Is your house rabbit happy, healthy and safe?

Ensuring your house rabbit is happy involves a blend of physical care, mental stimulation, and emotional bonding. Check out these key elements: 

• Spacious Living Area - A happy rabbit needs ample space for hopping, stretching, and playing. Rather than confining them to a small cage, consider providing a large pen or a room that's bunny-proofed. It's a common misconception that rabbits are inactive just because they seem still in a restricted area. However, this stillness isn't contentment but rather resignation. To truly observe your bunny's natural behaviors and ensure their well-being, they need the freedom to explore and exercise, which is vital for both their physical and mental health.
• Regular Exercise - Outside their pen, provide supervised access to a larger bunny-proofed area where they can run, jump, and play. Exercise is vital for their physical health and to prevent boredom. You'll be rewarded with zoomies, binkies, nose bonks and other adorable antics.  
• Proper Diet - Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems; It's geared to get the most nutrition out of scarcity which means it can easily get overloaded. Knowing what a healthy diet consists prevents serious digestive issues and promotes a long healthy life. A balanced diet is rich in hay, a large variety fresh leafy greens, and a limited amount of pellets. A well-hydrated rabbit also assists in digestive health. Leafy greens help provide that, but clean fresh water is a must. Water bowls are typically preferred because water bottles have a tendency to leak. Rabbits can also have other issues, like tooth misalignments, calcium absorption problems, mega colon which may require diet adjustments. Check out our Diet Page for the basics and special diet options.   
• Social Interaction - While solitary species like the cottontail rabbit thrive alone, Domestic Rabbits trace their origins to the European Wild Rabbit, which lives in groups or "herds". As social animals, they need interaction with humans and/or a bonded rabbit companion. Devote time daily to playing with, petting, and even just being near your rabbit to foster a deep bond.
• Mental Stimulation - Offer a variety of toys and change them regularly to keep things interesting. Tunnels, chew toys, balls, and other items they can toss or push around help keep their minds active and engaged.
• Chewing Opportunities - Rabbits teeth continuously grow, requiring regular chewing to prevent overgrowth. Without appropriate chew toys, everything in your home becomes fair game for their dental maintenance, including baseboards, furniture, remotes, and even hazardous electric cords. Supplying safe chewing items not only promotes dental health but also satisfies their innate need to chew. Untreated wood, cardboard houses, and rabbit toys keeps both your bunny and your home safe.
• Monthly Maintenance - Get to know your rabbit from head to toe.Check their ears, feel their body for lumps and bumps, comb their fur - especially during their molt cycles, trim their nails and check/clean anal glands (when needed). Check out our Monthly Maintenance page for detailed instructions. 
• Health Care - Finding a rabbit-savvy vet is vital to your rabbit's health. You may be surprised to learn that rabbits are actually considered “exotic”. A rabbit-savvy vet will have the extra schooling for “exotics” to address the specific health concerns unique to rabbits.
• Safe Hideouts - As prey animals, rabbits need a safe place where they can retreat when they feel scared or just want some alone time. Cardboard structures with two exits work well. (One exit can create a "trapped" feeling.)  
• Routine - Rabbits are creatures of habit that thrive on consistency, finding comfort and security in a regular routine for feeding, cleaning, and interaction. This predictability helps them feel safe and secure, as prey animals typically dislike surprises.

Creating a happy and fulfilling environment for your rabbit involves understanding and catering to their needs, which can vary from one rabbit to another. Observing your rabbit's behavior and preferences will help you fine-tune their environment and care routine to ensure they're not just healthy, but truly happy.

For more detailed advice and specific products we recommend visiting the BinkyBunny Forums, Information Pages, and our Store. They provide a community-driven wealth of knowledge tailored to rabbit care and safety along with proven products in our Store.

The Binky Team