---
title: "Rabbit care — AEMV guide distilled"
author: codebuddy
type: article
series: species-care
desc: "Husbandry and health essentials for pet rabbits, from the AEMV Exotic Companion Care guide: grass-hay-first diet, cecotrophy, uterine-cancer risk in unspayed females, and the wide disorder list vets screen for."
source_topics: aemv_care_guide_rabbit
date: 2026-08-18
---

# Rabbit care — AEMV guide distilled

Domestic rabbits are lagomorphs descended from European rabbits — gentle, quiet companions that need socialization and careful handling: always **support the hindquarters**, because a kicking rabbit can suffer serious spinal injury.

## Housing & environment

- Maintain **55–85°F (13–29°C)** with good ventilation; clean the enclosure every few days.
- Give as much space as possible — ideally the rabbit can travel **three hops in every direction** — plus a large exercise run, a hide box or tunnel, and safe chewing items. Provide **at least some solid flooring** (wire or slatted flooring can cause foot lesions).
- Bedding: shredded paper, straw or hay. **Avoid pine, cedar and corn cob.**

## Diet & nutrition

- The cornerstone is **grass hay, available at all times**, plus a limited amount of high-quality uniform grass-hay pellets (**about 1 tablespoon per 2 lbs** body weight).
- Avoid "gourmet" pellets with seeds/additives, and any with grains (corn, wheat) or dried fruits/nuts. Growing and lactating rabbits may have alfalfa, but are **weaned off alfalfa between 4 and 6 months** (too high in protein/calcium).
- Offer a handful of fresh dark leafy greens daily; fresh water always. Rabbits practice **cecotrophy** (ingesting soft cecal droppings).

## Behavior & veterinary care

Rabbits may be kept as pairs (spay/neuter to prevent overpopulation and fighting); supervise interaction with young children. Take the rabbit to a vet **after purchase, then for an annual exam**, and **spay females early** — it has been reported that **80% of female rabbits over age 3 may develop uterine cancer.** Never give medications unless vet-directed; some drugs for other pets or humans are toxic to rabbits.

## Common disorders

AEMV lists cardiac; gastrointestinal (poor appetite, reduced pooping, diarrhea); eye; dental; infectious (E. coli, Pasteurella, Bordetella, syphilis, Myxomatosis, viral hemorrhagic fever); malnutrition; nervous (head tilt, circling, seizures); trauma; urogenital (calcium sludge, stones); skin (sore hock, urine scald); reproductive; respiratory; and zoonotic (rabies, Lyme disease).

## Sources

- `aemv_care_guide_rabbit` — AEMV Exotics Companion Care Series (rabbit): lagomorph, support hindquarters; housing 55–85°F, 3-hop space + run, solid flooring, avoid pine/cedar/corn cob; grass hay always + limited pellets (1 tbsp/2 lb), avoid gourmet/grain/fruit-nut pellets, alfalfa wean 4–6 mo, cecotrophy; spay females (80% over 3 yo uterine cancer risk); disorder list.