Hey, getting higher biles with gluttony or the craving system helps. More HP with the red bar, more damage with the yellow bar. Furthermore, always get your yellow/red bar level filled up to the maximum before going in combat.
As for rabbits, just stomping works well(
http://salemwiki.info/index.php/Stomp). Stomping has a bit of range. If you come near the rabbit, it jumps away without aggroing you. If you notice it running back to you again, you can stomp it when in your range, and its dead immediately.
As for other animals later on, this old guide helps:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12911