabbit as it can cause extreme stress in their pet. Instead, spot-clean them with a damp cloth, if needed.
6. Exercise and mental stimulation: Rabbits are active animals and so, they need at least 3-4 hours of daily exercise outside their cage to stay happy and healthy. They also need toys, like tunnels and cardboard boxes, to keep them mentally active.
7. Bonding time: Rabbits are social creatures. So, spend time with them through petting, play, and gentle interactions and they'll surely love you back!
8. Vaccination and veterinary care: Apart from these, one must also take their pet rabbit to vet regularly for check-ups and vaccinations. This can help in preventing common rabbit diseases.
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!