Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Housing your rabbit
• Part 2 of 4: Feeding your rabbit
• Part 3 of 4: Keeping your rabbit happy
• Part 4 of 4: Maintaining health and hygiene
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Lop-eared rabbits, like any other pet, need to be properly trained. Rabbits need a lot of care and a good and safe environment if you want them to be healthy and happy. They are social animals and enjoy the company of other rabbits, so getting more than one rabbit is often recommended. If you give your rabbits everything they need, they will happily hop around in your house.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Housing your rabbit

1. Think carefully before purchasing a rabbit. It may be tempting to impulsively buy lop-eared rabbits because of their cute looks, but consider whether this is the right pet for you before purchasing. Any rabbit whose ears hang down the side of its head, instead of standing upright, is a lop-eared. There are about 19 different varieties of lop-eared, each with different dimensions and characteristics.
   • English lop and dwarf lop ears are popular as pets.
   • Contact a nearby breeder, rabbit shelter, or pet store.
   • Rabbits live for about nine to eleven years, and they require attention and care during all these years. They are active and need space to run around.
2. Realize the costs. Before you go get a rabbit, make sure you can afford to keep it. The price of a lop can vary, but you should assume an amount between € 10 and € 60. In addition to buying the rabbit, you will have to spend about € 90 for a cage, € 30 for a carrier and € 25 for a toilet bowl. This is just what you need to get started.
   • You should count on an average feed bill of about € 125 per year, and add € 25 for toys and treats.
   • After this, add € 125 for vet bills.
   • Don't forget € 400 per year for toilet litter and bedding.
3. Get a good sized hutch or cage. Rabbits are small creatures, but they are very active with strong and powerful hind legs intended for running and jumping around. For that reason you have to get them a cage where they can move around freely. The minimum recommended cage space for a single small to medium breed rabbit is four feet wide, two feet deep and two feet high.
   • If you get a mesh cage, be sure to cover the bottom of the cage with cardboard or a piece of wood, with bedding on top to protect their paws. A cage with a closed bottom is preferred. A cage with a wire or mesh bottom can damage your rabbit's legs.
4. Keep the cage inside. While it is fairly normal to keep rabbits in cages outside, it is now advised to choose to keep them indoors. An outside cage isolates social creatures and exposes them to predators. Even when safely in a cage, a rabbit can die of a heart attack from an approaching predator.
   • Keeping him in means he can connect with you and your family.
   • A safe and warm environment for them to run around is very beneficial.
5. Get a toilet bowl. In addition to a pen, you will also need to toilet train your rabbit if you keep it indoors. You can get a toilet bowl when you buy the cage or hutch from the pet store. The box should fit in the pen, but should not take up more than a third of the floor space. A toilet bowl is important for the hygiene of your rabbit.

Part 2 of 4: Feeding your rabbit

1. Provide a steady supply of hay. Hay and / or grass are the most important elements in a rabbit's diet. Rabbits are grazers so it is essential that you have plenty of hay for them to nibble on during the day and night. A rabbit needs a good intake of grass or hay for their digestive system to function properly. You must ensure that fresh hay is always available for your rabbit.
   • Your rabbit will eat an amount of hay that is about the same size as itself every day.
   • Spread the hay liberally around the hutch and toilet area. Rabbits love to eat hay while resting. Placing hay in these areas encourages them to eat a lot of it.
   • Rabbits tend to graze most around sunset and sunrise.
2. Make sure your rabbit has fresh, clean water all the time. Check your rabbit's water supply twice a day and replenish as needed. If your rabbit is outside, make sure the water does not freeze in cold weather. Insufficient water supplies can seriously endanger your rabbit's health. You can use either a water bottle or a container, the most important thing is that there is constant fresh water.
   • Drinking from a bowl may be more natural for your rabbits, and they may prefer this. The downside is that water in a tray can easily become contaminated with bedding.
   • It's a good idea to keep an eye on how much they drink. A sudden reduction in the amount of water they drink can indicate health problems.
3. Provide a good amount of dry kibble. A rabbit should have a diet that combines good quality dry kibble (often called pellets), fresh hay, oat hay, fresh vegetables and water. Follow the manufacturer's advice for the pellets, but it is not advisable to keep filling the trays as usual. If you do, the rabbits may not be eating enough hay.
   • Look for pellets with 15-19% protein and 18% fiber.
   • The amount of food required varies for rabbits of different ages. But after your rabbit is fully grown (around six months), he shouldn't be getting more than between 1/8 and 1/4 cup per day, for every 2.5 pounds it weighs.
4. Feed him fresh food. Fresh leafy greens should make up about a third of your rabbit's diet. He likes many different vegetables, including dark leaf lettuce, cabbage, turnip greens and carrot tops. The amount your rabbit will eat will depend on its age and size, but as a basic guideline, it is recommended that you give two cups of vegetables per three pounds of rabbit weight per day.
   • Fresh herbs are also a good choice.
   • Make sure they are washed and cleaned before giving them to your rabbits.
5. Give him a treat every now and then. Sometimes you will want to treat your rabbit to a piece of fruit or a root vegetable. Rabbits do not naturally eat this, so you should limit the amount you give. Do not give treats other than fruits and root vegetables, as they harm your rabbit. Some suitable treats include strawberries, pineapple, apples, raspberries, and pears.
   • You should not give your rabbit more than two good tablespoons of treats per two pounds of body weight. Banana slices should not be given too often.
   • Make sure to remove the seeds from fruits such as apples and pears. These can be toxic to rabbits.
   • Some common plants, including eggplant, tomato, and potato plants can also harm your rabbit.
   • Do not feed your rabbit anything that contains chocolate or caffeine, bread, grapes or raisins.

Part 3 of 4: Keeping your rabbit happy

1. Gives him company. Rabbits should be kept with at least one other friendly rabbit. They are social animals and enjoy being with other rabbits. A good combination is a neutered male and a sterilized female of the same size and breed. If rabbits are left alone for longer times, they can develop abnormal behavior.
   • If possible, let your lop choose its own company. Sometimes at a rabbit shelter, you can introduce your rabbit to other rabbits before adopting one.
   • To see if they bond, put two rabbits together in a neutral space with toys and treats to make it fun. Watch them and see how they interact.
2. Provide a good amount of toys and things to chew. You must provide an extensive amount of safe and gnawable toys for your rabbit. Some safe toys are simple things like cardboard boxes, or even an old telephone directory. You can also give them an old cotton towel to gnaw on, as long as you don't mind getting it gnawed on pieces.
3. Give your rabbit places to dig. Besides that they like to gnaw, rabbits are also diggers. It's natural for them to dig, so it's important to give them the opportunity to do that. They won't dig holes in your floor like they would out in the wild, but you can mimic it with a digger bucket. You can easily make a bucket from a large-sized cardboard box by filling it half full with shredded paper.
   • If you don't mind the mess, you can even put soil in the box.
4. Provide a place to hide. It is very important to provide places for your rabbits to shelter. They do that when they feel anxious and you don't have to worry about it. They need to be able to hide when something scares them or they will get stressed. The shelters must have two entrances / exits and be high enough to allow you to run underneath.
   • Make sure you have at least one shelter per rabbit.
   • If you have more than one rabbit, make sure you have a place big enough for both rabbits together.
   • As prey, they must be able to hide somewhere where they cannot see or smell predators.
   • Even if they are completely safe in your home, you still need to provide hiding places.
5. Give him time and space to run around. You should let your rabbit out of his cage every day so he can run around and get exercise. Rabbits are very active animals that need regular exercise, preferably in a large space. They are especially active in the early morning, late afternoon and night when they forage, graze and socialize.
   • Before doing this, it is important to rabbit proof your home so that it is safe.
   • Rabbits should be able to exercise for several hours a day.
6. Sit with your rabbit daily. Rabbits are social creatures so it is important that you spend some time with them. Connect with him regularly so you can bond. Try to set aside some time each day to spend with him, even if it's sitting alone in the same room while he's wandering. If you watch TV, he may jump on the couch to say goodbye.
7. Know how to hold your rabbit properly. Rabbits should be handled carefully and gently. Move slowly and speak calmly around him and sit low on the floor. If he's comfortable handling him, you can put one hand under his rib cage and gently lift him up while scooping up his butt with your other hand. Slowly lift him up to your chest and hold him gently but firmly, with one hand under his butt at all times. You can help him feel safe by holding all four of his legs against your body.
   • It is best to hold your rabbit from an early age so that it gets used to the contact. If you have a shelter rabbit who is not used to being picked up, he may find it alarming.
   • Never pick up a rabbit by its ears, and make sure that children are supervised when they are with your rabbit.

Part 4 of 4: Maintaining health and hygiene

1. Clean the cage and toilet bowl. You should regularly clean your rabbit's cage and toilet bowl. It is important to provide a well-maintained and clean environment for your rabbit to live in. You can remove and replace soiled underlay every day, it won't take long. Give the cage a thorough cleaning once a week.
   • Once a month, or every two weeks as needed, you should completely clean the cage, scrubbing it completely clean and allowing it to dry.
   • Do not put the rabbits back until the cage is completely dry.
2. Take care of your rabbit. It is good to brush your rabbit regularly with a soft brush to remove loose hair. Loose hair can become tangles and cause sore spots if you don't care for the coat properly. Usually, brushing will help keep his coat in top condition. When brushing, start at the back of the head towards the tail.
   • Be gentle and patient with your rabbit. Different rabbits will respond to being brushed in different ways.
   • You can also trim your rabbit's nails, but before you do, you better talk to your vet.
3. Wash your rabbit. You have to wash the rabbit in such a way that it does not scare him. Make sure it has a firm surface on the bottom of the bowl and that the water is warm. The biggest risk will be that he will run off, jump out of the bowl or bath and injure himself. Keep washing to a minimum, so only when his coat is soiled or if there is some other urgent reason to wash him.
   • You can also clean him locally by sprinkling a little baby powder on his coat and working it through with a fine flea comb.
   • Instead of dipping it in the water, try dampening a cloth with warm water and dampening the coat, being careful not to get the skin wet.
   • Dry it with a hair dryer on the lowest setting, always keeping it soft and gentle.
4. Know when to take him to the vet. It is recommended that you take your rabbit to your vet at least once a year for a check-up. In between, you can help by observing your rabbit and looking for signs of ill health. If you think he may be ill, make an appointment with the vet as soon as possible. Symptoms to watch out for include:
   • When your rabbit stops eating.
   • If your rabbit has no bowel movements for 12 hours or more.
   • Watery diarrhea.
   • Runny nose and watery eyes.
   • Dark red urine.
   • Loss of fur or red and swollen skin.
   • Lethargy.

Tips

• Timothy hay and pellets are usually better for lop-eared rabbits than alfalfa.
• Alfalfa hay and pellets are intended for feeding to baby rabbits and rabbits bred for meat. Other types of hay are oats, dravik and orchard.
• Try to tickle him / her around the ears.
• By nature, lop-eared rabbits cannot live in hot weather, so try to make an indoor cage.

Warnings

• If you take your rabbit outside, make sure you always supervise it.
• Rabbits love to gnaw. Give him something to gnaw on (non-toxic logs, cardboard, etc.), but make sure you completely cover the area he is allowed to rabbit safe makes.
• Feed your rabbit never foodstuffs for humans or foods that are dangerous to rabbits. Rabbits have a very sensitive digestive system, and they can get sick and die easily. Only feed what fits into their approved diet.
• If your rabbit is sick, take it to the vet right away! Rabbits are prey animals and tend to hide their disease; if you've discovered a problem, it can be very serious.
• Human food (processed) is not rabbit food.
• Always support a rabbit's hind legs; if you don't do this and they lash out, then it can cause serious damage to their back.

Necessities

• Pellets for rabbits
• Fresh food for rabbits
• Fresh, clean water
• Water bowls and food bowls
• Hay and a hay keeper
• Toilet bowls
• Large cage with a solid floor
• Rabbit-safe area in which the rabbit can move around
• Toys
• Box or other space for him to hide in
• Dog brush for long-haired rabbits