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 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. Rabbits are subject to depression and poor health if they're not provided with daily interaction and mental stimulation.
If you do house your rabbit in a cage or hutch, you must let it out for exercise every day. Even the smallest mammals need to be allowed time outside of their enclosure to run around. It's vital for your rabbit's mental and physical health. Rabbits require at least 3 hours of exercise outside their hutch per day.
A--No, you shouldn`t keep your rabbit in a cage all day. A rabbit is no different from any other animal. For its psychological and physical health, it needs exercise. This doesn`t mean that you let him out to cavort and hop all over.
Locking your rabbit up
Keeping them in these tiny cages can cause a range of health problems, including obesity and even deformities if they're not able to move around naturally. It's also cruel. Rabbits are smart, social and highly curious, and they need to be able to explore their surroundings.
Rabbits can live quite happily indoors and they should be provided with secure accommodation where they can feel safe, sleep, use a particular area as a toilet, and be confined to when unsupervised.
It's best to let your rabbit out of its cage or enclosure at least twice a day for exercise and socialization. If rabbits are regularly cooped up for more than 12 hours at a time, there is an increased risk that they will develop health problems (such as GI Stasis) or become depressed and lonely.
Try to refrain from holding them every single time you interact with them. If you are trying to gain the trust of a shy rabbit, you will want to completely stop picking them up until your rabbit is very comfortable around you. Otherwise keep the cuddles to a minimum so that your rabbit doesn't become afraid of you.
Expect your rabbit to be lonely.
In the wild, it would be with other rabbits 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 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.
One guideline to go by is at least 8 square feet of enclosure space combined with at least at least 24 square feet of exercise space, for 1-2 rabbits, in which the rabbit(s) can run and play at least 5 hours per day.
Like lots of pets, bunnies need plenty of exercise and stimulation. While it's often necessary to cage your rabbit when you're gone or sleeping, confining it to a cage all day is detrimental to its well-being; it denies your rabbit vital exercise, prohibits socialization, and increases boredom and lethargy.
At a minimum, you should spend at least an hour with your rabbit every day. However, 3-5 hours (or even more) are ideal. You do not have to be giving your rabbit undivided attention during this time, but instead, make yourself available to interact with them if they want to.
Keep It brief: Depending on the game, play sessions should probably only last 10 to 20 minutes. Rabbits need to be free to take drink or snack breaks, and their nap schedule can be demanding. Take your cue from your pal. If he or she loses interest or hops away, don't force the game.
Don't make your rabbit stay longer than they want to.
Sometimes this will be after half an hour, and sometimes it will be only 5 minutes. However long the cuddle session, you always want to let your rabbit leave. If you try to force your rabbit to stay, they may be afraid to cuddle with you in the future.
Ideally, rabbits should be able to exercise whenever they want to but a minimum of four hours free run a day is recommended, ideally split into two exercise periods morning and evening of about two hours each.”
The most common reason that a rabbit hides in their enclosure is when they feel scared or stressed. Rabbits are small and vulnerable creatures in a scary world. If they don't feel safe in their surrounding environment, they'll choose to hide in their sheltered enclosure to avoid perceived danger.
You may worry that your rabbit will be lonely. If you spend a lot of time with your rabbit, they will undoubtedly miss you when you're away, the same way you miss them. The two of you have developed a bond and friendship that your pet rabbit also understands.
Never pick rabbits up by their ears - this would be extremely stressful and is highly likely to injure them.
In general, rabbits do not like to be picked up. The act of bending over them and grabbing them by their ribs to pick them up is very similar to being picked up by a hawk – scary!! The best way to interact with your rabbit is on the floor.
They also love getting a good back scratch around the shoulders. That said, they tend not to like being touched on the ears, neck, feet, stomach or tail.
As a general rule, your rabbit should be spending as much time as possible during the day in a large, secure outdoor run. At a minimum, this should be three hours, but the more the better! Remember to make sure your rabbits' outdoor run is safe from predators, safe from escape attempts and has shade on sunny days.
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.
Even if you have a pair of rabbits, 24 hours is the maximum time they should be alone. Like all pets, rabbits rely heavily on their owners. Domesticated rabbits lack the survival skills of wild rabbits. Your rabbit has basic needs surrounding food, exercise, and stimulation.