Understanding Your Rabbit's Basic Needs

Domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are social, intelligent animals that can live 8–12 years when properly cared for. Yet the majority of pet rabbits sold in Europe are kept in conditions that compromise their health within the first year. Understanding their biology is the foundation of good care.

Rabbits are crepuscular — most active at dawn and dusk — and are obligate herbivores whose digestive systems depend on continuous fibre movement. Unlike cats or dogs, a rabbit that stops eating for even 12 hours can develop life-threatening GI stasis, a condition where gut motility slows or halts entirely.

They are also prey animals. This means stress responses are intense and often hidden. A rabbit can appear perfectly calm and still be in pain or severe distress. Learning to read rabbit body language — tooth grinding, hunched posture, refusal to move, sudden aggression — is a critical ownership skill.

Housing: Space, Enrichment & the Problem with Pet Store Cages

The most common housing mistake is buying a cage labelled "rabbit hutch" from a pet store. Most commercial hutches sold for rabbits are dramatically undersized. The RSPCA recommends a minimum living area of 3m × 2m × 1m for a pair of average-sized rabbits — a space most pet store cages don't come close to providing.

Ideal setups include:

• Indoor free-roaming with a pen: The safest option. Rabbits can be litter-trained and given a large exercise pen with a sheltered area inside your home.
• Outdoor hutch + run combination: The hutch must be predator-proof (foxes can open latches), weatherproof, and permanently attached to a run of at least 8 square metres.
• Converted shed or small room: The gold standard. Rabbits kept in enriched, large spaces show significantly fewer stereotypic behaviours like bar-chewing or circling.

Enrichment is not optional. Rabbits need tunnels, cardboard to chew, platforms to climb, and objects to rearrange. Boredom leads to destructive behaviour, obesity, and depression. They should never be kept alone — rabbits are social animals that fare best in neutered pairs.

Diet: The 80/5/15 Rule

Rabbit nutrition is elegantly simple once understood, but widely misrepresented by pet food marketing. The correct diet breakdown is:

• 80% hay: Unlimited, always available. Timothy, orchard grass, or meadow hay. Hay keeps the gut moving, wears down continuously-growing teeth, and provides the fibre essential for caecotrophy (the process by which rabbits eat specific droppings to absorb B vitamins).
• 15% fresh leafy greens: Dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce, rocket, basil, coriander, flat-leaf parsley, and kale (in moderation). Avoid iceberg lettuce (no nutritional value, causes loose stools) and spinach in large quantities (high oxalates).
• 5% pellets: High-quality plain pellets with no added seeds, dried fruit, or coloured pieces. For an adult rabbit, roughly 1–2 tablespoons per kg bodyweight per day. Pellets should supplement hay, not replace it.

Fruits should be offered as occasional treats only — no more than a teaspoon a few times a week. The sugar content disrupts gut flora and contributes to obesity. Muesli-style mixes should be avoided entirely; research published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior showed that selective feeding from mixes led to dental disease and obesity in the majority of rabbits studied.

Common Health Problems in Rabbits

Rabbits hide illness exceptionally well. By the time symptoms are obvious, the condition may already be serious. Regular health checks at home — weight monitoring, checking teeth alignment, monitoring droppings — are essential.

1. GI Stasis

The most common rabbit emergency. Signs include reduced or absent droppings, loss of appetite, a hunched posture, and a bloated or hard abdomen. Causes include insufficient hay, stress, or hairballs. Treatment requires immediate veterinary attention — syringe feeding, pain relief, gut motility drugs, and often IV fluids. A rabbit in stasis can die within 24–48 hours without intervention.

2. Dental Disease

Rabbit teeth grow continuously throughout their lives. Malocclusion — misalignment of teeth — causes spurs on molars that lacerate the tongue and cheeks. Root elongation can block tear ducts, causing chronic eye discharge. Hay consumption naturally wears teeth down; low-hay diets accelerate dental disease. Annual dental checks under sedation are recommended by the PDSA.

3. Myxomatosis and Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD)

Both are fatal viral diseases spread by insects and direct contact. Vaccines exist and are highly effective. In the UK and much of Europe, annual vaccination against myxomatosis and both RVHD strains (RVHD1 and RVHD2) is standard of care. Indoor rabbits are not safe — RVHD2 can be transmitted on clothing and shoes.

4. Uterine Cancer in Unspayed Does

Unspayed female rabbits have an extremely high lifetime risk of uterine adenocarcinoma — studies indicate rates as high as 80% by age 5. Spaying female rabbits before age 2 is strongly recommended. It also eliminates false pregnancies, reduces territorial aggression, and enables safe bonding with a neutered male.

5. E. cuniculi (Encephalitozoon cuniculi)

A parasitic microsporidian that can cause head tilt, rolling, rear limb paralysis, and cataracts. Transmission is primarily via spores in urine. A significant percentage of domestic rabbits carry latent infection. Stress or immunosuppression can trigger clinical signs. Treatment with fenbendazole is available but must be maintained long-term. See this PubMed review on E. cuniculi in rabbits for clinical detail.

Senior Rabbits: Pain, Arthritis & Quality of Life

Rabbits over 6 years old are considered geriatric. Arthritis is common but underdiagnosed — rabbits don't vocalise pain and may simply become less active, which owners attribute to "getting old." Weight loss, reduced grooming of hindquarters, and reluctance to jump are warning signs worth investigating.

Senior rabbit care includes raised food and water bowls, softer bedding, ramps instead of steps, and more frequent vet checks (every 6 months). Anti-inflammatory treatment from a vet can dramatically improve quality of life.

Bonding and Socialisation

Rabbits are not solitary animals. A lone rabbit without sufficient human interaction will develop behavioural problems and depression. The ideal companion is a neutered rabbit of the opposite sex. Bonding two unfamiliar rabbits takes time — a structured neutral-territory bonding process with short, supervised sessions is essential. Never simply place two rabbits together and hope for the best; serious fights can cause fatal injuries.

Human interaction should be on the rabbit's terms. Most rabbits do not enjoy being picked up — it mimics the sensation of being seized by a predator. Instead, sit at their level and allow them to approach. Handling should be gradual, calm, and always with proper support of the hindquarters to prevent spinal injury from kicking.

Recommended Supplies

Setting up properly from the start prevents most common mistakes. A full setup includes: a large exercise pen or bunny-proofed area, litter tray with paper-based litter, unlimited hay rack, ceramic food bowl (tip-proof), water bottle or heavy ceramic bowl, tunnels and cardboard boxes for enrichment, and a hideaway box.

Shop rabbit supplies at Zooplus → — hay, pellets, hutches, and enrichment toys, often at significantly lower prices than pet store chains.