What kind of pets do rabbits make?
Rabbits require a lot of care and interaction. Rabbits have a very specific diet that needs to be followed closely. They are also pretty delicate and can get hurt or sick easily. Stress can lead to illness and even death so they need to be handled carefully if it is necessary to pick them up.
It is also important to make sure your rabbit gets enough interaction and attention. Rabbits are smart and can get bored easily so enrichment is important. Toys and mental stimulation are very beneficial. A bored rabbit can become destructive or depressed. Three to four hours outside of their habitat is mandatory.
Rabbits take patience and time when forming a bond. They are prey animals so their first instinct will initially be to run, however if you go slow and interact with them daily you can build trust with them.
Once you have established a good bond with your rabbit, you will start to learn how your rabbit likes to show affection. Some rabbits will hop around the house following you around, while others might like to jump in your lap. Typically, rabbits prefer you to come to their level rather than trying to pick them up and hold them.
I go into more details about the pros and cons of owning a rabbit in this article.
What will I need for my new rabbit(s)?
Once you have decided to get a pet rabbit, you should buy everything that you will need before bringing him/her home. Being prepared is important so you aren’t scrambling to get everything ready while your rabbit sits and waits for you.
enclosure/ habitat
You have the option of letting your rabbit free roam your house and not have a cage at all or you can offer your rabbit a home base and let them free roam only when they can be supervised.
If you have a young, untrained bunny then it would probably be best to have an enclosure for your rabbit when you are not able to supervise him/her. Once your rabbit is litter trained and you get to know your rabbit’s habits and put them on a schedule, you could start letting him/her free roam the house.
If you are leaning toward the latter then a large enough habitat is mandatory. Rabbits are considered a high energy pet. In the wild, they are used to hopping around playing and looking for food and even running from predators; so they definitely need their exercise.
There are several different breeds of rabbits, so the best way to know if your cage or habitat is big enough is to make sure the enclosure is four to six times the size of your rabbit when they are completely stretched out. Another suggestion, is to make sure your habitat is at least 8 square feet worth of living space with an additional 24 square feet of exercise space.
If you are not able to give your rabbit at least three to four hours outside of their habitat to exercise each day, then your rabbit’s home should be even bigger. The rabbit should also be able to stand on their hind legs and not touch the roof of the cage. If you have two rabbits, you do not need a significantly larger cage, however if you get any more than that you should double the cage size.
Exercise pens (or x-pens) that are made for dogs make a great habitat for rabbits. They offer enough open space for your rabbit to hop around and you can get them tall enough so your rabbit can’t jump out. Some of them even have tops you can get for them. Some people do a combination of rabbit hutch and exercise pen. The rabbits can use the hutch as a house and the exercise pen as a space to play and hop around.
You can also buy your rabbit and two story “condo” as another housing option. Rabbits love having height options in their living area so this is a fun option for them.
Flooring/ bedding
You will also need something to put on the floor under your rabbit’s habitat. A material that is easy to wash or clean is best. Offering your rabbit a soft blanket or rug to sleep on is good as long as your rabbit doesn’t try eating it.
Cardboard, hay, paper, bath mats, small animal bedding, rubber floor mats, or indoor/outdoor flooring are all some ideas of materials that can be used on the floor of your rabbit’s enclosure.
food/ water bowls/ hay holder
Rabbits like to play with their bowls and flip them, so heavy bowls are ideal. There are also no-flip bowls you could try.
Hay makes up about 80% of your rabbit’s diet so make sure you offer it in large quantities. There are different ways of offering hay including hay racks, hay bags, leaving piles of hay in their enclosure, using hay in their litter trays, or any other number of hay feeders that are on the market.
Litter and litter box
Your rabbit should have at least one litter box in their enclosure and one outside their enclosure where they get their exercise. You will also need litter that is safe for your rabbit. Clay litter and litters made out of softwood are not safe for your rabbit.
pellets and hay
There are a wide variety of rabbit food mixes out there and some look more appealing than others. Some rabbit foods have bright colored pieces in them that attract buyers into thinking that they would be offering their rabbit a variety of different foods, but the best pellets you can buy for your rabbit is the most boring plain looking basic pellets. Oxbow brand is a lot of rabbit owners top pick.
As mentioned above, hay makes up 80% of your rabbit’s diet. Timothy hay is the best choice of hay due to it’s high fiber content which is good for your rabbit’s digestion. If your rabbit isn’t as crazy about Timothy hay, you can also offer grass based hays like oat hay or orchard grass hay. Alfalfa hay is not advised for adult rabbits because it can cause weight gain.
accessories
Your rabbit will need a place to hide. There are several hides you can purchase at the pet store or you can simply make one using a cardboard box.
Toys are also very important for your rabbit. Rabbits are smart so they need enrichment. Offering them a variety of toys will also help keep them from damaging things they are not supposed to. There are toys for specific behaviors such as foraging, chewing, and digging.
You can buy toys or there are several ideas for diy toys online you can make out of toilet paper rolls and other household materials.
Having grooming supplies on hand would be recommened as well. A comb or grooming glove is good for brushing your rabbit so they do not get hairballs, especially since rabbits are unable to vomit. Nail clippers would also be a good idea unless you plan on taking them to the vet every few months to get their nails clipped.
Bunny proof your house
Before letting your rabbit out to free roam the house, make sure you bunny proof the space that they will have access too. This means restricting access to wires, baseboards, and sometimes even furniture that they could chew on.
Wires are the biggest concern because your rabbit could get electrocuted even they chew a live wire. Obviously putting up any wires that they may be able to reach would be ideal, but if there are some wires that you are unable to put out of reach, there are split loom cable coverings that you can buy to cover the cords. The thick plastic covering is not as appealing to rabbits to chew so it should act as a good deterrent.
Baseboards are another area of concern because rabbits like to gnaw on the wood. You can get creative with different ways on how to keep your rabbit away from your baseboards, but one way is to zip tie wire storage cube grids together and line them up against the baseboard to block your rabbit from chewing. Baby gates can also be helpful to keep your rabbit away from certain areas.
Rabbits also like to dig at carpet especially at the corners and around doorways. Putting something over the carpet to keep them from scratching would be the best way to stop that behavior. The plastic mats that are made to go under office chairs are a good option. Flattened cardboard boxes, area rugs, or other types of mats could also work.
Spaying or neutering your rabbit
Another important step you should consider once your rabbit is old enough, is whether or not you would like to spay or neuter them. Generally, it is recommended for several reasons.
First of all, keeping a male and a female rabbit together is typically the most compatible pairing that you could get and of course you would want them both fixed so you do not wind up with a million baby bunnies, despite how cute they are.
Secondly, fixing your rabbit will help eliminate a great deal of negative behaviors. When rabbits reach sexual maturity you may notice them get more grumpy and possibly even aggressive, either at you or their rabbit roomie.
Some rabbits may show territorial behaviors such as marking, regardless of if they are litter trained or not. Destructive behaviors such as chewing and digging may worsen.
Fixing your rabbit can help eliminate a number of these issues. Spaying or neutering your rabbit could also help their urine smell less.
Thirdly, spaying or neutering your rabbit can actually lengthen their lifespan by eliminating reproductive cancers. Rabbits have a high risk of getting various reproductive cancers. Female rabbits in particular have up to a 65% risk of getting uterine cancer, thus making spaying really important.
Be Prepared for emergency situations
Rabbits cannot go to just any vet. You need to be prepared for anything that may go wrong by finding a vet that has experience caring for rabbits. Finding a vet for your rabbit in advance can help save you a lot of stress and heartache in the long run.
The House Rabbit Society has a list of vets across the country that treat rabbits. They even have a few international vets listed as well.
You should also have a carrier ready to use for trips to the vet.
It is also wise to keep Critical Care formula on hand in case of emergencies. Critical care is a powder based formula used to syringe feed your rabbit if they stop eating due to health problems. Ideally, you will never need to use it; but if you ever do have a crisis, it is good to have it already.
conclusion
Rabbits make great pets but they require a lot of care. Before you adopt or purchase your rabbit, it is good to be prepared by having everything that you need all set up.
A spacious enclosure filled with all the necessary accessories will make your new rabbit feel right at home. Provide at least 3 hours out of cage time to your rabbit daily along with as much interaction with you as possible and you will have a happy rabbit.
Do you have a pet rabbit(s)? What is the most important piece of advice you would give a new rabbit parents?
sources
Pratt, Amy. “What You Need To Prepare For A New Rabbit (With Checklist!).” The Bunny Lady. https://bunnylady.com/what-do-you-need-to-prepare-for-a-new-rabbit/
Cook, Dianne. “The Importance of Spaying or Neutering Your Rabbit.” Oxbow Animal Health, September 30, 2020 https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/blog/the-importance-of-spaying-or-neutering-your-rabbit/