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Keeping Rabbits Outdoors
abbits have been popular pets for centuries, and they live on average to 5 years old (though we have heard of a few reaching 9 years old..and still going!) Rabbits are usually very docile but, if cornered, frightened or frustrated, can be nervous and will bite or ‘attack’ you by scrabbling with their front paws.
Rabbits are lagomorphs and that means that their teeth are constantly growing. They require plenty of hard food to chew to keep their teeth worn down. Complete rabbit dry foods are good, but should not be the sole diet.
Rabbits should have good hay and fresh water available all the time. Very small amounts of cabbage or carrot can be fed as treats.
Any new food should be introduced slowly and not fed to excess as it may cause diarrhoea until the rabbit is used to it. This especially refers to young rabbits that have either just left their mother or their litter brothers and sisters, as this is a traumatic time for them anyway.
Rabbits have been popular pets for centuries, and they live on average to 5 years old (though we have heard of a few reaching 9 years old..and still going!) Rabbits are usually very docile but, if cornered, frightened or frustrated, can be nervous and will bite or ‘attack’ you by scrabbling with their front paws.
Rabbits are lagomorphs and that means that their teeth are constantly growing. They require plenty of hard food to chew to keep their teeth worn down. Complete rabbit dry foods are good, but should not be the sole diet.
Rabbits should have good hay and fresh water available all the time. Very small amounts of cabbage or carrot can be fed as treats.
Any new food should be introduced slowly and not fed to excess as it may cause diarrhoea until the rabbit is used to it. This especially refers to young rabbits that have either just left their mother or their litter brothers and sisters, as this is a traumatic time for them anyway.
Additional wood, or branches from apple or pear trees or proprietary nibbling treats are useful to wear the teeth down. If the teeth get overgrown they can be cut or removed by operation by a veterinary surgeon.
NOTE: If your rabbit does suffer from diarrhoea, feed it strawberry leaves. NEVER feed a rabbit lettuce.
Accommodation
Unless they are (same sex) litter mates, or a neutered buck with a doe, rabbits are best kept singly. If kept in a hutch, the hutch must be at least 4ft long and 18″ deep and have a private nest compartment. If the hutch is outdoors it should be adequately felted to prevent draughts and dampness. It should be sheltered, and ideally placed in a garden shed over winter. The bedding material should be absorbent e.g. pet bedding*, straw or hay. The seeds should be shaken out of the hay and straw to prevent them getting in the rabbits eyes.
Although woodshavings are the popular choice for pet shops and breeders, we either use a paper based cat litter such as biocatolet or carefresh supreme. In our experience, in some cases, woodshavings / sawdust can cause respiratory problems which can kill.
General Care
Long coated rabbits must be groomed daily. All rabbits should have their teeth and nails checked for overgrowth. Some rabbits get soiled around the vent (bottom) area, this is very often caused by the rabbit being overweight, (one large handful of food is sufficient for an average size rabbit).
This is particularly dangerous in summer as flies will lay their eggs in the coat leading to maggot infestation (flystrike), which can be FATAL. All rabbits should be checked daily in the summer and kept very clean.
Vaccination is available for two fatal diseases, myxomatosis and VHD (Viral Haemorrhagic Disease). Vaccinations can be done from 8 weeks of age and are boosted annually. In a high risk area (e.g. with wild rabbits around) boosters should be every six months. Your vet will be able to advise you on this.
Vaccination is important, it is the only way to protect your rabbit and prevent further spread of disease. VHD symptoms vary from loss of appetite to sudden death. Rabbits develop breathing difficulties, convulsions, in coordination, and often a bloodstained nasal discharge. It is very distressing and happens very quickly. All breeds of rabbit can be affected including pet, show and wild rabbits. This year VHD has killed 10 times more rabbits than it did last year. The virus is present in the saliva and nasal secretions of rabbits, and it can be spread by direct contact with rabbits or carried on people, clothing, objects, birds and other animals.
Myxomatosis is spread by fleas and mosquitoes and is a horrible disease. Symptoms include puffy fluid swellings around the head and face. ‘Sleepy eyes’ are a classic sign along with swollen lips and ears and genitalia. It is fatal. As well as vaccination, flea control is important in prevention.
Wild Food and Feeding for Rabbits.
Wild Plants: Feed
Avens or Geum, Argrimony, Bramble, Bindweed, Bishop’s Weed or Ground Elder, Burnet, Butterbur, Cow Parsnip or Hogweed, Clovers, Coltsfoot, Convolvulus, Chickweed, Goosegrass, Crosewort or Maywort, Dandelion, Dock (before seeding), Groundsell, Goutweed, Hawkweed, Heather, Hedgeparsley, Knapweed, Knotgrass, Lucerne, Mallow, Mustard, Nipplewort, Plaintain, Sea Spinach, Shepards Purse, Sour Dock or Sorrel, Thistles, Trefoil, Vetches or Tares, Watercress, Yarrow.
Wild Plants: Avoid
Arum, Anemone, Black Nightshade, Bluebells, Buttercup, Bryony, Colchicums, (Meadow Saffron), Corn Cockle, Celandine, Deadly Nightshade, Docks (in seed), Dog Mercurry, Figwort, Foxglove, Iris, Fools Parsley, Ground Ivy, Hemlock, Henbane, Poppies, Scarlet Pimpernal, Spurges, Toadflax, Travellers Joy.
Cultivated Vegetables and Roots: Feed
Artichokes, Jerusalem (Leaves and Roots), Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Beans and Haulms (Not Scarlet Runners), Chicory, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cabbage, Celery, Clover, Dandelion, Fodder Beet, Horse Radish, Kale’s, Kohl-Rabi, Lucerne, Maize Mangolds (after 25th December), Parsley, Parsnips, Strawberry, Swedes, Sainfoin, Savoys, Spinich, Sunflowers.
Cultivated Vegetables and Roots: Avoid
Mangold Tops, Mangold Roots (before December), Tomato Leaves, Potato Tops, Lettuce.
Flowers: Feed, Asters, Borage, Calendula, Centaurea, Daisies, Galega, Geranium, Geum, Helenium, Hollyhock, Honesty, Lupins (not seeds), Marguerites, Marigolds, Michaelmas Daisies, Nasturtium, Rose, Stocks, Sunflowers, Wallflowers.
Flowers: Avoid
Acacia, Aconite, Antirrhinum, Arum, Anemone, Columbine, Daffodil, Dahlia, Delphinium, Feverfew, Gyposphilla, Helleborus, Hyacinth, Iris, Larkspur, Lilly of the Valley, Linarias, Lobelia, Love-in-a-mist, Monkswood, Poppies, Snowdrop, Tulips.
Trees and Shrubs: Feed
Practically all Deciduous trees,(Except very fresh growth of young trees and twigs), Blackberry, Rose, Raspberry Canes and Winter Ivy.
Trees and Shrubs: Avoid
Most Evergreen trees and Shrubs, Acacia, Box Elder, Beech Mast, Gorse Seeds, Laburnam, Oak, Snowberry, Plum, Ivy, (Except in Winter when no berries or flowers).
NOTE: BEFORE FEEDING YOUR RABBITS WITH ANY WILD PLANTS MAKE SURE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTAMINATED BY PESTICIDES.
©This information sheet was donated by CavyRescue, the UK’s first and only dedicated small mammal rescue charity. Originally set up to rescue guinea pigs, rabbit and hamsters, they found that there were few other rescues who took in rats and are now also sometimes known as ‘recycle a rodent’. They are highly dependent on donations, if you would like to help please visit www.cavyrescue.co.uk
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