Rabbit care card
Rabbits are gentle, shy animals that need company, space and a grown-up to help every day.
- Home
- Big, with a shelter joined to a run. A rabbit must stand up with its ears below the roof. A hutch alone is too small.
- Food
- Mostly hay and grass, a handful of washed leafy greens, and a few pellets. Carrots are only an occasional treat.
- Water
- Fresh, clean water all day. Clean the bowl or bottle every day and change the water twice a day.
- Every day
- Hay as big as the rabbit, greens, water, a clean toilet corner, time to hop and play, and a look at how it eats and acts.
- Every week
- A grown-up does a closer health check of eyes, ears, teeth, fur, nails and bottom. Ask the vet how often.
- Handling
- Sit low, move slowly, talk softly. A grown-up shows how to hold a rabbit. Never lift by the ears. Never hold on its back.
- Happy signs
- Happy jumps and twists (binkies), soft tooth purring, ears up and together, and resting next to a rabbit friend.
- Tell a grown-up if
- It will not eat, seems quiet or hunched, has odd droppings, or grinds its teeth loudly. A vet knows what to do.
My jobs, with a grown-up
- Help put out hay and washed greens (a grown-up checks the greens are safe)
- Check the water and tell a grown-up if it is low
- Help clean the toilet corner with a grown-up
- Sit low and say hello gently, with a grown-up close by
- Watch how your rabbit eats and acts, and tell a grown-up about changes
Wash your hands Wash your hands with soap after touching rabbits, their food or their things. A grown-up helps children wash.
Ask a grown-up to look at Peabody Pets with you: pet.peabody.kids
From RSPCA: rabbit diet, RSPCA: rabbit housing, RSPCA: rabbit health, RSPCA: rabbit behaviour, RSPCA: rabbits, CDC: small mammals, checked 29 Oct 2026. A vet always knows best for your own pet.