CARING FOR RABBITS

Rabbits are sweet and funny. A lot of people buy rabbits at Easter time as gifts and then discard them when they realize how much care they require. Please – for the bunny’s sake, don’t get a rabbit on impulse!  They are not the kind of pet you can just keep in a cage their whole lives. They need a lot of exercise. Their food, litter and supplies, and veterinary care can get expensive! It costs at least $500 per year to care for a rabbit properly.  A large cage for a rabbit can cost more than $100. You can’t always find a veterinarian who takes care of rabbits. When you go on a trip, you have to think about who will care for your rabbit. And as busy as you get, you must spend at least a few hours every day taking care of and hanging out with your bunny friend.

WHERE TO GET A RABBIT

Please support your local animal shelter and adopt a rabbit! The discarded rabbits waiting for homes need you! DON’T buy a bunny from a pet store or breeder! People who breed animals are adding to the numbers of animals already out there waiting for homes. When you buy an animal, you say it’s OK to think of animals as “merchandise” – but they are really living, breathing creatures who should be treated with respect. Just look at all the rabbits waiting for homes in the Washington, DC area, http://www.metropets.org.

EVERY DAY

Rabbits can be given a litterbox and special rabbit litter and they will use it, especially neutered and spayed rabbits. Please don’t use cedar shavings, because they can cause breathing problems in animals and irritate their lungs.  Pine shavings, corn cob shavings, or recycled newspaper shavings are better. A rabbit needs a rabbit-proofed room where he or she can run around. Even a large cage isn’t enough room for a rabbit to get exercise. So every day you should let your rabbit run around in a room that is rabbit-proofed. Rabbit-proofing means putting up or removing everything the rabbit can chew on and destroy. Electric wires are a favorite (and dangerous) thing for rabbits to chew. They will also chew on furniture, baseboards, carpets, and pretty much anything that is within reach.

If your bunny stays in a cage, the cage should be cleaned up every day. The litterbox should be cleaned out and new litter placed inside. Rabbits go to the bathroom a lot, so this will keep you pretty busy! Rabbits need fresh timothy hay and rabbit food, fresh vegetables, and fresh water every day.  They also need to eat a papaya enzyme to help them dissolve hairballs that form in their stomachs. Rabbits can’t throw up hairballs like cats do, so it’s very serious if they get a hairball.

EVERY WEEK

Rabbits can be messy with their hay and food, so their cage or room will need a lot of cleaning every week. Sweep up everything and be sure to give your rabbit things to do, like a cardboard box with doorways cut out – your bunny will chew on the box, and climb through the doorways!  The best entertainment for a bunny is another bunny, but you have to be very careful introducing a new bunny. Sometimes they will fight!

EVERY MONTH

Check to see that your bunny’s toenails are not too long. A veterinarian can show you how to trim your bunny’s nails at home. Rabbits who spend a lot of time on wire-floored cages can get foot problems, so place a piece of wood on the floor of the cage to cover the wire. Some rabbits’ teeth do not grow properly and are not lined up correctly. These bunnies need to see a vet every month or so to have their teeth trimmed so that they can eat. Check your rabbit for anything that could be a health problem, such as missing fur.

EVERY YEAR

Rabbits need a veterinary check-up once a year just like any other pet.  Be sure to find a veterinarian in your area who treats rabbits BEFORE you need one!  You might have an emergency and need a veterinarian fast!