What to Know About Pet Rabbits

Having a pet rabbit is different than your ordinary cat or dog. Rabbits come in all different sizes, species, colors, and each come with their own different personalities. As a first-time rabbit owner, you want to make sure you know as much as you can to raise a healthy, happy bunny.

First thing to cover is which cage to choose. Depending on the rabbit you adopt or buy, different cages are available. A dwarf bunny won't need as much room as an average bunny. Mainly, all rabbits sold at pet stores are bunnies and haven't fully grown yet so keep that in mind when choosing a cage as well. For dwarf rabbits, the minimum size cage should be about 30" x 18" x 6.5", and of course, the bigger the better. This size cage is good for your new pet bunny but as they grow their cage needs to accommodate them.

Second is what to put in the cage. Every rabbit needs a water bottle or bowl, a food dish, bedding, a hideaway, wood chews, and plenty of Timothy Hay. A water bowl is preferred due to the natural way rabbits would drink in the wild. It's also quieter than a water bottle. A food dish shouldn't be too small and should always have rabbit pellet available for your rabbit to graze on. Timothy Hay should be the only hay you feed your rabbit and that should be always available as well. Rabbits graze when they eat so there's no specific "feeding time". Wood chews are necessary due to a rabbits growing teeth. Their teeth never stop growing, so to keep a healthy rabbit always have any type of teething wood or toys. Lastly, when choosing the hideaway make sure it's big enough to fit your bunny. It should be nice enough so your bunny can lay out and be comfortable. To save money you can use an empty box and cut out holes so your bunny can get in and out. I've done that with my rabbits and they love their personalized hideaways! Hideaways are very important because in the wild they burrow underground so having a safe place in their cage like a hideaway can simulate a place like their burrow.

Understand that when you bring home your new family member, the bunny will be scared and timid. Allow your bunny to acclimate to its new home by leaving him/her in their new cage for at least 48 hours. Remember when handling your new bunny that bunnies are ground animals and are only picked up in the wild when they've been captured by a predator so be aware that if they're afraid or try to run it's normal and you shouldn't push lifting them if they're scared. The best way to get your new bunny familiar with you is to let them roam around their new home and for you to lay on the floor with them and let the bunny hop around and sniff around at you.

When choosing bedding, try to stay away from shaved wood. The wood, if not cleaned out often, can attract mites more than other bedding. The wood shavings also can cause liver diseases in your rabbit. The best bedding is the ones where it's composed of recycled paper. SoPhresh is the brand I use and it smells great and is made of recycled paper. Another alternative is shredded newspaper which I also.

Rabbits can be litter trained as well, much like cats. Rabbits will pick a corner in which they will use the bathroom in more than any other. This can be observed within the first few days you bring home your new pet. If you're interested in litter training your bunny you can purchase a rabbit litter box at a local pet store for under $10.00 and begin the process. There is also training litter which should be purchased in the beginning and mixed in with soiled bedding to teach your rabbit to use the bathroom in that corner. Litter, after your rabbit is trained, can be used out of shredded newspaper or bought at a pet store but each is just as good.

Be patient with your new bunny, for they are new to the world and need to learn they can trust you first. Create a bond with your rabbit by spending time with them and allowing them to roam free for hours at a time. Try not to scare them and teach them they can trust you by petting them on their heads and taking it easy. Don't overwhelm your new pet, allow them to relax and take it slow. Having a bunny is fun and different! Enjoy, and if available, try to adopt your bunny from a shelter before buying one! More articles on pets to come so check back often:)