AI Rabbit Care Assistant

Domestic Rabbit Husbandry, Diet, & Lagomorph Physiology

Domestic rabbits are delicate hindgut fermenters with unique digestive and skeletal biology. Providing proper high-fiber nutrition, expansive exercise space, and rabbit-proofed housing ensures a happy 8–12 year lifespan.

1. The 85% Grass Hay Foundation

A rabbit's digestive tract requires continuous coarse fiber to maintain gut motility and grind down continuously growing open-rooted teeth. Timothy, orchard grass, or meadow hay must make up at least 85% of their daily diet and be accessible in unlimited quantities. Alfalfa hay is fed only to growing kits under 6 months due to its high calcium and protein content.

2. GI Stasis Awareness

Gastrointestinal (GI) stasis occurs when gut motility slows or stops completely. If a rabbit stops eating, stops producing fecal pellets, or sits hunched in pain for more than 6–8 hours, immediate emergency veterinary intervention is required.

3. Housing, Litter Training, & Companionship

Rabbits should not be confined to small wire cages. Provide a large exercise pen (minimum 16–24 sq ft) or free-roam bunny-proofed room with soft flooring. Because rabbits are social herd animals, bonded pairs enjoy significantly better emotional health.