Rabbit Care Sheet

Rabbits make intelligent, friendly and quiet house pets. They are relatively easy to care for, healthy and generally disease free. Their fastidious nature, unaggressive behavior and quiet manner make them increasingly popular house pets. They have dynamic personalities and appreciate human interaction. The more time you spend with your rabbit, the more it will become tame, friendly and bonded to you. While a rabbit is usually gentle with its owner, a rabbit may kick, scratch or bite if it becomes anxious, so play with young children must be supervised. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter-box, harness and a leash. Their average life span is 5-10 years if properly cared for.

Rabbits are very fragile animals. Improper handling may cause serious, life-threatening injuries. There are a number of ways to pick up your rabbit depending on how calm they are and their size. The main thing to remember is to always support the hindquarters to prevent serious spinal injury. Rabbit backbones are fragile and can fracture or dislocate most often resulting in paralysis of both rear legs. These injuries can also occur when rabbits are suddenly frightened and attempt to escape from a small enclosure. When a rabbit becomes frightened, it violently struggles while powerfully kicking its back legs. You should never try to overpower a struggling rabbit. If your rabbit violently resists physical restraint, it should be immediately released and approached later when it has calmed down. You should never pick up your rabbit by its sensitive ears because it is very painful for them. The best way to pick up your rabbit is to wrap their body in a towel restraining all four feet. This makes an easy and safe way to hold and carry your bunny.

Rabbits can be housed indoors or outdoors and should never be kept completely confined to a cage. Exercise is vital for the health of your rabbit. A cage can be used as a home base for part of the day or it can be open all the time within an exercise area. The cage should allow the rabbit to stand up on its hind legs without hitting the top of the cage, provide a resting area and space for a litter box. The habitat should be at least four times the size of your rabbit. It should be easy to clean and indestructible, therefore metal is probably the best choice. The floor can be solid or wire, however if a wire floor is used, it should have an area covered with plexiglass or washable towels to provide relief from constant and continual contact with the wire floor. Some cages provide a tray for litter that can be easily cleaned. Because rabbits become overheated easily, keep the cage in a well-ventilated, cool area away from any heat source or direct sunlight. The cage should be cleaned once a week with warm water and soap for your rabbit’s health as well as to control urine odor. One to two inches of bedding should be provided in the habitat. Proper bedding for indoor rabbits includes hardwood shavings or a pelleted or recycled product. Do not use cedar bedding because of the problems it may cause to the health of your rabbit. Litter products should be non-toxic and digestible if eaten. A pelleted paper product is recommended. Do not use corncob, walnut shell shavings or clay litters.

Outdoor rabbits need to have an area provided with a shelter to protect them from rain, wind, heat and cold. In addition, make sure the cage is secure from predators such as dogs, cats, coyotes and raccoons and is kept clean to keep from attracting parasitic insects. To protect against predators, it is best to provide a complete second enclosure a foot away from the outside of your rabbit’s cage. You will also need to provide a hiding spot because rabbits are typically anxious, wary animals and are easily frightened. A concealed area into which these rabbits can retreat when they feel threatened is necessary to prevent injury that would result from excessive and futile efforts to escape from the cage. In the winter, use grass hay in the sheltered area for bedding and insulation. This should be changed daily to prevent mold from growing in the cage. Make sure that the water is changed daily to prevent freezing and contamination. When cleaning the cage of an outdoor rabbit, deposit the accumulated feces away from your rabbit’s housing so you will not attract flies.

As mentioned, it is vital to the health of your pet to provide an exercise area where your pet can roam for a few hours every day. The easiest way to accomplish this is to use exercise fencing panels sold for dogs. Buy fencing that is at least four feet high. These panels are easily put together with metal pins and can be made to any size or shape. The pen keeps your bunny away from furniture, electrical cords and toxic materials. The pen can also be used outside as a moveable enclosure to allow your pet access to grassy areas. Never leave your rabbit outside in a pen unsupervised.

Rabbits are herbivores and are sometimes called nibblers because they feed continuously. Your rabbit should be fed high quality, high fiber, commercial rabbit pellets. We recommend ¼ cup per 5 lbs body weight per day. You should also offer your rabbit unlimited access to fresh timothy hay. Alfalfa hay is not recommended because it is too high in calcium and calories. You should also offer dark green leafy vegetables as a supplement. We recommend giving between ½ to 2 cups per day. Some examples of leafy greens that may be fed are: broccoli, dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, celery, leaf lettuce, cabbage and carrot or beet tops. You may also offer a small amount of fruit as a treat, however do not give more than 2 TBSP per 5 lb body weight per day. Never feed your rabbit foods that are high in starch and fat.

Fresh water should always be available and changed daily. A dirty water container can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Use either a water bottle or a heavy bowl that is weighted or secured to the side of the cage so that it does not tip over. Water bottles should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected at least every 1-2 days.

Rabbits make nice, quiet and gentle pets. Most rabbits have a docile disposition and are great family pets. If you think a rabbit might be the pet of choice for your family, be sure to read all the information you can before purchasing your rabbit.