Daily Care
Once you have your bunny home, what do you do? Well, besides the obvious feeding and watering, it will depend on the breed you have chosen. If, for instance, you chose an angora, combing will be a regular part of it's care. I haven't included a section on illness, please refer to The House Rabbit Society for this, they are the experts!
** By the way, remember the pet carrier for your bunny! Just as a child needs a car seat, you should have a carrier for your pet!
Food - How
much? What kind? What about treats?
Water - Bottle or
bowl? Additives?
Housing - Cage or
box?
Exercise - How
much do they need?
Treats
Misc.
Food - How
much? What kind? What about treats?
There are many different brands of
pellets. Each brand also has different protein levels. The higher the protein levels
are usually used for show rabbits. Always be sure to feed the pellets as the MAIN
diet. The rule of thumb is 1/4 to 1/2 cup per 6 pounds of bunny (for an adult
rabbit). This averages out to be about 3-4% of their weight. If the bunny is
less than three months old, let them eat as much as they want. Be certain to
feed the bunny the same pellets he was eating when you got him. If you want to
change brands, do it slowly. Replace a small amount of the original food with the
new food each day. This is especially important when changing from a lower protein
pellet to a higher one.
Hay is also an important part of a bunny's
meal. Hay helps in the digestion process. Timothy and alfalfa are the most
popular ones. Be sure it's a nice green color when you purchase it. (be
careful with hay! mishandling can be dangerous! I'm told by a local farmer that if
fresh cut hay becomes wet, it can cause a fire.) Contrary to popular belief, bunnies
should NOT be fed lettuce! Be very careful about giving table foods to your
bunny. The results can be fatal. Whenever introducing a table food, do it in
very small bits at a time. Always limit the amount they eat once they are
"used" to the food. Bunnies can develop health problems from too many
treats including bladder stones! Also, if you treat your bunny to a fresh vegetable,
remove the uneaten portion after 10 minutes. Bacteria can begin to grow if you
let the food set out, so use caution. Below are some No No's and Goodies.
Also, click on the carrot for a few recipes for "homemade bunny treats".
No No's
Lettuce, potatoes, cabbage, beans, rhubarb,
corn, candy, "junk food" (i.e.. potato chips, corn chips, etc.)
Goodies
Carrots, dark leaf vegetables such as kale and
spinach, apples, (I dry apples in the fall and use them throughout the year) pears,
strawberries, bananas, sunflower seeds, oats, plain cereals such as shredded wheat or
cheerios, raisins, papaya, pineapple, UNsweetened frozen fruit bars, kiwi, dry toast,
parsley, grapes, raspberries, unsweetened pineapple or strawberry yogurt
Water - Bottle or bowl? Additives?
Bunnies need plenty of fresh water. Change the water on a daily basis. The drink bottles make an excellent choice. Bowls can be dumped or become a collection area for food or other things (such as bunny pellets!). Water additives such as vitamins and minerals are not needed if you are providing a quality diet. I use them if a bunny has been not feeling or eating well to be certain they are getting what they need. Also, it's a good idea to use them if your bunny has had surgery of any kind, unless your vet tells you otherwise.
Be sure to clean the water bottle often
using chlorine bleach and water. Be certain to rinse well after washing!
There are not a lot of choices when it comes to bunny houses. Standard "rooms" are made of galvanized wire. Some are decorative with colored enamel coatings. Eventually, the bunny will probably chew off the coating. Wooden boxes do not make good "rooms" because they can hold dampness, odor, and other bacteria. Also, the bunny will eventually destroy the wood! Do not use the glass aquarium tanks! The cage bottom should be elevated with a tray to catch droppings or food which will fall to the floor. This keeps your bunny out of the mess.
Cages need to be roomy. A good idea would be a cage that is about four times the size of your bunny. Be sure to put something they can lay on in there as well, such as a wooden board or sheet. You should have enough room in there also for a litter box! Be sure to clean the cage with a bleach and water solution often!
**Litter boxes inside the cage will help to
get your bunny trained. My bunnies sometimes like to sleep in the box just after
it's been cleaned.
Exercise - How much do they need?
The ideal situation for your bunny would be free run of the house. But we all know this is not always possible, especially if you have more than one. I've seen many suggestions on the amount of time a bunny should be out to play. If possible, the bunny should be out to run as long as you are home to supervise. Exercise is very important for a bunny. If you have more than one rabbit and find that they can't get along, you need to use a time-share approach. Be certain each bunny comes out daily and has at least 1-2 hours of playtime. This isn't much, but you need to divide the outings into fair segments. Believe me, they NOTICE if "somebunny" gets to come out and they didn't! So, just as with kids, be fair.
When the bunny is out to play, be sure to
pay attention to him. Games such as "chase the blanket" or
"peek-a-boo" (yes! peek-a-boo) with a blanket can help to keep them
entertained. Also, provide safe toys for them to play with. It's amazing how
much like kids they can be. The simplest things amuse them. Try a cardboard
box or paper bag for them to play in! Or, give them the cardboard tubes from the
paper towels. They love them.
Though I'm not a bunny expert, There are a few helpful pointers I'd like to share. For instance, my bunnies love when you cut branches off fruit trees (be certain the trees have not been sprayed) and give them a treat. This helps to satisfy their need to chew as well as keeping their teeth filed. I've also noticed that if you do not pay enough attention to them when it's their "turn" to come out, they become very upset and display it in some unpleasant ways. Watch your phone cords!!! It seems they are fascinated with them.
I've given my bunnies the old baby toys (the HARD plastic ones that they can't chew). Of course, now that baby #3 is here, I guess I'll have a few regrets! ;) Last Christmas, I bought 1" bells and hung them from the cage tops. At first, they would nudge them with their noses to make the noise. One of the bunnies chewed her cord and the bell is now tossed around the cage like a ball.
I've taken an old comforter and I use it as a 'mat' for the litter box in the room. It's from a full-sized bed and I fold it in half. The bunnies love to rearrange the blanket. They spend most of their time there just tugging and biting at the blanket. Sometimes they get brave and crawl under it too.
Bunnies are a lot of fun, but just as with children, they need attention.
