10 (TEN) ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS OF A RABBIT

Social interaction:

Rabbits are social animals living in stable groups. Serious aggression (read odd things rabbits do) is rare once a stable hierarchy has been established.

If your rabbit is caged singly all the time, it may show more abnormal stereotypical behaviour such as over grooming and gnawing at the bars of its cage. If your rabbit is alone without a pair, then it is important to spend time with your rabbit because he depends on you for companionship. Even when a rabbit has a lot of room to run around, he may still get bored. A bored rabbit is often a naughty rabbit. If you do not make every attempt to provide your rabbit with lots of entertainment, then he will make his own entertainment in your carpet, behind your couch, or under your recliner.

Exercise and handling:

Rabbits need to exercise frequently to maintain a healthy bone structure.

Rabbits like to play with toys, cardboard boxes and tunnels – they are curious and love to explore.

Rabbits do not like being picked up and prefer to be petted at ground level Rabbits should not be handled by young children – if they kick out or are dropped, they can break their backs.

Rabbits should be picked up by placing one hand under their bottom and the other under their tummy Rabbits should not be laid on their backs – this is stressful for them

 

Healthcare:

Rabbits are surprisingly hardy. Given the proper housing, diet, and exercise, they have relatively few health problems. They do not need immunizations and most rabbits never see a vet their entire lives. The two keys to keeping them in good condition are to keep the environment sanitary and to observe them carefully, so you can catch any issues before they become big problems. A rabbit's cage does not have to be germ-free and in fact, it should not be, but you should keep it clear of old hay, bedding, or droppings, and go over it with a natural cleaning agent every couple weeks. Most importantly, your rabbit's environment must offer good ventilation. Poor air quality is one of the most common causes of Snuffles and other respiratory infections. Rabbits have much more sensitive noses than people do, so if you can smell ammonia around your rabbit's cage, he can smell it much stronger. Using vinegar or table salt in your drop trays can go a long way towards reducing ammonia. Read caring for the rabbit

Grooming:

For some breeds, particularly Angoras, proper grooming is the difference between contentment and misery. Angoras must be groomed regularly or they will become tangled in their own wool, which causes many problems. However, for most breeds, grooming is a bonus that can help develop a bond between rabbit and caregiver. Almost all bunnies can benefit from a regular brushing. This will remove the dead hairs and-smooth the coat. It will also stimulate oil -glands that help protect the coat from dirt, moisture, and even bacteria not to mention making it glossy and beautiful. It is especially important to remove dead hairs from the coat when a rabbit is molting (shedding). Rabbits lick their own fur to keep it clean and o when molting can ingest enough of their hair to block their intestines. Brush your molting rabbit daily, then moisten your hands and rub it down to remove extra dead hairs. A slicker brush works pretty well for this task. 

Trim Your Rabbits' Claws. All rabbits also need their toenails trimmed. Some bunnies' toenails will wear down faster than others will, depending on how much exercise it gets, but all pet rabbits need their claws trimmed eventually. Failure to keep the claws short will not only result in more scratches to the handler, but also put the rabbit at risk of breaking or pulling a nail. Here is an important tip: only use pet nail trimmers on rabbits! Do not use human nail clippers on your pet bunny. Human nail trimmers are the wrong shape and are more likely to break rabbits' nails than cleanly trim them.

Neutering/Spaying:

Neuter Your Bunny! Neutering not only helps curb overpopulation of domestic rabbits, it dramatically decreases the chance of reproductive cancers, makes litter box training easier, and reduces chewing and territorial behavior, such as spraying urine and manure. Adult rabbits not already neutered should be neutered IMMEDIATELY. 

Litter Boxes:

A characteristic of rabbits that makes them successful house pets is the ease with which they can be litter-box-trained A rabbit trained to use litter box will leave most or all of its fecal pellets in the litter box. Typically select one or more specific areas to be latrines and will almost always go there to eliminate. 

If a rabbit is kept in a large enclosure or cage, the owner should simply observe where the rabbit is eliminating and place a litter box there. Most rabbits will continue eliminating in the same place, even though the topography has changed by adding the litter box. 

Toys:

Just like cats and dogs, rabbits like toys:
A pinecone or two
Plastic containers which are small enough for them to pick up with their teeth (margarine tubs or babies' bath toys)
A small untreated cane bowl to chew
An old phone book to chew
A pile of newspapers to shred
Small cardboard boxes to toss around
Cardboard rolls from paper towels
A towel to scrunch up

Environmental Enrichment:

Your rabbits run should not be bare and barren. Incorporate some interest by adding a mound of soil. Some boxes to climb on and of course cardboard board with two entry points.

Lay a length of PVC drainage pipe (wide enough for your bunny to enter without getting stuck) so that it is flush with the ground and allows your bunny to enter from either end

Give your bunnies toys and change these around, e.g. some pine cones for a few days, then replace with a pile of newspaper they can shred. It is imperative that you spend time with your rabbits if they are to be kept in an outside run, or they will withdraw from your presence. If you do not do this, there is no point in even having pet rabbits. Visit regularly with any of the treats above and your rabbits will look forward to seeing you.

Feeding:

Proper feeding will influence the rabbit’s growth, fertility and health. Some foodstuffs contain a lot of protein (especially fresh greens); some are sources of energy (like rice bran, tubers, etc.). Both protein and energy, as well as minerals are of importance.

To start with, a rabbit will benefit from greens. These are grass, leaves, vegetables, etc. 

Just like humans, rabbits also need variety in their diet. This is sufficiently taken care of by adding commercial pelleted diet that is balanced in the necessary nutrients (protein, energy, vitamins, and minerals). These diets contain alfalfa, grain (barley, wheat mill byproducts), protein supplements (soybean meal), vitamins, and mineral supplements. Read "What and how to feed your bunny" concise information on rabbit nutrition at different stages of development.

Housing:

Rabbit housing will largely depend on the scale and purpose of the operation. Basic requirements: comfort for rabbits, protect rabbits from predators and prevent them from escaping, protect rabbits from extreme weather, allow easy access to the rabbits, be easy to clean or “self-cleaning,” and, lastly, affordable to build and maintain.

In areas with mild climates (moderate temperature), housing can be open-walled (for example, a long, narrow A-frame with a walkway down the middle and a row of cages on either side with roll-down plastic curtains or hinged boards for cold weather).

In cold regions where there are prolonged periods below freezing point, buildings need to be enclosed to prevent drafts and conserve body heat. Heating is usually not necessary since rabbits have thick fur coats. However, drafts in cold weather can be a problem, particularly for newborn kits in the nest box. 

In any type of building, ventilation is very important in reducing ammonia buildup and helping the animals stay cool during hot periods. Take a minute to look at our hutches and cages