Rabbit Care

Rabbit Husbandry

Rabbits are gentle, intelligent animals that make excellent pets. The more time you spend with your rabbit, the more it will become tame and bonded to you.  They are naturally social and will benefit from the companionship of either another bunny or a trusted human. They will enjoy the mental stimulation and exercise of being allowed to explore outside their cage, but you need to anticipate they will attempt to chew on everything. They are usually easily litter trained.

 Handle With Care

When picked up, their powerful hind limbs should be supported to prevent them from kicking out and injuring their backs.  Children should always be supervised when handling rabbits.

 Diet

Rabbits require a tremendous amount of fiber to keep their intestinal tract healthy. An adult rabbit’s daily diet should be at least 75% grass hays (timothy, grass, orchard, brome, oat), 25% pellets and ~5% fresh, leafy greens. They should be fed a measured amount of pellets daily.  The pellets should not contain any nuts, seeds or fruit.  Sweets such as apples and strawberries should be used sparingly as a treat only.  They need constant access to water either in a sipper bottle or an open bowl.

 Veterinary Care

They should receive regular veterinary care.  Owners should be able to brush their bunnies and clip their toenails.  Both genders will make even better pets if neutered, but females in particular should be spayed to prevent uterine cancer.  Other common medical problems to be aware of would be dental disease, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal slow down and head tilts.