Printable owner manual
Real space, unlimited hay, and GI (gastrointestinal) stasis caught early.
A 50-page printable manual with the space standard the pet aisle ignores, the hay-first diet that prevents most of what goes wrong, two pages on GI (gastrointestinal) stasis, bonding a pair, why spaying is not optional, the law in every state, and the printable owner tools.
Not sure yet? Download the first 5 pages free, contents page included.
- 50 pages, print or view
- Beginner to intermediate
- No external links inside the PDF
Edition 3.0
Oct 2026 路 50 pages
Care-sheet roulette
- A hutch a fraction of the size a rabbit needs
- Pellets as the meal and hay as the bedding
- A rabbit off its food, and a plan to see how it looks tomorrow
- An unspayed female and a cancer risk nobody mentioned
This guide
- 8 square feet of enclosure plus 24 of exercise space, 5 or more hours a day, in feet and meters
- Grass hay as 80 to 85 percent of the diet, unlimited, with greens and pellets by age
- GI (gastrointestinal) stasis on two pages, with the 8 to 12 hour rule that makes it a same-day vet call and not a wait-and-see
- Spay and neuter explained with the evidence, alongside bonding a companion
What's inside 路 50 pages
Everything from first setup to daily routine.
Housing and space
The 8 plus 24 square foot standard and where the pen goes, flooring, the litter box and litter, temperature, heat and cold, indoors versus outdoors, rabbit-proofing the room, and cleaning.
Diet: hay first
Diet by age, unlimited grass hay at 80 to 85 percent of the diet, greens, vegetables and measured pellets, treats, the never-feed list and water, and growth and body condition.
Handling and behavior
Picking a rabbit up with the spine supported, building trust, body language and normal behavior, enrichment and common mistakes.
Bonding, arrival and the law
Bonding a companion stage by stage, choosing a rabbit, quarantine and the first vet visit, sexing, spay and neuter, molting, grooming and nails, and where a rabbit is legal.
Health and red flags
GI (gastrointestinal) stasis on two pages, dental disease, flystrike and snuffles, sore hocks, bladder stones, uterine cancer and the parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi (E. cuniculi), the RHDV2 (rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2) vaccine and antibiotics, and reading droppings and cecotropes.
Owner tools
Setup checklist, emergency card, budget and shopping list, first 30 days, symptom reference, routine, outage and heat wave plan, leaving town and moving, pet-sitter sheet, and the logs.
Every page, section by sectionThe package's own contents page, all 50 pages of it. Nothing here is a teaser for something sold separately.
Getting Started
- How to Use This Package
Profile
- Quick Profile & Cost Overview
- The Species, Breeds, Size & Lifespan
Housing & Environment
- Enclosure Size, Type & Where It Goes
- Flooring, the Litter Box & Litter
- Temperature, Heat & Cold
- Indoors Versus Outdoors
- Rabbit-Proofing the Room
- Cleaning & Hygiene
Feeding
- Diet by Age
- Hay: the Base of the Diet
- Greens, Vegetables & Pellets
- Treats, the Never-Feed List & Water
- Growth, Weight & Body Condition
Handling & Behavior
- Handling & Building Trust
- Body Language & Normal Behavior
- Enrichment & Common Mistakes
- Companionship & Bonding
Arrival & Life Stages
- Choosing a Rabbit, Quarantine & the First Vet Visit
- Sexing, Spay & Neuter
- Molting, Grooming & Nails
The Law
- Is a Rabbit Legal Where You Live?
Health & Common Issues
- Red Flags & Finding a Vet
- GI Stasis: What It Is & Why Rabbits Get It
- GI Stasis: Signs, What to Do & Prevention
- Dental Disease
- Flystrike & Snuffles
- Sore Hocks, Bladder Stones, Uterine Cancer & a Parasite
- Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Vaccine & Antibiotics
- Reading Droppings & Cecotropes
Quick Reference
- Setup Checklist & Targets
- Emergency & Quick Targets Card
Owner Tools
- Budget: Setup & Shopping List
- Budget: Monthly & Yearly Costs
- First 30 Days
- Symptom Quick Reference
- Daily, Weekly & Seasonal Routine
- Power Outages & Heat Waves
- Leaving Town, Transport & Moving
- Pet-Sitter Sheet
- Owner Log
- Care, Vet & Bonding Log
- Enrichment Checklist & Log
Reference
- Glossary, A to G
- Glossary, H to Z
- Sources
- Where the Sources Disagree
- Version History & About
Take a look inside
The pages that catch it early.
Click a page to see it at full size. The contents page is complete; the others fade out where the paid content starts.
The first 5 pages, free
Pages 1 to 5 as a PDF: the contents page and the opening pages before the care sections start, so you can see every page the full package covers.
Who this is for
- New rabbit owners before the pen and before the rabbit
- Keepers who want a bonded pair and a plan to get there
- Anyone who wants the emergency card on the wall and the 8 to 12 hour rule in their head
What it's not
- Not a substitute for a rabbit-savvy veterinarian
- Not a live website mirror, a clean printable package instead
- Not a subscription, one purchase and every corrected edition is free
What changed
This is edition 3.0.
Bought before? Re-download free from your library. State legal status as of October 2026.
- 3.0, Oct 2026. Rebuilt on the current outline, 50 pages. Safety: first vaccine dose from 4 weeks, a second 21 days later, then yearly; uterine cancer risk up to 80% by 3 years in some strains; neuter bucks at 10 to 12 weeks once the testicles descend, does around 6 months; room 61 to 72掳F (16 to 22掳C), heat line about 80掳F (26 to 27掳C), temperature plus humidity 150 or less; vegetables at least 2 cups per 6 lb (2.7 kg) daily, 3 or more leafy greens; even one maggot is a flystrike emergency; scent glands cleaned by a vet or groomer; brushing weekly, daily in a molt; bladder stone signs: frequent urination, teeth grinding, weight loss. Legal: 52 jurisdictions, legal in 50, unclear in Minnesota and Nevada. Costs: every item priced and rounded to the nearest $5; setup $250 to $545; food and litter $60 to $135 a month; first year $1,320 to $3,045, later years $900 to $1,895; the budget now over two pages. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.1, Sep 2026. Safety: comfortable range 61 to 72掳F, heat ceiling 80掳F; nails and scent glands every 6 to 8 weeks; fast before surgery up to 3 hours, eating again within 2 to 3 hours; stasis at 8 to 12 hours. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.0, Sep 2026. Rebuilt, 39 pages. Replaced by 3.0.
- 1.0, Sep 2026. First edition, 22 pages. Replaced by 2.0.
Ready when you are
Rabbit Care Package
50 pages. PDF. Print it or keep it open on your phone, tablet, or computer. Yours the moment you check out.
Edition 3.0, published October 3, 2026. Paid through Stripe. The download link arrives on the next page, and it stays in your library for as long as the package exists, always as the current edition. Not a substitute for a vet.
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The free rabbit guide is still free
This package is the same research as our rabbit care guide, reformatted into an offline manual with the checklists, logs, and triage tables the web pages do not carry. Read the free guide first and buy this only if you want it in your hands.