Category Rabbits

An article about ‘how to breed from your rabbit’ may seem a little crazy, being as rabbits are well known to be prolific breeders who generally don’t need any help in the mating department! But for the responsible, caring owner, there’s more to consider than just putting a doe and a buck together and letting them do what comes naturally.Lots of people who own a couple of rabbits think it might be fun and rewarding to breed them and raise a litter, but remember that bringing new life into the world (of any species) is not a course of action to be entered into lightly, and simply thinking that breeding rabbits will be ‘fun’ or easy is not a good enough reason to do so.If you’re thinking of breeding from your rabbit and want to know a little more about it, then read on.

Responsible breeding

It’s fair to say that rabbits aren’t generally hard to come by, and there’s no shortage of rabbits available for sale as pets within the UK. If you feel that you might want to breed from your rabbit and you really care about your pet and rabbit welfare in general, it’s important to consider the implications of doing this and how you can make sure that you’re doing the right thing by your pet and any kits (babies) which they might have.So what are good reasons for breeding rabbits? Well, if you have a healthy, strong rabbit with good conformation, colouring and no known genetic defects or hereditary health conditions, then breeding them to another healthy rabbit of the same ilk will play a part in raising the general standard and genetic strength of the gene pool of rabbits in the UK, and breeding out flaws and health issues found in weaker rabbits. So if you own a robust, healthy pedigree rabbit, then breeding them may be a good thing for the population as a whole. You should never consider breeding a poor standard, unhealthy rabbit, or one which possesses any genetic defects or hereditary health issues- both from the point of view of homing and caring for the resulting kits, and because to do so will bring down the general standard of rabbit health and wellbeing across the board.If you own a high quality show standard pedigree doe and mate them to a similar standard buck, then you will probably not have a problem being able to find caring, experienced homes for the offspring. It’s important to make sure before you go ahead with breeding that you know that you can home all of the resulting kits. Dwarf rabbit breeds usually produce between two and four kits in a litter, with larger breeds having anything up to twelve. That’s a significant amount of new homes to find, or mouths to feed if you’re planning on keeping them yourself.Rabbit clubs and societies are often helpful in finding homes for new litters, and advertising on a web site like Pets4homes is also a great way to get in touch with prospective owners. Pet shops will often buy young rabbits to sell on, but you should look into this carefully and consider if you would be happy doing this, not knowing what kind of eventual homes the kits will end up in, and if you’re happy with the standard of care and vetting procedure for future owners which the pet shop will provide.

What kind of commitment does rabbit breeding involve?

If you’re considering going ahead, you will need to have a significant amount of both time and money to devote to the endeavour. Towards the end of the period of gestation and at the time of the birth, you will need to be on hand and available twenty four hours a day to monitor your doe and care for their needs, and intervene in case of any problems. Immediately after the birth, you will need to be available to care for the kits, handle them and look after the needs of the doe and help her to care for the litter, which can all be very time intensive.You will also, as mentioned, need to have arranged homes for the developing kits, preferably before they are born. Start looking into homing the kits and advertising your prospective litter before you go ahead with breeding- this will provide you with a valuable insight into the potential interest and market for the babies. If you find at the research stage that there is not significant interest and demand for the offspring, then you should rethink going ahead.

How to commence breeding

If you have read this far and are still keen to breed your rabbit, then great! But there is still a significant amount of research and legwork involved before you get started. This list should provide you with a basic guide to the steps involved in breeding.

• When you’re ready to breed, move the female into the male’s hutch, rather than the other way round. Female rabbits can be rather territorial, and may view an incoming male as a threat, and respond aggressively.
• Leave the doe and buck together for a period of between half an hour and an hour. Monitor them carefully for any signs of distress, aggression or general unhappiness and be prepared to remove the female if this occurs. Remove the female from the male’s hutch after mating.
• Unless you take your doe to the vet, there is no foolproof way to tell if they have conceived. The general term of gestation for rabbits is between 28 and 31 days. You should not try to palpate the abdomen to try and detect the presence of babies, as this can lead to damage to any foetuses present. If, after two weeks, your doe has not begun to fill out and start building a nest, then she has probably not conceived, and you should try introducing her to the buck again. Provide lots of extra bedding, and watch for signs of nesting behaviour, including plucking her fur out to line the nest.
• Do not over handle the doe after conception- leave her alone to manage the pregnancy naturally, and without additional stresses. Remember that some does will become defensive and territorial when they are pregnant, and so watch for signs of this and do not continue to push into her space or handle her if she is clearly unhappy.
• The doe will require significantly higher amounts of food while she is pregnant and after the birth, so allow her as much muesli/ pellets and hay as she needs. You may also up the level of fresh vegetables you feed to her, but be careful this does not lead to diarrhoea or stomach upsets.
• When the doe is in labour, do not interfere unless she is obviously suffering distress. It is highly likely you may not even be aware the doe is in labour until after the kits have arrived- rabbits tend to give birth at night. A rabbit will abandon her nest easily if upset or stressed, so do not attempt to intervene during the birth or in the few days immediately afterwards. Check on the condition and development of the babies regularly, but listen to the signs the doe gives you to tell you whether or not she is happy with you handling her and her babies, and do everything you can to minimise stress to her and the litter.
• Once the kits reach around ten days old, they will start to open their eyes and take an interest in the adult food that the doe is eating. At this stage, you should start handling them and getting them used to people, if you have not been able to do so already.
• Kits should be weaned at between six and eight weeks old, or when they have reached a healthy weight and are eating on their own. Letting the babies go to their new forever homes can be done from between eight and ten weeks old, depending on the growth and development of the individual rabbits. Remember to separate males and females at this stage, to avoid further and unwanted breeding!

An article about ‘how to breed from your rabbit’ may seem a little crazy, being as rabbits are well known to be prolific breeders who generally don’t need any help in the mating department! But for the responsible, caring owner, there’s more to consider than just putting a doe and a buck together and letting them do what comes naturally.Lots of people who own a couple of rabbits think it might be fun and rewarding to breed them and raise a litter, but remember that bringing new life into the world (of any species) is not a course of action to be entered into lightly, and simply thinking that breeding rabbits will be ‘fun’ or easy is not a good enough reason to do so.If you’re thinking of breeding from your rabbit and want to know a little more about it, then read on.

Responsible breeding

It’s fair to say that rabbits aren’t generally hard to come by, and there’s no shortage of rabbits available for sale as pets within the UK. If you feel that you might want to breed from your rabbit and you really care about your pet and rabbit welfare in general, it’s important to consider the implications of doing this and how you can make sure that you’re doing the right thing by your pet and any kits (babies) which they might have.So what are good reasons for breeding rabbits? Well, if you have a healthy, strong rabbit with good conformation, colouring and no known genetic defects or hereditary health conditions, then breeding them to another healthy rabbit of the same ilk will play a part in raising the general standard and genetic strength of the gene pool of rabbits in the UK, and breeding out flaws and health issues found in weaker rabbits. So if you own a robust, healthy pedigree rabbit, then breeding them may be a good thing for the population as a whole. You should never consider breeding a poor standard, unhealthy rabbit, or one which possesses any genetic defects or hereditary health issues- both from the point of view of homing and caring for the resulting kits, and because to do so will bring down the general standard of rabbit health and wellbeing across the board.If you own a high quality show standard pedigree doe and mate them to a similar standard buck, then you will probably not have a problem being able to find caring, experienced homes for the offspring. It’s important to make sure before you go ahead with breeding that you know that you can home all of the resulting kits. Dwarf rabbit breeds usually produce between two and four kits in a litter, with larger breeds having anything up to twelve. That’s a significant amount of new homes to find, or mouths to feed if you’re planning on keeping them yourself.Rabbit clubs and societies are often helpful in finding homes for new litters, and advertising on a web site like Pets4homes is also a great way to get in touch with prospective owners. Pet shops will often buy young rabbits to sell on, but you should look into this carefully and consider if you would be happy doing this, not knowing what kind of eventual homes the kits will end up in, and if you’re happy with the standard of care and vetting procedure for future owners which the pet shop will provide.

What kind of commitment does rabbit breeding involve?

If you’re considering going ahead, you will need to have a significant amount of both time and money to devote to the endeavour. Towards the end of the period of gestation and at the time of the birth, you will need to be on hand and available twenty four hours a day to monitor your doe and care for their needs, and intervene in case of any problems. Immediately after the birth, you will need to be available to care for the kits, handle them and look after the needs of the doe and help her to care for the litter, which can all be very time intensive.You will also, as mentioned, need to have arranged homes for the developing kits, preferably before they are born. Start looking into homing the kits and advertising your prospective litter before you go ahead with breeding- this will provide you with a valuable insight into the potential interest and market for the babies. If you find at the research stage that there is not significant interest and demand for the offspring, then you should rethink going ahead.

How to commence breeding

If you have read this far and are still keen to breed your rabbit, then great! But there is still a significant amount of research and legwork involved before you get started. This list should provide you with a basic guide to the steps involved in breeding.

• When you’re ready to breed, move the female into the male’s hutch, rather than the other way round. Female rabbits can be rather territorial, and may view an incoming male as a threat, and respond aggressively.
• Leave the doe and buck together for a period of between half an hour and an hour. Monitor them carefully for any signs of distress, aggression or general unhappiness and be prepared to remove the female if this occurs. Remove the female from the male’s hutch after mating.
• Unless you take your doe to the vet, there is no foolproof way to tell if they have conceived. The general term of gestation for rabbits is between 28 and 31 days. You should not try to palpate the abdomen to try and detect the presence of babies, as this can lead to damage to any foetuses present. If, after two weeks, your doe has not begun to fill out and start building a nest, then she has probably not conceived, and you should try introducing her to the buck again. Provide lots of extra bedding, and watch for signs of nesting behaviour, including plucking her fur out to line the nest.
• Do not over handle the doe after conception- leave her alone to manage the pregnancy naturally, and without additional stresses. Remember that some does will become defensive and territorial when they are pregnant, and so watch for signs of this and do not continue to push into her space or handle her if she is clearly unhappy.
• The doe will require significantly higher amounts of food while she is pregnant and after the birth, so allow her as much muesli/ pellets and hay as she needs. You may also up the level of fresh vegetables you feed to her, but be careful this does not lead to diarrhoea or stomach upsets.
• When the doe is in labour, do not interfere unless she is obviously suffering distress. It is highly likely you may not even be aware the doe is in labour until after the kits have arrived- rabbits tend to give birth at night. A rabbit will abandon her nest easily if upset or stressed, so do not attempt to intervene during the birth or in the few days immediately afterwards. Check on the condition and development of the babies regularly, but listen to the signs the doe gives you to tell you whether or not she is happy with you handling her and her babies, and do everything you can to minimise stress to her and the litter.
• Once the kits reach around ten days old, they will start to open their eyes and take an interest in the adult food that the doe is eating. At this stage, you should start handling them and getting them used to people, if you have not been able to do so already.
• Kits should be weaned at between six and eight weeks old, or when they have reached a healthy weight and are eating on their own. Letting the babies go to their new forever homes can be done from between eight and ten weeks old, depending on the growth and development of the individual rabbits. Remember to separate males and females at this stage, to avoid further and unwanted breeding!

While cats and dogs outstrip rabbits in terms of their numbers and popularity in the UK, rabbits are our third most popular pet as a nation, and many adults have fond memories of their childhood pets, and want to introduce their own kids to ownership.

Few children would say no to a pet rabbit if given the choice, and at Easter time when rabbit imagery and chocolate bunnies are all around us, many people’s thoughts turn to the idea of finally buying that elusive rabbit, and what better time of the year to do so!

However, buying a rabbit on a whim at Easter is not a smart move – no smarter than giving a puppy or a kitten as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, many people view rabbits as low maintenance, cheap and easy pets to keep, which can just be bought, put in a hutch and fed and petted once a day, but this is not correct.

The most important thing to know about rabbits is that they are social creatures that don’t thrive alone, they need the company of their own kind. So if you are considering welcoming a rabbit to the family – make sure it lives together with a fellow rabbit! 

Rabbits are classed as exotic animals, and they have fairly onerous care needs to keep them healthy, happy and thriving – a hutch is not enough, and what would have been considered appropriate care for a rabbit back twenty or thirty years ago is no longer appropriate, as our understanding of rabbits and their needs has grown.

In this article, we will explain why buying a rabbit on a whim over Easter is a very bad idea, and cover some of the elements involved in the correct care and husbandry of rabbits. Read on to learn more.

Surprise pets are never a good idea

It is something that has likely crossed every parents’ mind from time to time-the look on their children’s faces if you brought home a cute, fluffy and adorable small animal like a rabbit as a surprise gift for the kids. However, fantasy is just where this image should stay-picking up a pet is not something you should do the same day that the idea occurs to you, and you should spend at least a couple of weeks (and ideally longer) learning and researching rabbits, and getting together everything that you need to take care of them.

You should also ensure that you are fully aware of what caring for a rabbit involves, including the cost and time commitment and the willingness to do the nasty jobs-like cleaning out the hutch-for the entirety of the rabbit’s life, whether your children promise to help or not! The potential lifespan of a well cared for rabbit can run to ten to twelve years at the top end, and over eight generally with proper care. That is a long time – not many of us will know for sure where we might be in ten to twelve years in terms of family, living situation and work, and requires the ability to commit to caring for your rabbit come what may.

Also, it is a major plunder to think that your children’s enthusiasm will translate to eight to ten years of daily work caring for the rabbit, however much they promise to-and so you must be prepared to make this commitment for yourself, and not hope for the best!

Finally, caring for a rabbit is not as cheap as many people think. The cost of providing an appropriate hutch, run and other facilities for the rabbit can go into the hundreds, and food, straw, hay, and of course vaccinations, flea and worming treatments and veterinary care all add up quickly too.

What do rabbits really need?

People who are not that familiar with rabbits often have a poor perception of what they actually need to be happy, comfortable, healthy and safe.

First of all, while we may think or rabbits as living in hutches – and indeed, they commonly do-hutches were originally designed as rabbit houses to keep them close to the kitchens where they would have been turned into meals… Which goes to show that they were designed for convenience, and not the best interests of a long life in mind!

A rabbit’s hutch should be large – larger than many people think, at least six feet long by two feet wide and deep at a minimum. An outdoor run for grazing on grass is essential too, as is company – rabbits are social creatures that will not thrive alone, and they need to live with others of their kind. The common pairing of a rabbit and a Guinea pig is not appropriate for either species.

Rabbits need to eat almost continually or their digestive system grinds to a halt entirely, and can be hard to restart – the diet of the rabbit should be comprised of around 80% grass and hay, 15% fresh appropriate vegetables, and just a small amount of prepared rabbit pellets or food mixture.

Rabbits also need vaccinations just like cats and dogs, as well as flea treatments, and of course, a safe, secure living environment that is protected from foxes and other predators.

They also need toys, games and things to do, as well as a clean living environment and plenty of handling if they are to be tamed and friendly with people.

If you cannot commit to providing all of these things, and taking care of your pet’s day to day needs for the entire duration of their hopefully long lives – you should revaluate if you are ready for a pet!

While cats and dogs outstrip rabbits in terms of their numbers and popularity in the UK, rabbits are our third most popular pet as a nation, and many adults have fond memories of their childhood pets, and want to introduce their own kids to ownership.

Few children would say no to a pet rabbit if given the choice, and at Easter time when rabbit imagery and chocolate bunnies are all around us, many people’s thoughts turn to the idea of finally buying that elusive rabbit, and what better time of the year to do so!

However, buying a rabbit on a whim at Easter is not a smart move – no smarter than giving a puppy or a kitten as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, many people view rabbits as low maintenance, cheap and easy pets to keep, which can just be bought, put in a hutch and fed and petted once a day, but this is not correct.

The most important thing to know about rabbits is that they are social creatures that don’t thrive alone, they need the company of their own kind. So if you are considering welcoming a rabbit to the family – make sure it lives together with a fellow rabbit! 

Rabbits are classed as exotic animals, and they have fairly onerous care needs to keep them healthy, happy and thriving – a hutch is not enough, and what would have been considered appropriate care for a rabbit back twenty or thirty years ago is no longer appropriate, as our understanding of rabbits and their needs has grown.

In this article, we will explain why buying a rabbit on a whim over Easter is a very bad idea, and cover some of the elements involved in the correct care and husbandry of rabbits. Read on to learn more.

Surprise pets are never a good idea

It is something that has likely crossed every parents’ mind from time to time-the look on their children’s faces if you brought home a cute, fluffy and adorable small animal like a rabbit as a surprise gift for the kids. However, fantasy is just where this image should stay-picking up a pet is not something you should do the same day that the idea occurs to you, and you should spend at least a couple of weeks (and ideally longer) learning and researching rabbits, and getting together everything that you need to take care of them.

You should also ensure that you are fully aware of what caring for a rabbit involves, including the cost and time commitment and the willingness to do the nasty jobs-like cleaning out the hutch-for the entirety of the rabbit’s life, whether your children promise to help or not! The potential lifespan of a well cared for rabbit can run to ten to twelve years at the top end, and over eight generally with proper care. That is a long time – not many of us will know for sure where we might be in ten to twelve years in terms of family, living situation and work, and requires the ability to commit to caring for your rabbit come what may.

Also, it is a major plunder to think that your children’s enthusiasm will translate to eight to ten years of daily work caring for the rabbit, however much they promise to-and so you must be prepared to make this commitment for yourself, and not hope for the best!

Finally, caring for a rabbit is not as cheap as many people think. The cost of providing an appropriate hutch, run and other facilities for the rabbit can go into the hundreds, and food, straw, hay, and of course vaccinations, flea and worming treatments and veterinary care all add up quickly too.

What do rabbits really need?

People who are not that familiar with rabbits often have a poor perception of what they actually need to be happy, comfortable, healthy and safe.

First of all, while we may think or rabbits as living in hutches – and indeed, they commonly do-hutches were originally designed as rabbit houses to keep them close to the kitchens where they would have been turned into meals… Which goes to show that they were designed for convenience, and not the best interests of a long life in mind!

A rabbit’s hutch should be large – larger than many people think, at least six feet long by two feet wide and deep at a minimum. An outdoor run for grazing on grass is essential too, as is company – rabbits are social creatures that will not thrive alone, and they need to live with others of their kind. The common pairing of a rabbit and a Guinea pig is not appropriate for either species.

Rabbits need to eat almost continually or their digestive system grinds to a halt entirely, and can be hard to restart – the diet of the rabbit should be comprised of around 80% grass and hay, 15% fresh appropriate vegetables, and just a small amount of prepared rabbit pellets or food mixture.

Rabbits also need vaccinations just like cats and dogs, as well as flea treatments, and of course, a safe, secure living environment that is protected from foxes and other predators.

They also need toys, games and things to do, as well as a clean living environment and plenty of handling if they are to be tamed and friendly with people.

If you cannot commit to providing all of these things, and taking care of your pet’s day to day needs for the entire duration of their hopefully long lives – you should revaluate if you are ready for a pet!

Vaccinations are the best way to protect your rabbits from serious infectious diseases. Sadly, the diseases which these vaccinations protect against, are often not treatable. They can affect both indoor and outdoor rabbits, although outdoor rabbits are at higher risk. Different regions across the UK also have variations in risk levels too. Other factors for contracting these diseases include contact with wild or other domestic rabbits. The risks for your individual rabbits should be discussed with your vet to establish the most suitable vaccination programme for your rabbits.

What do we vaccinate rabbits for?

We all know that ‘prevention is better than cure’. Your vet will examine your rabbits and give them a full health check prior to giving vaccinations. As with any vaccine, injections are aimed at minimising the clinical signs and mortality associated with relevant disease. Your rabbit’s chances of survival are significantly higher with vaccination, and appropriate use of vaccinations.

The main diseases that we vaccinate rabbits against are myxomatosis and rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (RVHD). Unfortunately, both of these diseases are often fatal. Myxomatosis is also a life threatening disease. Rabbits very rarely recover from this disease. If an unvaccinated rabbit contracts myxomatosis, your vet may discuss euthanasia. The disease causes significant welfare problems; affected rabbits often deteriorate over one to two weeks, so euthanasia is often necessary to relieve suffering. There are two strains of RVHD. We currently recommend that you vaccinate your rabbit against both of them, as they often cause rapid onset of symptoms and death.

Myxomatosis and the RVHD1 vaccine

A combined vaccine (Nobivac Myxo-RHD) for myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease was introduced a few years ago. This vaccine only protects against one strain of RVHD – RVHD1. It involves a single subcutaneous injection under the skin on the back of the neck. It provides one year of immunity against myxomatosis and RVHD1. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5 weeks of age. Immune protection starts 3 weeks after the date of vaccination. Therefore, we recommend that all rabbits are kept indoors with adequate fly and flea protection until three weeks after the vaccination is administered, so that they are fully protected.

RVHD1 and RVHD2 vaccines

Filavac is the only vaccine that provide protection against RVHD1 and RVHD2. However, it does not protect against myxomatosis. This vaccine can be given from 10 weeks of age. Protection starts one week after the date of vaccination and provides protection for one year.

Eravac is a vaccine which protects against RVHD2 only. The vaccination is given under the skin on the back of the neck and immune protection starts after 1 week. Though the immunity may last up to a year, in rabbits at high risk of contracting RVHD2, your vet may recommend boosters every 6 months. Eravac does not provide protection against RHDV1.

There should be at least a two week gap between giving the Nobivac Myxo-RHD vaccine and a RVHD vaccine. This is because the vaccines work in different ways. It is currently not known if they could interfere with each other and prevent the rabbit making a full immune response if given together. Most vets will advise leaving a two week gap between RHDV2 and Nobivac Myxo-RHD vaccination so the rabbit develops immunity from the first vaccine before it is given the second vaccine.

The Myxo-RHD and Filavac vaccinations together offer some duplicate protection for RVHD1, however, there is no evidence that this has any harmful effects, although technically it is not required. The benefit of protecting against both RVHD1 and RVHD2 outweigh any potential risks associated with the vaccine.

Still have questions?

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Flystrike is commonly caused by blue bottle and green bottle flies. Flystrike can strike very fast! Flies are attracted to urine or faeces, either in the rabbit hutch, or on the rabbit. They are also attracted to blood from wounds. Flies then lay their eggs on the fur surrounding the affected area. These eggs hatch into maggots within hours, which then burrow into the flesh of the rabbit and release toxins.

What causes flystrike?

Rabbits can develop dirty fur around their bottoms for several reasons. Long teeth, digestive problems and wounds put rabbits at risk of getting dirty bottoms, which attract flies. These problems are all preventable with careful management. Lack of clean accommodation allows faeces and caecotrophs (the droppings that rabbits need to eat for a healthy gut) to stick to the skin. Obesity or mobility problems lead to poor grooming and this can also predisposes your rabbits to fly strike.

Treatment of flystrike

Flystrike is an emergency situation. If you see any evidence of maggots on your rabbit then we recommend that you contact your vet straight away. Often you may only see one or two on the surface of the skin, or in the hutch. However, under their fur and skin will be many more. This condition can be fatal so time is of the essence.

Your vet will usually recommend sedating or anaesthetising the rabbit so that the maggots can be removed manually. Prescription antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications may be required. Intravenous fluids are often given to try and prevent the rabbit going into shock.

How to prevent flystrike in your rabbits

• Prevent your rabbits becoming overweight. Overweight rabbits move around less and are at increased risk of fly strike. They should have regular health and weight checks so that mobility problems or obesity can be spotted early and treated, as necessary
• Provide a suitable diet for your rabbits. Rabbits need three different food types for a healthy diet – a constant supply of hay or fresh grass to nibble on (85-90%), a variety of fresh veg and leafy greens (10%) and a small quantity of high-fibre pellets (5%). The amount of herbs and vegetables to feed usually equates to about the size of your rabbit’s head, per day. Good foods include spinach, kale, watercress, broccoli, celery, carrot tops and dandelion leaves. Rabbits also enjoy munching on fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, dill and thyme. Vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes or fruits like apples have a higher sugar content. They should only be fed in small amounts and not very often, as they can cause diarrhoea. More advice about feeding your rabbits can be found in our article
• Keep the hutch clean and remove soiled material daily. This is especially important in hot weather. Encourage your rabbit to toilet in one area. Many rabbits can also be litter trained, which will make it easier to keep the hutch clean.
• Ensure that your rabbit’s hutch is large enough. This enables them to move away from their toileting areas, and have space to stretch out on clean bedding. Reducing the risk of soiled fur will reduced the risk of fly strike
• Trim long fur around your rabbit’s bottom. Lift your rabbits up twice each day to check that their fur is clean and dry underneath
• Use protective products, such as Rearguard. These should be applied in late Spring/Early Summer. They reduce the risk of fly strike by preventing fly eggs from developing and hatching. This method of preventative care must be used together with good housekeeping
• Reduce the fly population around the hutch or run. Fly traps, fly tapes, fly screens, or growing fly-repelling plants in pots, such as Laurel, Basil and Lavender, will help with this

Still worried?

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Rabbits are highly social animals, and they need to be kept together in pairs or potentially small groups. One rabbit kept alone will never be happy nor able to exhibit their natural behaviours; even a house rabbit that you give lots of attention to.

This article will tell you how rabbits live naturally, why pet rabbits can’t live alone, and what to consider when deciding how many rabbits to get. Read on to learn more.

How do rabbits live in the wild?

In the wild, rabbits form quite complicated social groups and sometimes live in extended family configurations; and they’re actually quite territorial towards rabbits outside of their accepted groupings too.

Generally, a cooperative or family of rabbits might consist of anything from two adult rabbits (usually a male and female breeding pair) up to as many as eight, and potentially young kittens (baby rabbits) too.

This communal style of living helps to increase the chances of survival of the grouping as a whole, and fulfils both their practical and social needs too.

Strange rabbits and unconnected groups do not share warrens, resources, or general areas, and while pet rabbits need company and cannot be kept alone, two strange adult rabbits put together without proper introductions and time taken will almost certainly fight, particularly rabbits of the same sex.

How many rabbits should I get?

If you’re thinking of taking on a pet rabbit, you need to think in the plural there and get two. Possibly more, but two is a good start and means you won’t be biting off more than you can chew. A male and female (neutered) pair is a common configuration.

Getting two rabbits rather than three or more also means you’ll have less of a challenge providing enough living space; rabbits need far more living space than many people think, and a hutch is not enough on its own. Rabbits also need a fairly large outdoor run and access to grass to graze on if at all possible (and supplementary hay if not, and for night times).

That said, as mentioned earlier on, just because rabbits are highly social and don’t thrive alone doesn’t mean they will always get on with a newcomer; and other than young rabbits, or a male and female that are unneutered (which should be avoided for obvious reasons!) introducing two adult rabbits can take a long time and involve some scuffles.

This means that if you start with a pair of rabbits, one will outlive the other; and you’ll find yourself in a position where you would need to introduce a potentially elderly rabbit to a new companion and manage all that this entails so your first rabbit does not become lonely when they lose their pal.

This means three rabbits is a viable consideration too so that you never (or very rarely) end up with one alone; but for any more than this, you would need a significant amount of space for them, as well as potentially costly runs and accommodations, and plenty of time to give them all enough attention.

Ultimately the choice is yours; as long as you have at least two rabbits, and can provide adequately for all of their needs.

Unneutered rabbits breed like… rabbits.

A vital consideration when you get rabbits is having them neutered. This is firstly for the obvious reasons; a pair of rabbits will produce a lot of additional rabbits in short order. One fertile doe can in fact end up with around 30 babies over the course of one breeding season, and they can conceive again quite literally the same day they’ve had a litter too!

Also, if you keep same-sex rabbits together and they’re not neutered, they will almost certainly fight quite nastily, and so unless you have a plan to breed from a pair of rabbits and have researched this in depth and are sure it’s a good decision, neutering pet rabbits is vital.

Can I keep a rabbit with a Guinea pig?

A couple of decades ago and before this, our understanding of the care and social needs of pet rabbits was far poorer than it is today, and there was a much lower level of awareness of their requirements.

Many pet rabbits were kept alone, and another common configuration was to keep a pet rabbit with a pet Guinea pig, theoretically to provide each other with company.

However, this is not a suitable approach for either species of animals. Rabbits and Guinea pigs are both highly social, but with their own species only. Just because they’re both small and furry doesn’t mean they’re similar in terms of their social needs and behaviours; their communications are different and simply, keeping a rabbit with a Guinea pig instead of another rabbit is no help to either pet, and may result in additional stress on both.

Can house rabbits live alone?

Even if you have a house rabbit that has free range of the home and human company more or less all of the time, this is still no substitute for the company of another rabbit. There is no workaround or exception; in order to thrive, be happy, and exhibit natural behaviours, a rabbit needs to live with at least one other rabbit, and they cannot be kept alone or with another species of pet instead.

Vaccinations are the best way to protect your rabbits from serious infectious diseases. Sadly, the diseases which these vaccinations protect against, are often not treatable. They can affect both indoor and outdoor rabbits, although outdoor rabbits are at higher risk. Different regions across the UK also have variations in risk levels too. Other factors for contracting these diseases include contact with wild or other domestic rabbits. The risks for your individual rabbits should be discussed with your vet to establish the most suitable vaccination programme for your rabbits.

What do we vaccinate rabbits for?

We all know that ‘prevention is better than cure’. Your vet will examine your rabbits and give them a full health check prior to giving vaccinations. As with any vaccine, injections are aimed at minimising the clinical signs and mortality associated with relevant disease. Your rabbit’s chances of survival are significantly higher with vaccination, and appropriate use of vaccinations.

The main diseases that we vaccinate rabbits against are myxomatosis and rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (RVHD). Unfortunately, both of these diseases are often fatal. Myxomatosis is also a life threatening disease. Rabbits very rarely recover from this disease. If an unvaccinated rabbit contracts myxomatosis, your vet may discuss euthanasia. The disease causes significant welfare problems; affected rabbits often deteriorate over one to two weeks, so euthanasia is often necessary to relieve suffering. There are two strains of RVHD. We currently recommend that you vaccinate your rabbit against both of them, as they often cause rapid onset of symptoms and death.

Myxomatosis and the RVHD1 vaccine

A combined vaccine (Nobivac Myxo-RHD) for myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease was introduced a few years ago. This vaccine only protects against one strain of RVHD – RVHD1. It involves a single subcutaneous injection under the skin on the back of the neck. It provides one year of immunity against myxomatosis and RVHD1. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 5 weeks of age. Immune protection starts 3 weeks after the date of vaccination. Therefore, we recommend that all rabbits are kept indoors with adequate fly and flea protection until three weeks after the vaccination is administered, so that they are fully protected.

RVHD1 and RVHD2 vaccines

Filavac is the only vaccine that provide protection against RVHD1 and RVHD2. However, it does not protect against myxomatosis. This vaccine can be given from 10 weeks of age. Protection starts one week after the date of vaccination and provides protection for one year.

Eravac is a vaccine which protects against RVHD2 only. The vaccination is given under the skin on the back of the neck and immune protection starts after 1 week. Though the immunity may last up to a year, in rabbits at high risk of contracting RVHD2, your vet may recommend boosters every 6 months. Eravac does not provide protection against RHDV1.

There should be at least a two week gap between giving the Nobivac Myxo-RHD vaccine and a RVHD vaccine. This is because the vaccines work in different ways. It is currently not known if they could interfere with each other and prevent the rabbit making a full immune response if given together. Most vets will advise leaving a two week gap between RHDV2 and Nobivac Myxo-RHD vaccination so the rabbit develops immunity from the first vaccine before it is given the second vaccine.

The Myxo-RHD and Filavac vaccinations together offer some duplicate protection for RVHD1, however, there is no evidence that this has any harmful effects, although technically it is not required. The benefit of protecting against both RVHD1 and RVHD2 outweigh any potential risks associated with the vaccine.

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Rabbits are a really popular pet in the UK, but sadly they’re also one of the most misunderstood too, and this means many rabbits aren’t cared for in the best possible way or are bought by owners wholly unprepared for the realities of things as they didn’t do enough research.

Rabbits are complex pets to keep, and you need to learn what this means in reality before, not after, you take one home. This article will get you started by outlining five common misconceptions about rabbits many people have, and which you need to get past before you go and buy one. Read on to learn more.

Rabbits are low maintenance pets

Rabbits used to be, in the words of one vet who sees a lot of them “the sort of pet parents get for kids when they don’t really want their kids to have a pet at all.” This is because all too many people think of rabbits (and sometimes other animals kept in a cage or hutch ) as being low maintenance, without lots of needs or being likely to place a lot of demands on your time.

This is patently untrue, however; while you don’t have to walk a rabbit like you do a dog, they can actually take more time to care for properly than most people think; better viewed in terms of the care needs and time commitment for looking after a dog than a cat, certainly.

Feeding a rabbit a balanced diet means both sourcing and preparing fresh food as well as dried, keeping a constant supply of grass and hay, and monitoring your rabbit’s weight and fitness. Some rabbits actually need encouragement to exercise, their accommodations need to be cleaned out daily, and they need lots of interaction and attention too if you want them to be tame.

They’re even high maintenance in terms of the number of times they are apt to need to visit the vet in their lifetimes too, for routine healthcare like vaccinations, spay and neuter, flea treatments, and even potentially dental care. That’s only when they’re healthy!

Rabbit health in general is rather complex, and there are quite a lot of rabbit health conditions that can be acute and serious, which owners need to learn about and be proactive about preventing; factoring in the challenges that can come from wild rabbit populations and associated contagion.

Rabbits are inexpensive to keep

Rabbits aren’t generally expensive to buy (other than for exotic breeds, excellent quality examples of popular breeds, or show rabbits) but the purchase price is an absolute drop in the deeper ocean!

Buying an appropriate form of housing and exercise run can set you back several hundred pounds, and as mentioned above, even rabbits in good health tend to be frequent fliers at the vet for routine care and preventative treatments; all of which soon adds up.

The cost of keeping a rabbit is often overlooked, and results in their needs sometimes being overlooked in turn. In fact, the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund estimates the cost of keeping one rabbit can easily run to £5,000 or more over the course of their lifetime.

Rabbits don’t take up much space

Rabbits live in a hutch, right? Uh, well in the same way that a person can live in a two-man tent, and never be allowed out of it… theoretically the accommodations itself would not kill said person or pet, but they would not thrive or be happy and ultimately their accommodations would almost certainly shorten their lifespan.

Hutches were of course the go-to or only option historically for housing rabbits, but they were never designed to keep a rabbit in for the entire duration of its life; or rather, they were, when that “life” would run to a few days or weeks within the hutch and that was it.

Huh? Well, the background to this is that when rabbit was a common staple on most people’s menu, they were kept in hutches adjacent to the kitchen all ready to be killed and put in the pot. Put simply, hutches were a type of holding cell for a rabbit on death row destined for dinner; not appropriate, well thought out accommodation for a long and happy life.

The actual main living space a rabbit needs when enclosed (such as overnight) should be vastly larger than many people expect, and they also need to be able to move around freely as much as possible, such as within an even-larger run on grass they can graze on.

Rabbits like being picked up and cuddled

Rabbits are undeniably cuddly; they’re adorable looking and very tactile to the touch, and it just makes you want to pick them up and snuggle them! This is all really unfortunate from a rabbit’s point of view, because rabbits do not actually like being picked up and certainly don’t like being squeezed or restrained.

In fact, because rabbits are prey animals, being picked up (particularly if cornered, or unexpectedly) is very alarming, as it makes them think they’ve been caught by a hunter. Young rabbits need to be conditioned very carefully to being picked up, and in the right way – and even so, it is better to let a rabbit come to you and come up to sit on your lap willingly without being lifted.

Rabbits can be kept on their own if you pay them enough attention

Finally, this is one of the most enduring and harmful rabbit care myths; that you can keep one rabbit on their own (specifically without another rabbit) and this is ok, as long as you give them lots of attention.

This is a particular common misapprehension among people who keep house rabbits in the same way other people keep cats or dogs, as they have lots of human company, freedom to roam, and will bond with their owner.

While house rabbits really do become king of the castle in many cases and will commonly be highly affectionate and actively seek out the company of their owner, they still need another rabbit for company too.

There is no substitute for a rabbit having a rabbit pal; not human interaction nor living with another type of pet like a Guinea pig.

Rabbits are highly social animals, and they need to be kept together in pairs or potentially small groups. One rabbit kept alone will never be happy nor able to exhibit their natural behaviours; even a house rabbit that you give lots of attention to.

This article will tell you how rabbits live naturally, why pet rabbits can’t live alone, and what to consider when deciding how many rabbits to get. Read on to learn more.

How do rabbits live in the wild?

In the wild, rabbits form quite complicated social groups and sometimes live in extended family configurations; and they’re actually quite territorial towards rabbits outside of their accepted groupings too.

Generally, a cooperative or family of rabbits might consist of anything from two adult rabbits (usually a male and female breeding pair) up to as many as eight, and potentially young kittens (baby rabbits) too.

This communal style of living helps to increase the chances of survival of the grouping as a whole, and fulfils both their practical and social needs too.

Strange rabbits and unconnected groups do not share warrens, resources, or general areas, and while pet rabbits need company and cannot be kept alone, two strange adult rabbits put together without proper introductions and time taken will almost certainly fight, particularly rabbits of the same sex.

How many rabbits should I get?

If you’re thinking of taking on a pet rabbit, you need to think in the plural there and get two. Possibly more, but two is a good start and means you won’t be biting off more than you can chew. A male and female (neutered) pair is a common configuration.

Getting two rabbits rather than three or more also means you’ll have less of a challenge providing enough living space; rabbits need far more living space than many people think, and a hutch is not enough on its own. Rabbits also need a fairly large outdoor run and access to grass to graze on if at all possible (and supplementary hay if not, and for night times).

That said, as mentioned earlier on, just because rabbits are highly social and don’t thrive alone doesn’t mean they will always get on with a newcomer; and other than young rabbits, or a male and female that are unneutered (which should be avoided for obvious reasons!) introducing two adult rabbits can take a long time and involve some scuffles.

This means that if you start with a pair of rabbits, one will outlive the other; and you’ll find yourself in a position where you would need to introduce a potentially elderly rabbit to a new companion and manage all that this entails so your first rabbit does not become lonely when they lose their pal.

This means three rabbits is a viable consideration too so that you never (or very rarely) end up with one alone; but for any more than this, you would need a significant amount of space for them, as well as potentially costly runs and accommodations, and plenty of time to give them all enough attention.

Ultimately the choice is yours; as long as you have at least two rabbits, and can provide adequately for all of their needs.

Unneutered rabbits breed like… rabbits.

A vital consideration when you get rabbits is having them neutered. This is firstly for the obvious reasons; a pair of rabbits will produce a lot of additional rabbits in short order. One fertile doe can in fact end up with around 30 babies over the course of one breeding season, and they can conceive again quite literally the same day they’ve had a litter too!

Also, if you keep same-sex rabbits together and they’re not neutered, they will almost certainly fight quite nastily, and so unless you have a plan to breed from a pair of rabbits and have researched this in depth and are sure it’s a good decision, neutering pet rabbits is vital.

Can I keep a rabbit with a Guinea pig?

A couple of decades ago and before this, our understanding of the care and social needs of pet rabbits was far poorer than it is today, and there was a much lower level of awareness of their requirements.

Many pet rabbits were kept alone, and another common configuration was to keep a pet rabbit with a pet Guinea pig, theoretically to provide each other with company.

However, this is not a suitable approach for either species of animals. Rabbits and Guinea pigs are both highly social, but with their own species only. Just because they’re both small and furry doesn’t mean they’re similar in terms of their social needs and behaviours; their communications are different and simply, keeping a rabbit with a Guinea pig instead of another rabbit is no help to either pet, and may result in additional stress on both.

Can house rabbits live alone?

Even if you have a house rabbit that has free range of the home and human company more or less all of the time, this is still no substitute for the company of another rabbit. There is no workaround or exception; in order to thrive, be happy, and exhibit natural behaviours, a rabbit needs to live with at least one other rabbit, and they cannot be kept alone or with another species of pet instead.