Think about the classic image of a rabbit. It’s usually a fluffy creature sitting in a wooden hutch at the bottom of a garden, happily munching on a giant orange carrot. It’s iconic. It’s also, honestly, kind of a death sentence. Most of what the average person thinks they know about rabbits and bunnies is actually a mix of outdated Victorian husbandry and Looney Tunes physics. If you give a rabbit a diet consisting mostly of carrots, their teeth will overgrow and they’ll likely develop life-threatening hepatic lipidosis. Carrots are basically candy to them. They're loaded with sugar.
Rabbits are weird. They are "hindgut fermenters," which is a fancy way of saying their digestive system is more like a horse's than a hamster's. They have a massive organ called a caecum that hosts a complex ecosystem of bacteria to break down tough cellulose. If that delicate balance of bacteria shifts—because of stress, too much sugar, or not enough fiber—the rabbit can enter GI stasis. Their gut stops moving. They stop eating. Within 24 hours, they can be dead.
It's a high-stakes game of pet ownership that most people aren't prepared for when they see a cute "Easter bunny" at a farm store.
The Myth of the Backyard Hutch
For decades, we’ve been told that rabbits and bunnies belong outside in small cages. This is probably the biggest misconception in the pet world. Domestic rabbits are descendants of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), but they aren't wild animals. They can’t handle extreme temperature swings.
Imagine being stuck in a box the size of a bathtub for 23 hours a day. You’d go crazy. Rabbits do too. They develop spinal deformities from not being able to stretch out or hop. A rabbit's "hop" isn't just a cute movement; it's a vital part of their bone health. Without the impact of jumping and running, their bone density plummets.
Experts from the House Rabbit Society have spent years advocating for "free-roam" or "pen-living" setups. Basically, if you wouldn't keep a cat in a cage that small, you shouldn't keep a rabbit in it either. They need room to binky. A binky is that frantic, twisting mid-air jump they do when they’re happy. It’s the ultimate sign of a rabbit that doesn't feel like it's about to be eaten by a hawk.
Understanding the Social Contract
Rabbits are intensely social. In the wild, they live in huge underground colonies called warrens. A solitary rabbit is often a depressed rabbit. They can actually die of loneliness—or more accurately, the chronic stress of isolation weakens their immune systems.
But you can't just throw two random bunnies together and hope for the best. They will fight. They will tear chunks of fur out of each other. It’s called "bonding," and it’s a grueling process that involves "dates" in neutral territory where neither rabbit feels like they own the floor. Once they bond, though? They’re inseparable. They groom each other's ears, sleep in "fluff piles," and mourn if their partner passes away.
What Rabbits and Bunnies Actually Eat (Hint: It's Mostly Grass)
If you look at the nutritional requirements for rabbits and bunnies, the breakdown is pretty lopsided. About 80% to 90% of their diet must be long-strand fiber. In most homes, this means Timothy hay or Orchard grass.
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Why hay?
Two reasons.
First, the gut movement we talked about earlier.
Second, their teeth.
Rabbit teeth are "elodont," meaning they never stop growing. Ever. They grow several inches a year. If they don't have coarse hay to grind those teeth down, the teeth will develop sharp points called "spurs." These spurs can slice into their tongue or cheeks, making it too painful to eat. At that point, you're looking at an expensive veterinary surgery to file them down under anesthesia.
The Pellet Trap
Many owners rely too heavily on those colorful bags of "rabbit food" from the grocery store. You know the ones—the bags filled with seeds, corn, and colorful dyed bits. Those are terrible. Rabbits are strict herbivores; they shouldn't eat seeds or corn. They can't even digest them properly. High-quality pellets should be plain green, hay-based, and limited to a very small portion of their daily intake. For an average-sized rabbit, we're talking maybe a quarter-cup a day. Not a bowlful.
Then there are the leafy greens. Romaine, kale, cilantro, and parsley are great. But even here, you have to be careful. Spinach and Swiss chard are high in oxalates, which can cause kidney stones if fed too often. It’s a bit like being a tiny nutritionist. You're constantly balancing calcium levels and fiber ratios.
The "Prey Animal" Psychology
You have to understand that to a rabbit, you are a giant, terrifying predator. Their eyes are on the sides of their heads, giving them nearly 360-degree vision, but they have a blind spot right under their nose. This is why they often startle when you try to pet them from the front.
They hate being picked up.
Truly.
When you lift a rabbit off the ground, their instinct tells them a hawk has grabbed them. They might kick out in a panic. Because their skeletons are so light and fragile compared to their powerful hind leg muscles, a rabbit can actually kick hard enough to snap its own spine.
Winning a rabbit's trust takes months. It involves a lot of sitting on the floor, ignoring them, and letting them come to you. They are the masters of the "cold shoulder." If you offend them—perhaps by moving their favorite cardboard box—they will literally turn their back to you and flick their back feet as they hop away. It's the bunny equivalent of a middle finger.
Health Red Flags You Can't Ignore
Because they are prey animals, rabbits and bunnies are experts at hiding illness. In the wild, if you look sick, you get eaten. By the time a rabbit actually looks sick, they are usually in a dire situation.
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- Not eating for 12 hours: This is an emergency.
- Small or misshapen droppings: A sign the gut is slowing down.
- Loud tooth grinding: Not the soft "purring" click, but a harsh grinding that signifies intense pain.
- Tilting the head: This often indicates a middle ear infection or E. cuniculi, a parasite that affects the nervous system.
Veterinary care for rabbits is also tricky. You can't just take them to any vet. You need an "exotic" vet who understands that certain antibiotics, like oral penicillin, are actually toxic to rabbits because they kill the "good" bacteria in the caecum.
Domestic Life: Litter Training and Bunny-Proofing
One of the coolest things about rabbits and bunnies is that they can be litter trained just like cats. They naturally want to go in one corner to keep their "burrow" clean. If you put a litter box in the corner they've chosen—and fill it with hay—they’ll do most of their business there while they eat.
The downside of having them in the house? They are "lagomorphs," and lagomorphs need to chew. To a rabbit, a baseboard looks like a tasty tree branch. A power cord looks like a pesky root blocking their tunnel.
I’ve seen rabbits take out an entire home theater system in three seconds flat.
Bunny-proofing is an art form. It involves plastic cord protectors, metal hardware cloth, and giving them enough "legal" things to chew on—like apple wood sticks or sea grass mats—so they leave your iPhone charger alone. Sorta. They’ll probably still try for the charger eventually.
The Longevity Reality
If you take care of them right, rabbits and bunnies can live 10 to 12 years. That’s a huge commitment. It's the same as a dog. People often buy them for children, thinking they’re "starter pets." They aren't. They’re fragile, expensive, and require a specific diet and environment.
But if you put in the work, they are incredibly rewarding. They have distinct personalities. Some are "naughty" and will intentionally knock things over just to get your attention. Others are "cuddle bugs" who will melt into the floor the moment you scratch behind their ears.
They don't bark. They don't meow. They communicate in "flops" and "zooomies."
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Practical Steps for New or Prospective Owners
If you're looking into getting a rabbit, or you already have one and realized your setup might be a bit "old school," here is how to pivot toward a healthier life for your bunny.
Ditch the cage immediately.
If you can't let them roam the whole house, get an exercise pen (X-pen) designed for dogs. It gives them vertical space and enough room to stretch out fully. Line the floor with rug scraps or foam mats so they don't slip on hardwood, which can cause "sore hocks."
Find an exotic vet now.
Don't wait until your rabbit stops eating at 11 PM on a Saturday. Call around and find a vet that specializes in lagomorphs. Ask them specifically if they perform "spay and neuter" surgeries on rabbits. Getting your rabbit fixed isn't just about babies; it prevents uterine cancer (which is incredibly common in female rabbits) and stops territorial spraying in males.
Build the "Hay Buffet."
Go to a local farm or a pet store and buy high-quality Timothy hay. It should smell fresh and look green, not brown or dusty. Provide an unlimited supply. A rabbit should basically be eating a pile of hay the size of their own body every single day.
Audit your treats.
Stop buying the "yogurt drops" sold in pet stores. They are pure sugar and bad for bunny guts. If you want to give a treat, use a tiny slice of apple (no seeds) or a single strawberry. Better yet, use a sprig of fresh mint or basil. They love the strong scent, and it's much safer for their digestion.
Observe the "Poop."
It sounds gross, but a rabbit owner’s best friend is their poop. You want to see large, round, crumbly "cocoa puff" looking droppings. If they get small, dark, or hooked together like a string of pearls (which is actually fur passing through), you need to increase their water and hay intake immediately.
Rabbits are complicated. They are demanding. They are also one of the most misunderstood animals in the domestic world. Moving away from the "hutch in the backyard" mentality is the first step in actually enjoying the weird, twitchy-nosed company of these creatures.