Objective To establish a micro-invasive and well-controllable focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model in rabbits. Methods Sixty-six New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into model group (n=34) and sham operation group (n=32). The microwire was put into the right middle cerebral artery via femoral artery by interventional technique and maintained 2 h in model group, while in sham operation group the microwire was only put into the right middle cerebral artery and then withdrawn. The response to pain stimulation of left limb was examined, and the squatting and standing gesture and the walking gait were observed. Twenty-four rabbits in model group and sham operation group were sacrificed 6 h, 12 h and 2 weeks after operation, brain tissues were stained with 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC), and the conditions of infart lesions were observed. The left rabbits were sacrificed 2 weeks after operation, HE staining was performed for brain tissues, and the occlusion of middle cerebral artery and pathological changes of brain tissues were evaluated. Results Symptoms of hemiplegia emerged in rabbits of model group, and the success rate of model establishment was 94.12%. TTC staining of brain sections confirmed there were infart lesions 6 h after operation, and the extent of infarct lesions tended to be stable 12 h after operation. It was revealed by HE staining that there was obvious ischemic damage in the right territory of frontoparietal lobe. All the above changes were not observed in sham operation group. Conclusion The focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model in rabbits established by vascular interventional method is micro-invasive, well-controllable, stable and reliable, which is a favorable experimental animal model for research of focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.