Feeding, watering and training
Handling, excercise and grooming
Care
Housing
The size of the hutch required depends on the size and breed of the rabbit, but it should be as large as possible. All too often rabbits are kept in far too small a hutch for their size. If the rabbit is kept in a hutch for long periods of time, the hutch should be at least spacious enough for the rabbit to do a minimum of three hops from end to end, and high enough for the rabbit to stand upright on its hind legs.
If the hutch is kept outside, it should have a draught-free solid-fronted sleeping area and a mesh-fronted living area that can be covered over in bad weather. An outdoor hutch should be raised off the ground, kept out of direct sunlight and have good ventilation.
It will need to have a solid floor and be weatherproof. It should also be fox and rodent proof!
A hutch should be lined with newspapers plus hay or straw on top, (not sawdust as this can irritate the rabbit's eyes). The sleeping area should contain clean, dry hay as the bedding. The hutch should be cleaned at least once a day and be kept dry and draught-free.
As well as daily cleaning, a more thorough cleaning process should be carried out each week. From time to time the hutch should be completely stripped out and scrubbed, with the rabbit only being allowed back into the hutch when it is completely dry.
Winter housing
In the winter the hutch may have to be moved into an outhouse or garage, but the car should be kept elsewhere so that there is no danger from exhaust fumes.
Summer housing
Rabbits are very susceptible to heatstroke. In the summer it is worth while keeping a very close eye on the internal temperature of the hutch, which should always be suitably shaded.
Make sure the rabbit is not kept confined in a poorly ventilated hutch or in direct sunlight. The ideal environmental temperature is about 16°C.
