How to Care for Rabbits

Rabbits can be a furry alternative to dogs or cats if you lack space or time for those more traditional pets. A rabbit requires hay, water, vegetables and some free time to exercise outside his cage. Rabbits are social animals, so putting them in a room where they can see the activity keeps them from being lonely and destructive. A rabbit is naturally a chewer, so if you have a free-range rabbit in the house, you may want to protect phone wires with hard plastic tubing and watch out for your wallpaper.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rabbit pellets
• Hay
• Water
• Cage or enclosure
• Litter box
• Newspaper
• Vegetables
• Brush
• Nail clipper

1. Provide a safe habitat. A rabbit can live happily in a cage, providing it is roomy enough for him to hop around and stand up on his hind legs. Rabbits are naturally neat animals, so if you provide a litter box, the rabbit will seek it out. Line the cage with newspapers or cat litter, and provide a bowl for rabbit pellets and a hanging waterer.

2. Feed your rabbit hay and rabbit pellets. The rabbit will want to sit in his hay as he eats it, so you may want to put the hay in the litter box. This gets him used to where to go to the bathroom, and keeps his cage cleaner. A rabbit's diet is 75% hay (timothy is best for digestion, oat hay is an alternative. Alfalfa is not recommended). Rabbit pellets should be provided. Carrots, celery, lettuces (excluding iceberg lettuce), apples, oranges, and strawberries are favorites.

3. Give your rabbit time out of the cage to exercise. Twenty minutes a day is ideal. A rabbit is naturally curious and will like exploring. Snuggle with your rabbit. Watch TV together. Spend time giving love to your rabbit, to develop a bond.

4. Groom your rabbit. Brush him and clip his nails when they get sharp. This will make handling the rabbit more pleasant.

5. Clean the litter box once a day to keep the smell to a minimum.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't leave a rabbit unattended with dogs.

References

• Rabbit Care

[vin435]

on 9/22/2009 very nice and useful article