Rabbit Care

Please remember this page is here as a guide, and gives general information. These tips/methods work for us, so we are simply sharing our experiences. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions– we will respect yours and we ask that you respect ours! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Cages

The first thing you need when you consider getting a bunny is a cage. Most people run out to the pet store and find the first cage box with a picture of a bunny on it. Unfortunately, most cages sold at pet stores are poorly made and improper for rabbits. Rabbits should not be kept in cages with solid floors. Rabbits, unlike dogs and cats, don’t have foot pads, only thick fur pads on their feet. If these fur pads get wet, they don’t dry, and can become infected, leaving large sores and horrible infections. Wire bottomed cages allow waste to fall through the bars to a tray underneath, leaving your bunny clean and dry. Rabbits that are litter box trained should have a litter box with a wire grate for the same reason. If your rabbit is well trained and always pees in his or her box, a solid bottomed cage is fine as long as the feet remain dry. Some people prefer using solid bottomed cages, but I find them to be much more labor intensive and harder on the bunny.

Another question that comes to mind when talking cages is size. Generally, most people assume bigger is better, but in the rabbit world, that’s not always the case. We prefer medium sized cages to prevent territorial behaviors, like charging, biting, and spraying. The more space they have, the less time they want to spend with you. Generally, we recommend 24″ X 24″ or 30″ X 18″ for Mini Lops and smaller breeds, and 24″x 24″ or 24″ x 30″ cages for larger breeds.

Picking A Bunny– One or Two?

A question that comes to mind for alot of people is should I get one or two? We generally do not recommend more than one rabbit per cage. Rabbits, contrary to popular knowledge, are not social, and can be quite aggressive towards other rabbits. Females are easier to integrate, but can still fight. If you are going to get two, the best thing to do is get two sisters, or a mother and daughter, and get them at the same time. Keep in mind any time you have two animals together, you may need to separate them at a later date. Often I see two females that are kept together as babies begin to fight around 6 or 8 months of age when they reach maturity. I never recommend keeping males together past 3 months of age for fear of severe aggression.

Lots of new owners ask about spaying and neutering. We generally do not recommend spaying and neutering due to the high stress it puts on the animals. Also keep in mind spaying and neutering will not stop behaviors that have been learned. For example, an intact buck may learn to spray to mark his territory. If you have your buck neutered at two years of age, after he has been spraying for 1 and 1/2 years, having surgery may not stop him from spraying again. The behavior is learned, and just because he’s not a buck anymore doesn’t mean he can’t remember the behaviors he knew as a buck.

If you are serious about having your bunny altered, find an experienced rabbit vet and have them altered as young as possible, before sex-driven behaviors develop.

Do’s & Don’ts

Never walk rabbits on leashes. Rabbits are prey animals, and if frightened, their first instinct is to run. On slippery surfaces, like tiles, wood, and linoleum, rabbits will attempt to take off, slide, and can seriously injure their back, legs, and neck, often resulting in fractures or death. On surfaces with good traction, like grass, dirt, or rug, the bunny will take off, hit the end of the leash, and snap back, resulting in similar injuries as above. Leashes are really a horrible thing for rabbits. Playpens are much better and allow for unrestricted but safe exercise.
Rabbits should not receive any fruits, treats, or veggies before 6 months of age. Treats can cause digestive upset, and even enteritis. Once a rabbit reaches 6 months of age, treats should not exceed 10% of the rabbit’s diet. If you are going to feed treats, feed a baby carrot or a slice of apple. Never feed high-moisture treats, like lettuce– they can make even an adult rabbit sick.
Rabbits do not need vaccinations. There are currently no approved vaccines for rabbits, and those out there are not safe for them. Never let a vet give your rabbit any shots.
Rabbits are perfectly equipped to live outside in New England winters. It is imperative that they are protected from the elements, like rain, snow, and wind, and that they have access to fresh, thawed water. Rabbits that are going to be kept outside for the winter should be kept outside for the summer and fall as well. Their bodies know what is coming, and they will grow a coat for the coming winter. Once winter hits, a rabbit must stay outside in the cold. If the rabbit comes in, gets warm, and then goes back outside, his body may not be able to adjust to the cold and the stress is often deadly.

When You Take Your Bunny Home

Give your bunny some time to adjust. 24-48 hours of quiet time is a great idea. Rabbits scare easily, and need time to adjust to new surroundings. No loud noises, excessive handling, or trips far from the cage (family’s house, pet store, etc)
Old Fashioned Quaker Oats are an excellent “treat” to provide a bunny under stress– they help keep poops firm, and bunnies love them. If you see any signs of diarrhea, please contact us immediately, discontinue grains, and offer lots of hay, oats, and water.
People often ask about litter box training. Girls tend to train easier than boys, but not always. When buying a litter box, get one with a wire mesh on top (so bunny cannot sit in dirty litter). Put the bunny in the cage for a few days and see if he/she will pick a corner to use as a toilet. Take some dirty litter from the cage pan and put it in the litter box. Place the new litter box with dirty litter in the corner that the bunny uses most. The bunny should begin using the box for *most* of his business.
Keep up with regular nail trimming and brushing. Even short hair rabbits (non wooled/angora) need to be groomed, especially during a molt (the process of shedding out an entire coat of fur). Mats can form on short hair breeds, and can be painful and debilitating. Nails must be trimmed every 4-8 weeks for the health of the rabbit. Overgrown nails puts excess stress on the foot, and can cause broken toes, sore hocks (infected foot pads), and limb deformities.

Shopping List….

Cage: Sadly, most pet stores do not sell good quality cages. The best cage for a rabbit is one made mostly or entirely of metal (prevents chewing) with a wire mesh grate for a floor. This keeps the bunny clean, and is the best type of flooring for their feet. Some stores offer good quality cages, like Tractor Supply, and some offer fair quality cages, like Petsmart/Petco. We always offer top quality cages/hutches at outstanding prices through our cage vendor, Thurkin’s Thumpers–please contact us for info about getting a cage from us!
Food & Water Bowls: The best choice for food and water bowls are either heavy ceramic crocks(which rabbits cannot chew, and are unlikely to tip over) or locking crocks (which cannot be tipped over, chew resistant). We do not use or recommend water bottles for various reasons (leaking, easy for rabbits to chew, hard to sanitize, freezing in cold weather, etc etc.)
Bedding: Pine or aspen wood shavings are fine. Never Cedar shavings–they are toxic to bunnies! Carefresh and similar prodcuts are ok but expensive–use what you like! If you bunny has access to the bedding in his cage (i.e. can eat/chew it), never use newspaper (dyes can make bunnies sick).
Hay: Rabbits should be fed free choice Timothy hay (no Alfalfa–it has way too much protein). Any bagged hay from a pet store is fine, but always inspect it for mold/mildew and DO NOT FEED it if you have any doubts, as moldy hay can kill!
Pellet Diet: A rabbit’s main diet should be a commercially produced rabbit feed pellet. The simpler the better–which means avoid mixes that have all different sized/types of pellet, nuts, seeds, fruits, etc…simple is best, or bunny eats what he wants and leaves the rest. Try to find a corn-free food if possible. Feed stores offer better bargains than pet stores, but some pet store brands are ok too (Oxbow, Sweet Meadow, Kaytee Timothy Complete). Always switch your bunny’s diet over slowly (1-2 weeks) so he doesn’t get sick. A small amount of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats works wonders for poopy bums due to feed switches.
Chew Sticks: Rabbits have a natural need to chew–it wears down their teeth and keeps them healthy. You can purchase wood chews from a pet store–any kind/style will do, or you can use untreated/unpainted/unstained hard wood left over from building projects (we use pine or oak, but any hard wood is ok, just stay away from cedar). Apple wood branches make good chew sticks as well since they are sweet and aromatic. We seal apple wood in plastic bags for 2-3 weeks to kill any insects on the surface (never use termite or insect infested wood), and then peel off as much bark as we can (source of mold).
Grooming Supplies: Rabbits need grooming, and soft-bristled brush is perfect for everyday brushing. A slicker brush is useful during a molt (to remove dead fur), and nail trimmers are a must for keeping nails at a good length (I find small scissor-style ones to work best).
Playpen: Playpens are great for exercising your bunny–keeps them safe, allows for interaction, and exercise. Rabbits can jump, so sometime higher is better. I like metal playpens better than plastic (since bunnies will chew), but no matter what you get, make sure your are always supervising your bunny in his playpen, especially outside (birds of prey, predators, etc).
Litter box: Totally optional, if you do choose to litter train, get a litter pan with a wire grate.
Sitting boards: Sitting boards may not be essential to all rabbits, but can be helpful if you are using an all wire cage with a grate. These give bunnies a soft place to rest their feet. Sitting boards can be made from wood (pine, drill holes for drainage), but can be hard to clean and bunnies will chew them. Plastic ones are cheap and easy to use/clean, so may be a better choice. Some breeds should always have a sitting board due to size or breed type–these include: any rabbit over 8 pounds, any rex rabbits, or any rabbit that has poor furring on the foot pad (previous sore hocks/scar tissue/old age/etc).

We Are Always Here…

We believe that breeding an animal comes with the responsibility of seeing to that animal’s care for a lifetime. We offer rabbits to pet homes to spread our love of rabbits and the breeds we raise with others–and we do our best to ensure that the homes they go to are top quality by supporting pet parents however we can. We always welcome our bunnies back in the event that their adoptive owners can no longer care for them. We only take surrenders with suitable cages so we ensure we have space for them, and to make it easier for them to adjust to our home and their new adoptive home when we place them.
Please, never let your bunny go into the wild–domestic rabbits rarely survive wild and free, and it’s basically a death sentence. Lots of shelters take rabbits in–please, make an educated decision.