A rabbit is not a rodent and not an oversized hamster. It is an animal with continuously growing teeth, a sensitive gut and a need to move. Almost everything it needs is bought once — but before it arrives, not after.
Space, not a cage
Cages sold "for rabbits" are sized for an animal that fits in your hand, and built to fit a shop shelf. An adult rabbit cannot even stretch out in one.
Think of it differently: a rabbit needs room to take three or four hops in a row and to stand up on its hind legs without its ears touching the ceiling. That means a pen or a fenced corner of a room, with the cage inside it as nothing more than a shelter with bowls.
The floor must not be a wire grid. Wire floors injure rabbits' feet, and that is painful and slow to heal.
Hay, and plenty of it
Hay is not bedding and not a treat — it is the main food. It must be available at all times and without limit: a rabbit chews it for hours, and that is what wears down teeth that grow for life.
Buy a large bag of meadow or grass hay. It should smell of summer rather than damp, and should not be dusty.
What else you need straight away
**Heavy ceramic bowls.** Light ones get tipped over on the first day.
**A water bowl.** Rabbits drink more readily from a bowl than from a bottle — change the water daily.
**A litter tray and litter.** Rabbits use one corner, and litter training is easier than people expect. Use wood or paper litter. Clumping cat litter is not suitable: rabbits taste it.
**A hay rack.** Hay on the floor ends up in the tray anyway. The easiest arrangement is a rack above the litter tray.
**Branches to chew.** Apple, pear, willow — from trees that have not been sprayed. Stone-fruit trees (cherry, plum, apricot) are not suitable.
**A carrier.** You will need it on day one, and again for every vet visit.
What not to buy
**Muesli mixes** with grains, fruit pieces and coloured bits. A rabbit picks out the sweet parts and leaves the rest.
**Salt and mineral blocks.** On a proper diet they are not needed.
**A walking harness** — at least until the rabbit has settled in. Outdoors is riskier for a rabbit than it looks: infections, dogs, fright.
**A wheel.** That is not for rabbits.
What to do in the flat
Rabbits chew cables. This is instinct, not bad manners. Hide the wiring before the rabbit arrives, not after the first short circuit.
Move houseplants out of reach. Many of them are toxic to rabbits.
And a vet
Not every clinic treats rabbits: you need a vet who sees exotic pets. Find one in advance and save the number. A rabbit that has not eaten for a day is an emergency, not a "let's wait until tomorrow".
Ask that vet about vaccinations and parasite treatment: what is used and when depends on what is available in Kazakhstan.
In Mr. Petman you can create a profile for a rabbit, track its weight and work out a daily food amount — and the directory helps you find a clinic that accepts exotic animals.