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Some Useful Bunny Info
Rabbits are now the third most popular pet in the UK next to cats and dogs. It is estimated that 1.5 million are kept as pets. Whether kept indoors or out, rabbits share the same basic needs as cats and dogs. Rabbits can be good and stimulating pets and nowadays the domestic rabbit is one of the most widely kept small animals. The new Animal Welfare Act is the most innovative piece of animal legislation for almost 100 years. In real terms it means that the law now has the teeth to intervene before cruelty has been inflicted upon an animal, by placing a 'duty of care' on the owner / guardian of bunnies. Housing If your bunny is being kept outside it is essential to provide it with a large home. When selecting a hutch there is quite a lot to be considered. First, it is essential to know the adult size to which your bunny will grow. As a rough guide, the hutch should allow an adult rabbit to sit up on its hind legs and to stretch out. Ideally, the hutch should be divided into two sections to include a secure and secluded sleeping compartment. All doors must be well fitting with sturdy locks that fasten securely. The hutch must be weatherproof and the roof should slope backward to allow rain to drain off. Strong wire mesh must be used on the front of the living quarters. A thick piece of canvas can be attached to the roof and lowered over the front of the cage at night, keeping the rabbit warm and cosy. The hutch should be lined using a thick layer of newspaper with wood shavings on top for extra warmth; hay should also be placed in the sleeping compartment. The siting of the hutch is important. The hutch should ideally be raised off the ground, as this will protect the cage and its occupant from damp, and also from vermin. Exercise Whatever the size of the hutch, your bunny needs daily exercise and the safest way to achieve this is by using a run. Ideally a run attached to their hutch, or even better a garden shed with attached enclosure. However, the run must be escape- and predator- proof and provide shelter. The run should be moved daily so that the rabbit has fresh grass to nibble. Make sure that the grass has not been treated with weed killer or any other harmful substance. Ensure that other pets and small children are not able to frighten your pet and make sure you provide fresh water while in its run. Rabbits need to be outside for a while every day as they need sunlight to produce vitamin D. Rabbits like to dig, run and hide. Don't forget to include toys that allow them to display their natural behaviour such as hay/willow toys for chewing, a planter filled with earth for digging and a place to hide if they want to. Daily routine There are a number of tasks that should be carried out on a daily basis: Remove wet bedding and heavily soiled areas and replace with clean dry wood shavings. Rabbits are clean animals that will often use the same corner of the cage as their toilet area. Remove stale, uneaten food from the food bowl. Wash and dry the food bowl and replace with fresh food. Wash and clean the water bottle (use a bottle brush to clean the inside of the bottle), rinse thoroughly and fill with fresh, clean water. Weekly routine Once a week the hutch will need a thorough clean. Remove all bedding from the hutch. Using hot soapy water or a cleaning spray from your local pet shop scrub the hutch making sure to get into the corners. Once clean allow to dry and put in fresh bedding materials. Diet Fresh food and water should be available at all times. A diet that mimics a natural diet is best for your bunny, it is one which is mainly hay or grass with a smaller proportion of veggies and rabbit pellets. Feeding a varied diet helps to relieve boredom, a factor that is especially important for hutched rabbits, and also keeps their teeth in trim. Any changes to the diet should be made gradually watching out for upset tummies. Vaccinating your Bunny Annual or twice yearly trips to the vets are a must for your bunny’s Myxomatosis and VHD vaccinations. Both of these diseases, once caught, cause great suffering and are potentially fatal. Your veterinary surgeon can advise you on the vaccinations and annual boosters that are required to keep your pet protected. Most reputable boarding accommodations will not accept your bunny unless their jabs are up to date. Companionship Rabbits are sociable animals and should be kept in pairs or groups, unless your bunny is a house-rabbit with lots of human contact. The companionship and social interaction provided by another rabbit is ideal and much more suitable than housing with another species such as a guinea pig. Health Care Rabbits are prey animals and hide pain well, so be aware of any subtle changes in behaviour or diet and take them to the vet immediately if you are worried. Observe your pet's behaviour on a daily basis: Check your bunny’s droppings for signs of diarrhoea. Rabbits produce a soft dropping, called a caecotroph, which they eat. This is perfectly normal and is no cause for alarm (by eating these soft droppings the rabbit is making sure it will get all the goodness out of its food). Check that the rabbit is eating. Is there more food that usual left in the food bowl? Check the water bottle level to make sure your bunny is drinking? Check the nose is clean and free from discharge and that the rabbit is not snuffly or sneezing. It is very important to check that the teeth are not becoming overgrown. Rabbits' teeth grow continuously throughout their life and are naturally worn down when they chew. If a rabbit is not given sufficient things to chew on, such as grass, branches from fruit trees, carrots, hay, and so on, its overgrown teeth will cause pain and eventually prevent it from eating. Sometimes the back teeth can overgrow and the animal will start to dribble and stop eating. Either way, urgent veterinary treatment is needed. Examine both ears. The skin on the inside of the ear should be pink, and not red or hot to the touch. The ears should be clean and free from wax. Check their claws. Rabbits that are kept on soft ground do not wear down their claws and they will need regular clipping. Your bunny will enjoy having their coats brushed by you even though they groom themselves daily. Remember to check the tail end especially if diarrhoea has been noticed in their hutch. Soiling in this area can attract flies and result in 'fly strike'. Fly strike is a common and deadly condition for domestic rabbits, where flies lay their eggs in soiled fur, resulting in maggots hatching and literally eating the rabbit’s flesh, the result is usually fatal for the bunny. Beware of hot weather In the hot summer weather please remember to do everything you can to keep your rabbits cool and comfortable. In the wild they can burrow below ground to keep cool but domestic rabbits don’t have that luxury so please do what you can. If your rabbits are outside then please make sure they have plenty of shade. If their run can be put over cold paving slabs out of sunlight then they can spread themselves out over the cool stones to keep their temperature down. Battery operated fans are also a good idea and can be picked up cheaply. It’s important to make sure that the rabbits can’t get any part of their body caught in the fan though. A good trick is to freeze a plastic bottle of water for them to lean against if they are too hot. Please note that the bottle must always be wrapped in a tea towel to prevent ice-burn. Garden umbrellas are also a good idea to keep a run out of direct sunlight but please be sure to move it as the sun’s position changes so it continues to provide cover. Why spay and neuter rabbits? Rabbits are healthier and live longer than unaltered rabbits. The risk of reproductive cancers is virtually eliminated by spaying your female rabbit. Your neutered male rabbit will live longer as well, given that he won't be tempted to fight with other animals due to his sexual aggression. Rabbits make better companions: They are calmer, more loving, and dependable once the undeniable urge to mate has been removed. Avoidance of obnoxious behaviour: Unneutered male rabbits spray, and both males and females are much easier to litter train. Rabbits won't contribute to the problem of overpopulation of rabbits. Rabbits can safely have a friend to play with: Rabbits are social animals and enjoy the company of other rabbits. But unless your rabbit is altered, he or she cannot have a friend, either of the opposite sex, or the same sex, due to sexual and aggressive behaviour triggered by hormones. Females can be spayed as soon as they sexually mature, usually around 4 months of age, but many vets prefer to wait until they are 6 months old, as surgery is riskier on a younger rabbit. Males can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend, usually around 3-1/2 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 5 months old. Body Language Rabbits are not passive creatures that simply nibble and hop around. They are very complicated and have many ways of communicating with you, if you just know how to listen. Any time your rabbit is upset or worried, you may see him thumping the ground on the bottom of his cage. This communication is designed to warn other rabbits who may feel the thumping. Perhaps your bunny has started circling your feet. You can find this behaviour cute or annoying, depending on whether you are trying to walk! You will see this behaviour emerge when your rabbit is a few months old and is reaching sexual maturity. It means, "Why not come over to my place; we'll put on some music, see where the evening leads us." Some people think that a rabbit is trying to get salt from your skin when they lick you. Not so! Their feed has all of the salt they need. Instead, it means I accept you. Have you ever seen your rabbit walk across the floor and suddenly jump up, twist, and then land gracefully? It looks like they were so full of the joy of life that they just couldn't contain it. And that's it, more or less. Chinning is performed mostly by males. They have glands under their chin which produces a scent detectable by rabbits. A rabbit who is chinning is saying "I own this," or "you belong to me." Stretching out, even on their backs, is a sign of restfulness. But I must admit, I've awaken many a napping rabbit just to make sure they were alive. When they relax, they really relax. A rabbit who is very annoyed may nip at you or look like they are going to. You should take this warning seriously since the next attack could be more serious. Most rabbit bites that people sustain from rabbits, and those are rare, are actually warning bites. A real rabbit attack is very vicious and includes their latching on and digging in with their hind feet. Lunging or whirling around quickly on you, perhaps butting you with their head is a sign of serious annoyance. Give your bunny some time out to chill before continuing, or make sure your rabbit is secure if you must do something he doesn't like, such as treat an injury or give medication. Females, whether bred or not, may engage in nesting behaviour. They can gather hay in their mouths or pull fur from their bodies and put it into a pile. If your rabbit has been with another rabbit, regardless of the sex you've been told it is, and she exhibits these symptoms, give her a nesting box filled with hay or straw. You wouldn't be the first family to get babies from two "females." Mounting behaviour in rabbits are pretty obvious. A rabbit may mount another rabbit, regardless of the sex of either party. They may mount your arm. Watch out because biting into the fur of the female is part of the mating ritual for rabbits. They may also mount pillows or toys.
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