Do you have pet rabbits, or are you thinking about having some pet rabbits join your family? Do you know all there is to know about rabbits, how long they live, what they eat and other general facts about rabbits?

Whether you’re a seasoned bunny owner or a newbie pet rabbit parent, there are likely to be things you don’t know about them! We’ve tried to answer a few frequently asked questions about rabbits for you here…

How long do rabbits live?

In the wild, healthy rabbits live to around nine years of age. But how long do rabbits live as pets?

The age range varies depending on breed and size. And because we’re able to give our rabbits lots of TLC and specialised veterinary care when they’re ill, they generally live longer than their wild relatives.

Large rabbit breeds don’t tend to live as long as smaller breeds. For example, the Miniature Lop and Netherland Dwarf can live as long as 12 years. Larger breeds like the British Giant may only live for around 6 years. Age also depends on health; a healthy rabbit that has received proper care and is fed a healthy, balanced diet will live longer than one that isn’t!

What do rabbits eat?

Rabbits need a high fibre diet to make sure their digestive tract keeps moving properly. If they go for any length of time without eating, their digestive tract will slow down or stop completely (known as gastrointestinal stasis), which can be fatal for a rabbit.

To prevent stasis, rabbits should be fed a high-fibre diet consisting of hay or of fresh grass. This constant supply should make up the majority of your rabbit’s diet (around 80%). The rest can be made up of fresh veg and commercial rabbit pellets. Pellets are designed to provide your rabbits with a high-fibre diet containing all the nutrients needed for a healthy, balanced diet.

What vegetables should rabbits eat?

There are lots of vegetables that are safe for rabbits to eat. Here are a few common ones they can safely eat without causing any tummy issues that you may have in your fridge:

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Green/red/yellow peppers
• Spinach
• Swede
• Parsnip

What should you not feed your rabbit?

Dark leafy green veggies, like kale and spring greens, and other garden greens, like dandelions, have lots of calcium, so they shouldn’t be fed too often. Always wash any greens, and only feed them if they’re nice and fresh - throw any that have wilted or gone off!

What are newborn rabbits called?

A newborn rabbit is called a kit or kitten (like a baby cat)! Not to be confused with a leveret, which is a baby hare. Kits are born without any hair, are deaf and blind, and, depending on their breed, usually weigh only 25-40 grams, which is tiny.

They’re completely dependent on their mother to keep them safe and fed. They start hearing and seeing around 5 and 10 days old. And by the time they’re a couple of weeks old, they’ll have grown some fur and start to look like little miniature rabbits.

What are young rabbits called?

Young rabbits are called kittens, or kits for short. They’re referred to as kits until they’re fully grown. They generally reach adult size and maturity at around 10 to 14 months. This varies depending on their breed.

Once they’re fully grown, a female rabbit is called a doe, and a male rabbit is called a buck. Other terms you may hear are ‘kindling’, which is the word used for a doe giving birth, ‘dam’, which is a mother rabbit, and ‘sire’, which is a father rabbit.

Are rabbits rodents?

No! Rodents are small mammals belonging to the order Rodentia, such as mice, rats, and guinea pigs. Although rabbits are also small mammals, they belong to the order Lagomorpha.

The difference between the two is that rodents have only two incisors in their upper jaw, whereas rabbits have four! You may be surprised that rabbits have four, but they do… they have a tiny pair of incisors right behind their top ones, called ‘peg’ teeth. These peg teeth help the rabbit to cut through tough vegetation when eating.

How long are rabbits pregnant for?

Rabbits, or does, aren’t pregnant for very long. They have evolved over millennia to reproduce very quickly. The exact number of days depends on the breed, but generally, rabbits are pregnant for about a month.

On average, a doe will have a litter of about 6 kits, but can have as many as 12. The largest litter of baby rabbits ever recorded was 24, but this has only been reported twice so is very uncommon!

You must have heard the common phrase “breeding like rabbits.” Well, this probably came about because rabbits are prolific breeders. They can start breeding at a very young age, aren’t pregnant for very long, and can have several litters every year with multiple kits in each litter.

Do rabbits hibernate?

No! Rabbits are awake and active all year round. They have adapted over time in several ways to survive the cold winter months, which is when animals usually hibernate.

Wild rabbits burrow underground, making a warren of tunnels and dens. They’ll line their dens with vegetation so they can keep snuggly and warm. They’re also good at finding food. If there’s not enough grass for them to eat, they’ll snack on tree bark, twigs and any other plants they can find.

Rabbits also eat their own caecotrophs, which helps them maximise their nutritional intake when other sources of food are scarce. They also grow a thick winter coat, which helps to keep them nice and warm.

What is a group of rabbits called?

There are lots of words used to describe a group of rabbits. You may already have heard some of the more common terms like colony, nest, and, of course, ‘litter’ for a group of baby rabbits.

But there are quite a few other nouns used for a group of bunnies that you may not be so familiar with like:

• Warren
• Herd
• Bury
• Drove
• Bevy
• Trip
• Trace
• Fluffle… yes, this is a real term!

Rabbits are social animals, and one colony can have as many as 50 rabbits in the group. These groups also feature quite a complicated hierarchy. Because rabbits love company, it’s always recommended to keep them as pets in pairs or larger groups.

Are rabbits nocturnal?

No! Nocturnal animals are only active at night. Wild rabbits, on the other hand, are crepuscular, meaning they’re mostly active at dawn and dusk. They’re also active at nighttime, but not as much.

You’ll still see the odd rabbit out during the day, but rabbits can sleep up to 14 hours a day, and they tend to do most of it in the afternoon.

Pet rabbits tend to become diurnal, which means they’re mostly active during the day. This tends to be because of the goings on around them, our interactions with them, and when we feed them.

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