PDSA Weekly Pet Care Column: Keeping happy bunnies this Easter

Jessica Curtis — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 20:00:00 +0000

With Easter around the corner, we're bound to see lots of Easter bunnies around from cards to bunny shaped sweet treats!

PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing shares the top tips for keeping bunnies at home.

Nina said: "Rabbits may seem like an 'easier' pet to have, but there's lots to know about rabbits, and they do require a lot of space, care and attention to keep them happy and healthy.

Rabbits need at least one bunny best friend

"If rabbits live alone, they can feel socially isolated and become bored, frustrated, anxious, and destructive. Fellow bunny companionship offers them warmth, comfort and company.

"Rabbits can happily live together in these combinations:

a neutered male and a neutered female – often the most successful pairing.
two litter brothers or two litter sisters – although there is no risk of pregnancy when you have rabbits of the same sex living together, it's still important to neuter to reduce the risk of fighting as they get older and to help prevent illness.
a compatible group – rabbits can live in groups, but unless the rabbits are related and neutered early, bunny bonding can be harder to achieve.

"For the happiest bunnies, we suggest keeping a neutered male with a neutered female. If you can home a brother and sister together, that's ideal as they'll already know each other and will be less likely to fight."

Keeping your bunnies outdoors

Small hutches or cages don't allow for rabbits to exhibit their natural behaviours, making them unsuitable accommodation. Whilst rabbits are thought of as 'small pets', they do require a good amount of room to live a happy and healthy life. Their home needs to be at the very least 3m x 2m x 1m/10 ft x 6 ft x 3ft, but the bigger the better.
Inside your rabbit's accommodation should be a shelter, where they will relax, sleep, eat and drink, as well as hay, food and water bowls, a litter tray and a digging tray. Plus, plenty of toys and hiding spots!
They also need a large exercise area that they can use at all times – such as a run, secure area in your garden, or space in your home. Large enough for your rabbits to sprint, fully stretch out and stand up without their ears touching the top. This usually works out as at least around 3m x 2m x 1m/10ft x 6ft x 3ft (depending on the size of your rabbit), but we recommend providing much more than this.

Owning indoor rabbits

Indoor rabbits need the same as outdoor rabbits – space, shelter, food, toys, hiding places, a litter tray and digging tray etc.
Non-slip flooring is best so your rabbits don't injure themselves while hopping about.
Ensure house cleaners and sprays are pet friendly and kept out of the way.
Rabbits can jump very high and squeeze through quite narrow spaces -Take this into account when putting things 'out of reach'.
Bunny-proof - it is very natural for a rabbit to chew, and they are likely to chew furniture, skirting boards and door frames that they have access to. If this is a problem, then the best way to avoid it is by keeping your rabbits in areas where they can't get at these things unsupervised and use plastic guards to protect the area. Protect any cables or wires and keep house plants out of paws reach.
Outdoor space – all bunnies, including indoor bunnies need regular access to the outdoors so they get enough daylight and vitamin D, as well as the opportunity to spend time grazing.

PDSA is the UK's largest vet charity providing a vital service for pets across the UK whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn.

Find out more about keeping your pets happy and healthy at pdsa.org.uk

Rabbits endure a lifetime of lockdown isolation

Your Pets Daily Editor — Thu, 13 May 2021 16:16:19 +0000

While many of us may have struggled with isolation during lockdown, sadly hundreds of thousands of rabbits face a lifetime of endless isolation and loneliness says PDSA.

We are raising awareness of the plight our cotton-tailed companions suffer during Rabbit Awareness Week (which started on 10 August) when animal charities and organisations come together in a bid to address the rabbit welfare crisis.

Despite being incredibly social animals, our PAW Report found that shockingly half (49%) of all UK rabbits live alone (equating to around 440,000 rabbits) and a quarter (25%, around 230,000 rabbits) are kept in inadequate housing conditions, such as cramped hutches.

PDSA Vet Lynne James said: “Worryingly, PDSA’s Report also found that over a 24-hour period, rabbits spend an average of 11 hours inside their hutch. Sadly, one-in-ten (10%) rabbits don’t have a run, living their lives in a hutch, and a further one-in-ten (11%) rabbits don’t even have enough room in their runs to hop*.

“During lockdown, many of us will have experienced feelings of isolation, boredom and loneliness. But while we can begin to ease out of lockdown into a new kind of normality, our PAW Report findings show the sad reality that thousands of rabbits will continue to face perpetual confinement, enduring inadequate spaces and a lack of companionship, which can cause immense suffering. Our research shows that 98% of rabbit owners said that their pet was loved, so it may be that most of the time owners are misunderstanding their pets’ needs as opposed to any intentional mistreatment.

“Rabbits are very social animals and need another cotton-tailed friend to be happy so it’s incredibly concerning that 65% of owners disagree that their rabbit is lonely. Rabbits should always be homed with one other carefully introduced bunny in a large enriching space. Whether they're kept inside or outdoors, the more space you can give your rabbits, the better! Your rabbits' homes should provide more than enough room for them to lie down, stretch out, stand on their back legs without their ears touching the top and should be long enough for them have a little sprint. It’s never too late to improve the quality of life for the nation’s rabbits – there is plenty of advice out there, including on PDSA’s website, or speak to your vet for guidance.”

During Rabbit Awareness Week, alongside other animal charities and welfare organisations, we are urging owners to ensure their bunnies are happy and healthy by checking their five welfare needs are met; Environment, Companionship, Health, Diet and Behaviour.

*PAW Report found one-in-ten rabbits able to do between 0 and four hops in the widest part of their run.

Your Pets Daily - Looking after rabbits