By Deborah Taylor-French on Dog Leader Mysteries
Do you have a pet rabbit? Want to know how to keep your rabbit happy and healthy?
Give Your Pet Rabbit Things They Love
- Rabbits love chewing. Serve him Timothy hay or Orchard Grass. Much healthier than a diet of only pellets.
- Rabbits love exploring. Set up cardboard boxes to hop into or on.
- Rabbits love to climb. Offer small step stools of metal or unpainted wood.
- Rabbits love special touches. Try stroking the back and head or pet the side of the face.
- Rabbits love to sniff and taste new things. Try dangling small treats. Fresh organic apple, mint, cilantro, chard or the shell of a snap pea make our rabbit stand up and beg.
- Rabbits love sneaking up on you. Relax on the floor near your rabbit as he hops around and on you.
- Rabbits love chinning. Get on your rabbits level. Be calm. Relax. Lie still. Let your rabbit put his or her chin over you. Don’t move.
Ask Tokyo Tuxedo, our rescue rabbit.

If he could talk, he’d say, “I know what I like. I like fresh garden greens. I like new tastes. I love my cheeks petted.” Read The Power of Petting.
We found Tuxedo at Bunny Day at Rohnert Park Animal Shelter. They have lovely rabbits like Tuxedo ready for families to love.
Rabbits enjoy doing their natural behaviors like climbing, jumping, leaping, and digging (use a carpet square). They love spinning around. Rabbits have fun when they are not kept from seeking and being curious. They love looking for new things to sniff, chew, shake, make noise with, and toss around. A set of plastic baby toys or pie tins work great.
Rabbits love watching other pets and watching you.
Rabbits have a sense of humor, too.
Watch this video of a rabbit that likes to do what his friend, a black cat does.
If you have a rabbit, tell me its name and what it loves to do.
If you rescue rabbits,tell me about it, please.
If you want a rabbit for a pet, be sure to learn as much as you can before you bring one home, and please adopt. Adult rabbits like Tuxedo come litter box trained. They know how to be still for a nail trim and will often hop into a travel crate, like Tuxedo, to go for a trip with you.
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Dear Hans-Jaap in the Netherlands,
Thanks for sharing your pet hamster video, making us laugh at how fast Mick can run. I wrote this post for you because your pet rabbits do not seem to know where their food is when you give it to them. Maybe try one of the herbs listed below. Their noses may be asleep.
I am thinking of giving our rabbit, Tokyo Tuxedo his own blog spot to tell us all about rabbits. He is an expert rabbit. Curious. Friendly. Athletic.
Warm wishes to you and yours,
Deborah
An Owners Guide to A Happy Healthy Pet: The Rabbit by Audrey Pavia
Thank you for stating that rabbits love to sniff and taste new things. I like to think that all animals love to try things they aren’t supposed to. I assume that on special occasions for your rabbit you take it to get a rabbit grooming by a professional.
Hi Amy, we had some technical difficulties but now we are back. Thanks for your comment. So far, we have learned from the animal shelter how to groom our rabbit. But if we need a professional, we will call one.
My Rabbits (Jojo and Mia). They will allow me to pet them for loger time when I really had a bad day and does check on me more than a usal day. They will be more patient with me on those rough days.
Thanks for your comment. Our pets know us so well and seem ready to help us feel better.
Seeing your photo of Tokyo Tuxedo rabbit, I’m reminded of the pet rabbit I had as a kid. Those happy memories gave me a big smile. Thank you!
Sweet moment for me to see your comment. Been missing reading your blog. —way to much going on here to explain. Please enjoy Easter at your ranch.
Thanks for your comment that photos of our Tuxedo rabbit helped you recall happy memories with a pet bunny you enjoyed as a kid.
Many thanks for sharing. It was a lovely trip down memory lane that made me smile.