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Rabbit Care Checklist for New Pet Rabbit Owners
With a good rabbit care checklist, getting started taking care of pet rabbits is much easier.
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I'll tell you a secret about me: My first rabbit purchase was totally spur-of-the-moment. When I saw some wonderful bunnies in a pet shop window, I became so enthralled that I took three of them home with me. A rabbit care checklist like this one from Raising-Rabbits.com was exactly what I needed at the time.
Like this website? We hope you'll use our affiliate marketers... To help you get started with owning and caring for your own wonderful rabbits, here is our checklist of all the crucial stuff you’ll need right away in order to take care of your rabbit. This checklist is bare-bones, of course. But it’ll start you off with the essentials so you won't worry that you're forgetting something, and you can get on with the fun of owning and caring for rabbits.
- A CAGE that's the right size for your new pet rabbit.
- Some rabbit food. Get some rabbit pellets to start with, plus some organic carrots or turnips...
- Get a feed container, like a crock or J-Feeder.
- WATER of course, as much as the bunny wants
- Get a water container. A heavy crock or a bottle with a valve works well.
Will your pet rabbit get the run of the house? Then here's a few more points to not forget at the beginning: - A Litter Box for house-training
- Litter for the litter box
- Watch the Electrical Cords...don't let your bunny chew any!
Rabbit Care Checklist Explained
- Rabbit Care Checklist #1: A CAGE.
A cage gives your rabbit safety from predators if you plan on giving the rabbit the run of the house. And yes, by predator, I'm referring to your other pets--the canines and felines. Predators they are by nature, and especially if they’ve not been acclimated to your new rabbit. Your bunny will definitely see them as predators, at least at first. An all-wire cage makes your care of rabbits easy and simple, whether you keep the cage inside or outdoors. With the right few tools and materials you can make one easily. Go to Rabbit-Cages for the plans. Or if you prefer, you can purchase ready-made cages for a little bit more money. Many pet stores and feed stores sell really nice cages for both indoor and outdoors. (DON’T get one that is plastic...it gets too hot for the rabbit.) You can get cages complete with urine-guards, feeders and water crocks should you wish. The North Dakota State University Agriculture Department suggests the following space allowances for caged rabbits. In my rabbitry I tend to go bigger than they recommend. For example, my breeding does weighing 8-9 pounds each get a 30" x 36" cage. For your pet rabbits, who will also get exercise outside their cages, these dimensions are probably close to perfect. Recommended Space Requirements for Rabbits Size of Rabbit Space Requirement in
In Pounds Sq. inches
3-5................180
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")
Oh, and by the way, about the time I begin to feel sorry for my rabbits, I notice they’re all stretched out comfy-like and relaxed in their cages. They don't have a care in the world.
 There’s no eagles screeching overhead, and no coyotes chasing their back-trails or nipping eagerly at their heels. In fact, they get to live in a coyote-proof 'house,' and every evening they get dinner delivered right to their door. That's when I smile. My rabbits have traded fretting, worry and mortal fear for blissful safety and the meeting of their every need right on schedule. They're satisfied. - Rabbit Care Checklist #2: FEED
Feed is high on the rabbit-care list. Most every feed store will carry 10 pound, 25 pound and 50 pound bags of standard rabbit pellets. Please check the date on the bag and purchase feed that is fresher than 3 months old. Your growing rabbit can be free-fed commercial pellets, anywhere from 1/2 cup a day to two cups or more for the larger breeds. But at around 5 months old (or 4 months for smaller breeds), the bunny’s weight gain begins to level out. At this point please cut back on the feed and give him only what he will clean up within an hour or so (some breeders say even less time). After that: no more food at all for 24 hours. Okay? The rabbits just don’t need it, and if you’re monitoring your pet rabbit’s weight, you’ll see that it will level out and maintain very nicely. My 8 pound rabbits get approximately 3/4 - 1 cup of feed, once a day. After a while I learn which rabbits have faster metabolisms than others. If the rabbit dives into his feed like he hasn’t eaten for a week, I’ll give him a bit more. If there’s feed still left over when I next feed him, I’ll feed less. But my animals are definitely sufficiently fed.  Find rabbit feed and books about taking care of pet rabbits at the Raising-Rabbits Pet Rabbit Supplies Store. You'll learn how others feed rabbit treats from the kitchen. But please don't overdo it. Your rabbit will be happiest when he's healthiest. - Rabbit Care Checklist #3: Something to put Feed In
Crocks and J-Feeders both work very well. J-feeders hang on the outside of the cage, and protrude to the inside, delivering the pellets to the rabbit. You can fill the feeders without opening every cage, and they are sanitary. The rabbits can’t fling 'em around the cage. This sure simplifies rabbits care.I like to hang the J-feeder on the door of the cage, so I can open it and reach the feed if I need to. Purchase a J-feeder with a screened or hole-punched bottom, so the fines will drop away. If not, the rabbits will eat the pellets and let the fines pile up into a big mountain. The holes let the fines drop away, and the feeder stays unclogged. Find J-feeders and crocks at the Raising-Rabbits Pet Rabbit Supplies Store. Feed crocks are great when feeding more than just commercial rabbit pellets. - Rabbit Care Checklist #4: WATER
Water is probably a rabbit's most crucial need, so give them as much fresh water as they can possibly want or consume, every day. - Rabbit Care Checklist #5: Something to put Water In
This will probably be a water crock or a valved water bottle, ideally with a top lid.
Find very cool top-opening water bottles at the Raising-Rabbits Pet Rabbit Supplies Store. Crocks let you know how much your rabbit is drinking, which helps you know whether or not he's healthy. Be sure to rinse out the crock every day and give fresh water. Your rabbit will drink his fill every day if the water is fresh and tasty. If you choose a valved container, the ones with lids at the top are really cool. Instead of unhooking the thing from the cage to fill it, you can unscrew 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.
- Rabbit Care Checklist #6: A litter box
Rabbits can easily be litter-box trained. But your typical cat litter isn’t the best for rabbits. Better to use a high sided litter box with pine shavings--your rabbits will probably kick up their heels when leaving the litter box, and the high-sides keep the shavings from scattering hither to yon while they hop away. (For more discussion about rabbit litters and bedding, go to Rabbit Bedding.)Find litter boxes at the Raising-Rabbits Pet Rabbit Supplies Store. - Rabbit Care Checklist #7: Watch the Electrical Cords...
This is a critical consideration only if you plan on giving your rabbit the run of the house. Electrical cords are amazingly inviting to your wonderful bunny. And logically so...his front teeth grow and grow, and it is part of his make-up to chew stuff. You sure don't want the little guy to turn into a char-broiled shish-ka-bob, compliments of your electricity provider.But no worries - you can hide the cords in tough plastic tubes. Check with the House Rabbit Society (www.rabbit.org) for more directions and other options. - Rabbit Care Checklist #8: Toys
Okay, now we’re getting to the extras...See our Pet Rabbits page for practical details about rabbit toys.
Our Resources page will give you excellent information on good books and websites that will help you dig deeper into how your rabbit thinks, and how you can further enrich your pet’s life. Have fun with your wonderful long-eared pet!
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