Rabbit Daily Care Checklist: Feeding, Cleaning, Exercise, and Health Checks

Start with unlimited grass hay such as timothy, orchard, or brome hay. Hay should be available at all times because rabbits are constant grazers, and the long fiber supports normal digestion and tooth wear. Merck advises unlimited high-quality grass hay for rabbits, with a smaller amount of timothy-based pellets and a portion of fresh vegetables.

For most healthy adult rabbits, offer timothy-based pellets in a measured amount, not free-choice. VCA recommends about 1/8 to 1/4 cup per 5 pounds of body weight per day for adult rabbits. Overfeeding pellets can contribute to obesity and soft stool. Young rabbits under about 7 to 8 months have different needs, so ask your vet what diet fits your rabbit’s age and body condition.

Add leafy greens daily. Merck lists about 1 cup of fresh vegetables per 2 pounds of body weight per day, while VCA suggests 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mixed leafy greens daily as a supplement. In practice, your vet may tailor the amount based on your rabbit’s size, stool quality, and medical history. Good options often include romaine, bok choy, cilantro, basil, and carrot tops. High-sugar items like fruit and carrots should stay limited.

Refresh water at least once daily, and more often if the bowl gets soiled. Bowls work well for many rabbits, though some also use bottles. Check that bottles are flowing and not clogged. A rabbit that suddenly drinks much less, eats less, or leaves hay untouched needs prompt attention from your vet.

Clean the litter box every day. Merck includes daily litter box cleaning in routine rabbit care, and contaminated housing can increase stress and hygiene problems. Scoop out wet litter and droppings, replace soiled paper-based litter, and keep hay separate from urine when possible. Many rabbits like to eat hay while using the litter box, so a hay rack placed above or beside the box can help.

Do a quick check of the enclosure each day. Remove wet bedding, wipe obvious messes from food and water dishes, and make sure flooring is dry and non-slip. Once a week, plan a deeper clean of the enclosure, litter pan, bowls, and water systems with a rabbit-safe cleaning routine, then rinse and dry everything well before your rabbit goes back in.

Housing should allow your rabbit to stand up fully, stretch out, and move comfortably even when not out for exercise. Rabbits are not meant to spend all day in a small cage. Daily care works best when the home setup makes healthy habits easy: hay always available, water easy to reach, litter box accessible, and chew items rotated in regularly.

Replace bedding and chew toys as needed. Cardboard, untreated wood, and timothy-based chew items can help satisfy normal chewing behavior. If your rabbit suddenly stops chewing favorite items or seems messy around the mouth, that can be an early clue to dental pain and should be discussed with your vet.

Rabbits need daily supervised exercise and play time outside the enclosure. Merck recommends letting rabbits out daily for supervised exercise, and Merck’s housing guidance notes that daily roaming in a safe area helps prevent boredom and supports health. Aim for a rabbit-proofed space where cords, baseboards, houseplants, and small swallowable objects are blocked off.

Use exercise time for both movement and mental stimulation. Tunnels, cardboard boxes, paper bags without ink-heavy coatings, forage toys, and safe chew items encourage natural behaviors like exploring, digging, and chewing. Scatter a portion of leafy greens or hay in different spots to encourage foraging rather than bowl-only feeding.

Watch how your rabbit moves. A healthy rabbit should be curious, willing to hop, and able to get in and out of the litter box without obvious struggle. Reluctance to move, hiding more than usual, sitting hunched, or grinding teeth can signal pain. Those changes matter even if your rabbit is still eating a little.

If your rabbit lives with a bonded companion, supervised exercise also gives you a chance to watch their social behavior. Normal grooming and resting together are reassuring. Chasing, mounting, or guarding food can mean the setup needs adjustment or that one rabbit may not feel well.

Take one to two minutes each day for a quick health check. Look for normal appetite, normal droppings, normal breathing, and normal behavior. VCA notes that decreased appetite, lethargy, dehydration, and reduced fecal pellet formation are important warning signs in rabbits, especially with gastrointestinal problems.

Check the litter box output. Healthy rabbits should pass regular fecal pellets throughout the day. Fewer droppings, very small droppings, misshapen stool, or no stool are reasons to call your vet. Remember that cecotropes are soft nutrient-rich droppings rabbits usually eat directly, so you may not see them often. Soft stool stuck to the fur or persistent uneaten cecotropes deserves attention.

Look at the face and coat. Watch for a wet chin, drooling, nasal discharge, eye discharge, sneezing, crusting around the nose, or matted fur around the rear end. Feel for new lumps, check that the rear stays clean and dry, and notice whether grooming seems normal. Long-haired rabbits often need more frequent brushing, and Merck advises daily grooming for long-furred rabbits.

See your vet promptly if your rabbit is not eating, is eating much less, has fewer droppings, seems bloated, breathes with effort, or acts weak. VCA warns that a rabbit that stops eating can decline from mild illness to a life-threatening condition in a matter of hours.

A practical routine can make care easier to remember. Morning: refill hay, wash and refill the water bowl or bottle, offer measured pellets and leafy greens, scoop the litter box, and confirm your rabbit is bright, eating, and producing normal droppings.

Afternoon or evening: provide supervised exercise in a rabbit-proofed area, rotate enrichment toys, do a quick coat and rear-end check, and top off hay again. Many pet parents find that splitting greens into two smaller servings works well for rabbits that get excited at mealtime.

During shedding periods: add extra brushing. Merck recommends daily brushing for long-furred rabbits and at least twice-weekly brushing for short-furred rabbits, with extra attention during heavy shed. This is also a good time to check nails, though nail trimming is usually needed every few weeks rather than daily.

Weekly and yearly reminders: deep-clean the enclosure weekly and schedule routine wellness visits with your vet at least yearly, or more often if your rabbit is older or has chronic health issues. Exotic-pet exam fees in the US commonly run about $75 to $150 for a routine visit, while emergency exam fees often start around $150 to $300+ before diagnostics. Costs vary by region and clinic.