A healthy and stable weight for your rabbit is very important. An animal that is too lean or too fat can quickly experience health problems. They are less agile, joint and paw problems arise more quickly, the internal organs start functioning less... As soon as the rabbit reaches adulthood, its weight has to remain more or less constant. Sudden changes often involve illness or other health problems.

So check out our handy tool here to find out if your animal has a healthy weight.

Tips to keep your rabbit's weight in check

A rabbit will easily become too fat because of an abundance of (unhealthy) food. First, try the tips below to get your animal to a healthy weight. It isn't working? Then consult a veterinarian who will be able to help you further.

1. Always provide plenty of clean drinking water.
2. Make sure your rabbit has unlimited access to high-quality hay. It is essential for their teeth and digestion, but it also keeps them occupied for a long time.
3. Provide extra toys, place boxes and trays for your animal to jump over or regularly move his feeder so your rabbit is much more active.
4. Reduce the number of sweets or sugary fruit and vegetables
5. Give your rabbit some more freedom than just his cage and release it in (part of) the garden. Just make sure it cannot get away.

A rabbit that is too thin is another matter. Weight loss is more likely to indicate a medical problem. In that case, it is better to consult a veterinarian immediately, instead of feeding your rabbit more food yourself.

How do I weigh my rabbit?

If you take a look at your rabbit, you will be a lot wiser. However, if you weigh your rabbit regularly, it will become clear to you. In this way, you can maintain the perfect weight much better and detect earlier whether it becomes too thick or too lean. Prevention is better than cure!

You can weigh your rabbit on a regular kitchen scale. Place your animal on it and read the weight. Won't it stay still? Then put some feed in front of it so it does not run away. If this does not work out either, you can put your rabbit in a tray or box. Do not forget to subtract the weight of the empty box from the total weight. In addition, reassure your rabbit so it feels comfortable. If you have a Flemish Giant Rabbit or another big rabbit, you might want to take a bigger scale. However, the principle of weighing remains the same.