4 Tips to Keep Your Rabbit Happy and Healthy
4 Tips to Keep Your Rabbit Happy and Healthy
Preparing the Space
You should have a hutch that is at least 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 2 feet deep so your rabbit has plenty of room to move around. If you get a pair of rabbits, you’ll need more room. If the hutch is made of wire, make sure there are plenty of areas where your pet can rest its feet.
If the rabbit hutch is outside, you may have to make weather provisions depending on your climate — or consider bringing the rabbit inside when outdoor conditions are not favorable.
If you plan to litter train your rabbit (which is simple enough), place a litter pan in the cage with some organic litter material, such as wood pulp or paper, in the bottom of it. Also place another box in the hutch that is large enough for your bunny to sit in.
Rabbit Diets
You’ll also need to place food and water in the hutch. The main staple of the diet will be timothy hay. Your rabbit will consume a lot of hay daily; it’s vital for digestive health. When rabbits become adults, they will be able to eat some alfalfa hay on occasion, but young bunnies need to stick with timothy hay.
You will also want to have vegetables available. Dark, leafy green vegetables, including collards or dandelion greens and some lettuces, are best. Steer clear of iceberg lettuce and make diet changes gradually. Young bunnies shouldn’t get fresh vegetables until they are more than 3 months old and then started with only very small doses. Despite what you may have seen on TV, bunnies should eat carrots only as an occasional treat because they are high in starch and sugar.
Proof Your Home
Because rabbits love to chew, you need to make sure that any areas of access are free from electrical cords, cleaning products and any other chemicals that your bunny could have access to by chewing through a container. Put chewable items in the hutch and other areas accessed so that the rabbit can chew. This is essential for reducing the length of your rabbit’s teeth. You can also manually trim the teeth for your rabbit.
4 Tips to Keep Your Rabbit Happy and Healthy
