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i just got a new rabbit and i have never had one before so i know nothing about them! i know that they have to be kepy in shade but thats about it! i need to know how big the cage should be and what you need in the cage. what do they eat? i am also kinda afraid that everytime i pick it up it will bit me....i guess i think that cause my cat bits me...do rabbits even bit? i guess i pretty much need to know everything about them....so if you have the time, please tell me! thanks! i'll rate!
Hiya,
I've been keeping rabbits on and off for nine years and my best friend breeds them so I know a little :P I reckon the best thing you can do is buy a book - 'my first rabbit' is good, Google it or search for it on Amazon.
Riight...they don't have to be kept in shade. Direct sunlight is not a good idea but they do like a little of it! The size of the cage depends on the size of the rabbit(s). A starter hutch, which you can buy from most pet shops, would be ideal at this stage but you may have to change it depending on how big he gets. Is he a dwarf, giant, or didn't they say? If they didn;t say then get a medium hutch, if he's gonna be a giant then get a big one (around 1m wide and .5 m back - you may have to get a dog kennel and attach a door for this) or one with two floors, and if he's a dwarf you could probably stay with the starter hutch always (around 2 foot wide, 1 foot back).
Bucks (male) are more likely to bite than females. You'll wanna get it neutered (talk to your vet) if you have biting/scratching problems. They may bite but are more likely to if they sense you are nervous. Pick them up very gently and slowly and be patient - they're very shy animals! Wear gloves if you're nervous.
They live anything up to around 7 years on average, but I've had one that lived to 9, one that lived to 4 and another that lived to 4 months, so you never know - they have VERY weak hearts as a general species so don't let the dog go near them if you have one!
They love anything vegetable-y. Cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, swedes, runner beans, grass (it's OK to leave the soil and roots on), dandelion leaves, broccoli, parsnips, potatoes, ANYTHING. Seriously. Some rabbits are picky though so it's just a case of feeding them a variety of vegetables and finding out which ones they like best. You can buy commerical processed food but it's not very good for them and makes them fat.
Rabbits, especially ones on their own, get pretty bored. Try hiding some food in the bedding as a little game! They're not keen on toys and they won't chase things, but they like a little climb every now and then.
They need LOTS of bedding. You can never have too much bedding in there, trust me. Paper shreddings, sawdust and hay/straw are all fine but don't go for newspaper because the ink is toxic.
Your rabbit will probably go to the toilet in one or two corners but it might take a while for them to establish that corner. Clean them out once a week at LEAST. They get very messy if you don't. Ssay you clean out on a saturday, scrape any excess poo and dirty bedding out every Wednesday - it'll help when you give a big clean out.
You'll need a run. They will have to go in it at least every other day unless it's rainy and muddy and stuff. You'll also need a water bottle, and also some cage disinfectant - available from any good pet store. Don't fuss with food bowls, they just use them as toilets. Entertaining but not nice :P
Your rabbit will need to go the vets a.s.a.p to be checked over and given it's injections. Rabbits from the age of two weeks can recieve injections (about £10-£20 each) against the two deadly diseases Myximatosis and VHD. These need to be updated annualy - your vet'll tell you more about that. Meanwhile, stroke your rabbit (gently - they're a lot more fragile than cats) every single day and spend time with him/her. Check her eyes out - are they runny? Noses and eyes should be clear and not runny at all. If they are, go straight to the vet because they are two main signs of Myxi and that's a very nasty disease that can kill. Check it;s ears and teeth and bum if you can for dirt and overlapping teeth, but if you're scared the vet can do that, don't worry! My bunny doesn;t appreciate my fingers in her mouth so I always leave that to the vet.
Claws can also be a problem. The vet will tell you if they're too long and can clip them - never do this yourself!
Cover your rabbit in a teatowel if it's very nervous - the dark will help it calm down. You'll need a plastic cage for taking it to the vet - they chew through cardboard ones in seconds - and can tempt it in with a carrot/grass/whatever it's fave food is if s/he isn't keen on being picked up yet.
The most important thing is to be patient. They're lovely animals but yeah, they do scratch when they want. They won't turn round and snap like a cat but they might nibble. You HAVE to handle her/him from the very start or, trust me, it'll be hell to get them to the vets every year! Don't feel sorry for them - they're often stubborn rather than scared of you :P Try to pick him/her up in an enclosed-ish area (such as inside the hutch) so they can't run away. If you're having trouble, find the fat at the back of the neck. Pull and put your hand under their bum. I know this seems horrible but it's actually the most comfortable way for them to be transported from the ground to your arms/a cage! Don't lie them down on their backs because it can damage the spine. Just cuddle or let them sit on your knee.
Rabbits eat straw. The bedding'll need to be replaced v. regularly :P Add more when it's cold, you can even buy special thermo-cotton wool stuff.
A breeze block would be a nice toy while s/he's still a baby - you know, those grey bricks with two great big holes in them? S/he can use it as a tunnel and a climbing frame! Wood blocks are also a good idea. Don't panic if the inside frames of the hutch get chewed - it's a natural thing they do to wear their teeth down. As long as s/he isn't chewing gaping holes in the cage you'll be fine :P
Don't be scared if s/he nips at your shoes while you're standing up and it's on the ground. It's just affection :) Watch out for bags - my baby bunny LOVES chewing plastic bags (such as the one the hay comes in)!.
Go into a pet shop and check out things you can buy for him, like treats, salt wheels, etc. I wouldn't recommend salt wheels though because they tend to corrode the bars of the hutch.
The water bottle will need cleaning around once a month or it goes green (God knows why but it does :P). You can use a baby's bottle brush and warm water for this.
Sometimes when it's really icy the water bottle will freeze. Put it in a tub of warm water and wait for the water inside to melt.
It's nice for the rabbit to have a cover over them at night - get a piece of lino or a plastic-covered table cloth (so it doesn't get damp in the rain) or even a bin bag and put part of it on the roof of the hutch, weighing it down with a couple of rocks, and then let the rest drape down over the bars of the hutch so it's darker and warmer inside. This also provides good shade during hot days.
It'll get fat if you feed it too much - your vet will tell you if s/he's overweight. If you're need feeding it enough, it may get aggressive over it's food, eat it very quickly or see desperate to get at the food. A typical baby rabbit could do with a cabbage leaf and a carrot at breakfast, maybe a long runner bean at lunch, and three or four cabbage leaves at night. Increase it a little as s/he grows. The most you will ever feed a rabbit isn't really that much. I once owned two giants (I mean giants...bigger than a jack russel dog) and they ate a cabbage a night each...yeah, that's a lot :P
Because they eat so much plant material and can't disgest it, rabbits sometimes eat their own poo to re-digest it and get all the goodness. Yeah, it might seem gross but that's what they do :) So don't be alarmed if you see it eating it's poo, lol. Oh, but the poo should be round and look hard/dry unless it's fresh. If it's sloppy or runny then s/he could have a tummy upset or an illness.
Finally, take lots of photos so you remember then always :) Rabbits are gorgeous animals and can grow really tame - mine runs to the bottom of the run to say hello if she's out in it and I walk into the garden!! - but it takes a while for them to get like that so be patient :)
Good luck and if you ever want to know anything else, feel free to email me at any of the addys on my profile!!!
Blessed Be,
Rach xxx
(Rating: 5) wow! thank you so much for all of this! you really helped me so much! you advice was definatly the best out of anyone! thank you so much! :)