Rabbit

In the registry

The IAGD registry holds 86 rabbits. A record carries an IAGD number and a public profile with photo, sex, date of birth, and colours. Breed is stored as the owner typed it. A record is public after an administrator approves it, and registration is free from the register page or the IAGD SuperApp.

Life with a rabbit

• Space. A hutch is a bedroom, not a home. A rabbit needs room to hop, run, jump, dig, and stand up on its hind legs, every day, with hiding places it can reach at any time.^[1]
• Company. Rabbits live in groups. A single rabbit does better with a neutered companion of the opposite sex, bonded slowly on neutral ground.^[2]
• Handling. Sit on the floor and let the rabbit come to you. Lift only when you must, with the hindquarters supported, and never by the ears.
• Chewing. Rabbit teeth grow all their lives. Hay wears them down; cables, skirting boards, and plants are what a bored rabbit chews instead. Rabbit-proof the room.
• Litter. Most rabbits take to a tray filled with paper litter and topped with hay.

Care basics

• Hay first. Good hay, as much as the rabbit wants, every day: a pile as big as the rabbit. Fresh leafy greens next, then a small measure of pellets. Muesli-style mixes and fruit are treats at most.^[3]
• Heat. Rabbits cannot sweat and pant poorly. In a Philippine afternoon a rabbit outdoors or in a closed room overheats. Keep it indoors, out of sun, with moving air and a cold tile or a frozen bottle to lie against. See Pets in the Philippine climate.
• The gut. A rabbit that stops eating or stops producing droppings for twelve hours is an emergency. See When to go to the vet now.
• Sterilisation. Spaying a female removes a high risk of uterine cancer and makes bonding possible; neutering a male stops spraying and fighting. See Why and when to spay or neuter.
• The veterinarian. Not every clinic treats rabbits. Find one that does before you need it, and ask about the vaccines available in the Philippines for rabbit diseases.

Breeds

Pet rabbits in the Philippines range from small dwarf types to large meat breeds kept as pets. The breed changes the size, the coat, and the grooming load; a long-coated rabbit mats and overheats fast in this climate. It does not change the diet or the need for space. Breed is stored as free text in the registry.

No breed articles exist for rabbits yet.

Laws and papers in the Philippines

• Welfare. Republic Act 8485, the Animal Welfare Act, covers rabbits as it covers every animal. See RA 8485 explained for pet owners.
• Registration. No national law requires rabbit registration.
• Transport. Moving a rabbit between islands or abroad needs the same Bureau of Animal Industry paperwork as any animal. See what is a BAI Veterinary Health Certificate.

The first year with a rabbit

Start here First-time rabbit owner guide 7 min read

1. 1 Before you bring a pet home 6 min read
2. 2 The first week at home 6 min read
3. 3 The first vet visit and the vaccination schedule 7 min read
4. 4 Food and water basics 6 min read
5. 5 Why and when to spay or neuter 5 min read
6. 6 How to identify and register your pet 5 min read
7. 7 Pets in the Philippine climate 6 min read
8. 8 When to go to the vet now 6 min read

Common questions

Can a rabbit live on pellets and carrots?

No. Hay is most of the diet. Pellets are a small measured supplement and carrots are sugar; a rabbit fed that way develops dental and gut disease.

Can a rabbit live outdoors in the Philippines?

Not safely in the hot months. Heat, rain, and predators, from dogs to rats, make an indoor room the safer home.

Do rabbits need vaccines?

It depends on which rabbit diseases are present and which vaccines a clinic can import. Ask a veterinarian who treats rabbits.

See also

• First-time rabbit owner guide
• Pets in the Philippine climate
• Registered rabbits

References

1. ^ RSPCA, Creating a good home for rabbits.
2. ^ RSPCA, How to keep a rabbit healthy and happy.
3. ^ RSPCA, Feeding your pet rabbit a healthy diet.