2. Purchase a cage that has a wire bottom, with or without a tray. the feces and urine must drop AWAY from the rabbit. DO NOT house a bunny in a container with shavings or other material. The bunny will get urine and feces on itself, which causes future health problems.
Many pet stores display rabbits in a glass container with shaings. Many pet stores do not know how to care for rabbits So, make sure the rabbit is housed in a wire bottom that allows the urine/feces to drop AWAY from the rabbit. It is best to avoid buying/building cages with partial wood/partial wire floors. The rabbit will choose the wood floor as it's favorite spot to urinate and the wood can not be cleaned properly. Which causes unsanitary conditions.
Your rabbit must have a strong water crock to hold its daily supply of fresh water. DO NOT use lightweight bowls that is easily dumped over or picked up by the rabbit. DO NOT use plastic, which is easily chewed. A water bottle may be used IF your rabbitknows how to use it. I use water bottles by placing one in the cage WITH a crock use to. They may be converted to water bottles by placing one in the cage WITH a crock so they will learn how to use the water bottle. It is a good idea to use a water bottles as a back up water system, especially if you leave the rabbit unattended for a few days.
Your rabbit needs ab strong feed crock for it's food. Like the water crock, it must be heavy so it won't be tipped over. Metal screened feeders cups are also available and these are good because they filter out dust in the food.
Hard plastic cat balls or cylinders with bells in the middle are good toys for the rabbits. You can also put some pepples, beans,etc...., in an empty (clean) soda can. Tape the can securely and the rabbit will pick this up and throw it for intertainment. DO NOT place rubber, cloth, soft plastic, or any other chewable objects in the cage unless you want the rabbit to eat it.
If you like to have a hard surface on the cage floor so the rabbit can "rest" it's feet. I use a flat bricks. Bricks can be cleaned easily and they do not absorb bacteria as wood does.
A short piece of 4 X 4 wood can be placed in the cage as an exercise activitly for the rabbit. When placed strategically in the cage, the rabbit will be forced to hoop over it. This will strengthen the upper and lower parts of the body. This idea is especially good for rabbits that do not get to excercise out of the cage.
The rabbit house is now ready!!
Proper Feeding To Have A Healthy Rabbit
Fresh rabbit pellets, coastal hay, clean water....these 3 things are everything your rabbit will need to be healthy and strong. However, because we want to give the rabbit variety, we combine these things with a daily snack. Here is a list of snack foods I use in my rabbitry. A 4-lb. rabbit can have 1/8 cup of snack a day or a small chunk of the fruit listed below:
1. Cheerios
2. Crimped oats or Quaker Oatmeal (uncooked)
3. Black Sunflower Seeds
4. Crimped Barley
5. Apples (not the seeds)
6. Bananas(a little chunk or slice)
7. Carrots (most rabbits don't like carrots)
8. Alfalfa hay (a handful)
DO NOT "free feed" your rabbit everyday. It is alright to do this if you are going away for a few days but it is not good to do this continually. The rabbit will eat until it gets very fat and it will end up dying. Your rabbit should "greet" you each day as if to say, "HI" I'm ready to eat!! It will do this by anxiously pawing up on the front of the cage. A rabbit gets very bored and unhappy when it is allowed to eat continually. Free feeding continually will eventually cause an early death to your rabbit.
You can spot a sick rabbit easily...FIX THE PROBLEM QUICK!!
A healthy rabbit has shiny fur, clear eyes and hops around in the cage. It will greet you when you walk up to the cage and it likes to be rubbed on the head. Some rabbits seem a little bored but they look healthy. When you get familiar with your rabbit's personality, you will know what to expect from it each day. No matter how exciting or boring your rabbit is, when it isn't acting as it usually does...BEWARE! YOU MIGHT HAVE A RABBIT THAT NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION.
Most medical problems can be fixed easily. Identifying the problem AND DOING IT QUICKLY is very important.
Looking at the bottom side of your rabbit can tell a big store. Sores on the feet are systems of hutch burn...fecal matter matted around the vent area can be caused by many things...wet around the nose area could mean it's to hot or stressed.
It is best to join the American Rabbit Breeders Association which publishes an excellent book on care/breeding/showing your rabbit. However, if you do not want to get that involoved in knowledge about rabbits, use good common sense by following your instinct.
These are the things that must be done AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR to keep your rabbit healthy:
1) Clip the nails on it's feet (I do this at least once a month).
2) Clean the ears with a Q-tip/apply earmite medication to remove wax and earmites.
3) Worming
Some Important Things To Remember About Rabbits.
1. Rabbits can not eat with out having water available. Always provide fresh water daily.
2. Rabbits can not throw-up when they get sick, so if they get digestive problem, the stomach burst open inside of them. This is the reason why any problems need to be taken care of immediatley!
3. When breeding rabbits, keep dogs and other animals away from it. Scared does absorb the unborn litters.
4. Rabbits can not sweat so if they are too hot, moisture will appear around the nose area. Fix the problem quickly.
5. In Winter months, rabbits love the cold. However, protect them from the wind and the rain. If the water in the crock or bottle freezes up, refill it with luke warm water several times per day, depending on the temperature outside.
6. In the summer months, rabbits do not eat much and they will also stay still more, especially if it is hot outside. Protect your rabbits from direct sun. If the days become extremely hot, provide a frozen bottle of water to the rabbits cage so it can stay cool. Choose a COMPETELY SHADED area to put cages and your rabbit.
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