Why Rabbits Are Not Starter Pets: The 10-Year Care Reality

Quick answer

Rabbits are not low-maintenance "starter pets" for children, but rather complex, highly sensitive exotic animals that require a 10-to-12-year commitment. They demand strict dietary discipline, specialized veterinary care, and a spacious, indoor living environment to thrive.

Discover why rabbits are complex, high-maintenance exotic pets requiring a decad

:::key-facts

• Lifespan: 8 to 12 years, requiring a commitment similar to a medium-sized dog.
• Dietary Discipline: 80-90% of their daily intake must be fresh grass hay to prevent fatal digestive issues.
• Veterinary Classification: Classified as "exotics," meaning standard dog and cat clinics often cannot treat them.
• Housing Needs: Standard pet store cages are far too small; rabbits require large exercise pens or free-roaming setups.
• Social Nature: Highly social animals that are happiest and healthiest when kept in bonded, spayed/neutered pairs.
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Why it matters

For decades, pop culture has painted the domestic rabbit as a cheap, easy, cage-bound pet perfect for young children. This misconception has led to rabbits being the third most abandoned animals in shelters worldwide. The reality of rabbit ownership is vastly different from the myth. Rabbits possess a highly specialized, fragile physiology that makes them one of the most demanding companion animals you can bring into your home.

As prey animals, rabbits have evolved to hide any sign of illness, pain, or weakness. In the wild, showing vulnerability means becoming a predator's next meal. In a home environment, this evolutionary trait means that by the time an owner notices their rabbit is acting slightly quiet, the animal may already be in a life-threatening medical crisis.

Furthermore, their skeletal system is incredibly delicate. A rabbit's skeleton makes up only about 7% to 8% of its total body weight, compared to a cat's 12% to 13%. Their powerful hind legs can kick with such force that if they are held incorrectly and panic, they can easily fracture their own spine. This fragility makes them highly unsuitable for young children, who naturally want to pick up, squeeze, and cuddle their pets.

Finally, rabbits are legally and medically classified as exotic pets. This classification is not just a label; it dictates the cost and availability of their medical care. Standard veterinary training covers dogs and cats extensively, but avian and exotic medicine is a separate specialty. Finding a qualified exotic animal veterinarian can be difficult depending on your location, and routine procedures—such as spaying, neutering, or dental work—often cost double or triple what they would for a cat or dog.

:::ask-boo
How much does it cost to care for a rabbit annually?
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What good looks like

Providing proper care for a rabbit means restructuring your home and your daily schedule around their unique biological needs. A thriving rabbit is not kept in a small wire cage in a dark corner of a room. Instead, "what good looks like" is an indoor, free-roam or large-pen lifestyle where the rabbit is treated as a full member of the family.

A proper indoor rabbit setup provides ample space, soft flooring, and constant access to fresh hay.

First and foremost, a proper rabbit environment requires space. A rabbit must be able to take at least three consecutive hops, stretch out fully, and stand up on its hind legs without its ears touching the ceiling of its enclosure. For a standard-sized rabbit, this means a minimum of 12 square feet of living space, combined with at least 24 square feet of supervised exercise space for several hours a day. Many dedicated owners choose to "rabbit-proof" a spare bedroom or an entire living area, allowing their rabbits to roam freely just like a house cat.

Dietary discipline is the cornerstone of rabbit health. A rabbit's digestive tract is designed to process massive quantities of low-nutrient, high-fiber fibrous material. Their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives—up to several inches a year. To keep their teeth worn down and their gastrointestinal tract moving, they must have constant, unlimited access to fresh grass hay, such as Timothy hay, orchard grass, or meadow hay.

:::pro-tip
Never buy a wire-bottom cage. Rabbits do not have protective pads on their paws like dogs or cats; sitting on wire mesh causes a painful, deep bacterial skin infection called pododermatitis (sore hocks).
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In addition to unlimited hay, a healthy daily diet consists of a measured amount of fresh, leafy green vegetables (such as romaine lettuce, cilantro, and parsley) and a very small, strictly limited portion of high-quality, hay-based pellets. Treats high in sugar, including carrots and fruit, should only be given in tiny, bite-sized pieces occasionally.

Step-by-step

To understand the true commitment of rabbit ownership, it helps to look at a chronological roadmap of what a decade of care actually looks like, broken down by life stages.

Phase 1: Months 1 to 12 (Adolescence and Hormones)

During the first few months of life, a baby rabbit (kit) is sweet, docile, and relatively easy to handle. However, around four to six months of age, puberty hits like a tidal wave. Hormones flood their system, and owners are often shocked by the sudden behavioral shift.

• Step 1: Prepare for behavioral changes. Your once-sweet bunny may begin spraying urine on your walls, digging furiously at your carpets, chewing baseboards, and showing territorial aggression (such as lunging or nipping).
• Step 2: Schedule the spay or neuter. This is not optional. Beyond curbing destructive hormonal behaviors and making litter training possible, spaying is a literal lifesaver for female rabbits. Up to 80% of unspayed female rabbits develop uterine cancer (adenocarcinoma) by the age of four. Neutering males prevents testicular cancer and territorial spraying.
• Step 3: Establish litter training. Once altered, rabbits can be easily litter trained. Place a large litter box in the corner they naturally choose, fill it with paper-based bedding, and pile fresh hay directly inside or right next to it. Rabbits naturally eat hay while using the bathroom.

Phase 2: Years 2 to 7 (The Prime Maintenance Years)

Once past the turbulent teenage phase, your rabbit will settle into a predictable daily routine. These are the golden years of companionship, but they require unwavering daily discipline.

:::video{src="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/why-rabbits-are-not-starter-pets-what-10-years-of-care-really-looks-like/inline-2-1779984776197.mp4" poster="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/why-rabbits-are-not-starter-pets-what-10-years-of-care-really-looks-like/inline-2-still-1779984632254.png" alt="Close-up of a rabbit chewing Timothy hay with a lateral jaw motion."}
Chewing long-strand grass hay is essential for wearing down a rabbit's continuously growing teeth.
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• Step 1: Maintain strict dietary routines. Every single day, you must clean out old hay and provide fresh, fragrant grass hay. Ensure their water bowl (which they prefer over water bottles) is scrubbed and refilled daily.
• Step 2: Rabbit-proof your home continuously. Rabbits have an innate, biological urge to chew to keep their teeth worn down. You must protect your home—and your rabbit—by covering all electrical cords in hard plastic tubing, blocking access to baseboards, and removing toxic houseplants.
• Step 3: Annual veterinary wellness exams. Take your rabbit to an exotic veterinarian at least once a year. These visits must include a thorough dental exam using a speculum to check their back molars for sharp points (spurs) and annual vaccinations for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV2), a highly contagious and fatal virus.

:::ask-boo
What are the symptoms of RHDV2 in rabbits and is the vaccine safe?
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Phase 3: Years 8 to 12+ (The Senior Years)

Just like elderly dogs and cats, senior rabbits require specialized care, environmental modifications, and close medical monitoring as their bodies age.

• Step 1: Monitor for mobility issues. Senior rabbits frequently develop osteoarthritis in their hips and spine. You may notice them struggling to hop into their litter box or failing to groom their hindquarters.
• Step 2: Modify the environment. Swap out high-sided litter boxes for low-entry pans. Lay down extra rugs or thick foam mats over hardwood floors to provide traction and cushion their aging joints.
• Step 3: Manage chronic conditions. Senior rabbits often require daily pain medications (such as meloxicam) to manage arthritis, regular assisted grooming to prevent urine scald, and more frequent veterinary checkups to monitor kidney and dental health.

Signs something's wrong

Because rabbits are prey animals that actively mask their pain, you must become an expert observer of their subtle body language and daily habits. A healthy rabbit is alert, curious, and eager to eat. A sick rabbit will try to look completely normal until they can no longer physically manage the facade.

Learning to recognize the subtle facial expressions of pain in rabbits is crucial for early medical intervention.

Watch closely for these subtle signs of illness or pain:

• The "Hunched" Posture: A rabbit sitting tightly tucked up, with their eyes squinted and their ears pressed flat against their back, is often in severe abdominal pain.
• Changes in Fecal Output: Any reduction in the size, shape, or quantity of their droppings is an immediate warning sign. Small, misshapen, or dry droppings indicate their digestive tract is slowing down.
• Tooth Grinding: Loud, slow, grating tooth grinding is a clear sign of intense pain (not to be confused with the soft, gentle "tooth purring" they do when contentedly petted).
• Drooling or Wet Chin: Known as "slobbers," wet fur around the mouth, chin, or neck indicates severe dental disease, such as overgrown molars cutting into their tongue or cheeks.
• Head Tilt: If your rabbit's head is tilted to one side, or if they are struggling to maintain their balance and rolling over, they may be suffering from a middle ear infection or an infestation of the parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi.

When to call your vet

With rabbits, waiting even a few hours to see if a symptom improves can be the difference between life and death. Their rapid metabolism means that systemic decline happens incredibly fast.

:::warning
If your rabbit has not eaten anything or passed any feces in 12 hours, this is a life-threatening emergency. They are likely entering gastrointestinal stasis. Do not wait to see if they improve—go to an emergency exotic veterinarian immediately.
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:::video{src="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/why-rabbits-are-not-starter-pets-what-10-years-of-care-really-looks-like/inline-4-1779984935843.mp4" poster="https://storage.googleapis.com/decennium-global.appspot.com/knowledge_assets/care_guides/why-rabbits-are-not-starter-pets-what-10-years-of-care-really-looks-like/inline-4-still-1779984827318.png" alt="A veterinarian performing a gentle physical exam on a calm rabbit."}
Regular wellness exams with a specialized exotic veterinarian are vital to catch hidden health issues early.
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Contact your exotic veterinarian immediately if you observe any of the following:

• Complete anorexia: Refusing to eat their favorite high-value treats (like fresh herbs or fruit).
• Lethargy: Lying limp, refusing to move when approached, or showing no interest in their surroundings.
• Mouth breathing: Rabbits are obligate nasal breathers. If their mouth is open or they are gasping for air, they are in severe respiratory distress.
• Cold ears and body: A drop in body temperature (hypothermia) is a common and dangerous symptom of advanced shock or gastrointestinal stasis.
• Screaming: A high-pitched, vocal scream is an indication of extreme, acute pain or terror.

Common mistakes

Even well-meaning owners frequently make critical errors in rabbit care due to the abundance of misinformation available online and in pet stores.

• Keeping them in a cage: Cages restrict movement, leading to muscle atrophy, obesity, severe behavioral depression, and painful foot sores.
• Feeding muesli-style food mixes: Colorful commercial food mixes containing seeds, nuts, corn, and dyed pieces are highly dangerous. Rabbits will selectively pick out the fatty, sugary bits, leading to severe dental decay, obesity, and fatal gut blockages.
• Lifting them by their ears or scruff: This is incredibly painful and physically damaging. Always support a rabbit's hindquarters and hold them securely against your body to prevent them from kicking and injuring their spine.
• Using clay or pine litter: Clay clumping litters can cause fatal intestinal blockages if ingested. Pine and cedar wood shavings release aromatic phenols that can cause chronic respiratory irritation and liver damage in rabbits. Always use dust-free, recycled paper pellets.
• Ignoring a missed meal: Assuming a rabbit "just isn't hungry" is a fatal mistake. A dog can skip a meal safely; a rabbit cannot.

A safe litter box setup combines absorbent paper-based pellets with a large pile of fresh, edible hay.

Quick FAQs

Can rabbits be litter trained?

Yes, rabbits can be easily litter trained, especially once they have been spayed or neutered. Because they naturally urinate and defecate in one consistent area to mark their territory, you can encourage this by placing their litter box in their preferred corner and keeping a fresh pile of Timothy hay inside it.

Do rabbits get along with dogs and cats?

While you may see heartwarming videos online of rabbits cuddling with cats or dogs, this is highly risky. Rabbits are prey animals, while dogs and cats are natural predators. Even a gentle, playful swat from a cat can introduce deadly bacteria into a rabbit's thin skin, and a dog's predatory drive can be triggered instantly by a rabbit's sudden, rapid hopping movements.

Why is my rabbit eating its own poop?

This is a completely normal, healthy, and necessary behavior called cecotrophy. Rabbits produce two types of droppings: hard, dry round pellets, and soft, shiny, cluster-like droppings called cecotropes. Cecotropes are packed with vital nutrients, proteins, and beneficial bacteria. The rabbit eats them directly from their anus to digest them a second time and absorb these essential nutrients.

:::ask-boo
How do I safely introduce and bond two rabbits?
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