Rabbits are now one of the UKs top three most popular pets. They are wonderful, loving creatures with great personalities especially when provided with the right environments to thrive in. So it’s a great idea to include them in the Christmas celebrations as there are lots of brilliant treats, toys, and ways to enhance their environment over the holiday season. Don’t forget to spend lots of time interacting and playing with your bunny – they love to have lots of gentle attention. 

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Remember the basics

In the UK, the needs of your pet and its welfare are determined by the ‘five welfare needs’. These are enshrined in law within the Animal Welfare Act 2006. These are: 

1) Need for a suitable environment 

2) Need for a suitable diet 

3) Need to be able to exhibit normal behavior patterns 

4) Need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals 

5) Need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease 

Remembering these needs will be very important when creating your rabbit’s perfect home. It can be great fun putting together a wonderful living space and there are all kinds of fantastic Christmas presents that your rabbit can enjoy! In this article we will work through each item in the list above and give advice on applying to your pet rabbit. 

Environment 

Rabbits need a lot more space than people might realise, far more than a hutch can provide. They live in large warrens in the wild, so they won’t be happy to be cooped up in a small cage. As an absolute minimum, the space that your rabbits live in needs to be large enough for them to properly run around and tall enough for them to jump as high as they want. They need to be able to stretch right out to their full length, which is a comfy position for them to relax in. They should be able to have enough space to stand right up on their back feet and their ears not touch the top of their space. 

Rabbits can live either inside the house, or outdoors, or a combination of both depending on the season. Either way, they will need a shelter, or sleeping space which should have some comfy bedding and easy access to food and water. If this is outdoors it needs to be waterproof and well insulated. They should also have free access to a larger run, that they can go into whenever they like. They should be able to run around, jump, and stand up fully on their back legs. 

Present idea: how about some new places to hide or explore? Or maybe a new toy (or two!)?

There should be places they can use to hide or explore (such as dens or tubes) and toys they can play with. Remember, though, rabbits can chew through almost anything, in time, so make sure any toys are properly rabbit safe.

Diet 

Giving a correctly balanced diet to your rabbit is crucial to maintain good dental and gut health. They need a very high fibre diet, so most importantly they need unlimited access to fresh grass or good quality hay (this should make up about 85-90% of their diet). 

This can then be supplemented with good quality homogenous nuggets – 1 tablespoon (or a small egg cup), twice daily. Muesli type diets are not good for rabbits as they can encourage them to pick through the food for their favourite bits. 

They are also allowed a small handful of fresh vegetables and herbs twice daily. Some great veg for bunnies include broccoli, curly kale, dandelion leaves, basil, mint and parsley. 

They should have free access to fresh, clean drinking water. It is best to provide both a drinking bottle and a bowl of water if you can. 

Present idea: Rabbits love a little treat as well, as long as in moderation, just like us! 

These can be great little presents for your bunny and can add a bit of fun to their environment as well. You can make your own treats – rabbits love a little bit of banana, or dried apple for example. Or you can buy little hanging treats or balls for them to reach up to, or throw around and play with. At this time of year, there are lots of fun seasonal themed chews, like little stars of christmas trees. Make up a little Christmas stocking for your bunny and add some treats and toys for them to join in the festivities! 

Behaviour 

Rabbits display lots of different types of body language to indicate if they are happy and relaxed, or feeling scared and stressed, or even grumpy and annoyed. 

If your rabbit is enjoying their environment, you will probably see them running and hopping about, this is sometimes referred to as doing a “binky”. This is a great indication that your rabbit is very happy and having a great time. 

Lying stretched right out is a sign that they are very relaxed and super comfortable with where they are. 

Some behaviour to watch out for, that is more negative, would be signs like thumping with their hindlegs – rabbits do this when they feel annoyed, or even if they feel they are in danger. If your rabbit is hiding away, or crouching down with flat ears then they may be feeling scared. If you hear your rabbit grinding their teeth, this is a concerning sign that can suggest they are in pain. It is important to take them to see your vet if you hear them doing this. 

If your rabbit comes to lick or nuzzle you, it is a good sign they trust you and feel bonded to you.

Companions 

Rabbits are very social animals and do best when housed with a companion. It is not recommended for them to be kept alone. Another rabbit tends to be best, rather than a guinea pig – mixing the two species isn’t suitable. The best combination is a neutered male and neutered female to minimise risks of fighting, or unwanted litters. It is also important for rabbits to have lots of socialisation with their humans. 

Present idea: Extra playtime!

So plenty of gentle pats and lots of conversation. Some rabbits enjoy a cuddle, but some don’t like to be lifted at all so this very much depends on the individual. You can use toys to play with your rabbit, some will chase and play fetch if you teach them! Christmas is a great time to explore some of the fun toys you can get for your bunny, like balls they can chase and throw, or bells they can jingle! 

Vet checks 

Just like any other pet, it’s really important to have your rabbit registered with your trusted vet so that they can have regular health checks and vaccinations. It is especially important to be registered if anything is wrong so that your rabbit can receive the fastest care. Bunnies benefit from regular checks on their general health, like their weight, coat condition, cleanliness and nails for example. 

But they also need to have more specific checks done, such as their dental health, because their teeth are always growing. If you notice any unusual behaviours such as grinding the teeth, dropping their food, or drooling then they urgently need to see a vet. Sneezing and nasal discharge can also be a sign of dental issues, or respiratory issues. 

They have very specialised intestines so their gut health is incredibly important. If their intestines slow down or stop functioning well, they can rapidly become very unwell. Some signs of this would be smaller, or absent faecal pellets, your rabbit being very quiet and not moving around as much, or a reduction in their appetite. Again, if you see any of these signs, take your bunny straight to the vet. 

Present idea: what about a pet health plan?

A pet health plan is a way of budgeting for the best preventative healthcare for your pet. While historically these were limited to dogs and cats, nowadays a lot of practices offer them for rabbits, or even other small pets.

Conclusion 

Rabbits are amazing pets and provide wonderful companionship. They have great personalities and are sociable, intelligent, playful and often cheeky. They are pets that should be included as very much part of the family. And at this time of year how better to show that than get them something from Santa. There are so many ways to give them a Christmas present, like small tasty treats, toys to play with, something to enhance their living space like a new structure to explore, or even just giving them some extra playtime and attention. 

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