Pet Rabbit Care

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Here are seven pet care tips to help you meet your pet rabbit's few crucial needs...

Pet Rabbit Care Tip #1:
Every pet rabbit needs a cage

Cages serve as protection from predators. All cages, hutches, runs or pens need to be sturdy and predator-proof. We don't like to remember this, but rabbits are at the bottom of the food chain, and your pet dogs and cats are still carnivores and predators by instinct.

The North Dakota State University Agriculture Department suggests the following space allowances for caged rabbits. Most rabbit breeders tend to go a bit bigger than they recommend, to ensure the animal’s comfort. For pet rabbits that also get exercise outside their cages, these dimensions are probably close to perfect.

Recommended Space Requirements for Rabbits

Size of Rabbit Space Requirements
In Pounds Sq. inches
3-5................280
6-8................360
9-11...............540
12 or more.......720 (24"x30")

Recommended Space Requirements for Nursing Does

Size of Rabbit Space Requirement
In Pounds Sq. inches
3-5................576
6-8................720
9-11...............864
12 or more.......1,080 (30"x36")

It's remarkably easy to build your own rabbit cage. We'll show you how to complete every step of cage-making, and more.

Or if you prefer, you can purchase ready-made cages for a little bit more money. Many pet stores, feed stores and rabbit manufacturing companies sell very nice cages for both indoor and outdoors. (DON’T get one with solid plastic sides...it gets too hot for the rabbit.) You can get cages complete with urine-guards, feeders and water crocks should you wish. Visit our Rabbit Supplies Store.

Cage Enhancements:
Here are a couple ways to improve your pet rabbit care:

Put a piece of 1/4 inch plywood on top of the cage. That helps the rabbit feel safer, because the cage will feel a little more like a burrow.

Resting Boards in all-wire cages: There are various sorts of resting boards you can purchase for the bunny's comfort, and still get the benefits of the wire floor, like cleanliness and ease of cleaning.

<-- (We use these resting boards at Aurora Rex Ranch.)



Pet Rabbit Care Tip #2:
Pet rabbits need a clean living area.

Cleanliness and low ammonia levels are very important for rabbit health. Pet rabbit care always involves careful attention to keeping your rabbit spaces clean. We prefer all-wire cages because they stay clean longer and are well-ventilated. (Keep rabbits out of direct drafts.)

• Disinfect with bleach, or vanodine, or Jeyes Fluid, and then let the sun’s rays finish the disinfection by leaving the cage outside for a day or two, if possible. The cage or hutch doesn’t have to be sterile, but you do want the germ level to be low, and the odors to be sweet (no ammonia smell)
  
  
• For indoors, litter-box-train your pet rabbits, use wood-based bedding or litter, and clean it out at least once a week.
  
  
• What rabbit litter is best? Surprisingly, the best we have found, considering cost, effectiveness and safety, is the tried-and-true kiln-dried pine shavings. Get all our recommendations on rabbit bedding here.

That is, stress-free as much as possible. That’s because they are prey animals, nervous, and easily startled. (They can actually die of fright.)

Understood, there’s not a pet rabbit alive that is completely stress-free all the time, but if it has a retreat (its cage) or a safe hiding spot to which it can flee when it feels afraid, its anxiety levels will remain very low most of the time.

If you notice that your pet rabbit doesn't like being picked up, it is likely because a prey animal always fears for its life, at first. But with gentle care, slow movements and frequent handling, you can teach your bun through experience that you're not the big bad wolf. He'll lose most of his fear eventually, although probably not the actual timidity.

You don't have to turn your house into a silent tomb for the sake of your bunny. Just ensure that your pet rabbit can 'escape' to safety when he gets stressed. For more information on pain vs. fear in the mind of a rabbit, see Taking Care of Pet Rabbits.


Pet Rabbit Care Tip #4:
House rabbits need a rabbit-proof environment.

Your little buns can become shish-ka-bobs if they bite into an electrical cord. (The "Crittercord" will protect electric cords from inquisitive rabbits.)

Pet rabbit care may include thinking like a rabbit as you evaluate each room in your home. Drop to the floor and look around. What would a rabbit do? Watch for toxic houseplants. Antique chair legs are chewable, as are the baseboards. Hmmm, better keep a close eye on your rabbit initially, until you know he'll be safe when loose in your house.

Pet Rabbit Care Tip #5:
Pet rabbits need nutritious food.

You can feed commercial pellets from the local pet or feed store, or feed a small amount of pellets along with hay and fresh green forages.

Please check the date on the bag and purchase feed that is fresher than two-and-a-half months old. Old feed loses enough nutrients through oxidation to seriously affect a rabbit's health.

Your young growing bunny can be free-fed commercial pellets. But at around 5 months old (or 4 months for smaller breeds), the bunny’s weight gain begins to level out.

At this point, you can cut back on the feed and give him only what he will clean up within two hours or so. This means 22 hours with an EMPTY food crock.

Okay? Promise?

Pet Rabbit Care Tip #6:
Don't overfeed your Pet rabbits.

Your greatest pitfall is going to be feeding your pet bunny rabbit TOO MUCH, especially as it becomes an adult. Turning it into a bowling ball is the worst thing ever!

Don’t fear the bunny will starve - the best thing you can do for your rabbit’s health and longevity is to not overfeed it. Here’s how to be sure you’re doing a good job feeding your bunny:

• You can weigh the rabbit at 5 ½ to 6 months of age, and use that weight as a baseline. Forever after, unless pregnant, you should aim to maintain your pet rabbit’s weight at this level.
  
  
• The rule of thumb is 1 ounce of pellets for every pound of rabbit. If your rabbit weighs 6 pounds, you would expect it to need 6 ounces of pellets per day, understanding that activity levels and individual metabolisms may alter this amount just a little.

• If a rabbit dives into his feed like he hasn’t eaten for a week, give him a bit more. If there’s feed still left over at the next feeding, feed a little less.

• Do allow your rabbit to eat grass hay every day, as much as it wants. Hays such as orchard grass or timothy hay improve health and digestion, and don’t add weight.

See Feeding Rabbits for lots more information on feeding adult rabbits and adding green forages and veggies to the diet.

Find additional choices of J-feeders and crocks at our Rabbit Supplies Store.



Pet Rabbit Care Tip #7:
Pet rabbits need lots of fresh water.

(These flip-top water bottles by Lixit are excellent values - you can easily refill without having to remove each time, and they have a valve rather than a ball at the bottom.)

Ample water is essential to wellbeing, even to survival. Give them all the fresh water they can possibly drink, every day. If there's still water in the crock the next day, and there should be, dump it, rinse the crock, and refill again with fresh water. If they get all they need, they'll be healthy and well-conditioned.

If a rabbit stops eating, check the water. Chances are, the water valve is clogged, or the crock is knocked over.

If you choose a valved water bottle, the ones with lids at the top are really cool. Instead of unhooking the thing from the cage to fill it, you can open the lid and fill it from the top. But these still need to be cleaned on the inside now and again. A bottle brush works fine.

Pet Rabbit Care Tip #8:
Pet rabbits do well with carefully selected toys and entertainment.

Pet stores are bursting with rabbit toys they'd love to sell you. Some are downright ingenious.

But here are some easy and handy ideas for toys that can entertain your bunny for hours, or at least until they're chewed to smithereens...

• Empty toilet paper roll. As is, or stuff it with a handful of hay.
  
  
• That paper plate you used to cover your lunch in the microwave. It's a little bit spattered, with delectable smells. You could give him a fresh plate if you like, too. (Paper only - no Styrofoam.)
  
  
• Break a limb off a tree, dead or alive, and give your bunny a chunk of it. Rabbits love, and need, to chew. They'll love gnawing on tree bark. Just be sure the tree is not a toxic one. Apple, apricot and peach are fine (no cherry trees - see Pet-Safe-Plants.)
  
  
• Scrap pieces of lumber work for chewing also. Our rabbits don’t seem to have had any problem with plywood; and some of them have chewed their pieces pretty darn near to oblivion.
  
  
• A used cardboard box makes for great entertainment, and a safe haven, once the bunny chews his way into the dark, safe space. While you're at it, you could hide a tiny sliver of apple tucked into some hay in the box as encouragement for your rabbit. Or, turn the box on its side and leave it open.

Have you welcomed a bunny into your life? Then you have daily chores to do. Don't slack off on your pet rabbit care. Chores build character, no matter what age you're at.

To our Young Friends:
By getting a pet rabbit, you choose to accord pethood to it. You promise to protect it and to take care of its needs. Your kind and gentle presence in its life is very 'bunny-like.' Give it a bit of your time and affection each day. But don't forget that you are the Big Rabbit. Set the rules. Treat your pet courteously and care for it daily. In return you'll get the affection and interest of your long-eared furry friend, and you'll strengthen yourself as a responsible and mature human being. Enjoy your status as Big Rabbit!

Here are some other links you may enjoy:

• Rabbit Breeds

• Rabbit Diseases

• All About Rabbits

Go from Pet Rabbit Care to Pet Rabbits
Go from Pet Rabbit Care to Raising-Rabbits Home Page

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