Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 5: Housing your rabbit
• Method 2 of 5: Install your new rabbit
• Method 3 of 5: Feed your rabbit
• Method 4 of 5: Move, train and play with your rabbit
• Method 5 of 5: Maintaining your rabbit's health
• Tips
• Warnings

Taking a rabbit as a pet can be fun, but it's important to understand that a rabbit needs time to adjust to its new home. It's your job to make sure your rabbit has everything to make that adjustment as smooth as possible. The decisions you make together at this early stage in your life can set the tone for the future relationship you have with your rabbit.

To step

Method 1 of 5: Housing your rabbit

1. Decide whether your rabbit is going to live indoors or out. Before bringing your new pet home, decide whether you intend to make the rabbit a house rabbit or whether you plan to live in a run in the yard. House rabbits are popular pets, but there are a few factors to consider. On the one hand, you will have to spend more time cleaning and training with a rabbit that lives in your house, but on the other hand, you will not have as much social contact with a rabbit that lives outside.
   • If you decide to keep your rabbit indoors, you will need to make your home rabbit safe. Rabbits gnaw on everything and everywhere, including electrical wiring and the legs of your antique furniture. Are you able to "rabbit proof" your home so that your cables are all stowed away out of reach of the rabbit and there is nothing to get upset about if it gets damaged by gnawing?
   • If you decide to keep your rabbit indoors, you will also need to house train him. It is not hygienic to let the rabbit walk around the house, pooping and urinating wherever it wants. The solution is to train the rabbit to use the litter box.
   • If you decide to keep your rabbit outside, you will need to stick to spending time with him every day to socialize him. Make it part of your daily schedule or the rabbit will become tense and anxious around you.
2. Get a rabbit hutch. The hutch (or rabbit house) should be at least two feet wide and four feet long, and high enough to allow a rabbit to stand on its hind legs to its full length.
   • Exterior hutches are generally made of wood, with a front door made of chicken wire. This ensures good ventilation and allows the rabbit to see out. The wood provides some insulation against the cold, and it is sturdy, protecting the rabbit from predators.
   • There should be a run attached to the outside hutch for your rabbit to move. The run should be a minimum of 1.2m by 2.4m and 60cm high for a 2kg rabbit.
   • Many indoor pens are made of plastic with a mesh roof. This has the advantage of being lightweight, so you can easily move it indoors.
   • If you can't find a loft that you like, create your own! It is not as simple as buying a kennel, but it can be much better for your rabbit. Make sure the sides are made of mesh, but not the bottom. (Note: a mesh bottom is often a safe and sanitary solution for small to medium rabbits, as long as they have the ability to get off the mesh whenever they want. Larger rabbits cannot live safely on mesh, both because their taller weight will cause the wire to cut into their paws, as well as their larger droppings not falling through the mesh).
3. Cover the bottom of the hutch with bedding. You need to provide bedding that is soft, warm and absorbent. Cover the entire bottom with a layer of at least 7.5 to 10 cm. This is gentle on the back of the rabbit's hind legs, which are prone to pressure pain if not enough substrate is applied.
   • In general, sawdust, hay or straw are used for the substrate. Of these types, straw is the warmest and softest and forms the best soil material. Hay is the second choice (and is more expensive than straw), and sawdust is the third.
4. Choose a litter box. You will need to toilet train your rabbit if you keep it indoors. The litter box should fit in the cage and take up no more than a third of the floor space.

Method 2 of 5: Install your new rabbit

1. Carefully move your rabbit from its carrier to its hutch. Rabbits are prey animals, which means they want to hide when they are stressed. Changing houses makes a big impression on your rabbit, so if you bring him home, leave him alone so he can settle in.
2. Leave the rabbit alone for 24 hours. This will help him get used to the new views, sounds and smells of his new home without the added challenge of strangers staring at him.
3. After 24 hours, start paying attention to your rabbit. Start gradually. Spend as much time as needed next to the hutch talking to the rabbit. If the rabbit is already tame, open the hutch door and pat the rabbit's back.
   • Avoid hovering your hand over the rabbit's head as that's what a hunter would do.
4. Try to pick up the rabbit. If the rabbit does not run away when you pet it gently, sit on the floor and gently lift the rabbit out of the cage and onto your lap. Sitting on the floor is less terrifying for the rabbit, as it is a ground animal. Being high in the air is nerve-wracking for them.
   • If the rabbit is not used to being picked up and running away, do not force the rabbit out of the cage. Instead, take your time and lure the rabbit out with an extra tasty treat. Once the rabbit gets used to your voice and realizes that you are not a danger, he will eventually go for the treat. Once the rabbit comes out regularly to get the treat, you can start stroking its back. Once he has accepted that, you can try to lift the rabbit by then.
5. Brush your rabbit. Brushing your rabbit is another great way to bond. Use a comb and a soft brush. Once your rabbit likes to be stroked, you can use the brush to brush it.
   • This is also a good way to teach your rabbit that your company is pleasant, and you may want to try this first if your rabbit is still scared to be picked up.

Method 3 of 5: Feed your rabbit

1. Ask the previous owner what the rabbit was fed. Give the rabbit the same food at first. Too many changes at once can upset the rabbit, and food is something you don't need to change right away (at least for a few days).
   • When the rabbit becomes more comfortable and his diet is less than ideal, you can start changing his food.
2. Know what to feed your rabbit. Rabbits are herbivores and their ideal food is fresh grass. Grass contains the right balance of nutrients and fiber, which keep their teeth short and their bowels working. However, it is not possible to provide good quality fresh grass all year round, especially for a house rabbit, so a compromise will always have to be found.
   • The best food for your rabbit is fresh grass, but you will likely need to supplement the grass with other food. Fresh green hay is the best alternative to grass. If you are feeding pellets only offer small amounts, the rest of the diet should be hay.
3. Know what foods to avoid feeding your rabbit. Just because they are herbivores doesn't mean rabbits should eat any kind of plant-based food.
   • Try to avoid muesli-like foods. These are far from ideal, try to avoid them if possible. A muesli food has recognizable ingredients such as crushed peas, corn, wheat, nuts and biscuits. The problem is, the rabbit will eat the tasty bits and leave the nutritious parts. This leads to weak bones and overgrown teeth, and the rabbits can become overweight.
   • It's a baker's talk that rabbits under 6 months old shouldn't have fresh greens and vegetables. The trick is to give it in moderation as a daily treat. Small pieces of fruit can be given on occasion, but should be strictly limited due to their high sugar content. Each new type of food must be introduced gradually.
   • If you see any signs of digestive upset, give the rabbit unlimited water, unlimited hay, and some old-fashioned (long-cooking) oatmeal. Remove all other types of food and limit the rabbit to this diet for three days. When digestion returns to normal, you can gradually reintroduce other foods, one at a time.
   • In addition, any food type can potentially cause problems if it is eaten in excess. Carrots are high in oxalate, and when given daily can predispose the rabbit to bladder stones.
   • A safe way to feed vegetables is to never give the same thing two days in a row - so you can, for example, give cucumber / Monday, red pepper / Tuesday, carrot / Wednesday, broccoli / Thursday, and so on.
4. Do not overfeed your rabbit. Figure out how much food your rabbit needs based on its weight and breed. You should feed him every day, but don't overfeed based on his weight.
   • If you have a large or standard sized rabbit and you feed it grass, you will need to feed it a lot to make sure it is getting enough calories every day, which means that you are feeding it almost constantly. If you feed your rabbit pellets (which is not recommended), it will consume enough calories much faster, within 20 minutes.
   • Try to be consistent in the times you feed it.
5. Make sure there is always fresh drinking water, in a clean, algae-free drinking bottle. Mix the water with apple cider vinegar (the cloudy kind is best) for your rabbit. Add two caps of apple cider vinegar to 4.5 liters of water and use that to fill your rabbit's water bottle. The apple cider vinegar offers many health benefits for the rabbit, such as a shiny coat, an improvement of the immune system and to maintain a healthy intestinal flora.
   • Rabbit water bottles are a good idea because the water is stored in a bottle attached to the hutch. Bowls of water are prone to falling, which can be disastrous on a hot day if the rabbit is left without drinking.
   • If your rabbit prefers to drink from a bowl, get a heavy one that they can't knock over.
   • If your rabbit lives outside in the winter, buy a heated water bottle so their water supply doesn't freeze.

Method 4 of 5: Move, train and play with your rabbit

1. If you have an indoor rabbit, let it go when you get home. A house rabbit will receive a good amount of exercise as well as mental stimulation if allowed to go loose when you are home. Release the rabbit to follow you around the house and even watch TV with you!
2. Take your rabbit outside. If you have a house rabbit, take it outside but make sure it cannot escape. If you have an outdoor rabbit, let it out in the garden every now and then.
   • Your outside hutch should have a run attached to it so your rabbit can exercise whenever he wants, but you will have more interaction with him if you let the rabbit run loose in the yard to play with you and get some training.
   • Never leave your rabbit outside alone. Birds can snatch your precious rabbit.
   • You can even buy a rabbit harness with a leash so you can take your rabbit for a walk.
3. Spend time with your rabbit. Do activities like brushing or training, or just play with him. Rabbits learn slowly, but you can teach them some simple tricks and they can be clicker trained.
4. Provide your rabbit with toys. They love to play. Rabbits are also active and inquisitive, and need a good or extensive collection of toys to keep them occupied and not to get in trouble! You can use cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes as toys.
   • A fantastic toy is a roll of toilet paper, filled with hay (if the toilet paper is used up, of course). Most rabbits love this toy. It gives them something to push, gnaw and nibble on! It's also a great way to recycle!
   • Cat toys are often good rabbit toys too. A small plastic ball with a bubble in it is usually a lot of fun pushing them around. Another idea is the kind of baby rattle that looks like a key ring. Rabbits love to push and shake them around.
   • Remember, rabbits will gnaw on anything they can find. Check the toys every day and remove anything that looks like it is becoming unsafe.Most (unpainted, unvarnished) wood is safe for rabbits to nibble on, as are paper products such as cardboard, but always use common sense. Check items for things that can cause problems, such as staples, glue, paint, varnish, high-gloss labels, etc. and remove any plastic toys that the rabbit has managed to gnaw small pieces off.

Method 5 of 5: Maintaining your rabbit's health

1. Keep the litter tray underlay clean and replace it regularly. Rabbit droppings are very dry and round, so cleaning them up isn't difficult. Try putting a little bit of hay in the bowl, as rabbits love to eat while they go to the bathroom. This encourages them to keep going to the litter box.
   • Do not wait too long to change the cage. It will get dirty and smelly and is not good for your rabbit's health.
2. Have your rabbit neutered. Neutered rabbits make better pets because they are less territorial and less prone to aggressive behavior. Rabbits can be neutered from about 12 weeks. If you have more than one rabbit (of both sexes) then this young age is strongly recommended or you run the risk of having an exploding rabbit population in the house.
3. Get your rabbit vaccinated. Rabbits can be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic syndrome from 12 weeks onwards. Both diseases are fatal to rabbits. An annual injection is all it takes to keep the rabbit protected.
   • Also talk to your vet about a course of fenbendazole against a common rabbit parasite called Encephalitozoon Cuniculi. A high percentage of rabbits carry this parasite, which can cause neurological problems, kidney failure or blindness later in life. A cure once a year is enough to keep your pet safe.
4. Do not bathe your rabbit. There is no reason to bathe your rabbit as they clean themselves regularly and the oil on their bodies is natural and not dangerous. Water can get into their ears and their ears can become infected. The stress of a bath can also be very bad for your rabbit's health.
   • Rabbits are very clean animals and never NEED a bath. If your rabbit has a dirty backside, it is often the result of a problem.
     • Watery poop is fatal to rabbits. If your rabbit has watery poop, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
     • Lumpy poop on the back of your rabbit can be a sign of a diet that is too rich, or a rabbit that has grown too fat to properly clean itself. In this case it is good (and important) to give a rabbit a "butt bath". This should be done very gently, with just a few inches of lukewarm water. Put the rabbit's butt (and only the butt!) In the water and use your hand to gently loosen and clean the lumpy mess. Once clean, take the rabbit out and dry it thoroughly.
     • It is extremely important to find out what caused the lumps. Limit the food to unlimited hay and some oatmeal for three days. In the case of a very fat rabbit, you should also make sure that he gets plenty of exercise. Rabbits are not born to sit still!
   • If the outside hutch does not protect your rabbit from thunder, snow or rain, you must provide protection to keep your rabbit healthy.

Tips

• If the rabbit is outside, put ice bottles in its hutch in the summer. It keeps him cool, and they love to snuggle up to it.
• Rabbits generally handle cold weather well, but provide a dry container filled with straw for the rabbit to dig in and create a windshield to prevent cold winds from blowing on the rabbit in winter.
• It is wise to purchase a cage that has not only a flat bottom, but also edges so that the rabbit cannot kick droppings out of the cage onto the floor.
• If you have two rabbits, you can manage to keep them together. You must have them spayed and neutered if you want to keep them in the same pen. Otherwise they can become very aggressive towards each other or mate. Even rabbits helped be able to fight. Keep an eye on them to make sure rabbits living together will also tolerate each other.
• If you want to get the rabbit out, don't force it. Open the cage door and wait for it to come out. Additionally, if you are sitting directly in front of the rabbit, he will not be able to see you properly, so look at him from the side.

Warnings

• If your rabbit does not have access to fresh grass, do not feed it cut grass as it can be toxic to your rabbit. (Note: Grass clippings are NOT toxic to rabbits by itself! However, you should only feed freshly cut grass that has been cut by hand, and only from areas where chemicals and pesticides have not been used, and not along roads).