Advice

How to Care for Your Rabbit

Your Rabbit needs 4 things:

1. Food

        Like every other living being on earth or otherwise, rabbits need food. What you feed your rabbit will be your choice, but here are some tips:

• Feed the same type of food every time.

       If you ever need to change food, change it gradually. Put a little of new feed into the old, put more and more of the new feed in while putting less and less of the old. You can feed your rabbit greens as long as they are: OVER six months old. Never feed a rabbit under six months old any kind of green vegetable or they might die. Otherwise, feed older rabbits greens as treats not as a staple food.

• Feed at the same time every day

          Rabbits are creatures of habit, so they will expect you around that time. I myself am not very good at this, but practice makes perfect. I feed my rabbits only at night, but you can feed your rabbit any time of day you like just try to keep it consistent. I recently learned that if rabbits are not fed within 24 hours of their last feeding, it throws their digestive tract's balance off and can cause your rabbit to become sick. 

• Feed the same amount every time

        Now, a fat rabbit is no fun at all, and neither is an underweight one. So to keep your rabbit healthy and looking good, feed it a decent amount. I will give you instructions on this depending on the rabbit. Here’s what I do: for my Holland Lop, I feed a 1\2 cup per night, for English Spots I feed 1/2 cup per night, and for Californians, I feed 1 cup. The rabbits will decide how much food they need, so be sure to watch their body language and their weight.

If you are going to feed your rabbit twice a day, just divide the amount set for feeding once a day in half and feed half in the morning and the other half at night.

   2. A Clean Cage

        This also is a life saver. A clean Cage is almost as important as clean water. A clean cage prevents diseases, parasites, and basic dirtiness. To clean a cage you simply pull the shed fur and poop off the bottom of the cage. This can take from five minutes to half an hour, depending on how often you clean it.         

        Once a month you should disinfect the cage. Take the rabbit out and scrub the cage down with bleach water then wipe it down with clean water. If you can, leave the rabbit out of the cage so you can sun dry the cage. This is the BEST way to disinfect a cage. After you clean your cage you should wash out your feed and water dishes.  

   3. Freshwater

       This is the most important thing you can give your rabbit. A healthy rabbit will need as much water as they want. Always check in the morning after breakfast and at night after dinner. Also, Keep your dishes clean, this can save your rabbit’s life. Algae in a water bottle is fine, I wash my bottles out completely about once a season, but one should clean it every week if possible. If you use a dish, clean it out with soap and water when you go out and feed the bunny. Especially in the spring when the mosquitos are out. No one likes larvae in his or her water!

  4. Attention

       Rabbits are social creatures. This does not mean you need more than one rabbit, it simply means rabbits like company. Rabbits are most social in the afternoon. This is the best time to get your rabbit out to play. You can get your rabbit out any time of day you like, but this is when rabbits are most friendly.

        When you get your rabbit out you should know how to examine your rabbit. First look at its face, do you see clear eyes, clean nose, and healthy ears? (for ears you shouldn’t see any black wax or anything except pink skin. If you see anything else email me or your vet.) Pinch the base of the ears, does the rabbit shake its head? If so your rabbit might have ear mites. (Again, email me or your vet about any problems.) Run your hand over the rabbit’s back and belly. Do you feel any lumps? Feel under your rabbit’s feet. Do you feel any wetness or bare skin? If you can, flip your rabbit over. If your rabbit’s feet are wet or bleeding, the bunny might have sore hocks. This is a common problem.

        The rabbit’s nails should not be long or broken. You can clip your rabbit’s nails with a human nail clipper or an actual small animal clipper. This doesn’t hurt unless you cut the quick, which is the blood vessel in the nail. If you do this, don’t worry, just dip your rabbit’s foot in a container of flour. Be prepared. Your rabbit will most likely not appreciate this.