12 rabbit sitting tips: how to care for a rabbit

Considering a rabbit sitting adventure? Here we explore our top tips on how to care for thumper so you can guarantee a smooth time while pet sitting. For at-ease lettuce munching and hop, skipping and jumping, bounce right into this handy advice to keep your new bunny buddy happy and hopping.

And to be the best rabbit sitter possible, it’s not all about what you do while on the sit itself. Like many things in life, great rabbit sitting is partly in the preparation. So before we dive into how to care for a rabbit, we’ll explore some of the ways you can best prepare yourself for your rabbit sitting experience…

How to prepare for rabbit sitting

References

Before we get into what it’s like caring for a rabbit, let’s talk references. When setting up your sitter profile, it’s important that you upload your references. Don’t worry if you’re new to rabbit sitting as you can include character, landlord or an employer reference. We’d always recommend pet sitting locally first for another way to gain experience and of course a good reference! And while you may know you’ll give those bunnies all the love, care and attention they could ever need, there’s no way their pet parents can know that from the off. So, just make sure you’ve got as many references as you can to strengthen your profile, increase your chances of landing a rabbit sitting adventure and to help build trust between you and the pet parents. If you’ve been on a pet sit before, simply pop a request over to the previous pet parents you’ve sat for via your TrustedHousesitters dashboard.

Make sure your sitter profile is sparkling

Your TrustedHousesitters sitter profile is all prospective pet parents have to judge you on, so make sure it’s the best it can be! Get it sparkling by injecting your personality into your profile descriptions, as well as uploading images of you doing things you love, and images of you with any pets (check out these tips on choosing the perfect images for your profile). And of course, also provide your ID and background checks to help build that all-important pet parent-sitter trust ahead of your rabbit sitting adventures.

Put yourself in the pet parents’ shoes

If you’re stuck on what to write in your application message, sitter profile, or what to ask pet parents when chatting for the first time, put yourself in their shoes. Ask yourself what you’d look for in a pet sitter, if you had an adorable bunny at home who needs looking after, what would you want to know about your pet sitter? What are the most important qualities of a great rabbit sitter to you? And on the flip side, which qualities wouldn’t you look for in a pet sitter? Considering all of these important questions will help you to decide the sort of rabbit sitter you’re going to be, how to present yourself on your profile, and how to conduct yourself during your sit.

Write a personalised application message

While dog and cat sitting might be some of the more common sits available, it’s important to let the pet parents know you’re dedicated to looking after their bunny specifically. So, when you’re reaching out to pet parents looking for a loving sitter to take care of their beloved bunny, make sure you personalise your application message. Think about it from their perspective - pet parents want to know you’re passionate about pets and care about their welfare - not to mention having enthusiasm for their particular pet and home. So, when planning your application message, reference the bunnies themselves, the experience you have with those sorts of pets specifically and why you’d make a great fit for the sort of rabbit sitter they’re looking for.

Meet your new bunny buddy before sitting

We understand you might not be able to jet across the world, meeting prospective sits every time. But if you can, it can really help to build a relationship with the fluffy cutie you’ll be taking care of before pet parents take their leave. Just like any other pet, rabbits can suffer from anxiety. So, hop along to the home you could be staying in for a meet, greet and cuddle if you’re lucky! 

Ask pet parents for advice

While we can give you all the rabbit sitting tips in the world, the pet parents of the bunny you’re sitting are likely to know best. So, before your rabbit sitting adventure begins, ask the pet parents if they’ve got any tips (or even better, if they could provide a cheat sheet) so that you can make your bunny buddy’s time away from them a whole lot happier, healthier and more comfortable.

Research the rabbit breed before agreeing to the sit

Just like any other of our furry friends, there are many different breeds of rabbits, all needing different levels of care. So, find out about the breed you’re hoping to rabbit sit for and make sure they’re right for you. Once you’ve made up your mind, your knowledge on the particular breed could help your application message to shine!

How to care for a rabbit

Rabbit nutrition and hydration

The best thing you can do when it comes to how to look after a rabbit and feeding your new bunny pal it to stick to what they know. There are of course certain foods that we could recommend for a rabbit’s diet (like leafy greens and all that good stuff), but as a rabbit sitter, you shouldn’t be making any changes to your new pal’s diet while their pet parents are away. Follow the pet parents’ instructions perfectly, and make sure you keep their water bottle topped up at all times (and freezing it during any major heat waves). It’s also worth noting that rabbits are herbivores, so no meat or dairy products should be on the menu! And if the rabbits you’re taking care of are outdoors, it’s even more important to pay attention to the amount of food you’re giving them. And the same goes when caring for other fluffy cuties - take cats, for example. Depending on their age and health status, they'll need to be fed differently. Head to these cat sitting tips for more!

Rabbit litter

Depending on the pet parents’ preferences, there’ll be a different ways to catch the rabbit litter (maybe they prefer a litter box or even a cardboard box). And it’s pretty different to the way that cat litter is handled, so it’s worth doing your research before turning up to take care of somebody else’s pet bunny. Whatever the method, a big part of caring for bunnies while rabbit sitting is making sure their living space is clean and tidy. Check their litter area daily along with where they sleep and play (in case of any accidents), and give it a tidy up.

Keep up the exercise

To care for bunnies properly, you’ll need to make sure they’re getting enough exercise to keep them happy and healthy. Make sure they aren’t let out if it’s too hot as they’re prone to heat stroke, and if they run off, don’t chase them! Simply entice them with their favourite snacks and they’ll hopefully hop their way back over to you. And if you’re wondering why they’re running and jumping about, it means they’re having a whale of a time!

Keep them separate 

One of the most important things when learning how to care for rabbits (if there’s more than one) is to make sure you’re clear on which rabbits get along and which need to be kept separate. While some may fight, others may mate, so to avoid unwanted scraps or pregnancies, make sure that play time is done separately.

Handle them correctly

If you’ve never handled a rabbit before, it’s certainly worth watching a tutorial online, as they’re super fragile and must be picked up correctly. A big part of how to care for a rabbit properly while rabbit sitting is to follow the lead of the pet parents, and only pick up the bunny if they’re used to it or if you really need to. Scoop up the bunny with one hand under their abdomen, and support their hind legs or the front of their body with your other hand. If you’re new to caring for a pet rabbit, pick them up while you’re sat on the floor to keep the rabbit safe with a smaller distance to fall.

Want to hear what it’s like to go rabbit sitting?

Hear what it's like to sit for a rabbit from the lovely Sophie who told us all about her time looking after two adorable rescue bunnies, Poppy and Ivor.