Care Instructions

Cages:
If it’s made for a bunny, it will probably work! In my opinion, though, cages with a removable litter pans are the best. This makes it so much simpler to collect the hay/pee/poop mixture to compost or put straight on the garden and to keep the cage tidy. The more simple a cage is to clean, the more likely it is to be cleaned regularly. As far as size, one bunny can comfortably stay in a 24″x24″ cage but if you have two or more bunnies together I do not recommend going smaller than 24″x30″. It is also not ideal to use wood cages as they can hold bacteria and bunnies will chew whatever they can reach. Metal cages are much more durable, and don’t hold bacteria when cleaned. If there is any kind of platform that poop can’t drop through, it will collect poop and pee. So be aware that this will either be a spot you have to clean and scrape regularly or else you’ll need to litterbox train. This is why a cage with an all metal wire bottom is ideal for sanitary purposes.

Pellets & Hay:
Bunnies have sensitive stomachs and a change in feed can cause some digestive issues. I recommend you start your bunny on the feed it has grown up on (I use Purina Complete Rabbit Food Pellets). If you would like to change feed, I find it’s best to gradually mix more and more of the feed you want to switch to with the current feed to help them transition better. Bunnies need at least a 1⁄4 cup a day of pelleted feed with unlimited Timothy hay. Some people free feed their bunnies and some people give measured feed.. both can be done successfully. However, if your bunny seems to be gaining too much weight then try rationing for awhile to see if that fixes the problem. *One indication that a bunny is too overweight is that it will not be able to clean itself and will get poop stuck/clumped up on its butt.

Hay is needed to help break down their always growing teeth and to aid in digestion. They LOVE to chew! I use Timothy Hay for all of my bunnies. Some people have had success feeding orchard mix instead. Regardless, they should always have hay available to them.

Fresh water should also be available to them at all times. Bunnies from my rabbitry have grown up drinking from a bowl of water – if you would like to switch to a bottle feeder, closely monitor the water level to make sure they are drinking. Set a bowl of water in their cage for a moment the first few days – if they drink ravenously, you’ll know they aren’t figuring the bottle out.

Veggie Treats:
It’s fun to give some extra treats to your bunny but please be cautious to do a quick online search before giving anything new. Iceburg lettuce will kill your bunny!

Treats that bunnies love:
– Leafy greens such as romaine, spring mix, spinach and kale
– Dandelions (leaves, stem, flower – they love the whole thing!)
– Wild weeds and grass are an excellent natural source for nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
– Herbs such as dill, cilantro, mint etc.
– Raspberry leaves

Treats that are great but need to be limited:
– Carrots (high sugar content)
– Broccoli
– Cabbage (will cause gassiness if they get too much)
– Apples, bananas, strawberries (high sugar content)

Bunny toys:
There are so many toys on the market for your bunny. I use Amazon to find large packs of wooden chew toys to help my bunnies grind down their constantly growing teeth. You can also find things like pinecones, twigs, branches, cuts of wood, etc for them to hop on and play with. Or you can make bunny toys using toilet paper rolls stuffed with their favorite hay or weeds and dandelions. Just be careful that you don’t include any plastic that a bunny could chew, choke, or suffocate on!

Indoor Care:
Bunnies can easily be litter trained! People like using cat litter boxes so the bunnies can fully fit in the litterpan to avoid accidental spills. You can use shredded paper, shavings or bedding but do not use clay-based litters due to the fact bunnies will try to eat it. There are lots of YouTube videos that teach how to train your bunny to a litterbox. Most of my customers report that it only takes 1-3 days to train them. 

*Did you know that you can use the mix of bunny poop & hay (which soaks up their pee) as a garden fertilizer? It is the best “cold” animal fertilizer available; it can go right on top of your plants (it doesn’t need time to break down first).

Outdoor Care:
The most important aspect of outdoor care is temperature. It will not get too cold for your bunny in the Spokane area but it will get too hot! On days that are 85 degrees or warmer, give your bunny a hard-shell ice pack to lay on so they do not overheat. At around 90 degrees or hotter a bunny can die from overheating if they are not given the means to cool off. Don’t let this scare you though, I raise many bunnies successfully outside. I have two hard shell ice packs per bunny cage so I can swap an icepack in the freezer with the one in their cage every day. My cages are placed on the North facing side of my house so that the cages are always in the shade. In both extreme heat and extreme cold, Lionheads are generally much more hearty and need less intervention than Holland Lops, which tend to be more sensitive to the extremes.

Outdoor Exercise:
Bunnies love to be outside on nice days to eat grass and explore. It is great to let them have space to run around, jump, and play without restriction. However, they are also great at digging and excellent escape artists. I can’t count the number of customers that I have had tell me that they let their last bunny play unsupervised in the yard because they thought it was secure and the bunny escaped- never to be found again. They are not like dogs or cats, they will not return “home.” So, even if you have a privacy fence, make sure you monitor your bunny when it’s outside unless it’s in an escape proof area. They also need to have access to shade if they are out in the heat of summer.

Nail Care:
Bunnies need their nails clipped about once a month. I think it’s easy to hold them while I’m standing, if I sit and put them in my lap they fight me more. I firmly grasp the bunny’s paw so they can’t wiggle, then I put a little pressure on the paw to extend the nail. You want to trim off the lighter part of the nail without taking all of it off (again, like a humans). I like to gently apply pressure before I actually clip – if the bunny winces, this indicates I have the nail clippers too close to the nail bed, if it doesn’t, I clip. It shouldn’t hurt the bunny at all – they will usually remain still unless you get too close. But please don’t stress! You are probably going to accidentally clip them too close once or twice and it will bleed for a minute and then be fine. It’s honestly very easy to do once you’ve tried it a few times!

Temperament:
Just like humans & dogs & cats, every bunny has a different personality and preferences. I make a point to handle, hold and pet my bunnies every day from the first day they are born so that they are very used to human touch. This does not guarantee “pet” behavior. The more you hold, pet, and build a bond with your bunny, the more it will positively respond to you. If left untouched in a cage for extended periods of time, some can grow to be more aggressive and mean.

Sickness:
Bunnies can sometimes get runny noses, colds, or infected eyes. It’s nothing to worry about! You can clean their eye goop with a warm wet rag a few times a day until it clears up. The best thing you can do is give a little bit (1/2 to 1 tsp per quart) of apple cider vinegar (with “the mother”) in their water. This will give their immune systems a little extra boost to help them get better.

Spaying/Neutering:
Many people falsely believe you must get your bunny spayed or neutered. Unless your bunny is going to be in contact with a bunny of the opposite gender that isn’t fixed, it is not necessary to have this procedure done. While some people say it will help their temperament, plenty of people (me included) have rabbits with great temperaments that aren’t fixed. Bunnies become sexually mature around 3-6 months, so their hormones (and behavior) are more in flux during this time but they usually settle down after that.

It is such a joy to see the excitement of families picking up their new bunnies and my hope is that the transition from my home to yours is smooth and simple. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns, I’m happy to help!