Helpful tips and care info for anyone who has a bun!

! Hay !
Your bunny needs 85% of its diet to be Hay, so always have the hayrack/ hay bag full! I do not recommended using alfalfa as it can cause problems, use grass mix, and/or timothy hay.

Forage/Greens
10% of their diet needs enrichment such as either fresh greens/grass or dried forage.

Pellets
5% is pellets
(I feed pellets once a day)

I do not recommend giving any of the bunnies I have bred veggies and fruit until after 4 months old due to the risk of bloat/ upset tummy. However after 4 months you can slowly start to introduce:

Asparagus, Basil, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots and carrot tops (as a rare treat- they are high in sugar), Cauliflower leaves and stalks, Chicory,

Coriander, Courgette, Cucumber, Dandelions, Dill, Kale, Parsley, Parsnip, Radish, Red cabbage, Romaine lettuce, Rocket Salad, peppers, Savoy cabbage, Spinach, Turnips, Tomatoes.

Then fruit such as Apples, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, melon, papaya, pears as an occasional treat as they are high in sugar

The best time to start is from a young age - you do not want them to associate you with something that is negative or scary

Handfeeding food or treats is a good way to start to build a bond so that they come over to you, rather than you going over to them

Sit or lie down on the floor and let the rabbit come over to you without touching or holding them. This allows the rabbit to get used to your company whilst feeling relaxed

Allow the rabbit to get used to being petted/ stroked before attempting to hold them

Also be aware that the majority of rabbits will enjoy human company, but they may not like to be held.

Yes, you need to check their nails at least once a month to see if they need clipping. If you aren't confident doing them yourself, then you can take them to a local vet to do them

Use a little bit of water and rice and shake A LOT! It should remove all the green stains inside the bottles

How to sort poopy bottoms:

Firstly Never fully bath a rabbit! Only wash the bottom if it's the last resort (if baby wipes aren't working)

Use a small bowl or the sink. Fill it with a finger depth of warm water ideally 96.8 - 98.6 degrees fahrenheit  (check the temperature to see if it is okay on the underside of your wrist)

Only use shampoos or products recommended for rabbits

Hold your rabbit just in the puddle of water and using a sponge or flannel clean the bottom area. Keep soaking the area until the dirt is soft and removable.

Gently sponge away the dirt, use a soft brush if
necessary

Dry your rabbit using a clean dry towel, or kitchen roll. Keep your rabbit indoors, in a warm, dry environment for a few hours afterwards to ensure their fur dries out fully around their bottom.

Never attempt to trim any clumps of dirty fur away unless you are very sure you won't accidentally cut their skin. It's very common for rabbits to suffer cuts and skin-tearing injuries while being cleaned. If in doubt, contact your vet for advice and help.

Unneutered males can breed. Neutering/ castration prevents this.

Unneutered male rabbits often spray urine over their territory, their possessions (including their rabbit companions) and very often over you, too.

Unneutered males occasionally develop
cancer in their testes and prostate gland. Although the risk is small, castration removes that risk completely

Neutering usually makes litter training much easier.

Some unneutered males are aggressive(which all my bucks are not aggressive at all). After castration, testosterone levels will fall dramatically which should reduce aggression.

Unneutered male rabbits can't live bonded with any other rabbits safely.

I wouldn't recommend neutering any sooner then 6 months old as it could stunt their growth and cause health issues

If you intend to breed then you wouldn't want to neuter the male obviously, and I haven't had any of the problems stated besides spraying

Unspayed females are at risk of two potentially fatal conditions. uterine cancer and pyometra (infection of the uterus/ womb). These can both be fatal.

Less commonly, they may develop mammary tumours

Some unspayed females are aggressive and territorial. Many have repeated phantom pregnancies and may growl, lunge at, scratch or bite their owners or other rabbits, particularly in spring and summer (which mine do not do these things).

Keeping two unspayed females together, even if they are sisters, may result in serious fighting and the risk of injuries.

Again, I wouldn't recommend spaying any sooner then 6 months old as it could stunt their growth and cause health issues

I haven't had any of these problems stated besides maybe being a little moody and territory

LITTER TRAINING (Part one)

Provide a small cat litter tray. Don't bother with the corner litter trays advertised for bunnies, as they are too small.

For litter, use recycled paper litter or wood cat litter. You can get the larger bags made for cats, but choose the unscented version. This litter will neutralize any unpleasant urine odors.

Do not use clay-based or clumping litter as this is harmful to rabbit's respiratory systems. Avoid wood shavings as well.

Rabbits like to eat hay and poop at the same time. So to promote good litter tray habits, place hay either directly in a hay-bag/hayrack or haybox above the litter tray or next to the litter tray

It's easiest to develop good litter box habits in rabbits by limiting their space at first. Use a puppy pen if indoors to confine your rabbit to one area, even if you intend to give him/her free reign of your home eventually. This allows your bunny to get acclimated to the area in the beginning. Once your bunny consistently uses the litter box, you can gradually expand the area. If your rabbit starts "forgetting" to use the litter box, then limit the space again until good habits resume.

LITTER TRAINING (Part Two)

Here are a few other tips for those stubborn. "outside-the-box" bunnies:

If accidents occur, mop up urine with a paper towel and pick up stray poop and place both in the litter box. This helps get the message across that the litter box is the place that they should do their business. Keep in mind that rabbits are generally not 100% perfect with their litter box. Sometimes they leave a few droppings next to the box, or they urinate over the edge of their box. This is normal, so placing a plastic mat under their litter box or putting the litter box on a tile floor makes it easier to clean up these little mistakes.

If your bunny is insistent on going in one corner of the room, sometimes it's easier to give in to their stubbornness, and place a litter box in that corner. Sometimes when rabbits consistently choose another place to go, they are trying to tell you that that's where they want to go.

If your rabbit is pooping/spraying pee everywhere, this is probably due to your rabbit marking his territory. It's a good idea to get your rabbit spayed/neutered in order to ease territorial feelings.

Litter training your pet rabbit takes patience and persistence. Plus every rabbit is also different and they all take their own time to learn.

Use a fan to keep a shed or house cool

Use shaded areas for your rabbits to exercise in

Freeze water in a bottle and wrap in a towel for your rabbit to lie next to (you don't necessarily need to wrap it in a towel)

If your rabbit is in a shed use fly screens/internal door to let air through

Freeze ceramic tiles and put it in with them to lie on

Open windows and doors to allow air to flow through your rabbits area.

Use a hutch spray to reduce risk of mites etc

Shred soap in trays to help keep flies away (only do this in the tray if they are on wire flooring to make sure they can't eat it)

You can use blankets for your bunny to lie on, rather than them lying directly on the floor.

Keep any housing free from draughts

Ensure that bedding is kept clean and dry

Make sure that water bottles/bowls do not become frozen ( if you want you can invest in heated water bottles/bowls)

Keep well stocked up on supplies such as hay, food and bedding.

If kept outdoors invest in a hutch cover to prevent your bunny being exposed to the elements

Rabbits actually do better in winter then they do in summer, so not too much needs to be done

BONDING (Part One)

• rabbits can live in groups as well as pairs

• baby males and female rabbits can only live together until they are 10 weeks old, after which they need to be separated due to the risk of the female becoming pregnant from that age

• same sex pairs can sometimes live together past 10 weeks old depending upon their behaviour prior to be neutered or sprayed, you should also be prepared with additional accommodation in the event that your rabbits need to be separated (this could be due to negative behaviours, illness or injury).

BONDING (Part Two)

Before Introduction:

• Both / all rabbits should be neutered or spayed (this is to reduce the risk of fighting and other undesired behaviours).

• I recommend neutering/spaying at 6 months old as before that age could stunt their growth, and/or cause health issues. Keep them separate until you can get them neutered/spayed

• set up suitable accommodation for the rabbits to live side by side (without being able to cause injury to each other)

• Then prepare a neutral area where the rabbits have not been before. This will then be a fresh territory for them which none of them have been able to claim prior to trying to bond them.

BONDING (Part Three)

Introduction:

• allow the rabbits to spend short periods of time together supervised in the neutral area

• House the rabbits in side by side accommodation

• gradually increase the amount of time that the rabbits spend together (if displaying the positive behaviours listed be low)

• separate them immediately if they become aggressive towards each other

• once they are spending long periods of time together you can move to them living together

Bonding Behaviour:

Positive:
• Sitting or lying together side by side (even with the barrier initially being between them),
• grooming each other,
• seeking out each other to spend time together, and behaving normally

Negative:
• Chasing each other,
• mounting (this is a sign of dominance);
• fighting and growling.