That's right, the 15th – 22nd September is officially known as Rabbit Awareness Week! Working in conjunction with the RSPCA, PDSA and other animal charities, RAW aims to highlight the proper way to care for rabbits to ensure that that they have a long and happy life.

Unfortunately, rabbits are one of the most neglected pets in the UK. Often, parents buy them for their children after much nagging. This means that, when the children inevitably lose interest, the poor rabbit is left alone. Also, many people do not realise just what a rabbit requires to be healthy and comfortable.

Rabbit Awareness Week works to provide rabbit owners, current and would-be, plenty of information on just how to care for your pet, focussing on environment, behaviour, company health and diet.

For example, did you know that a rabbit hutch should be seen as just the ‘bedroom'? In the wild, rabbits have an area the size of 30 tennis courts to run around so you should make sure that you have a large run provided. If possible, this run should also give your rabbit access to your lawn so that they can graze on grass like they would in the wild. The run needs to be secure and safe from predators as well as containing areas of shade and a digging area.

When it comes to the rabbit hutch, it needs to be large enough to for your pets to stand up on their back legs without their ears touching the roof. They should also be able to make three large hops from end to end, as well as having their sleeping, eating and toilet areas kept separately. If you want to read more, such as how to create a rabbit paddock, head over to the Rabbit Awareness Week page on Environment.

Another important aspect of rabbit care covered by Rabbit Awareness Week is their diet. In the wold, 70% of a rabbit's time is spent foraging for food such as grass, hay or bark. This is why rabbits should always have access to large amounts of hay and grass. Not only is this good for their digestive system but the act of foraging helps to keep them entertained and stimulated. While pellet-style rabbit food will provide vitamins and nutrients, you should be careful to ensure that it is fed as a supplementary food and that hay is kept topped up instead. Again, you can find more information over on the Rabbit Awareness Week page on Diet.

Rabbit Awareness Week is also all about ensuring that you understand your rabbit's behaviour and that they have company. We won't go into this here, but we highly recommend that you have a read for yourself so that your rabbits have every need catered for.

Don't forget that The Pet Express has everything you need to care for your rabbit; whether it's upgrading to a large hutch and run or perhaps changing their food. Also, we love to hear from you, so if you have any rabbit care tips or stories to share, be sure to leave a comment below or chat to us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+!