(Bunny Rabbit's can live more than 10 years with the proper care)
Things you will need for a Bunny Rabbit:
Water:
You may like to use a watering bottle or a water crock There are Automatic water system also. It is impotent that Bunny Rabbit has plenty of fresh water at all times.
Rabbit pellets :
Use a good rabbit pellet that has high fiber 18% and a low protein 14% to much protein will cause your bunny to get fat
Hay:
Timothy,Oat or Grass Hays are good
Fresh fruit and Vegetables :
Feed a couple time a week in small amounts do not feed young bunnies fruits and vegetables until they are about 3 in a half months old.
Water:
A water bottle, or crock is great , Or there or Automatic water systems it is impotent that your bunny has plenty of fresh water at all times
Cage:
The cage or hutch should be large enough for The Bunny Rabbit to move around and sit up in, it should have a very small wired bottom (if the wire is too large it hurts the bunny's feet causing a painful condition called sore hocks.)If the bottom of the cage has large holes put in a wooden or rubber mat for the bunny to stand on.
Cage sizes for a Bunny Rabbits
 |
Small breeds—2 1 / 2 x 2 1 / 2 ft. = 6 1 / 4 sq. ft.
Medium breeds—2 1 / 2 x 3 ft. = 7 1 / 2 sq. ft.
Large breeds—2 1 / 2 x 4 ft. = 10 sq. ft. |
Littler box:
Bunny Rabbits will us a litter box and is a great thing if your bunny rabbit will be indoors
Toys:
Bunny Rabbits love to play with toys they get board very easy, Toys can be wooden, straw baskets, pinecones, hard plastic avoid giving soft plastic items
Nail Cutters:
Bunny Rabbits need there toe nails cut
******More in-depth Rabbit Care ******
******More in-dept on Rabbit Care ******
Water:
Bunny Rabbits should have fresh water at all time, there are many ways to do this the easiest way is a automatic watering system, however if you only have one or two bunnies you may not want to invest in a automatic water system, You can use a water bottle, this is great way to keep water fresh handy at all times, Another way is by using a crock or bowl, if you choose to use a crock or bowl be sure to check on their water a couple times a day. Once a week you should be sure to sanitize your rabbits water bowl or water bottle, use a mild dish soap and warm water rinse well.
Frozen bottles,Frozen tiles:use when temperatures are over 80 degrees and when the humidity is above 70%
Bunnies do not sweat very easy they have a few sweat glads in the ears and on the pads of their feet it is importain to keep them cool on hot days (Heat stress is serious signs include: Redness in ears, weakness, slobbering, refusal to more around, Delirium, Convulsions and even death)
A Frozen bottle, use a 2 liter soda bottles, that has been cleaned out and filled with water then Frozen, On hot days place the frozen bottle in the Bunny Rabbit's cage, it will help keep the Bunny Rabbit cool, the Bunny Rabbit will love to lay next to the frozen bottle, this is a must in hot weather, A Bunny Rabbit will not drink this water they will only use it to cool off, Another way is by freezing a ceramic tile and placing the tile in the cage, for your Bunny Rabbit to lay on and cool off.
Cooling off a over heating Bunny Rabbit:
The best way is by using frozen water bottles, or frozen title on the real hot day so your Bunny Rabbit never gets to hot . However if the Bunny Rabbit does get over heated you need to cool him down. To do this you could lightly mist him off being sure to mist the ears, or you could wipe him down with a cool damp towel being sure to wipe the Bunny Rabbit's ears.
Bunny rabbits regulate their body temperature through their ears, by feeling the Bunny Rabbits ears you will be able to feel heat, you may even see your bunny rabbit patting these are sign that the bunny rabbit is over heated, and you should cool the bunny rabbit down right away.
(Heat stress is serious signs include: Redness in ears, weakness, slobbering, refusal to more around, Delirium, Convulsions and even death)
Feeding a Bunny Rabbit:
Bunny Rabbits will overeat, be careful not to over feed, it is very unhealthy for bunny rabbit to become over weight.
Pellets
The main food for a Bunny Rabbit should be Pellets- feed them about 1/4 cup per every 5 lbs. per day
The main food for a Bunny Rabbit should be Pellets- feed them about 1/4cup per every 5 lbs. per day, It is best to use a good brand of pellets this will help keep your Bunny Rabbit healthy. Here at Bunnies by L.Rox we feed them Purina Rabbit Chow. When looking for a good brand of Rabbit Chow be sure it has at least 18% fiber and around 14% protein (do not want higher protein 14% is great) you will want to make sure the Rabbit chow is not full of dust for the Bunny Rabbit will not eat the dust.
HAY
Bunny Rabbits need hay- Timothy hay or orchard hay's are some of the best hays for Bunny Rabbits.
(It is important that Bunny Rabbits are given hay they need it keep from having digestive problems)
Hay helps Bunny Rabbits with their digestive system, it also provides fiber that help prevent blockages, health problems like hairball's obesity and diarrhea.
Alfalfa and Legume hay are very high in protein, calcium and calories making it not a good hay for Bunny Rabbits.
If you do feed Alfalfa hay to your Bunny Rabbit be sure to limit the quantities and not to feed it to Bunnies less than 3 mos. Old
Using a hay feeder will help keep the hay off the floor of the cage, when hay is put on the bottom of the cage the Bunny Rabbit will want to use it like litter.
Vegetables & Fruit
Vegetables and Fruit are a great way to provide your Bunny Rabbit with roughage and vitamins and giving them a treat at the same time, when introducing new vegetables or fruits just give them one kind at a time to see how they react to them, if the Bunny Rabbit has diarrhea or a soft stool eliminate that type of vegetable or fruit. When buying vegetables you will want to get dark leafy vegetables and or root type introduce one new vegetable or fruit at a time to see how the Bunny Rabbit will react to it.
BESURE TO CHECK OUT THE TOXIC PLANT Page see list
Vegetables/Fruits- should be started at about 3 months before your rabbit is 3 months there main food should be a good rabbit pellet and then vegetables like romaine and leaf lettuces ( do not feed iceberg lettuce this will make them sick) , parsley, cilantro., collard greens, dandelion greens, or endive, best to give dark green vegetables. Carrots should be given as treats they are very starchy give them sparingly, other types of treats are Apples with out the seeds, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pears, plums and peaches again without the seed. Plums and melons (melons do not give them the skin), Bunny Rabbits also like Raisins, grapes and bananas they are good but only once in a while they have a lot of sugar.
Salt blocks are not need if you feed a good rabbit pellet it is ok to use them if you choose. But again not need if eating a good rabbit pellet.
*****Do Not Feed ******
Bunny Rabbit should not be feed: iceberg lettuce, cabbage, corn ,tomatoes, potatoes, beets, onions rhubarb, bamboo, beans and peas seeds and grains Never feed your Bunny Rabbit Chocolate, candy, anything that has mold on it the mold will make your Bunny Rabbit sick. If you have any questions on what not to feed your Bunny Rabbit just give your veterinarian a call.
BUNNY RABBITS LOVE TO CHEW:
Bunny Rabbits natural behavior is to chew be sure to give your Bunny Rabbit things to chew on they like wooden toys (make sure they are not treated wood and if colored be sure it is food safe), wooden blocks, pinecones (should be cleaned first in a water bath for 30 min's or more), paper towel or toilet rolls they like baskets to chew. Be careful not to give you're Bunny Rabbit a toy with sharp edges, loose parts or soft rubber that could be swallowed, it could cause major problems for the Bunny Rabbit.
Veterinarian:
Bunny Rabbits can go to a veterinarian for checkups, Check with the veterinarian before you go to make sure they treat Bunny Rabbits, some veterinarians do not.
Spay or neutering your Bunny Rabbit. If you are not thinking of breeding, this way you will not get unwanted litters, spaying and neutering has great health benefits, by spaying a Doe (female) Bunny Rabbit it will help her not to get cancer of the reproductive area, By neutering your Buck (Male) Bunny Rabbit help in eliminating the risk of testicular cancer, it helps also with spraying, male Bunny Rabbits will spray just like a male cat does. The Spaying and neutering also helps in calming the Bunny Rabbits down.
Holding A Bunny Rabbit:
Bunny Rabbits are small and fragile animals be careful when you pick them up, place on hand underneath the front of your Bunny Rabbit and the other hand underneath his back side.
The Hind legs of a Bunny Rabbit are very strong and they could scratch with their toe nails, be sure to support their hind legs.
DO NOT pick a Bunny Rabbit up only by the ears, Do not allow a Bunny Rabbit to hang freely they must be supported , this makes them feel safe and is better for the Bunny Rabbit.
Grooming:
Teeth: Check the Bunny Rabbits teeth often be sure they are not over growing if your Bunny Rabbits teeth get to long they will need to be trimmed and they will have a hard time eating. A good way to keep this from happing is to keep a cube of wood of some type in there cage at all time so they may chew on it
Trimming Nails:
(should be done every 4 to 6 weeks)
Trim Bunny Rabbits nails on a regular basic, this is very easy to do, by using trimmers for dog or cat or just a good pair of toe nails clippers, cut their nails just below the quick. The quick is a blood vessel it can be seen in the toe nail, the quick is a pink color you will want to cut just below it, (if having trouble seeing the quick you can use a flash light and hold it up to the underside of the nail making it easier to see, if you cut a bit to high the nail will bleed if this happens use quick stopper or cornstarch works very well to stop the bleeding .
Hair /Fur:
Bunny Rabbits need to be brushed some Bunny Rabbits may need more brushing than others due to having more fun. To brush a Bunny Rabbit use a small brush a small dog or cat brush will work just find , Brush them softly you do not want to push hard for the skin on the Bunny Rabbit is soft. There are 4 types of fun normal, rex velvet, satin and wool.
(Here at Bunnies by L.Rox we brush all our Bunnies every 2 weeks and more if need)
Common Health problems:
Ear minutes, sore hooks, ear infections and urinary track infections, hairballs, diarrhea,bacterial infections, and respiratory problems (cause from wood chips) if you think your Bunny Rabbit is sick see a vet.
Litter Box training:
A Bunny Rabbit can be trained to use the litter box just like a cat (do not use pine litter or clay or clumping litter it could cause repertory and liver problems) use a paper base litter or shredded newspaper, to clean the litter box use Vinegar, Vinegar is great it cuts through the urine smell, you may want to soak your litter box for a little while once each week. A Bunny Rabbit will pick an area in the cage to use this is where the litter box should be placed, The Bunny Rabbit should start using the litter box, If the Bunny Rabbit changes his spot just move the litter box, before you know it the Bunny Rabbit will only use his litter box (a cat litter box or a old cake pan can be used) The Bunny Rabbit may kick the litter out if this happens try using a heavier litter. Starting litter box training makes it much easier to teach the Bunny Rabbit, once your Bunny Rabbit has been using the litter box in their cage allow them to get out and play, in the area you want to allow the Bunny Rabbit to be in don't forget to provide a litter box, at first you may want to watch your Bunny Rabbit if you find that the Bunny is not using the litter box but one area just move the litter box to that area soon the Bunny will use the litter box.You could find that your Bunny Rabbit will lay in the litter box, they will do that.Dont allow your bunny's litter box to become over full you will want to clean it often.
TOYS:
Bunny Rabbits like to play with toys you don't need to spend a lot of money on toys they like toilet paper or paper towel rolls old baskets and boxes you should give them a cube of wood of some type so they may chew on it this will help keep their teeth trimmed.
CLEANING:
A Bunny Rabbits hutch,cage or area should be kept clean besure to clean their litter box often, do clean under there cage as need do not allow it to build up Avoid using Pine or Cedar wood chips the fumes could cause respiratory damage. Aspen shaving, straw, shredded newspaper are good choices. Vinegar is great for cleaning up after the urine smell it cuts through the urine build up.
RABBITS MAKE GREAT PETS, JUST REMEMBER THAT A RABBIT IS A SMALL LIVE ANIMAL AND IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO LUG YOUR RABBIT AROUND ALL THE TIME IF YOU HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN SUPERVIOS YOUR CHILD WHILE THEY ARE HOLDING YOUR RABBIT.
Spaying and neutering is a very good idea for the pet owner for did you know that a Bunny Rabbit can get pregnant very quickly and can give birth with in 31 days and then get pregnant again right away.
By Spaying and neutering your bunny it helps with unwanted litters and allows the bunny to get along better with other bunnies because they are not dealing with their hormones, also helps the female from getting uterine cancer
