Housing requirements

A rabbit’s environment has a direct impact on its health and happiness and diligent hutch maintenance is paramount in contributing towards that well-being. It is well documented that commercially produced hutches are simply not big enough and the level of advice given to potential owners in pet shops is, at best, inadequate. At worst, it is non- existent.

Some larger pet store franchises keep more suitable housing and runs and, if

the pet is also bought in the store, they can be quite good at giving responsible advice. However, runs are often offered as an option, rather than a necessity and as most of the hutches can be delivered online, it is not made clear to rabbit owners just how important it is to ensure that there is a safe and adequate place for their bunny to exercise in.

A good hutch should be:

• At least 6’ x 2’ x 2’ ft.• Dry and free from mildew on the inside• Draught-free• Watertight.• Sheltered at the front from direct sunlight or wind exposure.

It should also have a predator proof run attached which should be:• At least 4 ft wide x 8 ft long x 3 ft high• Made from sturdy mesh NOT chicken wire• Be on fi rm standing to prevent rabbits burrowing out or predators burrowing in• Provide shade and things to do• Have good air fl ow and light

The following pictures are of good examples of hutches and runs:

Note that the run is on hard standing and there is a small hutch in the run to provide shelter and shade. Here you also see the pipe attached securely to the run. Small and medium rabbits adore these pipes as they mimic a natural burrow and also deter digging. They also make attaching an exercise area to an awkwardly shaped or positioned hutch easy. However, the pipes may not suit older or athritic bunnies so do watch double tier hutches and tunnels as your bunnies get old and frail. Attaching the run to the hutch allows the rabbit to exercise safely all day.

How to keep and feed your rabbit correctly

The following two pictures are examples of bad hutches

They are too small and will not allow your rabbit to exercise freely. In addition, the ramps are extremely steep and this can cause injury to your rabbit.

Cleaning and substrates

How often to clean out your rabbit will depend on how messy your rabbit is, but as a general rule, we would advise cleaning out damp toilet areas every night and doing a full clean out at least once a week. A damp environment, whether it is due to poor hutch maintenance or a poor hygiene regime is a primary cause of breathing and eye problems in pet rabbits. A paint scraper is great for getting soiled bedding out of corners!Rabbits can be kept on a number of different bedding materials, or ‘substrates’. Using litter trays with a wood based cat litter under woodshavings is ideal as they are very easy to empty, they protect the hutch fl oor from the abrasive action of the urine and they train the rabbit to use the tray which increases hutch hygiene. Use thick bedding on the fl oor of the hutch and substrates such as wood shavings or fi nely chopped hay bedding are ideal as not only are they absorbent, they are also lightly fragranced and provide a deep, insulating layer. A layer of Readigrass in the litter tray will encourage the rabbit to use it. Hay is a food source and should not be used to line the fl oor of hutches. When rabbits are accustomed to eating hay daily, it can be used in the bedding area but it should be on top of the woodshavings/straw so that the rabbit does not soil it. If the rabbit is not used to eating hay or tends to soil it, use a hay net or basket.Sawdust is not an ideal substrate as it is too fi ne and can be inhaled by the rabbit. Newspaper is fi ne to be used under woodshavings in the summer but should never be used alone as there is not enough absorbency in it to protect the rabbits feet from urine scalds. Similarly, towels and blankets are not absorbent enough to keep your rabbit clean, dry and free from the risk of infection.

Exercise

Daily exercise is absolutely vital to the mental and physical health of rabbits. The minimum exercise they should have is about 8 hours a day and this can be facilitated by a predator proof run attached to the hutch. The most benefi cial exercise opportunity is one which lasts several hours. It is true that most rabbits will take a siesta and snooze in the afternoon, but the opportunity to exercise is extremely important to their health and mental well- being – even if they don’t always take advantage of it.If an exercise area is not yet in place then the absolute bare minimum should be about an hour twice a day althoughthis is inadequate and steps should be taken to rectify this.

A lonely life…

Rabbits are social animals and need the companionship of other animals, ideally from another rabbit. Rabbits are happiest when they are half of a bonded pair and it is lamentable that the majority of pet stores and breeders do not give this information to new owners nor offer any advice about how to bond the newcomer to an existing rabbit. Rabbits also have their own strong personalities , as well as individual likes and dislikes so it is not necessarily the case that they will bond with a new rabbit, especially if they are bonded to their human, so what is the answer?1. Bonding?2. Guinea pigs as friends?Bonding a lone rabbit to a mate (in the neutered sense of course!) can be time consuming, space consuming, andcan often result in either two lonely rabbits, two fi ghting rabbits or the rehoming of one of the rabbits. Many rabbitrescue centres are absolutely overrun with abandoned single rabbits and as such, most of them offer a bondingservice whereby they will take in the clients rabbits, assess its personality and start bonding it to a suitable rabbit in apurpose built environment. Sometimes, the rescue centre will trial bonding with several rabbits, if the incoming rabbitis not proving receptive.

Useful links regarding bonding include: www.rabbit_residence.co.uk www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk

Guinea pigs are often kept quite satisfactorily with rabbits, but it is not something that we would recommend for the following reasons:• The rabbit can often bully and harass the guinea pig – but often without the owners witnessing this• Their feeding needs are completely different and often the rabbit will consume the guinea pigs Vitamin C enriched

muesli whilst the guinea pig becomes slowly defi cient• The kennel cough bacteria can be carried without symptoms in rabbits but if they are carrying it there is potential to

transmit it to the guinea pig – in which it will cause pneumonia.

Feeding

Many diseases in rabbits can be associated with poor husbandry and feeding. The natural food of rabbits is the concentrated growing shoots and leaves of grasses but not the ‘fruit’ (e.g. oats, barley and wheat) that are so frequently offered in pet shop mixes. The high sugar content of these foods leads to dental disease, obesity and gastrointestinal disorders. In natural feeding, grass shoots assist in wearing down the crowns of the fast growing teeth. If incorrectly prepared or processed fi bre is fed, the food can become impacted in the stomach. This doesn’t happen if the rabbit can obtain natural fi brous food (growing grass or hay) and can chew it so that it is properly presented for storage in the stomach and transportation through the intestine. A balanced diet should contain good quality hay, and Timothy hay is best. Alfalfa is frequently recommended but is too high in calcium and protein for routine feeding so should be reserved for use in pregnant and nursing does. The use of pelleted food should be avoided altogether, or at least restricted to one tablespoon per rabbit per day. This encourages your rabbit to take in more fi bre. Access to leafy greens is advised for pet rabbits in order to exercise their jaws and assist in the normal wear of the teeth. In the UK, spring greens are usually available all year round in supermarkets.

Muesli type mixes should be avoided all together as they are not a balanced diet and encourage your rabbit to pick out the bits they like and leave the others in the bowl.

A general rule for feeding is that the diet should comprise:• 85% grass/hay• 12% leafy greens• 3% (or less!) pelleted feed.

Notes adapted with permission from those kindly provided by Alison Langridge and Christopher Seymour at the Royal Veterinary College