How to Care for a Pet Rabbit

Pet rabbits come in every shape, size and color. Lop-eared bunnies have long ears that hang down the sides of their heads. Lion-head bunnies have puffy hair on the head and neck with very short hair on the body. Netherlands Dwarf bunnies are small, with longer, soft fur. Whatever the breed, caring for a pet rabbit is the fun and relatively easy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rabbit hutch
• Litter
• Corner litter pan
• Wood chips or recycled corncob
• Small animal brush
• Small animal nail trimmer
• Ceramic food bowls
• Large water bottle
• Solid wood chew toys

1. Purchase or build a rabbit hutch large enough for the mature pet. Know what breed of rabbit you are adopting for a good estimate of the size at maturity. Provide a sleeping house inside the hutch for added privacy for the pet. A pet rabbit needs plenty of room to hop around inside a cage.

2. 
    

   Feed a pet a diet of certified rabbit pellets and timothy hay daily with lots of fresh greens. Give pellets and timothy hay in the morning and fresh greens at night. Offer fresh water in a hanging bottle at all times. Provide solid hardwood toys for the rabbit to chew on and prevent the over growth of the incisors.

3. Litter train a bunny by placing a litter pan with cat litter in each corner available to the pet. Rabbits urinate and defecate in corners by nature, so have them all covered with litter pans and the rabbit will use them. Special corner litter pans are made for rabbits in different sizes, so buy one large enough for the pet.

4. 
    

   Spay or neuter the pet to allow companionship with other animals. Rabbits have a strong sex drive and will mount or become aggressive with other pets if not neutered. Find a veterinarian that specializes in small animals to perform the surgery.

5. Clean the hutch lightly on a weekly basis. Deep clean the hutch on a monthly basis or as needed. Keep the pet rabbit healthy by keeping its surroundings meticulously clean. Empty litter pans, rinse and refill daily to keep odors down.

6. Socialize a bunny with other pets in the home. Bunnies are very social animals and isolation will cause stress and possible illness. Introduce other pets by rubbing the rabbit then allowing the other pet to smell your hands. Move the pets closer together under complete supervision. Do not rush the process of introducing pets to each other.

7. Groom a rabbit with a soft bristled brush for small animals and dry shampoo when necessary. Use the grooming time to check for fur loss and parasites like fleas and ticks. Trim the rabbit’s toenails using small animal nail clippers. Start trimming the toenails when the rabbit is young to make this process easier. Keep a rabbit healthier and more social with proper grooming habits.

Tips & Warnings

• Guinea pigs and bunnies enjoy each other’s company the most. A guinea pig and bunny can even be housed together, provided the rabbit is spayed or neutered.
• Never leave a dog or cat alone with a pet rabbit. These are natural hunters of rabbits and can’t be trusted without supervision.
• Take a pet rabbit to a veterinarian if you see runny eyes or nose, an upper respiratory infection may be setting in.
• Take the pet to the veterinarian for nail trimmings and tooth shavings if necessary.
• Stay away from cedar and pine bedding as they cause liver damage and the onset of allergies.

Resources

• U.S. Humane Society