Raising rabbits can be fun. However, you should understand that rabbits need time to adjust to their new home. Your job is to make sure your rabbit has everything it needs to make the best fit. How you take care of them from the start will also determine your future relationship with your pet rabbit.
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Method 1 of 5: Setting Up the Rabbit Cage
Step 1. Decide where your rabbit will live
Before bringing a new rabbit home, you'll need to decide whether to keep it in a cage or leave it outside. Domestic rabbits are popular pets, but there are several factors to consider. While you'll need to clean and train the rabbits that live indoors with you more often, you won't get as much social contact as the rabbits who live outdoors.
- If you decide to keep your rabbit indoors, you must protect your home from damage caused by the rabbit. Rabbits gnaw at anything, including electrical wires and antique furniture legs. Can you make your home free from these risks, for example by tidying all the cables and placing them out of reach of the rabbits? Including, your house does not store items that, if gnawed, does not provoke your anger?
- If you decide to keep rabbits indoors, you'll also need a litter box. It's really not a good idea to let your rabbit run around in the house and poop at will. The solution is to train the rabbit to use a litter box.
- If you decide to keep your rabbit outside, you should make time to socialize with it every day. Do it regularly. Otherwise, your rabbit will get scared and agitated when he is around you.
Step 2. Prepare the rabbit cage
The rabbit cage should be at least 0.61 m wide and 1.32 m long, and be high enough for your rabbit to stand on.
- Outdoor cages are usually made of wood with a door made of chicken wire at the front. Your rabbit will have good air circulation and will be able to see out of the cage. Wood provides thermal protection good enough to protect rabbits from the outside air, and strong enough to protect rabbits from predators.
- Outdoor rabbit kennels should have a ladder so your rabbit can exercise. The ladder should be at least 1.2 m wide, 2.4 m long and 0.61 m high for a rabbit weighing under 2 kg.
- Many indoor rabbit cages are made of plastic with a wire roof. This makes it lightweight so you can move it around easily.
- If you can't find a cage you like, make your own! The process isn't as simple as buying it, but the results can be even better for your rabbit. Make sure the sides are wired and the floor is not. (Note: A wire floor is often a safe and clean solution for medium-sized rabbits, as long as they have the opportunity to defecate on the wire if they need to. Large rabbits cannot live safely on wire floors because their weight will cause the wires injure the feet and because their larger poop won't pass through the wires).
Step 3. Cover the bottom of the cage with a sheet
You should prepare sheets that are soft, warm, and absorbent. Cover the entire bottom with a thickness of at least 3-4 inches (7.6-10 cm). These sheets will provide cushioning for the rabbit's back paws, which are prone to soreness from pressure if there is not enough cushioning.
Materials commonly used as cushions include wood chips, straw, or dry grass. Of all the materials, straw is the warmest and softest cushioning material, followed by hay (though more expensive than straw), and sawdust
Step 4. Locate the litter box
You should train your rabbit to litter in the box when keeping it indoors. The litter box should fit into the cage and be no more than a third of the floor of the cage.
Method 2 of 5: Bringing Your Rabbit In
Step 1. Move your rabbit from the box to the cage slowly
Rabbits are a prey species. That is, once they feel pressured, they will immediately hide. Moving house is a big thing for a rabbit, so when you bring your rabbit home, let them settle in quietly.
Step 2. Do not disturb your rabbit for 24 hours
This will help them adjust to the sights, sounds, and smells of their new home without having to face the stares of strangers.
Step 3. Start interacting with your rabbit after 24 hours
Do it slowly. Spend as much time as possible sitting next to the cage and talking to them. When your rabbit is tame, open the cage and stroke its back.
Avoid raising your arms above the rabbit's head, as that's what predators do
Step 4. Try lifting your rabbit
If he doesn't try to run away while you're petting him, sit down and gently lift him out of his cage and place him on your lap. By sitting on the floor, the rabbit will not feel so scared. After all, they were land animals and being high in the air would frighten them.
If your rabbit isn't used to being picked up and is trying to escape, don't force your rabbit out. Instead, take it slow and lure him out with food. Once he gets used to your voice and realizes that you are not a threat, eventually, he will come out and take the food. Once your rabbit is out of the cage regularly for food, you can start stroking their back. Once they receive the caress, at that stage you can lift them
Step 5. Comb your rabbit
Combing rabbits is another good way to bond with them. Use a comb and a soft brush, and once the bunny is happy to be petted, use the brush to comb through it.
This is a great way to teach your rabbit that your presence will not harm it. If possible, try this method first if your rabbit is still hesitating to pick it up
Method 3 of 5: Feeding Your Rabbit
Step 1. Ask the previous owners what food they provide
In the short term, give your rabbit the same food. If there are too many changes going on, your rabbit will feel stressed and food is one thing you can prevent from changing (at least for a few days).
Once your rabbit starts to feel confident, change its diet if it feels less than ideal
Step 2. Find out what food should be given to your rabbit
Rabbits are herbivores and their ideal food is grass. Grass contains a balance of nutrients and fiber, which will sharpen their teeth and make their stomachs work. However, it is a bit impossible to provide high-quality grass all year round, especially for indoor rabbits, so a compromise needs to be made.
The best food for your rabbit is grass, but you will most likely have to supplement the grass with other types of food as well. Fresh green hay is the best alternative to grass. When using pellets, give only small amounts; the rest should be green hay
Step 3. Find out what foods you should avoid for your rabbit
Even though they are herbivores, that doesn't mean rabbits can eat all kinds of plants.
- Avoid legumes. Nuts or wheat foods have easily recognizable ingredients such as beans, corn, oats, and crackers. The problem is that rabbits will tend to eat the tasty parts and leave out the nutritious parts. This will result in weakened bones and oversized teeth, and your rabbit will tend to be overweight.
- Since time immemorial, people have known that rabbits under six months old should not eat fresh green vegetables. The trick is to provide a moderate amount of fresh vegetables as a daily snack. Small pieces of fruit can be given occasionally, but should be limited because of the very high sugar content. All new types of food should be introduced slowly.
- If you notice difficulty digesting, offer the rabbit lots of water, hay, and long-boiled cereal. Eliminate other types of food and limit your rabbit's diet to the three types above for three days. When the digestion is back to normal, you can give other types of food slowly, one at a time.
- In addition, any type of food can cause problems if consumed too much. Carrots contain a lot of oxalates, and if given daily, your rabbit can develop bladder stones.
- A safe way to feed your rabbit vegetables is to not serve the same food two days in a row. Give cucumbers on Mondays, lettuce on Tuesdays, carrots on Wednesdays, broccoli on Thursdays, and so on.
Step 4. Don't overfeed your rabbit
Find out how much food your rabbit needs based on its weight and breed. You should feed them daily, but don't overfeed them based on their weight.
- If you have a large, or standard sized rabbit, and you feed them grass, then you will need to feed them generously, making sure they get an adequate number of calories each day, which means they eat almost constantly. If you feed your rabbit in pellet form (which we don't recommend), they will get to the calories much more quickly.
- Try to feed them at a consistent time.
Step 5. Prepare fresh drinking water at all times in a clean, algae-free drinking tub
Mix the water with apple cider vinegar (the cloudier kind is better) for your rabbit. Add two teaspoons of vinegar to a gallon of water, and use the water to feed your rabbit. Apple cider vinegar will provide rabbits with many health benefits, such as making their coat shiny, boosting their immune system, and helping maintain healthy gut bacteria.
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A sip bottle is a good choice because the water is held in a holder attached to the cage, and will not be contaminated by pads, food, pellets, or anything else that might kick into the water bowl. Also, water bowls are prone to tipping over, which is dangerous when it's a hot day and your rabbit doesn't have anything to drink.
Care for a New Pet Rabbit Step 14 - If your rabbit prefers to drink from a bowl, buy a heavy bowl that won't tip over.
- If your rabbit lives outside in the winter, get a warm water bottle so that their water supply doesn't freeze.
Method 4 of 5: Exercise, Practice and Play with Your Rabbit
Step 1. Allow your rabbit that stays indoors to come out while you are home
A house rabbit will get a good dose of exercise and mental stimulation, especially if they are allowed to go outside while you are home. Let your bunny follow you everywhere, even to the point of watching TV with you!
Step 2. Take your rabbit outside
If you have a house rabbit, take it outside, but make sure it doesn't run away. If you have an outdoor rabbit, take it out into the yard every now and then.
- Your outdoor cage should have a ladder in it so your rabbit can exercise if he wants, but you'll get more interaction with him if you let him out into the yard to play with you and to get a little training.
- Never leave your rabbit alone outdoors. Birds can hold your rabbit in their clutches.
- You can even purchase a rabbit bridle, so you can take your rabbit for a walk around the neighborhood.
Step 3. Spend time with your rabbit
Do activities such as combing, training, or playing with them. Rabbits learn slowly, but you can teach them some simple tricks and they can be trained with a click.
Step 4. Give your rabbit a toy
They love to play. Rabbits are also active and curious. They need different types of toys to stay active and avoid harmful activities. You can use cardboard boxes of various shapes and sizes as toys.
- Another great free toy is a toilet paper roll stuffed with straw (after the toilet paper runs out, of course). Most rabbits like this one toy. They can throw, roll, and bite it. It also helps you to recycle your goods.
- Cat toys can also be used as rabbit toys. A small plastic ball with a bell in it is usually fun for the rabbit to push around too. You can also make a type of baby toy that looks like a key ring. Rabbits like to toss and shake them.
- Remember that rabbits will gnaw at anything they can reach. Check their toys every day, pick up the ones that don't seem safe to use. Most wood (no paint, no varnish) is safe for rabbits to gnaw on, as are paper products, such as cardboard, but always exercise caution. Check these items for things that can be dangerous, such as staples, glue, paint, varnish, labels, etc. Take a plastic toy that your bunny can gnaw at.
Method 5 of 5: Keeping Your Rabbit Healthy
Step 1. Clean and replace the bearings in the litter box regularly
Rabbit droppings are round and dry, so cleaning is not difficult. Try adding some hay to the litter box, as rabbits also like to eat while they pee. This will encourage them to continue using the litter box.
Don't wait too long to clean the cage. The cage can be smelly, disgusting, and not good for your rabbit's health
Step 2. Castrate your rabbit
Neutered rabbits make better pets because they are less territorial and less aggressive. Rabbits can be neutered from 12 weeks of age and up. If you have more than one rabbit (male or female), neuter them or you will experience a rabbit population explosion.
Step 3. Vaccinate your rabbit
From 12 weeks of age, rabbits can be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral hemorrhagic diarrhea. Both types of disease are very deadly to rabbits. It is enough to take one injection per year to keep your rabbit healthy.
Also talk to your vet about the drug fenbendazole, which is used against a type of rabbit parasite called Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Most rabbits contain this parasite, which can cause neurological problems, kidney failure, or blindness in old age. One dose of fenbendazole per year is enough to keep your pet rabbit
Step 4. Don't bathe your rabbit
There is no need to bathe rabbits as they clean themselves regularly and the oils in their bodies are natural, harmless substances. Water can enter their ears and infect them. Also, the stress of having to bathe can be bad for your rabbit's health.
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Rabbits are very clean animals and DO NOT HAVE to be bathed. If your rabbit's bottom gets dirty, there's usually a problem.
- The presence of runny droppings is a danger sign for rabbits. If your rabbit's poop is runny, seek emergency medical help as soon as possible.
- The presence of lumps of dirt on the rabbit's bottom is a sign that the diet is too fatty, or a sign that a rabbit is too fat to clean itself properly. In this case, you can (and should) give your rabbit a 'butt bath'. Do it very gently with warm water that is only a few inches deep. Place your rabbit's bottom (only buttocks!) in the water and use your hands to remove the lumps of dirt. Once clean, dry your rabbit completely.
- It is very important to find out the cause of the lumps of dirt. Limit his diet to hay and cereals for three days. For rabbits that are too fat, make sure your rabbit is getting enough exercise. Instead, do not let the rabbit just sit still.
- If your rabbit's outdoor cage doesn't protect it from thunderstorms, snow, or rain, provide additional protection to keep your rabbit healthy.
Tips
- In the summer, put an ice bottle in the rabbit's cage if the cage is outside. They will love to rub themselves against the bottle because of the cold taste.
- Usually, rabbits do well against cold weather, but keep a dry box full of hay so your rabbit can dig into it and make a burrow to protect themselves from the cold winds in winter.
- It is recommended to purchase a cage that has not only a solid floor, but also raised edges so that the rabbit won't kick the droppings out of the cage.
- If you have two rabbits, you can arrange for them to get along well. It's best to castrate both of them first if you want to keep them in the same cage. Otherwise, they will become very aggressive towards each other, or mate. Even a neutered rabbit can fight. Observe carefully, make sure the rabbits that live together can get to know each other.
- If you want to get your rabbit out, don't force it. Just open the cage door and wait for him to come out. Plus, if you face the rabbit head-on, it won't see you very well. So, look at it from the side.
