To keep your rabbit happy and healthy, let it out of its cage at least once a day, giving it time to roam. Though at least one hour is necessary, aim closer to three or four. As a rule, never keep your rabbit cooped up for 24 hours at a time.
Rabbits need to run, jump, stretch up, dig and forage – it's cruel to keep a rabbit alone and in a hutch.
Anything longer than 24 hours is too long – and even that is pushing the solitude limits of rabbits. Rabbits are social creatures and require about as much, if not more, interaction and maintenance as dogs do and more than some cats need.
Allowing your rabbit to roam freely through your home comes with its own unique challenges, but it is definitely achievable with a bit of effort and education on how to take care of your pet rabbit. Best of all, it can be incredibly rewarding, creating a more intimate and open bond with your pet.
If you have two or more rabbits, they will likely be happy and contented for approximately 24 hours. If you only have one rabbit, she'll start to become distressed in less than 12 hours. Ask a friend or family member to check in on her regularly if you're busy at work or away on vacation.
Rabbits like to play and need plenty of exercise to stay healthy and happy. Ideally you want to provide them with up to 4 hours daily of supervised time out of their cage.
Your options are either to have someone come to care for them in their own home, or to take them to a rabbit-boarding facility.
Is it better to keep my rabbits indoors or outdoors? Both indoor and outdoor rabbits can have happy, healthy lives so it's up to you and your bunny pals to decide whether inside or outside is best for them (or maybe even a combination of both!).
An untrained rabbit probably should be kept in an enclosure while you're not home to supervise and at night when you sleep. Rabbits are crepuscular, which means that generally they sleep during the day and during the night but are ready to play at dawn and at twilight.
Rabbits can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if you leave them on their own and with nothing to do for long periods, so you should keep your rabbit with at least one other friendly rabbit.
Rabbits will remember the people that they spend a lot of time with, and this includes their owners and caretakers. As prey animals, they have neurologically developed with a strong long-term memory for places and routines.
Expect your rabbit to be lonely.
If you only have one rabbit, you can give it some companionship, but it will still be lonely at night or when you are away at work. Sometimes a female rabbit will be fine on its own.
You should avoid leaving a rabbit alone for more than 24 hours. This is because rabbits can get sick suddenly and require immediate medical attention. Conditions such as GI Stasis are very common, so you should always have someone checking in on your rabbit daily even if you are only away for the weekend.
Rabbit care basics
Because rabbits are social animals, they require daily interaction and attention (which is why it's helpful to adopt a pair). They aren't happy languishing in a cage day after day. For several hours daily, they need time outside the cage to socialize, exercise, and explore.
Rabbits are curious and need social interaction with their family. Placing their enclosure in an active or busy room of your home, like a kitchen or living room, will allow them to interact with you and really become a member of your family.
They sleep about 12 to 14 hours a day, according to the Ohio State University website. The most active times for rabbits are early morning, night and dusk. The rabbit is quietest during the day, usually between noon and four in the afternoon.
The enclosure should not be in a drafty, damp area like a basement, not in direct sunlight, have adequate ventilation, and be in an area of the home where you spend a lot of time. Rabbits are social animals and require daily interaction with people or other rabbits.
Sometimes rabbits avoid being pet or touched because of bad past experiences. Maybe they have been handled roughly, or people pet them in a way that made them feel uncomfortable. In this case, the rabbit's avoidance of being touched is based entirely on fear.
However, there is a way to satisfy your bunny's longing to be outside and keep her safe: Take your rabbit walking on a leash. Any bunny, at any age, can be trained to walk on a leash, Dr. Maxwell says. The trick is to do it slowly, and to have plenty of patience and rewards.
The best way to make your rabbit's life happier is to give them a comfortable home base. This means a safe place where they can relax and play. The enclosure needs to be appropriately sized for your rabbit and you need to make sure to give them mental enrichment activities to keep them occupied.
Never release a pet rabbit outside. Releasing a domestic animal into the wild is a crime. Unfortunately, every year, thousands of rabbit guardians decide to abandon their pets in the great outdoors. They may believe the rabbit can survive and thrive in the wild but this is an inaccurate and deadly assumption.