2torial #0931:
Learn2 Care for a Pet Rabbit

Get into the rabbit habit

Think rabbits are cute, but too dumb to be fun? Think again. Pet rabbits are as trainable as cats, and as companionable as dogs. And something about their ultra-soft fur, wide eyes, and adorable little tails can soften even the hardest of hearts. In short, bunnies are fast gaining some well-deserved popularity as pets.

But just as cats and dogs have different needs, so do rabbits. We'll help you decide if a pet bunny's right for you, and take you through the basics of rabbit ownership, from housing to feeding to litter box issues.

House rabbits are quiet pets, but they're definitely not effort-free. A clean cage and adequate food, while essential, aren't enough--just as those conditions wouldn't do for a cat or dog. Rabbits:

• Are easily stressed: They need safety and a predictable schedule.

• Are social animals: To be healthy, happy, and truly tame, they need to be part of a herd (even if the herd is just you and your bunny).

• Need room to exercise.

• Are easily litter-box trained, but may have the occasional accident.

• Groom themselves at least as much as cats do.

• Love to chew on things (books, papers, furniture, drapes, electrical wires).

• Love to dig (in the ground or their litter box--or in beds, rugs, and floors).

• Can live for 8 years or more.

Contrary to the popular image, rabbits are not a good match with small children. Little kids can be rough and loud with pets, and rabbits need gentleness and quiet.

So think a bit before you act. If you can't give a bunny plenty of time and attention, or if your home is too chaotic or pristine, a rabbit and you may not thrive together. But if you have time to spend, and can commit to giving a rabbit a good home, you'll likely find yourself head over tail in love.

Choose a cage

Most pet rabbits spend all or part of their time in an indoor cage or outdoor hutch. You can find a cage or hutch in a pet or feed store, or you can build your own. Both types of housing have similar specifications:

Size. A cage should be tall enough for a rabbit to stand up on its hind legs. It should also be large enough for the rabbit to move around in. A good rule for calculating floor space is 1 square foot per pound (1,800 square centimeters per kilogram) of rabbit. Note: Calculate according to your rabbit's probable adult size, which can range from 3 to 20 pounds (1.4 to 9 kilograms), depending on the breed.

Materials. Most commercially available rabbit cages are made of heavy-gauge galvanized wire, with spaces about 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) between the wires. These cages usually have metal trays under their wire floors that can be removed for easy cleaning.

In most ways, metal wire is the best material for cages. The rabbit can't destroy it or become ill by chewing it (a problem with wood and plastic), and it's easy to keep clean, as feces and soiled litter fall through the wire onto the tray. However, rabbit feet need some relief from standing on wire, so half the floor should be covered with untreated wood or straw matting (you'll have to replace this at times, as the rabbit will chew on it).

Avoid any cage materials that have been chemically treated or painted, have sharp edges, or might come apart into sharp, indigestible shards when chewed. You'll need to be able to reach in and clean the cage with ease, and the rabbit should be able to hop out. A large door that can be propped open is ideal.

Location. An ideal spot for a cage is:

• Quiet but not isolated

• Well ventilated but not drafty

• Protected from heat, direct sunlight, extreme cold, and damp--shady and weatherproof if outside

• Secure from predators if outside--surrounded by a strong, 4-foot (1.3-meter) high fence, or raised at least 3 feet (1 meter) off the ground

Note: Rabbits are prey animals, and they attract attention from hungry wild animals as well as from outside dogs and cats. Even if a predator can't reach the rabbit, the threat of an attack can cause heart failure--literally scaring the rabbit to death. If you house your rabbit outside, give it not only a secure enclosure, but also a place inside the cage to hide and feel safe.

A word to the hasty. If your rabbit arrived before you were prepared, don't panic. A pet carrier or large cardboard box lined with newspaper will do for a day or two (replace the newspaper at least once a day). Give the bunny water. For food, thick rolled oats or dry whole grain bread will do until you can get pellets and hay, but don't give the rabbit a lot of fresh vegetables unless you're sure that's what it's been eating--otherwise it could get diarrhea.

Furnish the cage

The cage is your rabbit's home, and it doesn't take much to make it a comfortable refuge. Here are the furnishings a bunny needs:

• Food bowl. Get a heavy, crockery bowl that can't be chewed up or tipped over.

• Water bottle. A crockery water dish is fine if you keep it clean and full, but a gravity-fed plastic sipper bottle, which attaches to the side of the cage, is easier to fill and clean.

• Bedding. Give the rabbit some fresh hay or straw, newspaper, or an old blanket or towel to sleep on and play with. Change it twice a week.

• Litter box. Procure a plastic cat litter box with a lip around its inside rim. Fill it halfway with low-dust cat litter, hay, or other litter material (ask your breeder or veterinarian for recommendations).

• Chewables. Put commercial rabbit toys, alfalfa cubes, or, if you have it, a piece of dry, untreated pine, apple, willow, or aspen wood in the cage for your friend's chewing enjoyment. (Avoid other fruit woods unless they've been cut and dried for at least a month--some green woods may be toxic to rabbits.)

• Nest box. Sometimes rabbits need to be in a small, enclosed space to feel safe. Give it a shoe box that's open at one end, or another similar box. Clean the box with the rest of the cage, and replace it when it gets a bit chewed up and soiled.

• Hay rack (optional). A hay rack that mounts on the wall of the cage keeps the rabbit's dietary hay from getting dirty underfoot.

Note: Don't use wood shavings for litter or bedding. They're available in pet stores and they smell nice, but studies indicate that they put rabbits at risk for liver disease. Some experts also warn against clumping kitty litter. It's convenient, but rabbits may swallow or inhale it and become ill from clumps that form inside their bodies.

Find your rabbit

Now that you have rabbit shangri-la established, it's time to bring your bunny home.

Where to get one. Rabbits are not in short supply. You can usually find one at a pet store or through a breeder, at an animal shelter, or from a friend whose rabbit has bred. And although you may wish to do some research about the various breeds so you can choose one whose size, temperament, and appearance suits you (your local library or rabbit breeders' association should have ample information on breeds), you may just meet a bewitching rabbit of obscure birth that is clearly the bunny for you.

Signs of health. Look for the following in any rabbit you're considering:

• Eyes should be clear, without any sores or discharge.

• Nose should be dry, with pink mucous membranes. A bluish tinge in the membranes accompanied by rapid breathing at room temperature can indicate circulatory or respiratory problems. Repeated sneezing can indicate a contagious disease.

• Ear interiors should be clean and free of scabs or scars that can indicate a mite infestation.

• Teeth should be short and even, and top and bottom teeth should be perfectly aligned so their edges meet squarely. Rabbit teeth never stop growing, and misaligned teeth are a serious defect. They mean the rabbit can't eat properly, and that its growing teeth may injure it and make it ill if they aren't frequently clipped by its owner or vet.

• Belly should be round and firm, but not bloated or tender (a sign of illness, unless the rabbit is pregnant).

• Fur should be shiny and smooth, with no rough or bald spots. An unhealthy coat may be a sign of malnutrition, illness, or mite infestation.

Let it settle in. Your new pet will likely be stressed by the trip from its former home to yours. Place it in its cage with plenty of food and water, and let it explore and get used to its new home at its own pace. In a day or so, when you see it digging in its litter box or chewing on a toy, you'll know it feels at home.

Give it room to run

A healthy rabbit needs exercise--at least a couple of hours a day. This means you should either construct a run in your yard or on a balcony, or bunnyproof part of your house so Thumper can frolic there freely.

What is a run? A run is an enclosed area where a rabbit can, well, run. It should be secure against the rabbit escaping (by jumping or digging) and a predator entering. It can be an area of ground fenced in and roofed with sturdy wire, or part of a porch or balcony with escape routes blocked.

Like a cage or hutch, a run should be dry, shaded, well ventilated, and have a moderate temperature. When the rabbit is in the run, it should have access to food, water, and something safe to chew on.

What is bunnyproofing? Bunnyproofing involves protecting both your rabbit and your possessions from harm. Here are some guidelines:

• Electrical wires fascinate rabbits, who will chew through them if given a chance--possibly dying in the process. Conceal electrical wires under rugs, behind heavy furniture, under electrical tape, or inside plastic tubing. Unplug unneeded lamps or appliances and coil the cords out of reach when the rabbit's roaming.

• Store enticing chewables--like books, papers, shoes, and throw pillows--out of rabbit-reach.

• Throw old sheets or blankets over upholstered furniture.

• If an area of floor or baseboard (or a table leg) seems to attract more chewing or digging than others, protect the spot with a straw mat or piece of wood. Alternatively, spray the area with a smell your rabbit dislikes (try disinfectant, perfume, or a cat repellent spray). Repeated applications should discourage the behavior.

• Kitchens and bathrooms are often the easiest rooms to bunnyproof, as they tend to have fewer soft furnishings and floors to gnaw on or dig at.

• Give the rabbit alternatives: sticks or toys to chew on; a box of straw, kitty litter, or rags to dig in.

Supervise. Stay close for the first few months your rabbit is exercising in its new space. If you supervise, you can troubleshoot problems in your run's construction or security, or in the thoroughness of your bunnyproofing. Your rabbit's exercise time is also a chance for you to get to know each other.

Feed it

Talk to a vet, breeder, or knowledgeable pet store owner about how much to feed your rabbit during each stage of its life. Specially formulated rabbit pellets, some fresh hay, and plenty of water are usually sufficient. In general, a rabbit's food should be fresh, dry, and neither hot nor cold. Keep the food bowl clean, emptying uneaten food daily instead of letting it sit and spoil.

Treats. If you want to vary your rabbit's diet, try rolled oats, dry whole-grain bread, vegetables such as leafy lettuce, carrots, or turnips, or fruits such as apples or tomatoes (wipe away moisture before you serve veggies and fruits). Avoid iceberg lettuce or cabbage--rabbits have difficulty digesting these. Don't feed rabbits sweets, even though they love them. Don't give fresh produce to a rabbit younger than 6 months (their intestinal tract isn't mature enough to digest it properly).

Introduce new foods slowly, so the rabbit's digestive system can get used to the change. Cut back or eliminate the new food if the rabbit develops diarrhea. Consult your breeder, vet, pet store worker, or a book on rabbit care if you're unsure whether or not a particular food might be good for your rabbit.

Cecotropes. Rabbits actually make part of their own food. The cecum is an area of the rabbit's intestine that packages vitamins and partially digested fiber into little clusters that the rabbit eats directly from its own anus. This may seem kind of gross, but eating these cecotropes is perfectly normal, and necessary to the rabbit's health. Cecotropes are softer and more irregular in shape than dry, round rabbit feces. If you see many of them actually lying in the rabbit's cage or litterbox, your pet may be either ill or overfed. Consult your vet.

Deal with toilet issues

Happily for humans, rabbits are easily litter box trained. Being fastidious animals, they like to choose a single "toilet" area that's separate from where they eat, sleep, and play. You can help your rabbit "choose" the litter box you've prepared for it.

Start in the cage. Place the box in a corner of the cage away from the food and water containers. Watch the rabbit for the first few days. If it consistently uses the box where you've placed it, great; if it picks another spot, move the box there if at all possible. If you see the rabbit urinating elsewhere in the cage, pick it up and put it in the litter box, along with any newspaper or hay it may have just peed on.

Move it out. When you start letting your rabbit out into the bunnyproofed part of the house, keep its litter box accessible. Supervise the bunny closely. If it defecates or urinates anywhere, pick up the feces or wipe up the liquid, pick up the rabbit, and put it in its litter box with the feces or the paper or cloth you used to absorb the urine. Pet the rabbit once it's in the box, and speak to it approvingly in a soothing voice. (Don't ever punish, yell at, or hit a rabbit--it won't get the point and you'll only scare it.) Keep doing this until you're confident the rabbit is fully trained to its litter box.

Accidents will happen. Rabbit feces are small, round, dry, and odorless--very easy to dispose of in case of an accident. Rabbit urine, on the other hand, is strong stuff. Wipe it up as soon as you can, then clean the affected spot with mild detergent or white vinegar and rinse with water. Cover the spot with something heavy and solid to discourage the rabbit from returning and making it the new toilet.

Care for it

Contact with your bunny--watching it and touching it--cements your relationship and helps you check for signs of illness.

The pick up. Rabbits can be injured if you pick them up the wrong way--usually by straining their backs as they jerk in your grasp or breaking bones if they jump from your arms. Baby bunnies can be picked up by the scruff of the neck, but their rumps should be immediately cradled in your hand or arm. To pick up larger rabbits, place one hand across its chest and support its rear end in your other hand, then lift. When you carry a rabbit, support its whole weight. If you can help it, don't hold on to a struggling rabbit--it doesn't want to be held or carried.

Pet and groom the bunny. Stroke a rabbit gently in the direction its fur grows. Don't pat it like you would a dog. Brush its coat every week, or more often in the molting seasons (spring and fall) or if it has long hair. Like cats, rabbits groom themselves by licking. Unlike cats, they can't vomit up their hairballs, which can cause intestinal blockage and death. Ask your vet or breeder to show you how to clip the rabbit's toenails.

Should I "fix" it? Even if you don't think your rabbit will ever get the chance to breed, there are good reasons to spay or neuter it. Altered male rabbits tend to be less aggressive, and they usually stop spraying urine to mark their territory. Both males and females have significantly lower rates of reproductive cancer if they are "fixed."

The three best things you can do for your rabbit's health are:

1. Buy or borrow a book on rabbit care and read up on common health issues.

2. Find a veterinarian who is experienced with pet rabbits (as opposed to a dog and cat specialist, or a vet who treats farm rabbits).

3. Take loving care of the rabbit. Give it plenty of good food and water, exercise, company, rest, and recreation. Spend as much time with it as you would a dog or cat, and it will stay as healthy and affectionate as can be.

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