top of page

Bedding

If you have a solid floor that needs rabbit cage bedding, you will need to keep some on hand at all times. Many people think that any wood shavings are the right bedding for rabbits. This is not correct. Cedar and some pine are not safe. These woods contain .phenols, which can be highly irritating to the sensitive mucous membranes of your bunny. Phenols have also been shown to do liver damage in severe cases. If you can find pine shavings that have been kiln dried, you are pretty safe. Kiln drying evaporates the phenols. Pine shavings that have been dried in this way will be labeled as such on their packaging. Aspen shavings or any that you can find from other hardwoods are also fine to use as bedding.

If your rabbit uses a litter pan, don't use the same thing in the litter pan as you do in the rest of the cage. This can be confusing to the rabbit. One way to make it different is to top the bedding on the cage floor with hay. This makes the pelleted bedding more comfortable for the rabbit and your pet has easy access to the hay for nibbling.

Other types of bedding you may find at your local pet store includes Eco-Bedding, which is made of craft paper strips, and Critter Country, which is made of wheat grass. Try a few different ones to see what works best for you and your pet.

You can also use plain hay as rabbit cage bedding. It is not as absorbent as the beddings listed above. You will need to change it frequently. It is a good idea to keep some hay for eating in a separate area like a hay rack so it doesn't all get soiled. Timothy hay is a good choice that is easily found at pet and feed stores. Straw is another option, but again it isn't as absorbent as wood shavings or pelleted beddings.

Cleaning your rabbit

 

Your rabbit can clean themselves. If the rabbit is dirty or smelly, its environment may need to be cleaned.

 

Heat Strokes

Rabbits are prone to heat stroke because they do not sweat. A rabbit is having a heat stroke needs to be cooled down immediately with cold water not icy. A rabbit becomes dehydrated and may require IV fluids administrated by at vet.

Feedings

Rabbits eat a combination of dry foods and moist food. Dry foods are hay, pellets, and grains. Moist food consist of fresh vegetables, fruits and plants. Vegetables to stay away from are any kind of bean, corn, peas, lettace of any kind, cucumbers, eggplant, red beets, rhubarb, tomatoes, and zucchini, and potatoes because they are too high in sugar and starch and can twist their stomachs. However rabbits love to eat kale, carrots of course, and celery.
Fruits are also acceptable in their diet. Fruits high in fiber are best like apples, blackberries, blueberries, melons, papaya, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, raspberries, and strawberries. No Citrus Anything EVER.

​​Housing â€‹

​​​If your bunny will spend most of its time in a cage, then get the biggest cage that is practical in the home. As a general rule, the cage should be at least 4 times the size of the rabbit. A guide is 24" by 36" for smaller rabbits (less than 8 lbs.) or 30" by 36" for larger rabbits. A two story condo with a ramp joining the levels seems popular with rabbits too.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Molting Rabbits

Indoor adult rabbits shed throughout the year but usually rabbits shed more in fall and spring. In the fall they molt their summer fur to get thick winter fur and in the spring they molt into their summer coat. Some breeds change color with each molt.

Grooming Your Rabbit

Rabbits nails, like anyone’s nails, constantly grow which may make them unpleasant to hold. If you do it yourself you will see a pink tissue called the quick. You want to clip just past that. Make sure your holding the rabbit and its leg to prevent injury if the rabbit pulls its leg.

Litter Training & Toys

Rabbits are really quite trainable, but it may take some patience, especially when it comes to litter training and redirecting very natural behaviors like chewing and digging. Place unscented cat litter(1/2") in a litter pan with no other bedding in cage to properly train them. Rabbits are playful, active, and curious, and need a good variety of toys to keep them occupied

Combining Pets

All of our bunnies are exposed to other bunnies of other breeds and our family dog. If going to house more than two rabbits in one cage or will be having them coincide them together outside their habitat, you will want and or need to get the male or males fixed. If not they will fight for territory, mark their territory with urine, or breed with doe. When introducing your rabbit to other household animals you will want to first introduce them from with in their habitat, then while you are holding them, and finally in small incitements until you trust them together. Each increment should be a week long.

bottom of page