Guide to Rabbit Care

Health

Vaccines: There are no required vaccinations for rabbits at the time being but you should research for your specific area to see if there are any cases of RHDV2. You should research a good rabbit vet in your area to see if the vaccine is available near you.

Spay or Neuter: There are both benefits and risks to consider when thinking about spay or neuter and you should consider the added cost of the operation when you adopt a pet rabbit. If you are going to litter train your rabbit indoors, fixing them may potentially help the process. There are also many health benefits associated with spaying females because there is a very high incidence of cancer in the female reproductive organs. The risk involved is with the actual surgery and the anesthesia. Not every rabbit reacts the same way and it can be a dangerous operation that they do not survive.

Nails: You can clip a rabbit’s nails with a cat nail clipper or simply file them down with a normal nail file. My pro tip is to use a mesh laundry bag (usually used for washing delicates) to burrito your bunny in while you clip their nails. The nails stick out of the mesh making them much easier to see under all that foot fur! You can also use normal nail files on their nails, especially if they are very young with tiny, thin nails.

Grooming: Grooming a rabbit with short hair is pretty low maintenance. When they are molting you may wish to help them remove some of the extra fur so it does not get caught up in their digestive track. (Rabbits cannot throw up so they don’t have hairballs like cats.) Long haired or wooly rabbits will need a weekly brushing to prevent matting. Rabbits are usually great at cleaning themselves. If the have gotten into a mess, you can usually leave them in a clean space for a couple hours and they will go to work getting fresh for you.

It is not advisable to give a rabbit a bath as it can be dangerous for them. They may go into shock or not be able to temperature regulate afterwards. But if you notice buildup happening around their bum, it might be time for a gentle cleaning. This may happen from a cage that needs to be cleaned more often, diarrhea from stress, or introducing new foods too quickly. If you do notice any diarrhea keep a close eye on your rabbit and make sure they are eating and drinking water. They also should only be given hay and water (in a bowl) until the diarrhea has cleared completely. You then may start adding in other foods like pellets. We also recommend Breadbox's Immune and Gut Forage Blend that is multivitamin and can help support a bunnies immune system.

Solve any health concerns first and instead of giving them a full bath try using a warm cloth or unscented baby wipe to clear away the debris. If it needs a bit more cleaning than a cloth will provide, fill a sink with a shallow amount of warm water and dip only their bum into the water, cleaning gently with your hands or a towel to loosen the clumps. They won’t like the bum bath, but it will save them from skin irritation and infection that can happen if the buildup starts to mat. We use all natural human shampoo and conditioner and make sure to brush or cut out any mats that have formed. If you notice that your rabbit is extremely lethargic, or not eating or drinking for more than 12 hours, contact us or your local vet for advice.

Nutrition

Before talking about food, a quick note about water. Access to fresh water is vital. And this is especially important for bunnies as dehydration can quickly become an urgent issue. Signs of dehydration would be lethargy and not eating hay or pellet food. Bunnies prefer bowls for water instead of water bottles. Rabbits will always drink more from a bowl and we would suggest the same for all families with rabbits. A water bottle as a back up is okay, but a bowl should be provided too.

A baby rabbit diet will consist of unlimited pellets and hay until about 3 months old. Then it is advisable to reduce their pellet intake to about 1/8-1/4 cup twice a day so that they develop good habits in eating mostly hay. Unlimited hay is always provided at every age. You may start to slowly introduce leafy greens around three months, and then vegetables in small amounts as they adjust to the new fresh foods. Different breeds may require different amounts of food, greens, veggies, and they should always have unlimited hay. Bunnies are usually fed twice a day; first thing in the morning, and again around dinnertime splitting these portions in half. In between meals, they will nibble on high fiber hay which is essential for their digestion.

Rabbits eat A LOT of hay but there are big differences in types, quality, and nutrient values of hay. Yes, you are going to get to know more about hay than you ever imagined. Oxbow brand is very popular and for the right reasons as they have been consistent quality and freshness. You may feed your rabbit a variety of hays including Organic Meadow Hay, Oat Hay, Botanical Hay, Orchard Grass, and Western Timothy Hay. Alfalfa Hay is good for rabbits under 7 months old, but should be avoided for older rabbits due to being high in fat and not as high in fiber.

Treats can consist of small amounts of fresh fruit, edible flower heads, or baked rabbit cookies.

Home Set Up and Litter Box Training

The best life for a rabbit is one where they have a territory where they feel safe and an extended play space that they can run and hop around in. This looks different for everyone. It can consist of a cage, hutch, large dog crate, an exercise pen or any combination of these elements. There are many rabbit owners who decide to “free range” their pets and litter box train them. Rabbits are intelligent creatures and get bored when confined to a small space. If you have an open set up make sure to give your buns tunnels or caves to hide in. These can be as simple as refashioned cardboard boxes or fancy store bought rabbit homes. They love to sleep in their “burrows” or hide if something startles them.

Consider homing your new pet in an area of the home that is used often. When rabbits are kept in a bedroom, they may get lonely or will never get used to a lot of noise and interaction. They are most active in the morning and during dinnertime so our favorite location is near the kitchen or dining room.

The absolute minimum space requirements for a cage are four hops across in one direction without running into any obstacles, like the food bowls. Horizontal space is more important than vertical space - meaning multiple levels may be nice but they really need more flat space to be able to do zoomies and binkies. A 4 ft by 6 ft space is the minimum requirement for exercise.

Litter box training and “free ranging” is possible for indoor rabbits and there are many resources (and opinions!) available for learning about this. Large, shallow cat litter boxes make a great boxes for rabbits, but the truth is that they can learn to use a variety of shapes and sizes. The litter boxes they sell as “rabbit litter boxes” or “corner litter boxes” are really too small, even for a dwarf rabbit. You may want to place their hay and food bowl inside the litter box because they generally go while they are munching.

Rabbit Math

The monthly cost of having a rabbit can range from $20-$40 including hay, pellet food, shavings, and fresh greens. You can expect to pay approximately $100-$150 for a yearly vet check and potential vaccine. The most costly health expense you may expect to pay for is a spay or neuter, which is usually between $300-$500. These costs are just the expected ones but remember that many pets will have unexpected health issues, especially as they age. It is smart to keep some money saved just incase something comes up.