Amethyst Stud's Care Advice - tips for a bouncy bunny!
- As soon as you get your rabbit home, you need to place him/her into its new hutch and leave it for 24 hours so it can get settled. It is very stressful for most rabbits to be moved to a new environment.
- After 24 hours it is a good idea to handle your pet on a daily basis. Although they have been handled since birth and are already tame, he/she will need to get used to your smell. Unhandled rabbits can become aggressive or nervous and may start biting.
- You will need to feed your rabbit the food we gave you for the first few days. If you want to introduce new food, do it very slowly. Rabbits get upset tummies easily, and if you swap the food straight away, it is very likely that he/she will get very sick quickly. You can also give your rabbit grass hay- it helps keep rabbit’s teeth from getting too long and they love it!
- Always make sure your rabbit has hay and water. It doesn’t matter if the dry food runs out, but hay and water are essential to a rabbit’s survival.
- At RabbitVille all the rabbits are given some carrot, curly kale, cabbage, dandelion leaves and broccoli. Each day every rabbit will get three things off the list, this makes his/her diet more interesting. If your pet never eats something, stop feeding it (this doesn’t include dry food, hay or water. Chances are, if you never see your rabbit eat dry food, hay or water, he/she is probably having it when you are not looking).
- Your rabbit is used to a water bottle. If you would like to do the same, these are sold at your local pet shop. If you want to change to a water bowl, use a ceramic bowl so it won’t get tipped over.
- If your rabbit has not eaten within the first 24 hours of getting it home, he/she will need to see a vet as soon as possible. Rabbits go downhill very quickly when they don’t eat.
- Grooming is a great way to bond with your rabbit. If your rabbit has short hair this isn’t essential, but weekly grooming in the moulting season (in the summer months, particularly August) helps keep your rabbit cool. If your rabbit has long fur you must brush at least once a week or the fur will become matted and dirty causing pain and distress for the bunny.
- A rabbit’s nails must be kept short. You can buy special nail clippers from a pet shop, but if you aren’t happy to cut your rabbit’s nails, a vet can do it for you.
- Rabbits like to be handled but they must be handled in a way that is safe. Never pick up a rabbit just by its tummy or ears. A small rabbit can be picked up with one hand just under the front legs and one hand under the bottom. As your rabbit gets bigger, you may need to adjust this depending on how big and heavy he/she gets, but still don’t pick him/her up by the tummy or ears. You must always support a rabbit’s bottom when he/she is being carried otherwise it can cause damage to a rabbit’s spine.
- Most rabbits are clean and will only go to the toilet in one area. In this case, just clean this area once daily. If your pet turns out to be messy, the whole hutch will need to be cleaned daily, or every other day at a push. Whatever the case, the whole hutch needs to be cleaned thoroughly once a week. Your rabbit’s parents are both clean, so there is a big chance your rabbit will turn out to be clean too.
- All rabbits need daily exercise to keep them fit and healthy. The best way to do this is to put your rabbit in a run every day if the weather is good (unless you have a waterproof cover for your run, leave your rabbit in his/her hutch on rainy days.) Don’t put your run in direct sunlight.
- Rabbits love to come indoors, and this is a great way for your pet to get its daily exercise if you don’t have a run or the weather is bad. If you are happy to let your rabbit in the house, make sure that there are no wires or things it could chew on where he/she will be running around or gaps he/she could squeeze into. Bear in mind that some rabbits are excellent stair climbers! If you have a dog or cat, be absolutely certain they are ok with your rabbit before bringing him/her into the house. Big, strong-willed rabbits can and probably will chase away a cat or dog, but a smaller or shyer rabbit will just let a cat or dog do whatever it wants to him/her unless you interfere. Always supervise your rabbit in the house.
- There are many types of bedding you can get for rabbits. Your rabbit is used to hay on the floor, plenty of straw in the sleeping area and wood shavings in the toilet (this is essential). Put food and water in the living area and preferably away from the toilet.
- In the winter months make sure that there is plenty of bedding in the sleeping area and the hutch is covered to keep the wind out (we use bubblewrap, with a blanket under it if it’s really cold). Better still, if you have space in your shed or garage, move the hutch in there for winter. If you find that the water is getting frozen, you can buy bottle covers to keep the water from getting too cold i(f you use a water bottle). If the weather gets really cold or there is water, frost or snow on the ground, either leave your rabbit in his/her hutch all day or bring him/her into the house for his/her exercise.
- In the summer months make sure that the hutch is not in direct sunlight, if possible have the hutch in the shade. A good way of keeping your rabbit cool is freezing a bottle of water and placing it in the cage; your rabbit can lie against it to keep cool. It is a good idea to get a run cover if your run is in the sunlight so your rabbit doesn’t get overheated and to keep any unexpected showers off.
- Having your rabbit neutered is beneficial, particularly if your rabbit becomes hormonal, moody or aggressive with you or another rabbit. It also increases your rabbit’s lifespan and prevents many health problems such as some types of cancer. You can have your rabbit neutered any time from collection.
- Vaccination against myxomatosis and VHD (viral haemorrhagic disease), both killer rabbit diseases, is essential, especially if the area you live in has had many cases of these diseases. You can get this done at your local vets any time from collection.
- Any problems or questions, please call us on 02392 383671. We are happy to help you.
- Have lots of fun with your new pet!