Housing
A metal cage with wire flooring of 14 gauge wire (1" x 1/2") square openings is recommended.
The size of the cage should be at least 24" x 24" x 18" high for the small- and medium- sized breeds and 36" x 36" x 24" high for the large breeds.
A portion of the bottom should have solid flooring to prevent sore hocks and to provide a resting area. You can use a towel (unless you have a pet that likes to eat towels), or piece of carpeting or wood for the solid area. Newspaper can be used under the wire.
Do not use aquariums or solid walled cages. Lack of sufficient air circulation has been directly correlated with an increase in respiratory disease.
Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box relatively easily. Initially, you need to keep your pet in a small area, either a cage or a blocked off section of the room. Place a litter box in the corner (try to pick the corner your pet has already used).
Make sure the sides of the box are low enough so your pet can get in and out easily. It is helpful to put some of the droppings in the box. You might also put some hay in the box to encourage defecation in the box (they usually pass stool while they are eating). You can reward your
pet with a treat food whenever he or she has used the box successfully.
Pelleted paper or other organic products make the best bedding or litter. These products are non toxic and digestible if eaten, easier to clean up than shavings or clay litter, control odor better and are compostable.
Rabbits should be kept in the coolest and least humid area of the house. The best temperature range for a bunny is 60-70 degrees. If temperatures reach the upper 80's and beyond, and especially if the humidity is high, the potential for a fatal heat stroke is very real.
On hot days, when air conditioning is not available, it is helpful to leave a plastic milk jug filled with frozen water in the cage, for a portable "air conditioner."
If you are going to have your bunny roaming the house, make sure that you block off areas that your pet could get wedged in or escape from. Also watch out for electrical cords, which they like to chew on, carpeting, which they like to dig up and chew, and any toxic materials, such as
rodent poisons, that your pet could get into. Get on your hands and knees and "bunny-proof" your home.
Handling
The main thing to remember is to support the hind quarters to prevent serious spinal injuries. A rabbit's backbones are fragile and can easily fracture if the animal kicks when the legs aren't supported. These injuries are usually permanent and frequently result in the euthanasia of the pet.
Never pick up a bunny by its sensitive ears! Instead, grasp the loose skin over the shoulders or scoop up under the forelegs, then place your other hand under the back legs to lift your bunny from the floor. Work near the floor when first learning to handle your pet so that if he jumps out of your arms he won't fall far.
It is useful to teach your bunny to lie on its back for trimming nails. Most rabbits will learn to relax in this position. Sit on the floor and put the rabbit on its back with its head just over the edge of your knees. Restrain the body firmly between your thighs, and place one hand over the chest to help prevent him from turning over. Talk softly and stroke its chest and abdomen gently.
Food
Hay Timothy or other grass hay should be available at all times for your pet. The fiber in the hay promotes normal digestion and prevents hairballs. Hay also contains proteins and other essential nutrients. Loose, long strands of hay, are better than pressed cubes or chopped hay. Avoid alfalfa hay, particularly if it is being used along with pellets (which are already high in alfalfa), because it may provide too much calcium and carbohydrate.
Fresh food A minimum of 1 heaping cup of fresh food per 5 pounds of body weight should be given daily. Fresh food provides the high amount of fiber needed for good digestive tract function, but it is low in many nutrients. Rabbits must therefore have hay and, possibly, pellets as well as greens in the diet! You may give up to 4 cups/5 lbs. daily only if your pet is eating hay in addition to the greens. Try to feed at least 3 different types of greens daily. Feeding just one type of green food may lead to nutrient imbalances.
If your pet has not been getting fresh foods, start out gradually with the green leafy veggies and add a new food item every 3-5 days. If the addition of any item leads to diarrhea or unformed stools that persists for more than 48 hours, then remove it from the diet.
Fresh food items you can feed your pet are:
Carrot tops, beet tops, dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides), kale, collard greens, escarole, romaine lettuce, (don't give light-colored leaf lettuce or iceberg lettuce), endive, Swiss chard, parsley, clover, cabbage, broccoli, carrot, green peppers, pea pods (the flat edible kind), Brussels sprouts, basil, peppermint leaves, raspberry leaves, raddichio, bok choi and spinach.
Rabbit pellets Buy pellets that contain at least 18% fiber. Purchase pellets in small quantities and keep them refrigerated or cool to prevent spoilage. Old, rancid pellets can cause a rabbit to stop eating. Rabbit pellets are a good source for many nutrients, but contain high amounts of carbohydrate and calcium with relatively little fiber. If fed in unlimited amounts, serious health problems and obesity may result. Rabbits up to 8 months of age can have access to pellets free choice, because they are still growing rapidly. However, after 8 months of age they should receive the following maintenance diet:
2-4 LB of body weight
1/8 cup daily
5-7 LB of body weight
1/4 cup daily
8-10 LB of body weight
1/2 cup daily
11-15 LB of body weight
3/4 cup daily
Do not refill the bowl even if the pellets are eaten before the next day!
Feeding unlimited amounts can lead to obesity and serious health problems resulting from the high calcium and carbohydrate and low fiber content in pelleted foods.
Treats Limit your rabbit to no more than 1 heaping tablespoon per 4 lbs. of body weight each day of treat foods. Strawberries, papaya, pineapple, apple, pear, melon, raspberries, blueberries, apple pear, mango, cactus fruit, persimmon, peach, pear, tomato, or dried fruits may be used as treats.
Avoid salty or sugary snacks, nuts, chocolate, bread, breakfast cereals, and grains (including oatmeal, and fresh or dried corn) which often cause intestinal upset.
Water, vitamins and minerals Water should always be available, in either a water bottle or heavy, tip-resistant bowl. Water containers should be washed and refilled daily to prevent bacterial contamination that could make your bunny sick. Vitamins and salt/mineral blocks are not necessary if the rabbit is getting pellets, hay and fresh foods in the diet. In fact, the indiscriminate use of vitamins may lead to an overdose and serious disease.
Night droppings Several times a day, usually about 4-6 hours after eating, you may observe your pet licking the anal area and actually eating some of the droppings in the process. These special droppings are called "cecotropes." Cecotropes are formed, but softer, greener, and have a stronger odor than the normal hard, dry, round waste droppings. They contain vital nutrients that are not well absorbed by the large intestine. Eating the cecotropes allows the rabbit to extract the nutrients. This habit may appear distasteful, but it is normal and important for your pet.
Occasionally a rabbit will drop these cecal pellets along with the waste pellets instead of eating them. This is not diarrhea, and if it only occurs occasionally, it is not considered a problem. Some overweight rabbits can't reach their anal area to eat the cecotropes, may leave a lot of them in the cage.
