Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Arranging the cage
• Method 2 of 4: Food, Treats, and Water
• Method 3 of 4: Exercise and Play
• Method 4 of 4: Rabbit Health
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

If you are looking to get a pet, consider pets like rabbits. Rabbits make excellent pets, because they have a good character and they easily adapt to life in an apartment. In order for the rabbit to be healthy and cheerful, it will need to be looked after: give it hay and vegetables, equip a warm and cozy home, allow it to run and play.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Arranging the cage

1. 1 Buy a cage that is the right size. For a medium-sized rabbit (3.5 kilograms), you will need a cage of at least 120 by 60 by 60 centimeters. The rabbit should be able to lie down and stretch; in addition, there should be enough room in the cage for food, water and a litter box.
   • You can buy or make your own outdoor cage. Such a cage should have enough space to sleep, play, eat, water, and a toilet.
   • Buy a small paddock so your rabbit has a place to run.
   • Larger rabbits need more space. The rabbit should have room to run and sleep. Buy a cage that is large enough for your rabbit to play in.
2. 2 Find the right type of cage. Look for a cage with a solid bottom and special metal walls. The cage will be the shelter of the rabbit, in which he will sleep, eat and drink. The rabbit should spend 8-12 hours a day outside the cage in a jogging pen or in a safe area.
   • If you come across a cage with a slatted bottom, place a piece of wood on top of it. The rabbit can injure its paws on the slatted bottom.
   • An outdoor cage should be sturdy and should protect your rabbit from the elements and predators. You can buy a cage or make your own.Make sure it protects your pet reliably.
   • Do not put a rabbit in a street cage alone. Rabbits love companionship, so he will need a companion. Buy two young rabbits and neuter or neuter them.
3. 3 Line the bottom of the cage with hay or soft sawdust (such as pine). There are also ready-made cell fillers made from recycled wood. Rabbits love cozy homes, so to keep your pet comfortable, fill the cage with soft, natural material.
   • Hay is not only an excellent filler for the cage, but also an important food in the rabbit's diet, so choose special hay for these animals. Typically, timothy and grass hay is good for rabbits. You shouldn't buy alfalfa hay, as it is very high in calories, protein and calcium, which, if consumed constantly, will only do harm.
4. 4 Place the cage in a rabbit-safe area. You will probably want to let the rabbit run, so the cage should be placed in an area that you do not mind and that will be safe for the animal. Hide any wires, small items, and valuable furniture, as well as hazardous chemicals and plants.
   • Rabbits love to chew on wires, but you can buy special protective equipment to stop your rabbit from chewing on them.
   • To prevent the rabbit from leaving the room, install a child fence or a wall from the dog playpen to prevent damage to valuable furniture and injuries to the rabbit.
5. 5 Place the tray. Rabbits usually go to the same place to the toilet, most often choosing a place for this in the corner of the cage. Place a small tray (available at your veterinary store) in there, cover it with newspaper, and then place hay or rabbit tray filler on top.
   • Try placing another litter box in an area where your rabbit often plays.
6. 6 Set up a secluded spot in the cage. In the wild, rabbits hide from predators, so they'll love having a few logs or cardboard boxes in their cage. There should be 1-2 secluded places for each rabbit (this depends on how much space you have). The rabbits will be delighted with the opportunity to hide.
7. 7 Place cardboard boxes for your rabbit to play, hide, and nibble on. Rabbits love to chew on everything, and this is good for the health of their teeth. If you don't place toys around the room, the rabbit may start chewing on furniture or other items that it can reach.
   • Make sure your rabbit always has items to chew on. This will help him to grind his teeth and protect him from injury.

Method 2 of 4: Food, Treats, and Water

1. 1 Offer your rabbit unlimited hay. It is a staple of the rabbit's diet and should always have access to hay. Hay made from timothy, oats, and plain grass works best. Place hay in a clean area in your rabbit's cage daily.
   • If you have a small growing rabbit (up to 7 months old), pregnant or lactating, feed your pet alfalfa hay and pelleted food - they have more calories that your animal needs especially now.
   • Dried hay is sold at veterinary stores and large hypermarkets. You can also grow hay grass yourself.
2. 2 Feed your rabbit alfalfa or timothy pellets. This food contains protein and fiber, which are essential for the growth of the animal. Adult rabbits should eat one-eighth of a cup of feed for every two kilograms of weight.
   • Rabbits are herbivores, so even hay and vegetables can lead to weight gain. Pellets have a higher concentration of nutrients and should be given sparingly and in limited quantities.
   • Remember that a rabbit cannot eat pellets alone. The rabbit's digestive system requires indigestible fiber in the form of hay to prevent hairballs (trichobezoars) from forming in the stomach and promotes gastrointestinal health.If the rabbit regularly eats long-barreled hay, its teeth, which are constantly growing (gypsodont), will grind off, and this will avoid problems with them.
   • Baby rabbits can be given as much pelleted food as they can eat until they are 6-7 months old.
3. 3 Offer vegetables to your rabbit. Rabbits are believed to love carrots, but this vegetable should be given occasionally as it is high in sugar. Wash vegetables thoroughly and try to give your rabbits only organic food.
   • Feed your rabbit leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, turnips). Mustard leaves, parsley, watercress, celery and dandelion leaves will also work for your pet.
   • For most adult rabbits, two cups of vegetables a day is enough.
   • Begin adding vegetables to your rabbit's diet gradually to avoid indigestion. If the rabbit is small (12 weeks old or slightly older), you can add one new vegetable per week in small amounts to keep its stomach up to the new meal.
   • You can also give your rabbit fruit as a treat: apples, blueberries, strawberries, bananas. There is a lot of sugar in fruits, so they should be given in small quantities and rarely (no more than 20-50 grams per 2.5 kilograms of weight).
4. 4 Don't feed your rabbit junk food. Some vegetables are not suitable for these animals, such as corn, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, beans, peas, potatoes, beets, onions, and rhubarb. Also, avoid giving your rabbit bamboo, seeds, grains, and meat.
   • Rabbits should not eat human foods such as bread, chocolate, sweets, dairy products, and any cooked foods.
   • Don't give your rabbit lettuce leaves (like an iceberg). This can lead to the death of the rabbit due to diarrhea and indigestion. It is best to give romaine lettuce, however it is important that it is organic. Wash it thoroughly before giving it to your rabbit.
   • Never feed cut grass to your rabbit as this can cause serious health problems. You can allow your rabbit to eat grass in your garden if it has not been treated with chemicals, but you should not give your rabbit grass that has been heated and cut by a lawnmower. The cutting process speeds up fermentation, which can cause digestive problems.
5. 5 Give your rabbit clean water. The rabbit should always have access to clean water and it should be changed daily. You can put a bowl of water or hang a drinking bowl for hamsters, but larger. Bowl water is easier to pour. Make sure you never run out of water and wash your bowl or drinker regularly.
   • If you decide to use a drinker, check that it works properly and that water flows freely from there.

Method 3 of 4: Exercise and Play

1. 1 Start gradually getting to know your new pet. When you bring your rabbit home, put it in a cage or paddock so it begins to settle in. Do not approach him immediately and do not start playing with him, since he is not yet used to the new place and does not know if you can be trusted.
   • Walk up to the rabbit slowly and calmly so that it does not become frightened. Rabbits are easy to scare and have poor eyesight, so it's best to first raise your voice and then move closer.
2. 2 Let the rabbit out of the cage for several hours a day (6-8 hours if you can). Rabbits love to jump and run, and they need physical activity on a daily basis to stay healthy. You can play with the bunny or let him run on his own (you will need to keep an eye on him). Don't neglect your pet's needs.
   • The rabbit must either be in a pen with a depth of at least 30 centimeters and a height of 90 centimeters, or must be in a special collar and on a leash.
   • If you want to play with your rabbit outside, put a paddock there and don't leave the rabbit alone.
   • Never allow cats, dogs or birds of prey to come near your rabbit.
3. 3 Give your rabbit toys. Rabbits love to chew on cardboard boxes and old books. You can throw a small ball or stuffed animal to the rabbit.
4. 4 Handle the rabbit carefully. These animals have very fragile bodies and must be handled with care. Place your hand under the bunny's belly and hug it towards you. Never pull on the rabbit's ears.
   • Most rabbits like to be stroked on the head.
   • Do not grab your rabbit harshly or pet him when he doesn’t want to. If the rabbit is uncomfortable, it becomes nervous.
5. 5 Consider getting several rabbits at once. Rabbits love companionship and they enjoy playing with other rabbits. Taking care of two animals isn't much more difficult than taking care of one, so it might be better to buy two straight away so they can play with each other.
   • Sterilize or neuter rabbits, especially if they will be living in the same cage.
   • If you already have a rabbit, pick up the second pet so that it fits the first.
   • If you think you need more than one animal, it is best to buy rabbits from the same litter so that they are the same age and about the same size. Sterilize or castrate them right away to avoid offspring and prevent hormone-induced unwanted behavior.
6. 6 Start gradually introducing the rabbits to the home. This should be done slowly so that they do not start fighting. Rabbits can defend their territory. A male and a female or two females will get along better with each other than two males, especially if taken at a young age.
   • Place the cages with rabbits at a great distance from each other in a neutral area, leave for a few days and observe the actions of the animals. If they are worried and banging against the walls, move the cages to different rooms for a few days, and then put them closer again. During this time, it can be helpful to give the rabbits tasty vegetables to distract them and to heighten pleasant associations with the presence of another rabbit.
   • Begin to gradually bring the cages closer to each other until they are very close, but at such a distance that neither of the rabbits can attack the other. If the rabbits will live peacefully nearby, leave the cages in this state for at least a week.
   • Then the rabbits can be transplanted into the playpen or corral and fenced off with a partition, and if all goes well, the partition can be removed. Watch the rabbits for a while. Spread the vegetables around the cage to remind the rabbits that everything is good. If the rabbits lie next to each other or wash each other, it means that they have become friends.

Method 4 of 4: Rabbit Health

1. 1 Clean the cage every week. Supervise the rabbit yourself or let someone else do it while you clean the cage. Remove dirty hay or sawdust from the cage, rinse the cage with warm water and soap, wipe it dry and let it dry.
   • Wash your drinker or water bowl daily.
   • The litter in the tray should be replaced every day, and the tray should be disinfected once a week with detergent or 10% white vinegar solution. Rinse the tray and let dry. If the tray is plastic or metal, you can wash it in the dishwasher.
   • Buy multiple trays so you can put in a clean tray when the second one gets dirty or cleans up.
   • Rabbit urine contains a lot of alkali, so a crystalline layer will form on the surface of the tray, which can be removed with a descaler.
2. 2 Watch your temperature. The optimum air temperature for rabbits is 16-22 degrees Celsius. If your rabbit lives outdoors, provide a sun canopy for it. If it gets very hot outside, take the animal indoors under an air conditioner, or put bottles of frozen water in the cage to keep the rabbit cool. The rabbit can die of a heart attack.
   • Rabbits measure air temperature with their ears.
   • In the wild, rabbits hide underground in the heat because it is cooler there.
3. 3 Brush your rabbit. Bathing is optional, but you can use a soft brush and gently brush the coat every day or every other day. If you have two rabbits, you will see them washing each other.
   • If your rabbit gets very dirty, buy a rabbit shampoo. As a rule, rabbits do not need to be bathed, unless they are very dirty and can not wash myself.
   • Discuss bathing frequency with your veterinarian. As a rule, the rabbit should be bathed no more than once every 1-2 months.
4. 4 Show your rabbit to your doctor at least once a year. An annual check-up will allow you to monitor your pet's health. Many veterinarians who work with cats and dogs have no previous experience with rabbits, so you may need to look for a specialized doctor.
   • You may be shown certain vaccinations - it all depends on where you live. For example, in some countries they are vaccinated against myxomatosis, while in others they are not.
   • The veterinarian will conduct an examination, share his observations and make recommendations based on the health of your animal. Sometimes anesthesia is required to examine the teeth and remove any sharp areas (for example, on the back molars and premolars).

Tips

• You can buy a leash and collar for your rabbit and take it out for a walk.
• Look for specific books on rabbit care for more complete guidelines.
• Be attentive to your animal, do not shout or raise your hand to him. If you scream or punish an animal, you will not achieve anything. Reward your rabbit better for good behavior.
• Rabbits need to have their nails trimmed every 1-2 months. It all depends on the level of physical activity and where the rabbit lives.
• For the safety of your rabbit, keep cats and dogs out of the way.
• Make sure the rabbit you want to adopt is healthy. Examine the eyes, ears, and nose. They should be clean and free of bleeding. There should be no damage or redness on the underside of the paws. Take the rabbit in your arms and pet it to see if it allows it to be touched.
• If your rabbit has a name, train it to respond to it.
• Never pick up your rabbit by the ears, even if he refuses to go into the cage. This will harm your ears. It is better to lure the rabbit into the cage than to force him into it.
• If provoked, the rabbit can bite.
• If the rabbit doesn't want to go into the cage, try putting raisins inside to lure him in.

Warnings

• Make sure that there is a safe place outside where the rabbit will play, because rabbits can crawl through even very small holes and are difficult to catch if they decide to run and hide. Make sure that predators like cats and dogs cannot get to the rabbit.
• Rabbits have all sorts of different personalities. Some like to jump, others are lazy, and still others are somewhere in between. Don't make your rabbit play if he doesn't want to.
• Do not use flea products. If you suddenly get fleas in your rabbit, see your veterinarian.
• Rabbits can bite and scratch. If the rabbit has bitten your skin until it bleeds, it is best to go to the doctor and show him the wound.

What do you need

• Large cage with solid base
• Sawdust
• Newspapers
• Timothy or alfalfa hay
• Fresh leafy vegetables
• Granulated feed
• Toys
• Carrying
• Toilet tray
• Drinker
• Treats
• Rabbit brush or small cat brush