Welcome to the wonderful world of rabbit ownership!

Essential Care Guide for New Owners

Getting started with a rabbit involves a few key foundational areas to ensure your new family member thrives:

Feeding Your Bunny: The Daily Diet Guide

Your rabbit's diet is the foundation of their long-term health and well-being. Follow these core guidelines to keep your bun happy and healthy:

Unlimited Timothy Hay: Critical for digestion and dental health, fresh timothy hay must be available at all times.

Fresh Water: Provide unlimited fresh water daily in a heavy ceramic bowl to encourage natural drinking behavior.

Limited Pellets: Offer high-fiber (at most \bm{18\%} fiber), timothy-based pellets in moderation—typically about \bm{1/8} cup per \bm{5} pounds of body weight. Avoid alfalfa-heavy or excessive pellets, and only buy a \bm{6}-week supply at a time so they do not go stale.

We recommend Oxbow adult pellets.

Fresh Veggies: Feed a minimum of three different types of fresh vegetables daily to ensure a balanced intake of nutrients.

Limited Treats: Reserve high-sugar treats, such as fruit, for occasional use only.

Rabbit Housing: Finding the Right Setup

Providing the right living space is essential for your rabbit's safety, happiness, and well-being. Here are the primary housing options and guidelines to consider:

Free-Roam (The Gold Standard):

Allowing your rabbit free run of a thoroughly bunny-proofed house is the ultimate goal for many owners. While it requires extra preparation—such as sealing off computer rooms, eliminating toxic plants, and hiding all wires—the reward is having a happy, integrated family member who can lounge comfortably at the foot of your bed.

Part-Time Housing (Caged/Enclosed):

For rabbits that aren't yet fully litter-trained or when you are away and unable to supervise, a secure enclosure is necessary. Traditional small wire cages are far too restrictive; instead, look into spacious exercise pens (X-pens) or custom condo setups that give them plenty of room to move around.

Choosing Housing: Size Does Matter

Your rabbit’s enclosure must provide plenty of room for their personal belongings, food, and litter box, with plenty of extra space left over to fully stretch out and move around comfortably.

⚠️ Important Note: Inadequate housing can lead to severe muscle deterioration and trigger unwanted behavioral issues. Bigger is always better when it comes to keeping a healthy, happy rabbit.

Safely handling your bun

Rabbits are physically delicate animals—much more fragile than dogs and cats—which is why they generally do not make good pets for young children.

Protecting Their Spines

The absolute golden rule when picking up a rabbit is protecting their spine. Because a rabbit's natural reaction when picked up can be to kick out with their powerful hind legs, they can easily generate enough force to fracture their own back.

To prevent injury:

Always support both ends: Firmly support both the front body and the hindquarters at all times.

Hold close: Keep the rabbit securely hugged against your body.

Wear long sleeves: Especially when you are still learning each other's routines, wearing long sleeves protects your arms from scratches if they squirm.

What to Do If They Struggle

If your rabbit begins to squirm or struggle while you are holding them, never drop them. Dropping a struggling rabbit can lead to severe fractures or trauma.

Instead, use these techniques to regain control:

Hold firmly: Maintain a secure, firm hold against your body.

Distract them: Gently bounce your entire body up and down to distract the rabbit, which often stops the struggling long enough for you to safely lower them back to the floor or a secure surface.

Bunny Proofing Your Home

Get down on the floor at a rabbit's eye view to spot hazards before letting your bun explore.

Wires: Protect electrical, phone, and computer cords by wrapping them in split-loom plastic tubing, elevating them out of reach, or blocking access behind TVs, washers, and beds.

Corners: Guard baseboards and wall corners with hard plastic corner protectors to prevent them from eating harmful drywall and wood trim.

Wooden Furniture: Apply a pet-safe chew deterrent (like Bitter Apple) to furniture legs and baseboards. Always redirect chewing by offering safe, untreated wooden toys, willow balls, or seagrass mats. (Never use cedar.)

Houseplants: Remove or elevate all toxic houseplants completely out of your rabbit's reach.