New Rabbit Checklist: What to Prepare Before Your Rabbit Comes Home

Rabbits chew cables, hide behind furniture and are easily stressed by a sudden change of food or home. Most problems in the first weeks come from a setup that was not quite ready and a diet that changed too fast. A checklist completed before your rabbit arrives — and a simple plan for the first 30 days — makes the start calmer for both of you.

What to Include

• Housing — an indoor pen or hutch with a secure run, big enough for your rabbit to move freely
• Hay first — a hay rack and a steady hay supply, plus pellets and a heavy bowl
• Litter setup — a litter tray and paper-based litter
• Bunny-proofing — cables covered or lifted, skirting boards protected, toxic plants removed
• Hides, tunnels and chew toys — rabbits need somewhere to retreat to
• A rabbit-savvy vet — registered before you need them, with a first check booked
• A diet record — what the rabbit was eating before, and each new green you introduce
• A plan for the first 30 days — quiet settling, letting the rabbit come to you, starting litter training
• Sitter instructions — feeding, free-roam rules and what to report

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Changing food on day one instead of introducing new greens gradually
• Leaving cables and skirting boards unprotected during free-roam time
• Picking the rabbit up too much in the first days
• Not finding a rabbit-savvy vet until something goes wrong
• Rushing introductions when bonding two rabbits

Frequently Asked Questions