Bunny Care
Feeding your Bunny:
Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, so it is vital that you are always careful what you are feeding your bunny. Giving a bunny too much food, too many treats or veggies could be fatal.
Bunny Pellets: We feed our rabbits ¼ cup pellets in the morning. If they have eaten all their food when we check them at night, we give them another ¼ cup. We Never feed over ½ cup daily! Always read your food bag for feeding chart. If you would like to give your bunny oats, you can sprinkle a little on the top of their food. We use to feed bunnies pen pals and now we switched to Rowe.
Fresh Water: A constant supply of fresh water is very important! Always check your bunny’s dish or water bottle daily. Be sure to keep them clean and full. Some bunnies may like a water dish over a bottle, you may just have to try and see what your bunny takes to. Ours use only water bottles except for hot days we give them both. We use lixit brand water bottles.
Timothy Hay: Hay is a staple for rabbits. Since bunnies cannot vomit hairballs, fiber in their food and hay helps to keep them regular. Timothy Hay is high in fiber and low in protein, calcium, and calories. We give our rabbits as much as they want. We also give our rabbit's timothy hay pellets for treats.
Treats/Veggies: We offer our bunnies that are 6 months or older about ¼ to ½ cup of leafy treats from outside a few times a week in the summer. (Parsley, dandelions, Red clover (flower & leaves), raspberry leaves and plantain herbs. We also give our bunnies a mixture of Craisins, old fashioned oats, black sunflower seeds and Nature's salad one time a week all year around. We don't give our bunny's rich treats like carrots chunks, banana slices, or berries very often. These rich treats are off limits for rabbits until they are at least 6 months old. You can use your own discretion on what you would like to give for treats. When giving your bunny treats be sure to watch their bowel movements. If your rabbit starts to get mushy stools or other bowel/digestive changes, slow down or stop leafy treats. Too much of “wet and green” foods can be dangerous and may lead to GI Stasis. Different types of treats can cause mushy stools. If they get diarrhea or mushy poop you can give them straight hay for a few days that helps our bunnies.
If you are unsure what type of Food or treats to give your bunny please call your vet to ensure their health and safety. Googling treat ideas are always helpful.
If you would like to change your bunny’s food, be sure to gradually mix the new food in over two weeks.
If your bunny stops eating, or has a change in their bathroom behaviors be sure to contact a vet ASAP. That could be a symptom of Gi stasis. If they are new to your household they may skip a meal or two and that's ok. They should start to eat and drink soon after you get them home and they feel comfortable.
Grooming:
Nails: Rabbits nails need to be trimmed every 6-8 weeks. A cheap pair of cat nail trimmers will work just fine. When trimming be sure to find the pink “quick” in the nail and not trim to close. Cornstarch, flour, blood-stop powder can help if you accidentally nick the quick.
Brushing: Brush your bunny weekly. When molting, brush your bunny daily until the molting stops. This will help to prevent your bunny from ingesting too much hair.
Litter Training:
Yes, bunnies can be litter trained, usually in a few weeks. Some rouge poo balls will still be present, but most the messes should be in the litter box after some time, persistence, and patience. Litter boxes with a wire grate over the absorbent bedding keep your bunny out of the mess and prevent digging.
Bedding for litter box or cage tray: Compressed pine pellets or pine or aspen shavings (not cedar) are good choices for bedding. A common misunderstanding is to place bedding all over the solid floor of the cage. This will confuse the bunny. Bedding should only be placed in the litter box or the slide-out tray of a wire floor cage. Be sure to keep the box clean by cleaning every few days or even daily if preferred. We clean ours every other day unless there are babies then we clean them every day. Spaying/neutering may help bunnies who continue to drop poo balls to mark their territory.
Spaying/Neutering: If your bunny is going to be and indoor pet, you may want to consider spaying/neutering them. Hormones can make your bunny do crazy and unpleasant things such as digging, becoming more distant, spraying, mounting, and being just plain grumpy. We have a little guy that circles our feet aggressively. Do not give up- if you wish to spay or neuter do so around 5-6 months old. It usually takes 3-6 weeks for their hormones to subside.
Interaction: When you first get your bunny, make sure it is eating, drinking, going to the bathroom. Keep your bunny in a relatively quiet environment for the first day. After your bunny calms down, allow it to sit on your lap on the floor or play in a small area with you. Keep your bunny’s world small at first, and always supervise young children when they are playing with the bunny. Remember that bunnies are scared of being lifted and carried, so please learn how to carefully carry your bunny and demonstrate this to your children. look at this article about their eye sight. https://newrabbitowner.com/how-rabbits-see-the-world
Toys: Toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay, plastic whiffle balls, hardwood toys (not oily woods such as pine or cedar), cat balls, grass tunnels, grass mats, willow wreathes and balls, boxes, or small plastic cups/bowls are all great toys for bunnies. Be creative and have fun! Toys keep your bunny entertained. You can also use wood toys to help your bunny trim their teeth. Some possible wood toys fresh apple tree branches or willow tree branches.
A simple metal exercise pen can also be a great cage idea for indoor bunnies that you will litter train.
If you have any other questions about what we do with our rabbits please see my website, YouTube and Facebook pages.
*YouTube channel: Lops of love Rabbitry
* Facebook group 1: Cambridge Isanti rabbit breeders Helps others with questions and Buying and selling rabbit items.
* Facebook group 2: Lops of love Rabbitry this is where I post info about babies and other things going on in our barn.
Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems, so it is vital that you are always careful what you are feeding your bunny. Giving a bunny too much food, too many treats or veggies could be fatal.
Bunny Pellets: We feed our rabbits ¼ cup pellets in the morning. If they have eaten all their food when we check them at night, we give them another ¼ cup. We Never feed over ½ cup daily! Always read your food bag for feeding chart. If you would like to give your bunny oats, you can sprinkle a little on the top of their food. We use to feed bunnies pen pals and now we switched to Rowe.
Fresh Water: A constant supply of fresh water is very important! Always check your bunny’s dish or water bottle daily. Be sure to keep them clean and full. Some bunnies may like a water dish over a bottle, you may just have to try and see what your bunny takes to. Ours use only water bottles except for hot days we give them both. We use lixit brand water bottles.
Timothy Hay: Hay is a staple for rabbits. Since bunnies cannot vomit hairballs, fiber in their food and hay helps to keep them regular. Timothy Hay is high in fiber and low in protein, calcium, and calories. We give our rabbits as much as they want. We also give our rabbit's timothy hay pellets for treats.
Treats/Veggies: We offer our bunnies that are 6 months or older about ¼ to ½ cup of leafy treats from outside a few times a week in the summer. (Parsley, dandelions, Red clover (flower & leaves), raspberry leaves and plantain herbs. We also give our bunnies a mixture of Craisins, old fashioned oats, black sunflower seeds and Nature's salad one time a week all year around. We don't give our bunny's rich treats like carrots chunks, banana slices, or berries very often. These rich treats are off limits for rabbits until they are at least 6 months old. You can use your own discretion on what you would like to give for treats. When giving your bunny treats be sure to watch their bowel movements. If your rabbit starts to get mushy stools or other bowel/digestive changes, slow down or stop leafy treats. Too much of “wet and green” foods can be dangerous and may lead to GI Stasis. Different types of treats can cause mushy stools. If they get diarrhea or mushy poop you can give them straight hay for a few days that helps our bunnies.
If you are unsure what type of Food or treats to give your bunny please call your vet to ensure their health and safety. Googling treat ideas are always helpful.
If you would like to change your bunny’s food, be sure to gradually mix the new food in over two weeks.
If your bunny stops eating, or has a change in their bathroom behaviors be sure to contact a vet ASAP. That could be a symptom of Gi stasis. If they are new to your household they may skip a meal or two and that's ok. They should start to eat and drink soon after you get them home and they feel comfortable.
Grooming:
Nails: Rabbits nails need to be trimmed every 6-8 weeks. A cheap pair of cat nail trimmers will work just fine. When trimming be sure to find the pink “quick” in the nail and not trim to close. Cornstarch, flour, blood-stop powder can help if you accidentally nick the quick.
Brushing: Brush your bunny weekly. When molting, brush your bunny daily until the molting stops. This will help to prevent your bunny from ingesting too much hair.
Litter Training:
Yes, bunnies can be litter trained, usually in a few weeks. Some rouge poo balls will still be present, but most the messes should be in the litter box after some time, persistence, and patience. Litter boxes with a wire grate over the absorbent bedding keep your bunny out of the mess and prevent digging.
Bedding for litter box or cage tray: Compressed pine pellets or pine or aspen shavings (not cedar) are good choices for bedding. A common misunderstanding is to place bedding all over the solid floor of the cage. This will confuse the bunny. Bedding should only be placed in the litter box or the slide-out tray of a wire floor cage. Be sure to keep the box clean by cleaning every few days or even daily if preferred. We clean ours every other day unless there are babies then we clean them every day. Spaying/neutering may help bunnies who continue to drop poo balls to mark their territory.
Spaying/Neutering: If your bunny is going to be and indoor pet, you may want to consider spaying/neutering them. Hormones can make your bunny do crazy and unpleasant things such as digging, becoming more distant, spraying, mounting, and being just plain grumpy. We have a little guy that circles our feet aggressively. Do not give up- if you wish to spay or neuter do so around 5-6 months old. It usually takes 3-6 weeks for their hormones to subside.
Interaction: When you first get your bunny, make sure it is eating, drinking, going to the bathroom. Keep your bunny in a relatively quiet environment for the first day. After your bunny calms down, allow it to sit on your lap on the floor or play in a small area with you. Keep your bunny’s world small at first, and always supervise young children when they are playing with the bunny. Remember that bunnies are scared of being lifted and carried, so please learn how to carefully carry your bunny and demonstrate this to your children. look at this article about their eye sight. https://newrabbitowner.com/how-rabbits-see-the-world
Toys: Toilet paper tubes stuffed with hay, plastic whiffle balls, hardwood toys (not oily woods such as pine or cedar), cat balls, grass tunnels, grass mats, willow wreathes and balls, boxes, or small plastic cups/bowls are all great toys for bunnies. Be creative and have fun! Toys keep your bunny entertained. You can also use wood toys to help your bunny trim their teeth. Some possible wood toys fresh apple tree branches or willow tree branches.
A simple metal exercise pen can also be a great cage idea for indoor bunnies that you will litter train.
If you have any other questions about what we do with our rabbits please see my website, YouTube and Facebook pages.
*YouTube channel: Lops of love Rabbitry
* Facebook group 1: Cambridge Isanti rabbit breeders Helps others with questions and Buying and selling rabbit items.
* Facebook group 2: Lops of love Rabbitry this is where I post info about babies and other things going on in our barn.
Here is one of my video's on YouTube. I will be changing out my video's as I find new things I use in my barn.