By Sienna Walsh · Last updated 17 May 2026 · Health content reviewed by Priya Nair (RVN)
The pet-shop story of rabbits — small hutch, kid’s pet, lives a few years — is responsible for more animal suffering than almost any other myth in the small-pet world. The reality is that a rabbit, properly kept, lives 8-12 years in a free-roam or large run setup, is litter-trained, bonded with another rabbit, and is one of the most rewarding pets you’ll ever have. Kept “the pet shop way”, they barely make it to 4.
TL;DR — the non-negotiables
- Pairs only. Solo rabbits are stressed rabbits.
- Space: 3m x 2m absolute minimum for a bonded pair, ideally free-roam of a room or an X-pen setup. Standard hutches are not enough.
- Hay is 80% of the diet. Pellets are a small daily supplement, not a meal.
- Spay/neuter. Females have ~80% uterine cancer rate by age 6 unspayed. Males without neutering are aggressive and spray.
- Exotic vet on speed dial. GI stasis is the rabbit killer and progresses in hours, not days.
- Vaccinations. Rabbits need annual vaccines against myxomatosis and RHDV (Australia/UK/EU mandatory in practice).
Are rabbits the right pet for you?
| Yes if you can… | Skip if… |
|---|---|
| Commit to 8-12 years | You expect a “kid’s pet” they can carry around |
| Give them a room (free-roam) or 3m x 2m pen | You can’t bunny-proof cables |
| Pay for exotic vet (spay/neuter ~$300-500, annual vaccines ~$100) | You’re at work 12 hours a day |
| Litter clean daily | You want a snuggly lap pet — rabbits prefer their feet on the floor |
| Tolerate chewing | You have a free-roam cat or dog |
Housing
The gold standard for pet rabbit housing is free-roam of a bunny-proofed room, or a large X-pen setup connected to a litter area. The minimum, per RSPCA UK, is a space at least 3m long x 2m wide x 1m high, allowing the rabbit to take three consecutive hops in any direction.
Inside the pen / room
- Litter tray — large, with hay on top (rabbits eat while they pee). Most rabbits litter-train within a week of being spayed/neutered.
- Hay rack — keep hay clean; bunnies waste it if it sits on the floor
- Hides — at least two, with two openings each
- Heavy ceramic bowl for pellets
- Water bowl (preferred) — bottles work but bowls are how rabbits naturally drink
- Toys — willow balls, untreated apple wood, cardboard tunnels, dig boxes
- Bedding — fleece or paper-based bedding for the floor; some rabbits prefer a bare tile floor with mats
Bunny-proofing
- All cables — wrap in cord protectors
- Skirting boards rabbits chew — clear plastic cover strip works
- House plants — many toxic, move out of reach
- Carpet edges they can pull up — usually requires creative tucking
- Books on the bottom shelf — they will be chewed
Diet
- 80% hay — unlimited Timothy, orchard or meadow. Alfalfa only for under-6-months.
- 15% leafy greens — about a cup per kg of body weight per day, split into two meals
- 5% pellets — a small egg-cup-sized portion per day, plain Timothy-based
- Treats sparingly — small piece of apple, banana, herbs
See our what do rabbits eat overview, our specific deep-dives on cauliflower and tomatoes, plus the foods to avoid below.
Foods to avoid
- Iceberg lettuce — diarrhea
- Avocado, onion, garlic, leek, chives — toxic
- Potato, tomato leaves, rhubarb — toxic
- Cereal, bread, biscuits, pasta — gut imbalance
- Chocolate, dairy, meat — wrong species
- Iceberg lettuce, anything cooked or seasoned
- Most muesli-style commercial rabbit mixes — selective feeding
Spay / neuter — essential
Spaying females is not optional in our view. The uterine cancer rate in unspayed female rabbits is reported at 50-80% by age 5-6. Spay before 1 year and the risk is near-zero. Recovery is fast (2-3 days back to normal in a well-run exotic clinic).
Neutering males prevents:
- Urine spraying around the house
- Hormone-driven aggression toward humans or other rabbits
- Mounting and humping behaviour
- Unwanted babies if you have a mixed pair
Both surgeries are routine for an experienced exotic vet. Use only a vet who does many — they’re more involved than dog/cat de-sexing.
Vaccinations
Pet rabbits in Australia, the UK, and most of Europe need annual vaccines against:
- Myxomatosis — fatal viral disease spread by mosquitoes
- Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHDV) types 1 & 2 — fatal viral disease
Australia’s myxomatosis vaccine is not legally available (used historically as biocontrol). RHDV1 + 2 vaccines are available and essential — speak to your exotic vet about the recommended schedule for your state. UK rabbits get a combined vaccine annually.
GI stasis — the rabbit killer
If you remember one thing from this guide, remember this: a rabbit that hasn’t eaten or pooped in 8 hours is an emergency. Don’t wait for morning. Don’t try home remedies. Ring an exotic vet immediately.
Signs:
- Not eating
- Smaller, fewer, drier poops (or no poops)
- Lethargy / sitting hunched
- Loud tooth grinding (pain — different from contented soft grinding)
- Bloated belly
Causes: low hay intake, dental issues, pain elsewhere in the body, stress. Treatment: sub-cut fluids, gut motility drugs, pain relief, syringe-feeding Critical Care formula. Time-critical.
Social life and bonding
Rabbits are social. They live in family groups in the wild. A solo rabbit shows chronic stress markers and most rescues require bonding before adoption.
Bonding two rabbits is more involved than guinea pigs or rats. Both must be spayed/neutered first (usually waiting 4-6 weeks post-op). Then neutral territory, careful gradual introductions, sometimes weeks of “dating” before they can live together. Speak to a rescue or use a bonding service — they’ll save you a lot of heartache.
Vet warning signs
- Not eating for 8+ hours / no poops — emergency, call now
- Head tilt — middle-ear or E. cuniculi parasite
- Sticky bum / urine scald — diet imbalance or arthritis preventing self-clean
- Sneezing, runny eyes — pasteurella (“snuffles”), needs antibiotics
- Lumps — abscesses are common; vet-removable
- Sudden hind-leg weakness — spinal injury or E. cuniculi
- Tooth grinding loud + hunched — pain. Not the same as soft contented grinding.
- Bloody urine — usually pigment, not blood (rabbit urine is naturally orange-red sometimes), but always vet-check if uncertain
Lifespan
Well-cared-for indoor rabbits live 8-12 years. Outdoor rabbits in standard hutches average 4-5 — partly because they’re not exercised, partly because they’re spotted less often when things go wrong. Free-roam indoor with vet care = the gold standard.
Further reading
- Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund — UK’s leading welfare charity
- House Rabbit Society — US-based, excellent care library
- Our existing diet overview and food-specific deep dives
We get asked — pet rabbit food FAQ
What’s the basic split of a healthy rabbit diet?
80% hay (unlimited Timothy, orchard, or meadow), 15% fresh leafy greens (about 1 cup per kg of body weight, split morning and evening), and 5% pellets (a small egg-cup-sized daily portion). Fruit is a treat, not a daily food. Alfalfa is for under-6-months and pregnant/nursing only.
What’s GI stasis and why does it matter?
It’s the rabbit killer. When a rabbit’s gut motility slows or stops — usually because of low hay intake, dental pain, stress, or something else — they can spiral fast. A rabbit that hasn’t eaten or pooped in 8 hours is an emergency. Ring an exotic vet immediately, do not wait until morning.
Should I spay or neuter?
Yes, ideally before age 1. Female rabbits have a reported 50-80% uterine cancer rate by age 5-6 if unspayed. Neutered males stop spraying, calm down, and become better companions. Both surgeries are routine for an experienced exotic vet.
Related reading
- The complete pet rabbit care guide
- Master food safety table
- How to litter train a rabbit
- Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund — RWAF resources
Portion sizes & serving rules
Daily greens for an adult rabbit: roughly one cup of fresh veg per kilogram of body weight, split into morning and evening servings. A 2kg dwarf gets 2 cups daily total; a 4kg medium rabbit gets 4 cups. Pellets are about an egg-cup-sized daily serving regardless of size. Hay should be unlimited and available 24/7 — not topped up “when it runs out”, but always present.
Fruit is a treat, not a meal. We give one tablespoon-sized fruit treat once or twice a week, no more. Even “natural” sugars accumulate.
Greens rotation
The “three different greens daily” rule keeps mineral loads moderate. A working daily mix might be:
- 1 herb (basil, coriander, mint, dill, parsley — rotate)
- 1 leafy base (romaine, butter lettuce, endive)
- 1 stronger green (bok choy, rocket, radish tops, dandelion)
High-calcium greens (kale, parsley, spinach, swiss chard) are excellent rotations but not daily staples. Two days of kale followed by five days of milder greens keeps the calcium load moderate and the risk of urinary issues low.
Warning signs after a new food
- No or fewer poops within 12 hours
- Soft, mushy or smelly poops (caecotrophs being missed too)
- Sudden disinterest in hay
- Hunched posture, tooth-grinding while hunched (pain signal)
- Bloated belly
A rabbit that hasn’t pooped or eaten in 8 hours is an emergency. GI stasis progresses fast and silently. Vet now, not tomorrow. Full GI stasis primer in our complete rabbit care guide.
Page last updated 17 May 2026. We re-check our pet-care content regularly and update when something changes.
