Housing rabbits is very important. No one likes to think of a bunny shut at the bottom of the garden in a cage, but all too often that’s what happens. If they’re outdoors then give them as much space as possible; there are some groovy cage/run combos around, but be careful that they don’t bury out from under the run; underneath chicken wire or burying deep mesh at the run edges prevents this. Indoor bunnies are becoming more popular; just make sure to cover any wires well (sharp rabbit teeth can shear through them in seconds). Handle your bunny as much as possible to get them used to you and supervise any meetings with other animals; cats often scratch rabbit’s eyes when they swipe.

If the temperature outside is cold, give them lots of pea straw to cuddle up into, but don’t bring them inside. Sudden changes in temperature can lead to fatal respiratory infections.

Nutrition is absolutely vital for rabbits. I go by scientific evidence of what is good for rabbits and it makes sense to me to try to keep them on what they have evolved to eat; namely grass, grass, grass and more grass with a few Dandelions for god measure! Not too easy in South Australia, unfortunately, but there are ways around this. Firstly, a constant supply of food is essential; rabbits graze most of the day in the wild. A good quality meadow hay or similar is great and a small amount of Lucerne pellets are good too. Rabbit vets recommend not feeding the mixed varieties of rabbit food as then they pick and choose what they wish to eat, generally leaving the vital stuff behind. Long term this leads to calcium deficiency, bones get soft and teeth can move around, meaning they no longer meet up to continuously wear down and overgrow; causing pain and needing dental work in later life.

Extras such as leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, radish tops, carrot tops, brussel sprouts, etc) are good for them too; a small amount every day will go down a treat. In the wild they wouldn’t be eating may carrots but every so often isn’t going to hurt!