Rabbit Care

1. Provide a suitable habitat: Ensure your rabbit has a spacious cage or hutch with room to move around. Include bedding for comfort and a hiding spot. Rabbits STINK. Cage Free Rabbits provides the best life for a rabbit but not realistic for many families. Cage cleanouts are going to need to be frequent like more than twice a week! Outdoor hutches are not a great life for rabbits, they get too hot, too cold and ignored. A safe outdoor cage is nice to let them enjoy for an afternoon in the summer though!  

Rabbits can be potty trained but I've personally not had success with it, they will go in one area typically but may need daily changes. Rabbits are poop machines like goats this is a livestock animal made to eat, poop and get fat because we humans domesticated them to eat them. If you're a neat freak a rabbit is probably too stressful for you, if you're a slob, for the rabbit's sake, a rabbit is probably not for you. You must find a good balance. Rabbits are long living critters, at minimum an 8 year commitment. Not an Easter gift, but I will fully admit many of mine were Easter gifts but we took care of them!

Rabbit proof your home, they love chewing electrical cords, scratching, digging, gnawing. They do like to rearrange, renovate and hide. Use cardboard boxes, ropes, throw blankets and you'll see them start nesting. Hilarious. Rabbits also growl and kick especially when you mess with them while they are in renovation mode. Rabbits do give kisses, its rare so treasure that!

2. Security: Make sure your cage is secure, I had a rabbit that could undo carabiner clips and the main lock on her cage. She would escape into the garage and hide under the christmas tree every time she made a jail break. In my dog training program, I talk about "not giving the animal the opportunity", I speak from experience. Don't give your dogs or other pets the opportunity to harm the rabbit. Do not give the rabbit the opportunity to do something you don't want them to do. 

3. Diet: Feed your rabbit a balanced diet of hay, fresh vegetables, and a small amount of pellets. Avoid giving them too many treats or sugary foods. Dark leafy greens are a great treat. Carrots are too sugary and many rabbits don't even like them. You can and should get a plastic tub with a lid (20 gal or larger) and keep a half bale of timothy hay in it and keep your rabbit stocked daily. You should also wire secure a rabbit hay dispenser to the inside of their cage. Rabbits love to RIP down their cage accessories so secure them to the cage. If your rabbit is tugging at the the accessories like water bottles, they're bored. More exercise is needed outside the cage. 

4. Hydration: Always provide fresh water for your rabbit. Make sure the water is clean and easily accessible. Cheap water bottles LEAK, this is due to gravity and not positioning the bottle correct so it doesn't leak or its cheap crap that is just going to worsen how much your cage stinks. I went with a $15 bottle this time, it works pretty well. (Spring 2024) A large rabbit needs a minimum of two large bottles.

5. Grooming: Regularly brush your rabbit to prevent matting and remove loose fur. Check their nails periodically and trim them if needed. Nail trims are the biggest issue, ring out dark leafy greens as a treat while you trim. Most coat types you can get by without brushing much like a regular cat, you should brush though. Longer haired rabbits like the lionhead or angora breeds require a lot more brushing and care. 

6. Exercise: Let your rabbit out of their cage daily for supervised exercise. They need space to hop around and explore. THIS IS THE BEST PART, Rabbits "popcorn" its also called "binkying" when they are happy and so do guinea pigs, look up videos! 15 minutes of daily rabbit exploration in a rabbit proofed room is VERY Relaxing!

7. Socialization: Rabbits are social animals and thrive with companionship. Spend 15 minutes at minimum per day interacting with your rabbit. Your urge to get more than one rabbit will be strong so pick your first rabbit carefully. Research breeds and follow the ARBA for more info. DO not overwhelm yourself or your household with too many rabbits. It is very difficult to not do that but it is a choice and just make responsible choices. At the same time, you have one life to live, if you're willing to put in the work then have multiple buns. 

8. Healthcare: Schedule regular check-ups with a rabbit familiar veterinarian. Watch for signs of illness and seek veterinary care promptly if needed. Like many pets you will not know something is wrong until its too late as animal hide symptoms as long as they can as a survival tactic. Watch for unusual poop, weight loss, check ears often. If in a cage all the time, rabbits can get sores on their feet, watch for that and offer a liquid proof platform for them to rest on. Vets are expensive, are you ready for that? Be financially ready. 

9. Handling: NEVER grab a rabbit by the ears. This is not the way. Rabbits can see directly behind them so sneaking up on them is not an option. They do have a hard time looking up, so hand coming from above and front is not going to be detected as quickly think "hawk". Be quick, as most rabbits will try to get away once grabbed. Carry the rabbit against your body like a football player carrying the ball to the end zone. Rabbits do not like the feeling of floating, they want to be "secure" always. Embrace the bun. 

10. Body Language: When rabbits lay on their side, feet kicked out, you have a very relaxed bun. Puffed up, ears back and front legs raised and kicking, you have an irritated bunny ready to fight. When free, rabbits kick their back legs extra high and often you'll see them popcorn/binky soon. This is a very happy rabbit. Rabbits growl as a warning and often you'll encounter that as you try to get them out of their cage or capture them to put them back. its not personal and the more you handle them the less you'll get that response. Recognizing body language from any animal keeps you safe and the animal safe. Be familiar and adjust your actions based on what you see. 

Remember, each rabbit is unique, so it's essential to observe your rabbit's behavior and adjust their care accordingly.