Keeping Your Rabbit Happy!
Rabbit needs and facts
[Recommended accomodation (with the lid removed)]
CARING FOR YOUR RABBIT
Shopping List
•Good quality hutch – 4’x2’x2’ for a single rabbit, 6’x2’x2’ for 2 rabbits
•Large run permanently attached to the hutch, placed either paving slabs or with wire netting underneath to stop them burrowing out and foxes burrowing in.
•Wood shavings and good quality hay
•Dry rabbit mix, such as Burgess Excel. Avoid muesli-type food as it encourages selective feeding.
•Pottery non-tip bowl (usually 5” diameter by 2” high) and a large 500ml-600ml water bottle
Basic Facts
•Life span – average 7 years. Small breeds can reach 10 years or more, very large breeds rarely reaching 5 years.
•Sexual maturity – 10-16 weeks. Gestation is 31 days. Average litter size is 6. Rabbits will have a litter every month unless prevented!
Bringing your rabbit home
You are best to be prepared and bring a secure pet carrier with you when you go to collect your rabbits. It should be lined with a newspaper or towel, with a couple of large handfuls of good quality hay. If the journey is on a hot day or you are going to be travelling for more than an hour, you need to bring a drinking bottle with you so you can offer water to the rabbit when the car is stationary. It should not be left on the front of the carrier otherwise it will empty out and soak the rabbit and bedding. Make sure the carrier is positioned securely to prevent it moving around, and ensure that it is placed in the shade to prevent overheating.
Once home, the rabbits should be placed in their new hutch/run with the bedding and food all ready for their arrival, and then left undisturbed for the rest of the day to allow them to settle in. It is vital that you find out what they are usually fed on as changing the diet suddenly can have fatal consequences (see ‘common problems’ below).
Rabbits and Children
Rabbits make good family pets only if parents respect the needs of the rabbit and accept the limitations of the children. Rabbits should not be bought solely as a childs’ pet as it is the adult who will have to accept the responsibility of its care when the novelty has worn off (usually within a month). Rabbits are rarely cuddly and can bite and scratch if harassed. They do not like to be picked up even if handled from a young age, and can easily injure their backs with fatal consequences if they fall or are dropped.
Handling
Contrary to popular belief, most adult rabbits do not enjoy being handled, although some will tolerate it better than others. This applies regardless of whether the rabbit is handled from a baby or not, and unfortunately the true personality of a rabbit is not fully apparent until about 6 months of age. With this in mind it is important to let your new pet settle in with as little handling as possible. Gradually build up his trust and confidence by talking quietly to him and gently stroking his head if he approaches you. When he has settled in, you can pick him up gently but firmly either by placing your hands around his middle or by holding the loose skin behind his ears with one hand whilst supporting his hind quarters with the other. Aim to handle him no more than once a day, although even this can be too much. Remember that rabbits are naturally shy, quiet animals who hate being held above ground level. Gaining the trust of a rabbit takes time, patience and effort.
Company
Keeping a rabbit on its own results in a bored and depressed pet. Two or more rabbits will usually happily share their hutch and exercise run, provided they are neutered to stop fighting and breeding. This topic is covered in our match-up article on the web site. A neutered male and neutered female works best in the long term. Matching an existing rabbit with a new companion can be done but seek advice and help from someone experienced in rabbit match-ups. Guinea pigs do not make good companions for rabbits, and should not be attempted.
Housing
Rabbits can be housed outside all year round in a good quality weatherproof hutch with a separate draught-free dark area, attached permanently to a secure run. Do not be concerned if your rabbit uses the sleeping area as his toilet as this behaviour is quite common. A litter tray can be used in the hutch in the corner where bunny usually chooses as his potty corner. The hutch must be at least 6” off the ground and should be sited out of direct sunlight and draughts. Make sure that padlocks or bolts are used for fastenings on both hutch and run to prevent access by foxes. Wire mesh used on hutches and runs should be of strong quality (not chicken wire). Cover the hutch felting with white roofing plastic or paint it white, as there is no doubt that a white roof keeps the inside of the hutch cooler in the hot weather. If you have a plastic lid on the run, you can coat the inside with greenhouse shading. Be very careful if you are considering purchasing a hutch on two levels with a ramp in between. It has sadly been shown that rabbits can incur serious injury by getting a hind leg trapped under the ramp where it joins the upper level, with fatal results. I personally prefer the hutch and run to be on one level, making sure that the hutch is off the ground to prevent damp.
If you are worried that your rabbits’ hutch is not as warm as it should be during a cold winter, you can insulate it by buying bubble wrap from a garden centre and fix that on the sides and back, covering it with tarpaulin or plastic sheeting to protect it. This can be removed in the spring. Do not be tempted to completely cover the front as it is very important that air is allowed to flow in, and you are better to try and site the hutch away from prevailing winds so the rain does not blow in anyway. If you feel that you absolutely have to cover the front (remember that they are rabbits and are very hardy!) then cover no more than half of the wire door.
House rabbits
Most neutered rabbits learn to use a litter tray and can make interesting and entertaining house pets, but they can be demanding and destructive so are not suitable for everyone. Remember that even house rabbits must have access to the outside for them to remain healthy. Seek advice before deciding to keep house rabbits as you will need to bunny-proof your home, and the equipment required is different from rabbits kept outside.
I wrote the following in response to a question I was asked about house rabbits: The main thing you need to be aware of with house rabbits is that they are not cats or dogs, which is an odd thing to say perhaps, but it is important to understand that a rabbit is a rabbit and they do what rabbits do, predominantly chewing everything in their environment! This means that in most cases a rabbit will chew and destroy furniture, wallpaper, cables, carpets etc. no matter how many toys and other distractions you may give them. Also, whilst it is possible to litter train some rabbits, in most cases they will still leave some droppings on the floor, which is not ideal when you get up in the morning with your bare feet! That is the negative stuff. However, if you are prepared to bunny-proof your home and don't mind the odd dropping on the floor, then I would suggest you take on an established neutered pair of rabbits, preferably male/female. I find it is easier to establish a routine with a rabbit when they are a bit older, as young rabbits are too full of the joys of spring and can be more difficult to train. I do not believe in shutting house rabbits into a cage as I feel that all you then have is a sad caged rabbit who happens to live inside. Having said that, it is best to have an area that is cordoned off, say a corner of a room not a cage, to keep them in for the first few days as you need to be sure they know where their litter tray is, and also where the food and water area is located. Only once they have established a good tray routine you can then let them start to explore a bit, gradually increasing the area that they are allowed to be in. Some people like to confine their house rabbits at night, but most rabbits are just as active at night as during the day, so the night area would need to be a good size to allow them to take exercise.
Bedding
Use a deep layer of wood shavings throughout the hutch, with a good layer of hay on top. Litter trays can be filled either with a covering of shavings and hay or a wood-based cat litter. Remove all soiled bedding daily, spray the area with animal disinfectant and replace with fresh bedding, thoroughly cleaning out the whole hutch once a week.
Feeding
Click on the link below to view a short video about how to feed your rabbit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeT_UKbUCaM
Be consistent with the type of dry food given and stick to it. Give sufficient quantity so that there is none left by the next day – using a standard 5” diameter rabbit bowl, small breeds need less than a fifth of a bowl daily, medium breeds such as lops and most other rabbits need about a third of a bowl each, and large breeds such as French lops need 1-2 bowls daily depending on age and size. If a rabbit is overweight, the amount should be adjusted accordingly. Some domestic rabbits have a poor tolerance of fruit and vegetables, especially if under the age of 16 weeks, so proceed with caution otherwise severe diarrhoea may occur with fatal results. Start by offering tiny amounts of a variety of vegetables every other day and gradually build up the amounts over a period of weeks. Stop immediately if the rabbit consistently has a dirty bottom or runny droppings, often resolved by withdrawing the fresh food. Seek veterinary advice if this is a persistent problem. Never feed lettuce to a rabbit of any age. Rabbits should not be fed extras such as bread, toast, cake, sweets, biscuits, crisps etc. Refill the water bottle daily, and add large handfuls of fresh hay. It is essential for rabbits to have large quantities of fibre in their diet each day so ensure that your rabbits have access to fresh hay every day of the year. Examples of fresh food you can give your rabbit are: celery, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower leaves, spring greens, broccoli, carrot (small amounts), brambles, Brussels sprouts, groundsel, mint, parsley, raspberry leaves, watercress. The following can be given in very small quantities as an occasional special treat: apple, dandelions, melon, peach, pear, pineapple, strawberries, banana.
The following is an answer I gave to someone who was asking what vegetables they should feed their newly acquired baby rabbit:
It is important with any rabbit, especially young ones, that you make any changes very slowly. On the basis that you do not know what your rabbit has been given in the past as far as vegetables are concerned, it is best to start with something safe like celery. Offer about a quarter of a stick once a day for a few days, and if there are no soft droppings as a result you can then introduce a piece of spring greens as well for another few days. Assuming that all is well you can then add a small piece of broccoli and so on until after a couple of weeks the rabbit is having a selection of green vegetables every day. Avoid fruit completely, and only give a very small slice of carrot per rabbit as it is high in sugar and often gives soft droppings. The large majority of rabbits benefit from having green vegetables daily, but there some individuals that cannot tolerate this and therefore you are always best to proceed slowly. For dried food, use a good quality brand like Burgess Excel but do be careful with the amount. An average sized rabbit should be given no more than 40g a day, and even less than that if it is overweight or a small breed. Excel Lite is excellent if the rabbit is prone to soft droppings or is overweight.
Breeding
There are thousands of unwanted rabbits taken in by rescue centres every year, the large majority being children’s pets that have been discarded once the novelty has worn off. This being the case, it is irresponsible to generate yet more rabbits by indiscriminate breeding. You cannot assume that your local pet shop will take any excess stock nor can you rely on selling them via the local paper. Furthermore, dental disease is largely an inherited condition and it is very likely some of the babies will develop teeth problems later in life if you use rabbits with unknown history. Contrary to popular belief, breeding will not cure a female rabbit of aggressive behaviour in the long term, usually only resolved by neutering and providing a stimulating environment with lots of room to run around.
There is very little profit in breeding rabbits if they are to be kept properly with a good quality of life, as the equipment, vaccinations and precautionary treatment for E. cuniculi are all very expensive, so professional advice should be sought beforehand to establish if the project is going to be feasible both from the welfare and the financial point of view. It is totally irresponsible to decide to breed from your pet rabbit!
Neutering
Rabbits of both sexes should be neutered. Aside from preventing breeding, castration stops males spraying urine and decreases mounting behaviour, whilst spaying females prevents the development of uterine and associated cancers which are very common in female rabbits, as well as also deceasing aggression linked to the hormone cycle. It is important that the operation is carried out by a vet who is confident and experienced with such procedures in rabbits. Adhesive is now used to seal the incision instead of external stitches, which were frequently chewed by the rabbit with often fatal results.
Vaccinations
Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) – it is important that all rabbits are vaccinated annually against this disease as it is a highly contagious condition, easily spread, and there are often no symptoms to indicate that anything is wrong. This disease is inevitably fatal. It can be given from 10 weeks onwards.
Myxomatosis – Your rabbit is more at risk from this disease if you live in a rural or semi-rural area, but cases have been observed in pet rabbits living in inner city areas as well as in house rabbits. The disease is usually spread by biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. This vaccine only lasts for 6 months at the most, so if you intend to vaccinate only once a year your rabbit will not be protected for the whole 12 months. Myxomnatosis can be given from 6 weeks of age onwards.
E. cuniculi - Rabbits should also be treated with Panacur to kill off any E. cuniculi (a common parasite) that may be present. This should be done at the same time as the vaccinations, and is a 9 day course given orally, and needs to be repeated if the rabbit mixes with others at any stage, or goes into boarding accommodation. If the rabbit has been diagnosed with E. cuniculi, the treatment would last for 4 weeks. For more information about E. cuniculi, read the article about gut stasis on the web site.
Common Problems
Mucoid enteritis – this is one of the commonest killers of rabbits, especially those under 6 months of age. Isolated cases may be triggered by stress, such as moving to a new home, fighting with another rabbit, changes in diet etc., but there is also an infectious form that can kill high numbers within a herd. The onset of symptoms is sudden, and include some or all of the following: loss of appetite, few or no droppings, small misshapen droppings, sitting huddled in a corner or stretched out in obvious pain, bloated stomach, diarrhoea, jelly-like substance (mucus) being passed. This condition is extremely serious and the rabbit must be taken immediately to the vet. 60% of rabbits under 6 months of age affected with this illness die, adults having a better recovery rate with 30% fatalities.
Overgrown front teeth – usually inherited from parents, but incorrect feeding can exasperate the situation. The teeth will either need to be trimmed every 3 weeks for the rest of the rabbit’s life, or be removed completely. This serious condition must be attended to urgently, otherwise the rabbit may starve to death.
Overgrown back teeth – symptoms may include weight loss, poor appetite, dribbling, dirty bottom/soft droppings. This condition causes distress and pain and needs urgent attention. The tooth spurs will often repeatedly re-grow, resulting in frequent expensive trips to the vet. Dental disease cannot be cured, and if the rabbit is young it may be best to consider euthanasia to prevent future suffering.
Red urine – If no other symptoms this is usually due to pigmentation of the urine from the food. Check that the water bottle is working properly, especially in the winter months when water may become frozen in the spout. If unsure, seek veterinary advice as sometimes red urine may indicate the presence of blood, possibly due to a bladder/uterine problem.
Diarrhoea – often fatal, seek advice immediately. (also see mucoid enteritis above).
Fly Strike – rabbits soiled with droppings or urine are at high risk from this condition – flies lay their eggs on any area of the rabbit that is wet or dirty (especially around the genital area) and the resulting maggots eat into its flesh with very distressing and often fatal consequences. This is particularly common in the summer months, so check your rabbit daily. A rabbit with maggots must be taken to the vet immediately.
Dandruff and/or bare patches – usually caused by mites (Cheyletiella parasitivorax) resulting in skin irritation and unsightly appearance of the fur. Easily treated by a course of ivomec injections or a spot-on treatment from your vet. Finish the course, otherwise the mites will return. Any other rabbits in the vicinity must be treated also.
Lump or scab on the back of the neck – this is very common in rabbits that have been vaccinated recently. It usually heals on its own.
Head swaying from side to side – very common in red eyed rabbits or rabbits with brown eyes that glow red in certain light. This is absolutely normal and often occurs when the rabbit is relaxed. If the head is tilted to one side however, this is a different condition and veterinary advice should be sought urgently.
DIRTY BOTTOM - a very common problem that usually can be completely cured! - A rabbit with a dirty bottom is sadly very common. There are several possible causes, usually diet orientated. However, if it has suddenly occurred with no prior history of this problem, the back and front teeth should be thoroughly checked by a vet (preferably under anaesthetic as they can't be examined properly if they are conscious). It is not unusual for rabbits with back teeth problems to have sticky bottoms so this must be ruled out first. Whilst there, have the vet give the rabbit a good general check over to rule out any other health problems.
On the assumption that nothing is found (do choose your vet with care, only go to a vet who is really knowledgeable about rabbits), then one needs to look at the diet. Carrots and apples are the 2 worst things you can give a rabbit as far as sticky bottoms are concerned, so withdraw them completely. It is probably a good idea to go back to basics for a couple of weeks – a small amount of dried food, and hay and water ad lib. The dried food should be something like Burgess Excel (or Excel Lite if the rabbit is overweight). The muesli-type food is a disaster to use and if the bunny is on this already then you must gradually wean him off over a period of a couple of weeks by adding in the new food half and half. The quantity is important too. Most adult rabbits only need a small handful once a day on the assumption that they are not overweight and are an average weight of about 2.5 kg. Overweight rabbits need a very small amount daily, but with lots of hay available at all times.
Once the rabbit is stable on the new regime (this may take a month) you can then try to introduce some celery. I have found this vegetable to be very good for the large majority of rabbits, even those that normally can't tolerate vegetables. Give half a stick a day and go from there. If all seems well after a week, then try to introduce a small amount of spring greens, and see how that goes. If the sticky bottom comes back, then withdraw the greens for a while, and try again after a few days but at a much reduced amount. It is good for rabbits to have veg, but sometimes trying to find the amount that will be tolerated is a bit tricky. Some individuals can only tolerate it once a week, but most will get used to a small amount every day if introduced very gradually. There are lots of plants that can be given safely to rabbits, and comprehensive list can be found on the internet.
Another possible cause of a dirty bottom is that if a flabby belly. Some rabbits that are overweight or have been overweight in the past have folds of skin around the genital area, making it almost impossible for the rabbit to eat the caecotrophs (the soft "bunch of grapes" droppings that all rabbits re-ingest) directly from the bottom, resulting in them being "caught up" in the folds of skin. If this is the case, a "tummy tuck" operation may be required to remove the excess skin, but this is a last resort and can't be done until the skin is in good condition i.e. not red, sore and inflamed. Often putting the rabbit on a strict diet is enough to solve this problem as the folds get smaller as the rabbit loses weight, but not always.
Sore feet - This is particularly common in Rex rabbits, but I have seen this distressing condition in other breeds too. For whatever reason, the fur either on the back feet or front feet or both starts to thin so much that the skin is exposed, which then gets sore and inflamed due to pressure when the rabbit is moving around. Often the first signs are the rabbit shaking its front paws and seeming to be biting them, or sitting strangely with its hind feet sticking up, to take the pressure off the sore bits. It is vital that this condition is treated quickly before infection sets in. Veterinary attention should be sought, but in addition to this you may find a spray which can be bought from a chemist particularly useful. It is a "liquid plaster" spray, and there are various brands to choose from, but they all appear to do the same job. Basically the spray puts a "second skin" over the sore area, so protecting the skin underneath. You apply it every day for 10 days or so untill the new fur is growing underneath. You can spray over mildly broken skin but make sure the area is thoroughly cleaned with a good disinfectant and dried before doing so. Hold the rabbit upside down until the spray dries, and the first time you use it apply two coatings, letting it dry between coats (it only takes two or three minutes to dry but you need to keep the feet away from any contact whilst they are drying). This will resolve the skin issues but will not resolve any trapped nerve-type problem which can be responsible for persistant chewing (I think this probably causes a "pins and needles" type of sensation, hence the constant niggling of the area by the rabbit). Having said that, I successfully treated a very stubborn case where there clearly was a nerve problem and the rabbit eventually stopped chewing her feet completely, so I am confident this treatment should help. Sometimes a fungal infection sets in, but by keeping the feet dry and protected with the spray, this often goes away on its own. A very useful product to use on feet that are red and inflamed prior to the spray is Hibiscrub, a handwash readily available from the chemist, as it contains an anti-fungal agent that I find is very effective. This would be done prior to starting the plaster spray treatment the first time. You must also make sure that the rabbit is not overweight, as this is also very important factor.
Getting the rabbits back into their night area
If you allow your rabbits to roam free in your garden during the day, you will probably want them to be somewhere secure during the night in case a fox takes them. The process of actually getting them to go where you want them to go can be tricky! It is a good idea to feed the rabbits their dry food only at night once they are back in their night area, thus rewarding them. This can take a week or so for them to make the link between their actions and the arrival of dinner. If you are already doing this, then perhaps think of giving them their fresh greens at night as a reward instead. A lot will depend on whether the reward system gives them the incentive to behave themselves or not. You will also want to give some kind of clear signal that you want them to come in - something like using a whistle, clapping your hands, calling in a specific way etc. It is important that there is a run (or similar) attached to the night area, as if they are literally shut in overnight that would be reason enough for them not to want to comply. So long as the area is safe from foxes burrowing in or rabbits burrowing out, rabbits really appreciate the ability to be active at night.
Going away on holiday?
Don't forget to arrange for someone reliable to look after your rabbits whilist you are away. It is less stressful if you can find someone to come in to your home so that the rabbits do not need to be moved, but if this is not possible make sure you visit the boarding facility before booking. You should take the usual food so that the diet is not changed suddenly, and give strict instructions about the feeding of greens to ensure an upset stomach doesn't occur. The run should be attached to the hutch to make certain that the rabbits get exercise. If you are in the Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire or surrounding area, CottonTails provides excellent boarding facilities and has the advantage of many years experience, including veterinary knowledge.
A THOUGHT-PROVOKING STORY FROM A RABBIT'S PERSPECTIVE.
Don't buy me - Fluffy's Story
"I wish I had never been born", thought Fluffy as he aimlessly paced up and down a bleak hutch. I should consider myself lucky because this is much better than my last home and even the home before. But it wasn't the kind of life I really imagined or wanted. I wanted a home where people understood rabbits, accepted them for what they were and respected their feelings. What I ended up with is a home where I was bought as a children's pet, the novelty wore off and I was put in a hutch at the bottom of the garden withg no one for company or nothing to do except watch the seasons go by.
Life for me started happy. My mother loved me and the other five kitten in the litter. We had scraps but we all loved being and playing together. Then my brothers and sisters and I were taken to a pet shop, put in a wire cage and watched by a weird selection of people who came in and out. One by one my brothers and sisters were taken out of our home, put in a cardboard box then disappeared. That was the last I saw of them. It wasn't long before I went through the same fate.
I had a feeling that day when a family with a small child came to have a look at me. They oohed and aughed, thought I was handsome andwould make the ideal pet for their child. So they bought me.
The box I was put in was very frightening, I was terrified. Nowhere to run, I was on my own and couldn't imagine my destiny. I ended up first being carried, in the box and placed somewhere (I asume it was a car because movement followed). After what seemed to be years, I was taken out and put in a hutch all to myself. I was so lonely and frightened I didn't know which way to turn. It was all so new and I was on my own for the first time in my little life.
Not long after I was put in the hutch, the family came out to first look at me then to pick me up. Needless to say they probably had never picked up a rabbit before because it hurt me so much. I was given to the child to hold. The child didn't know how to hold me, in fact she didn't want to hold me and was frightened when I scrimped and wriggled so she dropped me. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt and I was becoming more and more stressed each time. All these new adventures to cope with at once were becoming intolerable and frightening me. Then it stopped and back I went into the hutch. The next day the same happened. I wanted to protect myself from this hurt, so I turned and nipped one of the adults. But for the next few weeks, I hardly saw anyone. I became very depressed. There I was in this hutch, with nothing to do, no one for company and virtually left to fend for myself. Obviously this family were under the impression that rabbits make ideal children's pets, and I can tell you from my own personal point of view THEY DON'T.
I was lucky, after suffering this fate for a considerable period I was taken to a rescue centre. The family said I was agressive, dangerous and that I bit. What I really wanted was: not to be continually man-handled or picked up, to be given respect and dignity i.e. given a life with a purpose, fed and watered regularly, provided with companionship (another rabbit), and given a decent amount of space to exercise in. Not to be considered as just another child's play-thing.
