Rabbit Awareness Week

As many if you might know, last week was National Rabbit Awareness week and throughout the week we shared our top tips with rabbit owners for how to get the best out of their rabbit friendship.

Over at the centre we also offered free micro-chipping to all rabbits and concluded the week with two fantastic talks from our resident rabbit specialist, Rachel.

If you didn't have a chance to pop by the centre during Rabbit Awareness Week, don't despair, we have put together our top 10 tips for looking after your long-eared friends below.

Any rabbit lover will tell you just how wonderful rabbits can be as pets. There are estimated to be approximately 1.7 million rabbits kept as pets in the UK alone. That’s a whole load of pint-sized furries!

Follow these tips correctly and you’ll have a friend for life!

What makes the perfect home?

• A large shelter area where your rabbit can rest and roam around easily.
• A large secure exercise area permanently attached to their shelter with lots of space for foraging, hopping, jumping, running and digging.
• Rabbits love to feel safe so make sure their shelter has lots of places to hide when they fancy a spot ofalone time. Platforms are also great for rabbits to practice their jumping skills and for checking what’s going on around them.
• Their shelter should be tall enough that your rabbit can stand up and have a peek at the outside world without their ears touching the roof.
• Rabbit shelters should also be dry and strong enough to protect your rabbit from bad weather, high and low temperatures and predators.

Munch, Munch, Nibble, Nibble

• Rabbits need fresh, clean drinking water 24/7 so make sure you check water levels every morning and evening.
• Rabbits love to munch on lots of good quality hay and/ or grass so make sure they always have a stash to nibble on when they get peckish. Growing or freshly picked grass is fine but NEVER feed your rabbit lawnmower clippings.
• For a full-grown rabbit, a handful of safe, washed leafy greens such as cabbage, broccoli, kale and mint are just delicious. You can also add a daily portion of two egg cups of high-quality pellets/nuggets for medium sized- adult rabbits.
• Carrots and apples make the perfect treat but remember to only feed your rabbit these in small amounts and NEVER feed them other treats as they can cause them harm and upset their tummies.

Playtime

• Exercise is very important for rabbits and they love nothing more than grazing on growing grass, foraging, hiding and digging the day away.
• Make sure your rabbit has lots of safe toys to play with and chew every day including tunnels and cardboard boxes too.
• Rabbits love playing with humans but prefer it when you’re quiet, gentle and patient with them. No one likes being shouted at or punished so please try and refrain from this and remember your rabbit is your friend and will love you back if you show them lots of love in return.

As with any pet, owning a rabbit is great fun and very rewarding but it’s a big responsibility and long-term commitment. There’s no one perfect way of looking after your rabbit as every rabbit and home is different, but these handy hints and tips should help you on your way.