Rabbits are a very nice pet to have. Out of all the possible pets you could have I think they are one of the easiest. However they do have some special care items you should consider before you get one. This is a 5-10 yr commitment
Rabbits can live both indoor and out. They can be litter trained very easily. Rabbit food is fairly inexpensive if you buy in bulk from a feed store. Your rabbit should have a place set up for it to be housed. If outside use proper rabbit wire for the rabbit's safety. This is to protect it from outside animals and from getting caught or tangled in other wires and from them digging or biting their way out. Some Rabbitries have 2'x'2 cages made of just wire and others have larger cage with an added solid walled house for them to hide in, both work just fine. Rabbits like to chew wood so think about the type of wood you use. Pressure treated wood for instance has chemicals in it that could make your rabbit sick. (that goes for paper things as well, don't use white bleached paper tubes etc.). If you make an outdoor run for them make sure no pesticides have been used in the area and there are no poisonous plants near by. Chicken wire is NOT good enough to prevent digging and chewing out from.
Outdoor rabbits do well in winter temperatures. They do well down to -14 and require only some extra hay to burrow into and maybe a wind/rain break on any area open to the elements. Rabbits don't do well in summer heat. They should have their hutch in a shaded area where a bit of wind can reach them. 2 frozen bottles of water for every rabbit you own should be in your freezer with labels removed. lay one in at a time with the rabbit. They will lay right on it if they can to stay cool. When it has melted you have another to change it out with. (remember in the wild they might hide in a burrow where it would be cooler.). This is where a caged floor comes in handy the wind will cool their tummies when they stretch out.
Rabbits need to brushed all year long and not just on the parts you can see. They moult in the spring, sometime twice and can get lots of tangles and matts, depending on the breed you have. In the summer when it is hot they don't like to be handled too much as it stresses them. A stressed rabbit is not a well or happy rabbit. Some people have fans or in an enclosed shed I have seen air conditioners too.
Indoors the rabbit should have a house to hide away in and be kept safe. The rabbit can also roam around when your home. Make sure there are no wires they can get into and the litter box is always kept in the same easy accessible place. Rabbits are very clean, but they do poop some droppings outside the littler box marking the place as their own. These are dry and easy to pick up. (if the droppings are wet and runny, something is going on with your rabbit and you should seek advice)
Feeding your Rabbit. Their diet is about 70% hay/grass and 25% pellets (protein) and 5% fruit veggies. I feed my rabbits ½ cup rabbit pellets/day, a large handful of hay/day, 1tbs of oats/day and you could feed a variety of veggie in small amounts, and a little fruit about 2 times a week (not lettuce, it can cause the runs). I like to feed my rabbits lots of natural things as well. Make sure no pesticides/insecticides have been used on these items. Fir Tree needles, maple leaves, black berry and raspberry leaves, grass, dandelion leaves. They should have things to chew on to wear their teeth down as rabbit teeth continue to grow through their life time and can have tooth issues. Fruit tree, maple tree and willow branches are a great option. Supply lots of water at all times. (they can't eat with out it)
Rabbits don't need baths. They keep clean on their own with help from you with brushing. In the wild they would have other rabbits to help them groom. Rabbits can live together if they are either fixed or same sex and already use to each other. (hormones can play a role in the same sex NOT getting along and if fighting occurs they must me removed from each other, most likely for ever) You should also keep their eyes clean and flip them over to check their rear ends to ensure they are keeping themselves clean. You also need to keep their nails trimmed. Simply turn them over (I can show you how) and use human nail clippers or special pet ones (cat claw scissors)if you wish, and trim, but, be carful of the quick.(the quick is where the nail receives it's blood supply) rabbits can keep bleeding if you cut this. darker nails are harder to see where the quick is then white and clear nails. Bleeding MUST be stopped.
Rabbits love toys too ie...cat balls, wiffle balls, canning jar rings. They will throw them around. Rabbits love to play. They also like to re-arrange house. So don't be surprised when you see the littler box turned upside down or all dug out...it's in their nature. Rabbits can be litter trained, however if your not up on keeping it cleaned they will go else where. also even if litter trained they will leave /marking berries' around the house to claim it as their own.
Rabbits can live both indoor and out. They can be litter trained very easily. Rabbit food is fairly inexpensive if you buy in bulk from a feed store. Your rabbit should have a place set up for it to be housed. If outside use proper rabbit wire for the rabbit's safety. This is to protect it from outside animals and from getting caught or tangled in other wires and from them digging or biting their way out. Some Rabbitries have 2'x'2 cages made of just wire and others have larger cage with an added solid walled house for them to hide in, both work just fine. Rabbits like to chew wood so think about the type of wood you use. Pressure treated wood for instance has chemicals in it that could make your rabbit sick. (that goes for paper things as well, don't use white bleached paper tubes etc.). If you make an outdoor run for them make sure no pesticides have been used in the area and there are no poisonous plants near by. Chicken wire is NOT good enough to prevent digging and chewing out from.
Outdoor rabbits do well in winter temperatures. They do well down to -14 and require only some extra hay to burrow into and maybe a wind/rain break on any area open to the elements. Rabbits don't do well in summer heat. They should have their hutch in a shaded area where a bit of wind can reach them. 2 frozen bottles of water for every rabbit you own should be in your freezer with labels removed. lay one in at a time with the rabbit. They will lay right on it if they can to stay cool. When it has melted you have another to change it out with. (remember in the wild they might hide in a burrow where it would be cooler.). This is where a caged floor comes in handy the wind will cool their tummies when they stretch out.
Rabbits need to brushed all year long and not just on the parts you can see. They moult in the spring, sometime twice and can get lots of tangles and matts, depending on the breed you have. In the summer when it is hot they don't like to be handled too much as it stresses them. A stressed rabbit is not a well or happy rabbit. Some people have fans or in an enclosed shed I have seen air conditioners too.
Indoors the rabbit should have a house to hide away in and be kept safe. The rabbit can also roam around when your home. Make sure there are no wires they can get into and the litter box is always kept in the same easy accessible place. Rabbits are very clean, but they do poop some droppings outside the littler box marking the place as their own. These are dry and easy to pick up. (if the droppings are wet and runny, something is going on with your rabbit and you should seek advice)
Feeding your Rabbit. Their diet is about 70% hay/grass and 25% pellets (protein) and 5% fruit veggies. I feed my rabbits ½ cup rabbit pellets/day, a large handful of hay/day, 1tbs of oats/day and you could feed a variety of veggie in small amounts, and a little fruit about 2 times a week (not lettuce, it can cause the runs). I like to feed my rabbits lots of natural things as well. Make sure no pesticides/insecticides have been used on these items. Fir Tree needles, maple leaves, black berry and raspberry leaves, grass, dandelion leaves. They should have things to chew on to wear their teeth down as rabbit teeth continue to grow through their life time and can have tooth issues. Fruit tree, maple tree and willow branches are a great option. Supply lots of water at all times. (they can't eat with out it)
Rabbits don't need baths. They keep clean on their own with help from you with brushing. In the wild they would have other rabbits to help them groom. Rabbits can live together if they are either fixed or same sex and already use to each other. (hormones can play a role in the same sex NOT getting along and if fighting occurs they must me removed from each other, most likely for ever) You should also keep their eyes clean and flip them over to check their rear ends to ensure they are keeping themselves clean. You also need to keep their nails trimmed. Simply turn them over (I can show you how) and use human nail clippers or special pet ones (cat claw scissors)if you wish, and trim, but, be carful of the quick.(the quick is where the nail receives it's blood supply) rabbits can keep bleeding if you cut this. darker nails are harder to see where the quick is then white and clear nails. Bleeding MUST be stopped.
Rabbits love toys too ie...cat balls, wiffle balls, canning jar rings. They will throw them around. Rabbits love to play. They also like to re-arrange house. So don't be surprised when you see the littler box turned upside down or all dug out...it's in their nature. Rabbits can be litter trained, however if your not up on keeping it cleaned they will go else where. also even if litter trained they will leave /marking berries' around the house to claim it as their own.