How to Care for Rabbits
Rabbits are very sociable and prefer to live in large groups in the wild. They need company but sometimes fight when kept together as pets so you have to choose well. You could possibly team them up with a friendly Guinea Pig, but if one of them turns out to be a bully towards the other you will have to seperate them?
Food and Water
Rabbits eat a variety of fruit and vegetables as well as other specially made rabbit foods. Always check the quality, cheap food stuffs sometimes contain a lot of over ground foodstuffs making the feed appear dusty. Check that your rabbit can always get access to clean fresh water, a bottle feeder is best as rabbits do tend to make a mess with a bowl. Grass or hay must be offered, but do not let your rabbit eat cut grass from a mower, if left this can ferment and harm your pet. Always make sure there is something in the hutch that your rabbit can gnaw, this will keep those teeth in check.
Accommodation
A rabbit can live inside or out, but it will need a sturdy outdoor rabbit hutch that is big enough to move around and stand upright in. You can use sawdust, straw, hay and shredded paper they are all acceptable; and can all be used as bedding. When in their hutch you usually find that they use one particular area to use for the toilet, make sure this is clear of foodstuffs and has more paper underneath than normal. Placing a rubber product or vinyl flooring on the floor of the hutch will save the wood from eventually rotting.
Make sure that if your rabbit lives inside it can't chew any electrical wires or furniture.
If your rabbit is outside make sure your rabbit's hutch is kept away from dogs, cats, foxes and other animals. The hutch must be waterproof and kept off the ground so that it doesn't get damp, cold or draughty. A good hutch should have two compartments, one for sleeping so that they feel secure and another that's lighter and more airy where they can see out but which is protected by strong wire netting. A good idea in the winter months is to bring the hutch into a sheltered are, such as a garage or tucked into a corner near walls or fences to protect them,. We used to cover the front of the Hutch with a flap of carpet. Firmly attached to the hutch.
Exercise
Rabbits need daily exercise or they may become bored and destructive. Remember to check that your garden is safe for them if not perhaps you could have a special run either brought or made for your rabbit to exercise in. If they will be out in a run for long periods always ensure that there is a shaded area for them to rest and to protect them from the sun and rain. Make sure that there is always water available and that the run is secure form any predators such as dogs, cats and foxes.
Cleaning
Your rabbit will keep itself clean up to a point but it may need some help. If you have a rabbit with a long coat perhaps an Angora make sure you groom them regularly, always keep an eye on the hindquarters and be aware of fly strikes. This occurs if the rabbits bottom area becomes matted and has droppings sticking to the fur, a fly will place eggs in the contaminated fur and maggots could then attach themselves to the skin of your rabbit. This is very distressing for the rabbit and can end in a very painful death if not supervised. To prevent this make sure the that you clean your rabbit's hutch regularly and replace its bedding possibly every 3 days more often in the summer if the temperatures rise and groom them properly and at the same time check them over.
Handling
Rabbits are used to being close to or under the ground so your rabbit may not like being picked up. Make sure you handle your rabbit everyday to make them used to being handled, they can get quite grumpy if they are not used to being handles and then if a vets visit is needed they will be quite compliant. If you leave them to their own devices they can become quiet wayward. To pick up your rabbit be confident, all animals know when the handler is nervous and will play up. With one hand, gently hold the scruff of
your rabbits neck and put your other arm around the rabbit's back legs and take the weight as you lift it up. Always hold the rabbit against your body with its head on your chest or shoulder to make it feel more secure. And never pick a rabbit up by its ears or just by the scruff of its neck that is very cruel.
Health
Unless you are thinking of breeding from your rabbit, it's a good idea to have them neutered so that it can't breed. A doe rabbit can have many litters a year. Having your rabbit neutered can also make it less aggressive. Rabbits will need to have its teeth and claws checked and trimmed by a vet if they're overgrown. Again be aware of fly strikes. I also advise that you have your rabbit vaccinated against myxomatosis, ask your vet for further advice.
Training
If you want to litter train your rabbit because it lives in the house they will learn, but older rabbits are easier to train, un-neutered rabbits can be harder to toilet train. Rabbits like to have toys to play with, possibly a hard ball or if you have a large rabbit a football can be fun for them, tubes, maybe drain piping to run through in their run along with any obstacles that they can run about in and hide. Be imaginative with their play areas. If you have two rabbits or a guinea pig and rabbit they will chase each other, this can be very good exercise for them both.
