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**Below are some helpful tips,
terms, and information that can help
to better the life of you rabbit!**
~
Top 10 Things You Need
to Get Started ~
1.
Cage
The cage is one of the
most important things you need when
you get a rabbit. It not only
ensures that your rabbit won't get
into trouble while you are away, but
it can be a since of security for
you rabbit.
Cages come in an large of array sizes and
shapes. From ones that are made for
outdoors and ones that are made for
indoors. Be sure to choose one that
can be easily cleaned and roomy
enough that your rabbit has plenty
of space to run around. Your
rabbit's cage need to be at least
28" in. by 18"in. But the
bigger
the better! Rabbits are best
kept indoors, as
the temperature is more
constant then outdoors.
If you do keep your
rabbit outdoors, be sure
that the cage is kept in
the shade at all times
and a fan is blowing on
them in the summer; and
in the winter be sure to
keep them out of the
wind, and give them
something to nestle down
into to stay warm.
Click Here
for a cage that we
recommend.
2.
Food Dish
There is a wide variety of food
dishes. We use ceramic crocks.
When you purchase your rabbit's food
dish remember to get something that
your rabbit can't knock over.
So either get one that can hook on
the side of the cage or one that
is heavy enough that your rabbit
can't knock over.
Click Here
for a food dish that we
recommend.
3.
Water Bottle or Dish
For water, you can either use a
rabbit "water bottle" or you can use
a ceramic dish. We use the ceramic
dishes, though water bottles are
best for inside bunnies/rabbits.
Click
Here for a
water dish that we
recommend.
Click
Here for a
water bottle that we
recommend.
4.
Food
For
food, there are as many varieties of
food as there are different bunnies!
Be sure to choose one that isn't too
high in protein but is high in
fiber. Also make sure that the food
doesn't have any pieces
of corn or any kind of
seeds in the mix! Rabbits also need lots of
veggies in their diet as well as
pellets.
(see below - good and bad veggies for
rabbits)
Click
Here to see
the food that we use.
Click Here to
see the food we
recommend for Pet
Owners.
5. Brush
The brush is one of the easiest
things to get. We use a regular
rabbit comb. But any "small animal"
comb or brush is fine.
Click Here
for a comb that we
recommend.
6. Nail
Clippers
Nail clippers are easy to get
too. We use "small animals"
clippers. Rabbit's nails need to be
trimmed every 2-3 weeks.
Click Here
for a nail trimmer that
we recommend.
7. Resting
Mat
A resting
mat is important to the
health of your rabbit. It gives your
rabbit somewhere to get his/her feet
off the wire of the bottom of their
cage, and prevents sore hocks. If your rabbit's cage doesn't
have a wire bottom or you let your
rabbit run around your room/house
you don't need a resting mat.
Click Here
for a resting mat that
we recommend.
8.
Hay
Hay is necessary for the
health of your rabbit. Timothy hay
is the best, but it can be pricy. If
that is the case you can use Fescue
hay.
Click Here
for hay that we
recommend.
9. Toys
Toys
help keep your rabbit entertained!
Rabbits need things to chew on as
well as push around. If you
keep your rabbit entertained with
toys you won't have to worry about
them chewing your furniture! You
don't have to get anything fancy.
Just some cardboard boxes are fine.
Also, apple wood branches are also
good for chewing. Wooden blocks,
willow balls, and willow rings are
all good toys for your rabbit.
Click Here
for toys that we
recommend.
10.
Time to Spend Loving your
Rabbit!!
You need to have time to love your Rabbit!! Rabbits can
live to be 8-11 years
old if well taken care
of. So when buying a
rabbit be sure that you
are going to be able to
spend 8-11 years with
your lovable
bunny/rabbit!! :)
~
Litter Training Your Rabbit
~
First you need to get a good
litter box. The best litter
boxes to get are the high
corner boxes with a wire
top. The wire top is so that
the rabbit cannot dig in the
litter box and spread the
litter around the cage. A
small size liter box is a
good size for Holland Lops
and Lionheads.
Click Here for a
Litter box that we
recommend.
Now, you need to pick a
litter that will be safe for
your rabbit. Do not use clay
cat litter, for example,
because it can be very
harmful if your rabbit
decides to eat it. And don't
use a clumping litter or
litter with deodorizing
crystals where a rabbit
could possibly eat it. Also,
a lot of people think that
pine or cedar shavings are
good, but they have oils in
the wood that can be harmful
to your rabbit, and the
smell that it puts off can
also be harmful for your
rabbit and can cause a runny
nose.
The best type of litter to
get is recycled paper
pellets. It comes in either
a whole pellet or a crumpled
pellet. Either is fine. It
is safe if your rabbit
decides to chew on the
pellets. (though most have
no interest in it!) and it
retains the smell of your
rabbit's droppings very
well.
Click Here for a paper
pellet that we recommend.
Aspen wood bedding is also a
good litter. It doesn't
retain as much smell as the
paper pellets do though. But
if you would rather use a
wood bedding, the Aspen is
good because it does not
have the harmful oils and
smells like the pine or
cedar shavings do.
Click Here for an Aspen
bedding that we recommend.
Depending on whether your
cage has a solid bottom or
if it has a wire bottom, you
will also need bedding for
the cage and not just the
litter box. If the cage has
a solid floor, you need to
have a litter so that the
rabbit's feet won't be
slipping around. If you have
a wire floor cage you don't
have to have litter in the
pan under the cage, but it
does help keep the smell
down. The litters
recommended above are
sufficient for the cage as
well.
When you first bring your
pet rabbit home it needs to
stay in it's cage fulltime
until you get to know each
other. Taking them out to
pet is totally fine, but
don't let them run around
yet. Because if you let them
run around a room of your
house and the rabbit just
met you, it might get very
scared when you go to try to
pick it up and possibly
injure itself. So it's best
to give them a day or two to
adjust to their new
environment. During the
first few days don't place
the litter box in the cage
yet. Instead, observe where
the rabbit's favorite place
is to use. It will most
likely be a back corner.
Babies sometimes take longer
to define a corner that they
use the most. Adults are
more set in their ways and
almost always have a set
place where they like to go.
Once you have determined
where they like to go, place
the litter box (with some of
the rabbit's droppings) in
that corner. The droppings
in the litter box helps them
know that the the litter
box is where they need to
go.
From there, your rabbit will
most likely start using the
litter box first thing and
"train" themselves. If your
rabbit is successful in
urinating consistently in
his litter box, then you
have 98% of the problem
taken care of! There still
might be occasional
droppings in their cage from
time to time (especially
with babies) but that is
normal and will happen even
to the best litter box
"trained" rabbit.
If your rabbit decides that
you've provided them with a
nice comfy bed rather than a
litter box, then you may
need to provide an even more
inviting bed for him. You
can try another litter box
or a resting mat or
something else to make him
want to choose another
resting place.
Once you decide to let them
out of their cage, keep them
confined to a small area
that has a litter box. Once
they learn to use the litter
box outside their cage, you
can let them run around a
room of your house that has
been bunny proofed.
If you are holding your
rabbit and he becomes
restless, it may be a sign
that he is about to urinate.
Try to be sensitive to the
signals your rabbit is
giving you. Also, if your
pet rabbit raises his tail,
he may be just about to
urinate. Place him gently
and without much fanfare in
his litter box.
Never scold or punish a pet
rabbit. It will not have the
effect you want!!
Vegetables and Fruits that are
Good for
Your Rabbit
Vegetables
Fruit
|
NOTE: At least three
different vegetables a day
are recommended –
(any combination of lettuces
counts as one veggie for
that day)
NO SEEDS OR PITS!!!!!
Alfalfa, Radish and Clover
Sprouts
Asparagus
Beet
Greens
Bok
Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
and Tops (in moderation)
Chard
Chicory
Greens
Cilantro
Clover
Collard
Greens
Dandelion Greens (Pesticide
Free!)
Eggplant
Endive
Escarole
Grass –
Freshly cut from your
backyard, if you are sure
that there are NO
chemicals, fertilizers, or
poisons (Park grass usually
has one or all of these)
Kale
Lettuces: Romaine, Butter,
Green Leaf, Boston, Bibb,
Arugula...NO
ICEBERG!
Mint
Mustard
Greens
Okra
Leaves
Parsley
Pea
Pods (A.K.A. Chinese Pea
Pods)
Peppermint Leaves
Peppers
(Green, red, yellow….)(but
NO seeds)
Pumpkin
Leaves
Radicchio
Radish
Tops
Raspberry Leaves
Squash:
Zucchini, yellow, butternut,
pumpkin |
*
NOTE: Feed only once or
twice a week in small
amounts. Sugary fruits,
such as bananas and raisins
should be fed only as
occasional treats, and fruit
should not be feed to rabbits
that are overweight.
NO SEEDS, PITS, or TOPS!!
Apples
Bananas
*
Pineapple
Melons
(cantaloupe & honeydew)
Papaya
Peach
Plums
Pears
Raisins
*
|
Vegetables that are bad
for your Rabbit
Do not feed!!
Veggies that
can cause gas or are very sugary:
Green beans
White and red potato
Beets
Fresh corn
Fresh peas
Veggies that
are dangerous, and contain compounds
that destroy nutrients:
Sweet potato
Cassava
Bamboo shoots
Maize
Lima beans
Millet
Bracken fern
Tea leaves
Coffee plants
Veggies that
contain dangerous toxins:
Rhubarb leaves
Raw lima,
kidney, or soy beans
Onions (raw or
cooked)
Citrus peels
Veggies that
can cause impaction:
Whole seeds
Nuts
Grains
Dried corn
Dried peas
Things to watch
out for:
¨
Carrots
and root vegetables are high in
sugar and may cause cecal problems
or gas in some rabbits.
¨
Celery and rhubarb stalks contain
strings that should be removed
before feeding. Alternatively,
cut the stalk into pieces.
Iceberg
lettuce has a reputation for causing
diarrhea in rabbits.
How Much to
Feed your Rabbit
What quantities of food should I
feed Babies and “Teenagers”?
-
Birth to 3 weeks—mother’s milk
-
3-4 weeks—mother’s milk, nibbles
of hay and pellets
-
4-8 weeks—mother’s milk, access
to hay and pellets
-
8
weeks to 7 months—unlimited
pellets, unlimited hay
(plus
see 12 weeks below)
-
12
weeks—introduce Vegetables
(one at a time, quantities
under ½ oz.)
What quantities of food should I
feed a young adult? (7 months to 1
year)
-
Decrease pellets to ½ cup per 6
lb. body weight and
unlimited hay
-
Increase daily vegetables
gradually
-
Fruit: no more than 4-6 TBSP
per week, per 6 lbs. body
weight (because of calories)
What quantities of food should I
feed mature adults? (1 to 5 years)
-
Unlimited hay
-
½
cups of pellets per 6 lbs. body
weight
-
Minimum 2 cups chopped
vegetables per 6 lbs. body
weight weekly
-
Fruit no more
than 4-6 TBSP per week,
per 6 lb. body weight
What quantities of food should I
feed senior rabbits? (Over 6 years)
-
If sufficient weight is
maintained, continue adult diet
-
Frail, older rabbits may need
unrestricted pellets to keep
weight up. Alfalfa can be given
to under weight rabbits, only if
calcium levels are normal.
If
I feed fewer pellets, how do I
compensate?
When
you feed a lower quantity of
pellets, you must replace the
nutritional value without the
calories, which is done by
increasing the veggies. Also a
variety of hay and straw must be
encouraged all day long; we do this
by offering fresh hay couple of
times a day.
Rabbit
Terms
Doe - Female
Rabbit
Buck - Male Rabbit
Dam - Mother Rabbit
Sire - Father Rabbit
Jr./Junior - Rabbit under 6
months of age
Sr./Senior - Rabbit over the
age of 6 months of age
Kit - Baby Rabbit (under 8
weeks of age)
HL - Holland Lop
LH - Lionhead
F1 - First Generation Hybrid
F2 - Second Generation Hybrid
F3 - Third Generation Hybrid
PB - Purebred Rabbit
SM - Signal Mane (Lionheads
only)
DM - Double Mane (Lionheads
only)
ARBA - American Rabbit
Breeders Association
NALRC - North American
Lionhead Rabbit Club
Brood Quality - A rabbit that
has some kind of disqualification
and cannot be shown, but would still
be able to produce a show quality
rabbit.
Show Quality - A rabbit that
to our best knowledge, has no
disqualifications, and would have a
good chance of winning at a show.
Pet Quality - A rabbit that
has too many show disqualifications
to be breed, but would still make a
wonderful and friendly pet.
Ear # - Tattooed number
inside the left ear of a rabbit for
identification
Charlie - A very lightly
colored rabbit (less then 10%
coloring). Both parents have to be
broken colored to produce a
"Charlie"
False Charlie - A very
lightly colored rabbit (less then
10% coloring). One parent was solid
and the other was broken colored.
False "Charlie's" do not have the
same genetics as a true "Charlie"
Litter - A group of Kits born
to the same Doe
Kindle - When a Doe has her
Kits
Proven Doe - A Doe that has
successfully kindled a litter and
has raised them to 8 weeks of age
Proven Buck - A Buck that has
successfully sired a litter
Semi-Proven Doe - A Doe that
has kindled a litter but has not
raised them. Either due to stillborn
kits or her inexperience in
mothering.
Nest Box - Where the Doe
kindles her litter
Stillborn - A Kit that was
born lifeless at birth
Milk dip - A spot or "dip" on
the end of a rabbit's ear (mainly Holland Lops)
that is solid white on a broken
colored rabbit. |
