Rabbit Care Info

Lifespan: 8-12 years

Rabbits are active and loving pets with similar social needs as dogs and cats. Knowing your rabbits body language can help you to bond with your rabbit and provide better care for them. Rabbits show their happiness and excitement in different ways. “Binkies”, or jumping and flipping around in an excited fashion, are the most common sign of happiness. Rabbits will often show affection by running around their owner in circles, or giving kisses with their soft little tongues. They can make soft grunting sounds which show contentment. A content rabbit will spend large amounts of time sitting upright and grooming: they do this by licking their front paws and rubbing them over the area to be cleaned. You will also see them lounging around with their feet spread out, and sometimes even on their backs. Rabbits can also have attitude! These pets are known amongst their owners for being rebellious and playing mind games with their humans. Rabbits are naturally prey animals, so they are very perceptive. Rabbits that may feel stressed or fearful communicate by freezing, pricking their ears up, and "thumping" their hind feet.

It's also important to understand that rabbits may not be ideal pets for small children, despite how cuddly they seem. They require patience and a gentle touch, the same as any dog or cat. They do not respond well to being handled roughly, and generally do not tolerate being picked up which can result in stress or potential injuries for the rabbit. Your rabbit must always be held firmly but gently and never by the ears.

Litter box training: Rabbits are intelligent creatures that like to be clean and well-kept, and as such are excellent candidates for litter box training. If provided with a litterbox, most rabbits will train themselves to use it. Large corner boxes that clip onto the side of a cage are available at pet stores. Care Fresh or newspaper litter such as "Fresh News" should be used. These are ideal because they present no inhalation risks of toxic dust to your bunny, and are safe to chew on as well. It is best to provide fresh litter and wash the box every two to three days, although some people will daily to prevent odours building up. The process of training is quite straightforward. Your rabbit will naturally choose a corner in which to do most of its business, so once you observe this spot, you can place the box there and in most cases the rabbit will continue to use it with no problems.

Housing: Rabbits require large amounts of space to stay healthy and happy. Commercial rabbit cages sold in pet stores are generally NOT suitable for rabbits to live in, as they are too small for your rabbit to perform their natural behaviours. Better options for housing your rabbit are to set up a room that they can free roam in, or purchase a large X-Pen to corner off a space for them. Floors of their housing should be solid, as their feet can become stuck in grated flooring. Soft blankets or rugs can be preferable for rabbits as they do not like to slip on hard floors, provided that they do not chew and ingest fabric fibers. Soft flooring can also help prevent pododermatitis (foot sores) from developing. Wood shaving bedding is not necessary for rabbits.

Rabbits require a shelter that they can hide and sleep in. They should always have access to fresh water in a bowl and fresh hay. They should have toys and chews available to prevent boredom and help keep their teeth trimmed. There are many rabbit safe wooden chews available to purchase at your local pet store. Rabbit safe botanical treats can also be used to help encourage foraging behaviours.

Your rabbit's cage should be deep cleaned at least once a week, with spot cleanings done daily. Spot cleaning is removing any soiled bedding and droppings from the cage. The litter box should be spot cleaned daily as well, and the box should be cleaned every few days to weekly, depending on your rabbits usage. Wash your rabbit's cage and belongings with a warm water and antibacterial soap mixture to kill the bacteria that is in the cage. Make sure to rinse all surfaces thoroughly to be sure all the soap has rinsed away. Do not use any harsh kitchen or bathroom cleaners and stay away from bleach since these fumes are toxic to your rabbit.

Nutrition: Rabbits love nothing more in the world than to be eating, all the time. Rabbits require three different types of food to stay healthy: hay, fresh greens, and pellets.

Fresh hay should always be freely available for your rabbit to eat. It should make up 80-90% of their diet. Hay is necessary for optimal gut health, as well as dental health. Rabbits teeth constantly grow, and chewing hay helps keep their teeth at the proper length. Adult rabbits over 6 months of age should eat primarily Timothy hay, and can have Orchard Grass or Meadow Grass as a special treat. Rabbits under 6 months old should eat primarily Alfalfa hay, which is high in protein to help them grow.

Fresh greens should be fed 1-2 times daily. Some staples that are easy to find at your local grocery store are romaine lettuce, arugula, cilantro, flat leaf parsley, and green or red leaf lettuce. All produced should be thoroughly washed before serving to ensure it is clean and pest free. Rabbits should be fed 1-2 cups of fresh greens per 2kg of body weight every day.

If your rabbit is a good hay and greens eater, they don’t require pellets in their diet. A good quality pellet diet, like Oxbow, can be offered in very small quantities as a treat. Rabbits who eat primarily pellets are more prone to obesity and dental disease than rabbits who eat primarily hay.

Fresh fruits and vegetables can be appealing treats to rabbits, but should be fed in very small quantities. The high sugar content found in fruits (and popular vegetables like carrots) can cause imbalances in rabbit’s gut flora, which can lead to dangerous gastrointestinal problems. You can offer a thumbnail sized piece of fruit once every few days as a special treat.

There are some foods that are never safe to feed your rabbit. Please refer to The Red Door Animal Shelter’s handy guide on safe food practices for your rabbit as an excellent reference.

Health Concerns: Your rabbit will likely need nail trims every 6-8 weeks. This will vary between individuals. You can have your Veterinarian show you how to do nail trims at home or you can bring them in to have them trimmed professionally. While getting their nails trimmed, your rabbits feet can also be monitored for any signs of pododermatitis, commonly referred to as sore hocks or bumblefoot. These red, painful sores can develop if rabbits are spending too much time on soiled bedding, on wire cage floors, or too hard surfaces. The bottoms of the feet begin to lose their fur and become raw and red, although you may have to part the fur to see the bare patches. These sores can progress to painful swelling, scabbing, and infection if left untreated.

The major health concern that rabbits can develop is a condition called Gastric Stasis. This is a secondary condition that develops when the rabbit has gone off their food. Rabbits may not eat if they are painful, if their stomach is bloated, or if their teeth are overgrown. When there is no food passing through their digestive system, their intestines stop moving, and they can develop a painful, bloated abdomen. Stasis can happen quickly: a rabbit who has not eaten for a period of 8 hours is in urgent need of veterinary attention so their condition does not get critical. It is extremely important to monitor your rabbits eating habits and the amount of feces they are passing to ensure they are not developing Stasis. If left untreated, this condition can lead to death.

Dental disease is another more common condition that affects rabbits. They have special teeth (known as Hypsodont teeth) that continuously grow throughout their entire lifetime. Some rabbits are not able to grind their teeth effectively, which can lead to pointy protrusions (called “spurs”) to form. These spurs can cut into the rabbits cheeks and tongue, which is very painful, and can lead to them refusing to eat. Seeing your veterinarian for annual checkups can help identify any potential dental problems before they become problematic. If teeth are overgrown, we can perform dental procedures to smooth down the problem teeth so they won’t cause any problems.

Spaying and Neutering: Spaying or neutering your rabbit can help prevent the development of undesirable behaviours and reproductive conditions. Rabbits altered around 6-8 months are less likely to develop behavioural problems such as aggression and urine spraying. Intact male rabbits are at risk of developing testicular torsion. Intact female rabbits have a greatly increased risk of developing uterine cancers, which can be deadly. It is important to have a discussion with your veterinarian to develop a care plan that works best for you and your rabbit.

Rachel Hiebert, RVT