How to take Care of Pet Rabbits at Home

April 8, 2023

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How to take Care of Pet Rabbits at Home

Rabbits are becoming more popular as house pets. However, many adopt new pet rabbits without first researching the proper way to take care of them, and because of that they end up with various health issues that could have been prevented. Rabbits are very loving, social animals, which means they not only love to spend time with their humans – they require it. Without human interaction, rabbits can get bored, even to the point of becoming lonely and depressed. While toys can alleviate some of their boredom, they still need human attention and interaction. Many rabbits also enjoy having another rabbit as a friend.

Some people wonder if rabbits are more like cats or dogs. They’re like rabbits! Yours might use a litterbox like a cat and get excited to see you like a dog, but really, rabbits are not quite like either of these animals. Do they “make good pets”? They make wonderful, intelligent companions for wonderful, intelligent people! Each rabbit has a different personality just like each person does. A new rabbit owner should be willing to learn a new language when she brings home a rabbit as a companion. A rabbit will teach you a new way of looking at the world! Although they can be ornery at times, rabbits are wonderful, fun, and loving companions.

It’s important to remember that rabbits are prey animals. Prey animals interact with their environment very differently than predators like cats and dogs. In general, rabbits do not like to be picked up. The act of bending over them and grabbing them by their ribs to pick them up is very similar to being picked up by a hawk – scary!!

The best way to interact with your rabbit is on the floor. Sit in the room while bunny is out to play and she will soon come investigate you. She will like to be petted sitting next to you, but not necessarily while being carried in your arms! If you choose a cage or pen with a sideopening door and put it on the floor or provide a ramp to a taller cage, you can let bunny in and out for playtime without ever picking her up!

If you are going to pick up your rabbit, make sure you do it correctly. The best way is to place one hand under her rib cage and the other under her bottom, scooping her back legs so she can’t kick. This method will protect her fragile backbone while protecting you from those strong kicking back legs and sharp nails. It is also important to wear an appropriate shirt when handling a rabbit to avoid being scratched by nails as bunny tries to get away! Or just encourage or herd bunny into a pet carrier or box and move him that way.

Keep in mind your rabbit will likely be easier to interact with and handle once spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering reduces hormone-driven behaviors like lunging, mounting, spraying, and boxing. Spaying also protects female bunnies from uterine cancer, which can be quite common in older unspayed rabbits.

Before you bring your pet rabbit home

They might look small and cute but they do grow quickly! If you learn how to take care of pet rabbits well, kits (baby rabbits) grow up to be healthy adult rabbits with a personality of their own.
They have a voracious appetite: Rabbits are constant eaters and need to have food available at all times. They are almost always chewing and they do this to help maintain the health of their continuously growing teeth.
Rabbits feel hot: In the wild rabbits burrow and find respite from the heat but as pets it is our duty to ensure we keep them cool, especially if you are in a part of the country where the temperatures soar.
Rabbits are social animals: Rabbits live together in groups and they have a hierarchy that they maintain. If you are going to be taking on a rabbit then it is upto to you to be the companion or provide a companion for your little pet. Two females work well together, two males may fight, a male and female will eventually lead to many babies unless you plan to spay your rabbits. If you are going the single bunny route then remember to spend lots of time with your bunny, play with it and talk to it.
Bunnies rule the house: It is lovely to see a bunny as a part of a family, roaming around freely within the confines of your home but a few accidents that we need to watch out for are young kids, while playing around, running around the possibility of these skittish little mammals getting hurt is huge so finding away to control it is key. Rabbits are nibblers so wires, electric cords are all accidents waiting to happen. Rabbits can’t vomit so it is important to ensure that they do not consume anything that is toxic.

Now that you have some basic information about raising rabbits, let’s get on with the main task at hand – how to take care of pet rabbits

Rabbits cost very little, but taking care of them is not cheap!

Some Basic Facts

Rabbits can be litterbox trained
Rabbits can live to be 7-10 years old
Rabbits are inquisitive, sociable animals
Rabbits make wonderful indoor companions
Rabbits can purr when contented
Like cats and dogs, rabbits need to be spayed or neutered to improve health and behavior
Most rabbits do not like to be held–they prefer to sit beside you
Rabbits like to play with toys, such as cardboard boxes, wire cat balls, hard plastic baby keys, untreated willow baskets
Rabbits need to have things of their own to chew on (or they might nibble on your stuff)
Rabbits need to be protected from predators, poisons, temperature extremes, electrical cords, and rough handling

Rabbit Food and Nutrition Guide

Rabbits are known to live upto 10 to 12 years under constant care & love from its human family. The most important element of caring for the bunny is a healthful daily diet that must be a combination of fresh-dust free hay, vegetables, fruits, pellets and clean drinking water.

What makes a Nutritious Diet for rabbits:

Dust free hayis the core component of any rabbit’s daily food intake. Veterinarians recommend offering a diet to the pet rabbit that constitutes 70 to 80 percent good quality fresh hay such as timothy, orchard oat, and other varieties of grass hay.

Hay is closest to what a rabbit would forage in the wild and comes with a string of benefits:

A diet rich in hay means the pet is getting sufficient fiber that prevents formation of hairballs.
Chewing on hay helps to trim down a bunny’s front as well as cheek teeth that grow constantly, this is also known as dental abrasion. Overgrown teeth are a sign of poor dental health and can directly affect a rabbit’s overall health.
Another advantage of chewing hay is that it prevents boredom by satiating a bunny’s inborn urge to graze & gnaw.
Alfalfa hay is very rich in protein & calcium and especially benefits babies, nursing females, ailing and old rabbits.

Before you retire to bed at night make sure hay is available to it.

Fresh vegetables – A minimum of one cup of vegetables for every 4 pounds of rabbit’s body weight can be given daily. This will encourage healthy chewing behavior in your furry buddy along with supplying necessary health benefits.

Washed green leafy herbs and vegetables must be given daily to the pet rabbit. Image-www.rnzspca.org.nz

Safe vegetables for rabbits are peas, spinach, fenugreek, cucumber, green beans, cauliflower & its leaves. Since carrots are high in Sugar, should be given in moderation.

Some safe herbs include Coriander, Basil and Mint.

Learn what vegetables must be avoided:

Certain Lettuce varieties especially ice-berg lettuce must be avoided as they can be damaging to its health.
Even cabbage can be avoided as it can cause gas and digestive upsets.
Radish tops, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts must be given sparingly else will lead to a gassy stomach.

Bunny Friendly Fruits – Fruits should not be fed in excess due to their rich sugar content. Daily fruit intake should be limited to 2 tablespoons for a rabbit.

Sugary foods such as carrots, banana, pineapple etc. should be given in small quantities. Image – animalstime.com

What are safe fruits for rabbits and the right way to serve them?

When offering apple only give the juicy flesh and no pip as it is poisonous.
The seeds and plant of cherries are poisonous as it contains cyanide, therefore be careful to only feed the soft flesh.
Banana
Melon ( without seeds)
Mango
Papaya
Kiwi fruit.
Pineapple ( skinned and in very small quantities)
Pear (sans the seeds)

Commercial Rabbit pellets/nuggets must form only five percent of your rabbit’s daily diet.
Commercial pellets are rich in minerals and vitamins including vitamin D. However only feed one egg cup of pellets per kilo of your rabbit’s weight. But remember not to feed this quantity in one go. Giving a rabbit more than required quantity of pellets will prevent it from consuming enough hay. Over-eating pellets leads to weight gain in rabbits. The muesli-style foods must be given sparingly as they may increase the risk of dental and tummy troubles.
Clean drinking water is an important element of a rabbit’s diet that needs to be constantly present.

Check throughout the day and refill its bowls whenever the need arises. Without water a bunny can get very ill. Image- smallpetselect.com

Rabbits are especially active during early morning and evening time so the owner can offer food to the pet during these periods. Never serve your rabbits the entire prescribed daily food quantity (vegetables + fruits + pellets) all at once. Hay must be constantly present for the bunny.

Also monitor the pet’s daily eating and drinking habits. Any change in these should prompt you to consult a vet.

Pellets: How much can you give a day?

Pellets can be given everyday but not more than a quarter cup for every 2.5 kg of body weight. Ensure the brand of pellets you get for your bunny does not contain grains.

Rabbit pellets: they look meh, but our rabbits are crazy about them! Don’t overfeed!

Treats

Store bought treats can be given to your bunny but nothing like making them at home. You can find numerous recipes online. Whether store bought or made at home ensure that these treats do not have added colour, added flavour, seeds, grain and nuts. Remember a treat is a treat and not an everyday thing. Do not fall for that cute face!

Water

Water should have been the first thing on the list but we all know that. Clean fresh water needs to be provided to them. Some rabbits like to drink out of water bowls and some like sipper bottles. If they drink out of a bowl ensure it is cleaned and refilled as many times in a day as required.

There should be no faeces in the bowl and needs to be cleaned each time. The sipper bottles need to be disinfected and cleaned out regularly to ensure no bacterial growth and infection.

What is the favourite food of rabbits? It’s not carrots!

Now every bunny story, every bunny cartoon, showcases bunnies eating and enjoying carrots and depicted as rabbit’s favourite food but here is the danger. Carrots are sweet and are carb heavy which means it is not good for rabbits. Using it as a treat once in a while is okay but do not make it part of a your bunny’s everyday diet.

How much to feed your rabbits (A simple and nutritious rabbit diet chart)

What to feed your rabbit	How much to feed your rabbit	How often to feed your rabbit
Rabbit Hay	80% of their diet	Always keep it in their cage
Green Leafy Vegetables	15% of their diet	4 times a day
Other vegetables	5% of their diet	Once daily
Water	As much as needed	Don’t run out of water
Fruit, Carrots	2 pieces, one-inch sized	Once a week

How to take care of pet rabbits – Rabbit Diet Chart

How to take care of pet rabbits: How to feed a baby rabbit

Baby rabbits also called Kits or kittens are born hairless and blind. If this is your first experience of having baby bunnies we just want you to know, at first, it is very rare to see a mother feeding her babies. It is their instinctive way to keep prey away from their defenceless young.

To know for sure that the babies have not been fed, the thing to do is to see if they are warm and that their bellies are full. If they are cold and the bellies do not seem swollen it is a sure sign that the mother is not feeding them.

At home we always have a packet of powdered goats milk on standby and a feeding syringe all available on amazon. Diluting this powder as per the instructions on the package and fed to the kits is a good substitute to mom’s milk.

Droppings – a vital clue to take care of your rabbit’s health

Droppings are an important clue to determine if your rabbit is healthy or not. If the droppings are dark green, hold shape and then all is good. The moment you notice the droppings are extremely soft and are very loose then you know something is not quite right.

At times like this we offer only hay for the next few days to our rabbits and usually their tummies get back to normal in a day. If your rabbit does not eat the hay then we suggest you make a visit to your vet.

Here’s what healthy rabbit faeces look like. This gives you a great clue about how to take care of your rabbits health

Don’t be alarmed, but rabbits eat their own faeces

Rabbits engage in coprophagy, which is basically, they eat their own faeces. This usually occurs only at night. These droppings are different from the usual droppings that they excrete during the day. They are smaller, darker, pasty and have a slightly sweet fermented odour. Now while this might disgust you please understand this particular kind of droppings are rich in nutrients, specifically protein, Vit. B & K. It is normal! Who would have thought!

9 Common Rabbit Myths

Think you know all about rabbits? You might be surprised by what’s a myth and what’s reality about these furry little friends.

Myth 1: Rabbits are good, low-maintenance starter pets for kids

Reality: Parents should use caution when it comes to children and rabbits. The House Rabbit Society (HRS) advises that, despite their hearty appearance, rabbits are actually pretty delicate and fragile. So, young kids who are naturally rough and clumsy may hurt rabbits. A young child’s well-meaning affection might frighten the rabbit, and they may scratch or bite to protect themselves. Each year, says the ASPCA, thousands of rabbits are abandoned at animal shelters for this reason. And, children can accidentally drop a rabbit, causing the pet serious leg or back injury. The bottom line is that “a rabbit is an adult responsibility,” according to the HRS.

Myth 2: Rabbits don’t live very long so they’re great short term pets

Reality: If you’re expecting a short-term commitment with your new bunny, you’re in for a surprise. According to the HRS, the average lifespan for a spayed or neutered house rabbit is 8-12 years. So get ready to start a retirement account for your bunny; he’ll be by your side for a while!

Myth 3: Rabbits don’t need to see regularly see the veterinarian

Reality: House Rabbit Society recommends taking your rabbit to the vet at least once a year, and twice a year for rabbits over 5 years of age. And, don’t forget to have your rabbit spayed/neutered. According to House Rabbit Society, this procedure prevents or solves many common behavior problems for rabbits, keeps the population from expanding and in some cases, keeps your rabbit healthier.

Myth 4: Rabbits should live outside in a hutch

Reality: Rabbits are social and are happiest living indoors with their families. Domestic rabbits are much different than wild rabbits, and they do not do well with extreme heat or cold. Even in a safe enclosure, rabbits can be scared literally to death by predators, according to the HRS. It can also be harder to observe your rabbit for subtle medical signs if he lives in a hutch rather than inside with the family.

Myth 5: Rabbits are dirty and smelly

Reality: By nature, rabbits like to be clean, and will do their best to keep their living environment clean too. According to the ASPCA, rabbits will usually even pick a corner of their cage as a bathroom to keep things contained.

Myth 6: Rabbits love to be picked up and cuddled

Reality: Given a rabbit’s delicate nature, House Rabbit Society advises that many rabbits do not like to be picked up and carried. And, if your rabbit is handled roughly by a child (or anyone else for that matter) they are more likely to scratch or bite.

Myth 7: Rabbits don’t require much space

Reality: Although rabbits are small they need room to roam, jump and play. If you keep your rabbit in a cage, the House Rabbit Society recommends the adage “bigger is better” and suggests providing a larger, safe (bunny-proofed) play area so they can get their exercise.

Myth 8: It’s okay to leave your rabbit alone while you travel

Reality: Absolutely not. Just like many pets, rabbits need daily attention. The House Rabbit Society recommends making plans for your rabbit when you’ll be away.

Myth 9: Rabbits eat carrots for every meal

Reality: Grass hay is a very important part of your rabbit’s diet. It helps keep their intestinal tract healthy. Unlimited hay should be available at all times. Rabbits also eat quality rabbit pellets and lots of dark green leafy vegetables. Of course, water is essential.