I advise anyone prior to buying or adopting a rabbit to please research books and websites on rabbit care.
Some supplies that will be needed before you bring your new bunny home:
I will supply you with a starter bag a feed to mix with your brand of feed for the first week. This will help your bunny's digestive system transition between the feed change. Once accustomed to that feed, I do not recommend that you change or it could upset your bunny's tummy!
One of the first questions I am often asked, "is it better to keep my new bunny inside or outside"? Really it is personal preference of what you prefer. One major factor is that rabbits do not tolerate heat. As we all know Georgia gets hot in the summer. So if you decide to keep your bunny in an outdoor area/hutch you will have to make sure that you provide it with some type of cooling/misting system in the hot summer months. An outdoor bunny requires proper shelter from wind, heat and rain. When deciding where to place your cage or hutch please keep this in mind!
A caged rabbit whether outdoors or in should have adequate space to stretch out and not bump it's head while standing on it's hind legs. Remove solid waste and bedding daily. Clean the cage weekly and sanitize the cage monthly or more if necessary. I prefer a wired cage bottom that allows your bunny's dropping to freely fall through. This insures that your bunny is not in contact with it's waste, which will help keep your bunny healthy.
Free to roam? Allowing your bunny to run around indoors is great exercise. Remember though to never leave them unattended while out of their cage. Bunny's love to chew not only will they chew your wooden base boards or a favorite piece of furniture but they will chew electrical cords. So the safest place for your bunny while you are gone is in it's cage.
Rabbits have very sensitive digestive sytems. A basic rabbit diet consist of hay, pellets and water. A salt/mineral wheel should be availble at all times in your rabbits cage or hutch.
Hay should be available to your rabbit daily. Timothy hay is preferred. Giving hay helps the rabbits digestive systems and provides the necessary fiber to help prevent problems such as hairballs or diarrhea.
Quality rabbit pellets should be offered to your rabbit daily but limited. Allowing your rabbit to have an abundance amount of rabbit pellets a day can lead to obesity, kidney, heart and liver disease.
Water is a must for your rabbit. Not only will he or she become dehydrated without water but they will stop eating. If you notice your rabbit had slowed down or stopped eating check it's water bottle first. Perhaps it is empty or not working properly. ALWAYS provide your rabbit with fresh water 24 hours a day!
Foods to Avoid
Carrots are allowed but only to adult rabbits and limit portion sizes. Rabbits also enjoy plain quaker oats. But this too should be feed to rabbits over the age of 4 months and limited to 1 tsp. sprinkled on their pellets.
Rabbits in general groom themselves very well. But do regularly need to brushed, especailly during the shedding seasons (spring and fall). Not only does this help prevent hairballs and matting, but it also helps stimulate criculation. Occasionally your bunny might have fecal matter stuck in it's fur around the genital area. You can clip it off (being careful not to clip or pinch the skin) or bathe the area. Generally rabbits do not require a bath.. If something becomes stuck in it's fur or it is very dirty a bath maybe needed. Rabbit shampoos are available at your local petstore our you can use a hypoallergenic pet shampoo. Make sure you throughly dry your rabbit after bathing. Rabbits need to have their nails trimmed. This prevents them from tearing and makes it easier for you to handle your bunny.
Once your bunny is home and in his new cage you will notice that he or she tend to eliminate in the same spot of his cage. If you decide to litter train your rabbit, I recommend that you place a litter box in that location. Your local pet store has approriate litter for your bunny. I do not recommend using cat litter, if eaten can cause serious health problems. Avoid cedar and pine wood shaving, instead stick with organic litters made of paper, wood pulp or citrus. During the next few days allow your bunny to play outside it's cage for a short perod of time. Observe him/her during this time. If you notice it lifting it's tail this is a sign it is about to eliminate. Immediately pick it up and place it inside it's cage in it's litter box. If it does have an accident simply clean it up and cover it with something to keep your bunny from eliminating in the same spot. DO NOT scold or hit your bunny, this will only scare your bunny and can cause your bunny to become timid or aggressive. Gradually you can allow your bunny out of it's cage for longer periods of time. Always allowing your bunny to have easy access to it's cage/litter box.
