Rabbit Awareness Week 2025!

The Rabbit Awareness Action Group (RAAG) is the trusted voice for rabbit welfare and they are running Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) to improve the lives of pet rabbits. The theme for this year is a Happy Hoppy Home!

This is to educate and inform about how much space your pet bunnies need. Rabbits are the UK’s third most popular pet, after dogs and cats, however they are still often neglected with the wrong diet, no companionship or unsuitable housing.

Rabbits need a lot of space to run, hop, play and binky!

Rabbits are social animals and prefer to live with at least one other rabbit companion

A hutch is not enough! Hutches should never be used as the main enclosure for a rabbit as they do not provide enough space. As a minimum, a pair of average sized rabbits would need space measuring at least 3m x 2m all on one level with a height of 1m. Having a 3m length of space is important for them to be able to run.

Rabbits love going free range and having a wide lawn they can be let out to explore and run.

Other components of a good enclosure include a multi level home with ramps and platforms, places to dig, such as a foraging box. or a play tunnel to run through. Hiding spaces are important, as are cosy areas to sleep – a hutch could make a good hiding or sleeping place.

Ensuring your rabbit has adequate space and housing is one of the ways you can ensure they are the happiest and healthiest they can be. Other important aspects of their lives include the correct diet, grooming, neutering and vaccinations.

A rabbits’ diets is very important as this is the main way to ensure their dental health. If rabbits are not fed correctly then they can be prone to overgrown teeth, which will cause pain and discomfort. Rabbits teeth grow continuously throughout their life so they require plenty of fibre to help wear them down. Incorrect diets can also lead to gut stasis and obesity.

85% of their diet should be fresh hay and your rabbit should eat a pile of hay the same size as itself every day!

10% of their diet should be fresh leafy greens herbs and vegetables. Sweet vegetables like carrots and fruit should be saved for the occasional treats.

The remaining 5% of their diet can be rabbit nuggets, but no more than an egg cup full should be fed per day. Some commercial diets labelled as ‘muesli’ can look more appealing as there is more variety, but this can lead to selective feeding – they will just pick out the bits they like and leave the rest!

As rabbits should live in groups it is also important to ensure they are neutered to prevent any unwanted litters. Neutering also has the further benefit of preventing uterine cancers in females and can reduce aggressive behaviour.

All rabbits should be vaccinated against Myxomatosis and Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD), which can both be fatal. Vaccinating them is a simple way to help prevent spread of the disease.

If you have any questions about looking after your rabbits or if you are thinking about getting rabbits as a pet, then we are here to help.