JSPCA HOUSE RABBITS FACT SHEET  

Rabbits make wonderful companions and are very sociable creatures.  They are bright, inquisitive and playful and enjoy company.  However, remember caring for a rabbit is a big responsibility and extends to the whole life of the rabbit, which can be from seven to ten years. Your rabbit will be completely dependant on you, which includes making arrangements for holiday care if you go away.  Rabbits need affection and attention every day. Your rabbit (even house rabbits) will need to be neutered and to have annual vaccinations against Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) and Myxomatosis.  Veterinary fees for rabbits are very similar to those for a cat, so pet health insurance cover is strongly recommended, in case serious health problems arise.

Being timid and sensitive animals, rabbits are not very suitable for small children.  Children often want something they can hold and cuddle and rabbits are ground-loving creatures that prefer to be on the floor.  Although, rabbits do make excellent family pets provided adults are the primary caregivers and are willing to supervise their children when they are with the rabbit.  It is a good idea to choose a large breed of rabbit if you have young children, as the larger rabbits are generally quieter, sturdier and too large to be picked up by children. 

Traditionally, rabbits have been kept in a hutch in the garden.  Nowadays more and more people keep their rabbits indoors; with a little training rabbits can become a delightful addition to your household and offer as much companionship as more traditional house pets.  House rabbits also fit very well into the lifestyle of a working person.  House rabbits can display more natural behaviour patterns than hutch-kept rabbits and because they get plenty of exercise, rarely develop skeletal problems seen in some caged rabbits.

However, house rabbits are not suitable pets for everyone.  Just like cats and dogs they can be demanding and destructive, especially as youngsters.  Even after training and “bunny-proofing”, some wear and tear on the household furnishings as well as a bit of mess such as pet hair is inevitable.  

What type of rabbit would be suitable as a house rabbit?

Any rabbit can be a house rabbit.  Rabbits over one year of age are usually quicker to train as house rabbits, are generally less destructive (especially if they have been neutered) and it’s easier to assess the personality of an adult rabbit, but house rabbits can be pure or cross bred, male or female, youngsters or adults. 

The JSPCA Animals’ Shelter often has many domestic pet rabbits awaiting new homes.  Why not adopt a rescue rabbit?  At the JSPCA, all of the rabbits available for re-homing have been micro-chipped, vaccinated and neutered.  

Be prepared!

Before bringing a rabbit indoors to live as a house rabbit it is very important that you are prepared and understand the practicalities of living with a house rabbit and carry out some essential ‘rabbit proofing’.

o The indoor rabbit will need a quiet area – somewhere he can be left safely at night, or when no one is around.  A suitable cage should be provided, which the rabbit will soon regard as his home, although the rabbit should be allowed out for several hours a day. Provide a straw filled box as a private place in the cage.  

o House rabbit cages should have sufficient space and be comfortable for the rabbit and should be easy to clean.  Large dog cages with plastic floor trays are ideal, but ensure that your rabbit can stand up on its hind legs in them; good headroom is important for rabbits.  Traditional hutches can be used for house rabbit cages, but often they provide inadequate headroom.

o Baby gates and custom made cages – using baby gates to block off an area and prevent access can be helpful, although most gates will need to be adapted with chicken wire or mesh to keep the rabbit the right side of the gate.

o Caution should be taken if introducing a rabbit into a household with cats and dogs.  Don’t leave them unattended together until you are certain it is safe to do so; some dogs may never adjust to a rabbit living in the house.

o Training a house rabbit can be hard work, like bringing up a puppy.  Rabbits can be demanding and destructive especially as youngsters.   It will take time and effort to train your rabbit not to chew forbidden items.  You will need to teach the command ‘no’ and distract him with a more attractive alternative every time he chews something he should not.  

o Chewing and digging are normal, natural activities for rabbits.  Rabbits’ teeth and toe nails grow continuously so your rabbit needs to chew and dig to keep them in trim.  To help prevent excessive damage to your home and the health of your rabbit, cover wallpaper and skirting boards with Perspex panels and offer the rabbit other items to shred, such as an old copy of the telephone book.  Seagrass mats in room corners are useful to allow harmless chewing and digging.  Protect carpets with rugs and mats held firmly in place under furniture and offer a digging box, which is a cardboard box (with an entrance and exit) full of hay, straw or shredded paper.  Provide lots of chewable toys, like cardboard boxes, untreated wicker baskets filled with straw or ‘buster’ cubes.  Don’t forget to cover electric and telephone cables – these can be encased in heavy duty plastic piping (slit lengthways) obtainable from DIY stores.  Most evergreens are toxic to rabbits, so take care to remove houseplants from the rabbit’s chewing range.  Neutering the rabbit and providing interesting activities will help to reduce destructive behaviour.

o Toys are important to keep you rabbit occupied and prevent damage to your home.  The most popular toys are:

o Closed cardboard boxes with at least two holes for hopping in an out

o Cardboard tubes

o Footballs which can be nudged and rolled

o Chew toys – untreated apple tree branches, anything made of untreated straw wicker or seagrass, such as baskets or mats

o Toss toys – cardboard toilet rolls

o Old telephone books and cardboard boxes to shred

o Cardboard boxes full of hay, straw or shredded paper to dig in

o All rabbits need daily exercise to maintain their weight and bone strength, so offer playthings to encourage your rabbit to practise its natural behaviour.  Rabbits enjoy going through pipes as if it was a burrow and gnawing on pieces of edible wood, such as untreated apple or willow.

o Rabbits are naturally clean animals and you should be able to train any rabbit to use a litter tray containing organic litter.

Litter training

Rabbits tend to urinate in just one or a few places and can be litter trained at any age.  It is generally easier to litter train rabbits if they have been neutered.

o Cover the floor of the cage with newspaper.  Put the litter tray in one corner of the rabbit’s cage or living area and place at least another one in his exercise area.

o Fill the tray with newspaper covered with hay or straw or the organic paperbased litter.  Do not use softwood or clumping cat litters as they can harm your rabbit.

o To encourage your rabbit to use the tray, you could try putting a treat in one corner – rabbits like to chew on something whilst they are going to the toilet. Also, remove any stray droppings and place them in the litter tray.

o Initially, it may be necessary to confine your rabbit to his cage on the first day, so that he starts to use the tray reliably.

o Avoid going into the cage when the rabbit is in it – this will help to prevent territorial marking.

o Remember, baby rabbits, like puppies, are easily distracted and take time to learn.

(Further information about litter training rabbits can be found in the dedicated JSPCA Animals’ Shelter ‘House training rabbits’ fact sheet.)

One or more house rabbits?

Rabbits are social animals and need company. Therefore, if you are away from home during the day, the best option is to keep a compatible pair of rabbits.  Before introducing two rabbits, it is advisable to have them neutered to reduce fighting and aggressive behaviour and to prevent unwanted litters.  Introductions can be tricky and must be done gradually and on neutral territory.  Introduce rabbits, where neither rabbit has been before.  The easiest introductions are between a mixed pair (neutered of course) and two spayed females, but the most stable pairing is a neutral buck (male) and a neutered doe (female). (Further information on introducing rabbits to one another can be found in the dedicated JSPCA Animals’ Shelter ‘Companionship - mixing and introducing rabbits’ fact sheet.)

Feeding your rabbit

The rabbit is a herbivore.  The rabbit’s diet should include dried food, meadow hay, fresh vegetables and water. Good quality hay should make up to 75% of a rabbit’s daily diet, as it is essential as a source of roughage, alongside plenty of fresh water; a good handful of hay and access to water should be available at all times.  Any changes in the diet must be made slowly. (See the JSPCA Animals’ Shelter ‘Feeding rabbits’ fact sheet for further information.)

Neutering

House rabbits of either sex should be neutered.  Neutered rabbits are much easier to train and can live with another rabbit with a decreased risk of fighting and without breeding.  Ideally have your rabbit neutered at 4 - 6 months of age or as soon as possible thereafter, following advice from your local veterinary surgery. 

 

 

 

JSPCA working to

“prevent cruelty, promote knowledge, provide for aged, sick, lost and unwanted animals.”

 

Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Inc.)

Founded 1868 – Incorporated 1936

89 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier, Jersey JE2 4GJ         

Tel: 01534 724331          Fax: 01534 871797

E-mail: info@jspca.org.je          Website: www.jspca.org.je

 

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