How to Care for a Rabbit

Put out unlimited grass hay. This is the main component of a rabbit's diet and so it should be available at all times. Timothy, oat, and brome hay are good choices. Put it out on a daily basis in a clean area of the rabbit's cage.

• For young growing rabbits (up to 4 months) feed alfalfa hay and pellets to provide extra calories needed for these life stages.^[3]
• Dried ready grass hay is available from pet shops and feed stores or you can grow a tray of grass specially for the rabbit.

Give the rabbit a dish of rabbit timothy hay pellets. These contain protein and fiber, essential for growing bunnies. Adult rabbits should get 1/4 cup for every 5 pounds of body weight. ^[1]

• Rabbits are herbivores and even vegetables can make them gain weight(avoid feeding vegetables too frequently or if rabbit is young as they have sensitive guts) . Pellets are more concentrated energy than hay and should be fed sparingly.
• Remember that your rabbit can't live on pellets alone. It is very important for the rabbit’s digestive tract to have long stem indigestible fiber in the form of Timothy or grass hay to prevent hairballs (trichobezoars) and to keep its digestive system happy and healthy. Chewing on long stem fiber also helps to wear down the rabbit’s continuously growing (hypsodont) teeth and prevent dental problems.
• Baby rabbits can have as many alfalfa pellets as they want until they are 6-7 months of age.

Offer vegetables only as treats. Rabbits are famous for loving carrots, but these should only be given occasionally, as they have high sugar content.^[5] Veggies are a treat. Wash the veggies completely and, if possible, feed organic greens.

• Provide leafy greens like spinach as well as collards and turnip greens. In addition, mustard greens, cilantro/parsley, watercress, celery, and dandelion leaves are good vegetables for your rabbit.
• Introduce greens a little at a time to avoid digestive upset. Younger rabbits, 12 weeks an older, you can add in one veggie a week, about a half an ounce at a time to avoid disrupting the cecum.^[3]
• Fruit is high in sugar, and should be fed sparingly.

Avoid giving your rabbit unhealthy foods. Some vegetables aren't good for rabbits, including corn, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, beans, peas, potatoes, beets, onions, kale, and rhubarb. Also avoid feeding the rabbit with bamboo, seeds, grains, and any type of meat.

• Human foods such as bread, chocolate, candy, dairy, and anything cooked should not be given to rabbits.^[5]
• Do not give your bunny light lettuce (such as iceberg). It may kill them by causing diarrhea and digestive upset of the good bacteria in the gut. Romaine is best, but make sure it's organic if possible, and wash it before offering it to your rabbit.
• You can allow a rabbit to eat grass that has not been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides and let the bunny choose what to eat on the lawn. However, avoid cut grass that has been heated and crushed by the mower. The process of cutting it will hasten the fermentation process and can lead to bunny digestive problems.^[6]

Supply plenty of clean water. Fresh water must always be available and changed daily. You can put it in a bowl or in a bottle of the sort used to feed hamsters, but rabbit size, although a bowl of water can be easily spilled. Make sure it never runs out and clean it out frequently to prevent contamination.

• Make sure, if using a water bottle, that it is working properly and is not stuck open or closed.

Introduce yourself to a new rabbit slowly. When you first get a rabbit, leave it in its cage or hutch so it can get used to its home. Don't approach it straight away and start playing with it, as it hasn't really settled in yet and doesn't really know you and trust you yet.

• Approach a new rabbit slowly and calmly so the rabbit doesn't get scared. Rabbits get scared very easily and can't see very well, so you should speak before approaching.
• Try not to approach the rabbit if it looks like it's busy or laying down and being calm. This can startle the rabbit.

Let the rabbit out for several hours (6 to 8, if you can) per day. Rabbits love to hop and run around, and to stay healthy they need the opportunity to do so for several hours every single day. You can play with your bunny or leave it to enjoy itself on its own (but keeping an eye on it), but don't neglect this important element of rabbit care.

• Make sure your rabbit is either fenced in a pen that is at least 1 foot (0.3 m) in the ground and 3 feet (0.9 m) out of the ground, or on a rabbit harness and leash.^[4]
• If you'd like to play with the bunny outside, make sure you're in a fenced-in area, and never leave it unattended.
• Keep cats, dogs, and predatory birds away from the bunny at all times.

Give the bunny plenty of toys. They like to chew up cardboard boxes and old phone books. You can also try playing with your bunny by tossing a small ball or stuffed toy.

• You can use some toys around the house, like loo roll tubes, old towels (that can be nibbled at or scratched).

Pick up the rabbit carefully. Rabbits have fragile bodies and must be handled with care. Put a hand under its rear and front area and hold it close to your body. Never pick up a rabbit by his ears.^{[3] [5]}

• Most rabbits enjoy being petted.^[7]
• Don't handle the rabbit roughly or pet it when it is clearly not enjoying it. Rabbits get stressed out easily when they aren't comfortable.^[7]

Take time to bond. Bonding with your rabbits can be slightly difficult to begin with, as they like being given treats and a little scratch behind the ears occasionally, but much to people's surprise, a lot of the time they enjoy being picked up less. This is because (especially when you first get them) they don't like being taken out of their comfort zone and this can leave them feeling exposed.

• Don't be disheartened if at the beginning they bite and scratch furiously every time you try. It is like this for virtually every new rabbit owner. Remember to be gentle and calm, and don't get angry at yourself or the rabbit. Keep working at it, when you do it successfully, give them a small treat such as apple to let them know they have done a good job.
• When you have bonded with your rabbits, interact with them as much as possible. This helps to build a happy and great relationship which is very rewarding as rabbits are curious and playful animals, and will give out as much love as they get back.

Maintain a schedule for playing. This will give your rabbit something to look forward to every day. Make sure you dedicate time towards this because your rabbit will love having company and will need some exercise.

Caring for two bunnies isn't much harder than caring for one, so you might want to invest in a second pet.

• Make sure the bunnies are spayed or neutered, especially if you're housing them in the same cage. Rabbits breed very quickly, and have several babies at a time. fixing may reduce hormonal aggression. Introduce your rabbits slowly and supervise them together to ensure they don't injure each other. Not all rabbits can be housed with other rabbits, though many can enjoy the company of others.
• Be sure to get one that is a good fit with the rabbit you already have.^[5]
• If you think you want more than one rabbit, get litter-mates at the same time so they are the same age and similar size. Have the bunnies spayed or neutered right away so you don’t have unwanted litters and you prevent some hormonally driven behavior issues.

Introduce new rabbits to others gradually. In an established household, you will need to introduce new arrivals slowly, to prevent fighting. Rabbits can be territorial. A male and female or two females will likely be easier matches than two males unless they are babies.

• Have the rabbits in cages far apart on neutral ground for a few days and watch what they do. If they are thumping and agitated, place the rabbits further apart or in separate rooms for a few more days and then bring them back in eyesight. This would be a good time, when introducing them, to have yummy veggies to distract the rabbits but also increase the positive association of the presence of the other rabbit.
• Gradually decrease the distance between the cages until they are next to each other, but still safe from “attack.” As long as they are peacefully co-existing in cages next to each other, continue this arrangement for at least a week.
• Then, you can place them in exercise pens with a barrier between them and, if all is okay, allow the rabbits to meet without a barrier, under supervision for a short period of time. Place yummy greens in there, two to three piles, to reinforce all is good.^[8] When rabbits are laying down together or grooming each other, bunny life is good.

Clean the cage every week. Make sure the bunny is under supervision while you work. Empty the dirty hay or shavings from the cage, wash it with hot, soapy water, rinse it thoroughly, and let it dry. Fill it with clean hay or shavings in solid floors, clean trays in wire floors.

• The litter box needs to be changed out every day and thoroughly disinfected every week or so with a 10% white vinegar solution. Rinse well and allow to dry. If the litter box is plastic or metal, you can also place it in the dishwasher.
• Have more than one litter box so that you can switch a clean one while the other box is dirty or in the process of being cleaned.
• Rabbit urine is very alkaline and crystals can build up on the surface of the litter box and require the use of a descaling solution.

Keep the temperature right for your rabbit. Optimum temperature for rabbits is 61 to 72F. If your rabbit is outside, provide plenty of shade and, if it gets really hot, bring them indoors to air conditioning or place frozen water bottles in the hutch to help the rabbit keep cool. Rabbits can die of heat stroke.

• The rabbit’s ears are really the main temperature control part of their bodies. Panting with bright red ears may be a sign of over-heating.
• If they were in the wild, the rabbit would go underground where it is cool to get out of the heat.

Brush the rabbit. Wool breeds (like English, Giant, French, Satin Angoras) need more grooming than others if not shorn. They need to be groomed daily, especially if the wool fibers are thin. Careful brushing of any mats and blowing out the coat is recommended (never blow with hot air). Remember that the rabbit's skin is thin and pulling on the mat can damage it. If a mat is seriously stubborn, clip it away. Also note that these breeds and crosses with wool tend to also have wool on the feet that can get matted. Mats on the feet can part the protective hairs of the foot and lead to sore hocks, so pay special attention to a wool breed's feet when grooming.

• Bathing should never be done, but you can use a soft-bristled brush to groom. If you have two rabbits, you may notice them grooming each other.
• Rabbits do not need to be bathed unless they get very dirty and are not able to groom themselves properly. Only if needed, bathe the dirty bottom of the rabbit only. Never bathe whole rabbit as the sudden change in temperature from wet fur can bring rabbits into shock.

Take the rabbit to the veterinarian at least once a year. Rabbits need annual checkups to make sure they're healthy. Many veterinarians who treat cats and dogs do not have expertise in treating bunnies, so you may need to find a vet who treats "exotic" animals.

• Depending on where you live, your veterinarian may recommend vaccination for certain diseases like Myxomatosis if you live in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Myxomatosis vaccination is not currently recommended.^[3]
• Your veterinarian will do an examination and discuss their findings and make recommendations based on your rabbit’s current condition. Managing healthy dentition in rabbits may require anesthesia to fully examine the teeth and address any sharp points discovered on the back teeth (premolars and molars).^[5]