1. Never give a rabbit as a gift for Easter.
2. Rabbits need a cage with lots of room.
3. Avoid keeping rabbits outside in a hutch.
4. Bugs is the only bunny that can handle carrots every day.
5. Offer a variety of toys for your rabbit to play with and chew.
6. Spaying or neutering your rabbit can reduce behavioral and health problems.
7. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box.

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• by Darcy Logan

• People often stumble across a young wild rabbit and mistakenly believe that it has been orphaned. In the wild, rabbit mothers only nurse their young about 5 minutes usually in the middle of the night.House Rabbit Society: Caring for Orphans During the day, they will leave the nest to feed. Unless you know for sure that the mother has been killed or the baby is injured, it is best to leave it alone. If the baby does need car, contact a veterinarian or your local wildlife rehabilitator.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Wild Baby Bunnies You can find a local wildlife reahabilitator through a search engine on the University of Minnesota website.University of Minnesota: How To Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator For more information on caring for orphaned wild rabbits, check out the following links:
  1. House Rabbit Society: Caring for Orphans
  2. Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Wild Baby Bunnies
  3. VeterinaryPartner.com: Care of Orphaned Rabbits

• If you have never had a rabbit, you may believe that it needs to be confined to a cage or hutch. Actually, if you properly rabbit proof your house it can spend most of its time roaming free.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Proofing Your Home If you do decide to cage your rabbit, be aware that most of the all-inclusive "rabbit starter kits" will not adequately meet your rabbits needs.House Rabbit Society: Beyond Cages: The Possibilities of Pen Living To keep a rabbits in a cage is the equivalent of keeping a dog locked in a crate all day and can lead to health and behavioral problems.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care

• There are a few guidelines to follow when selecting a cage or building your own. A good rabbit cage should:
  1. Be at least five times the size of the rabbit.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
  2. Protect your rabbits feet from hard wire flooring.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
  3. Allow your rabbit to stand on its hind legs without bumping its head.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
  4. Be large enough to include a litter box and a resting area.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  5. Be easy to clean.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  6. Provide adequate ventilation.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Proofing Your Home

• The Wisconsin House Rabbit Society recommends that the cage be at least 24-inches by 30-inches and 18-inches high.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines However, you should take in consideration how much time your rabbit will spend in the cage. The more time it will be in the cage, the larger the cage needs to be.House Rabbit Society San Diego Chapter: To Cage or Not to Cage An alternative to keeping your rabbit in a cage, it to provide it with a pen. Rabbit pens can be made using puppy play pens.House Rabbit Society: Beyond Cages: The Possibilities of Pen Living

• If you have yet to purchase a cage or run for your rabbit, you can find many good quality ones online. A few examples include:
  1. PetSmart: Ware Manufacturing Rabbit Run | Exercise Pens | Midwest Pet Exercise Pens
  2. PETCO: Midwest Small Animal Playpen
  3. Rabbithouses.net: A Better Rabbit House
  4. Leith Petwerks Inc.: Bunny Abode Condos
  5. Doctor's Foster and Smith: Large Exercise Pen

• Expert Village: Where to Keep Your Pet Rabbit (Time: 1:50)

• Although it can be tempting to keep your rabbit outdoors, the ASPCA does not recommend it.ASPCA: Rabbit Care If there is no other alternative, you need to provide your rabbit with a adequate protection from the weather, a nesting box and a strong secure hutch that will protect it from predators.Rabbit Advocates: The Rabbit Habitat

• To build your own hutch, there are a variety of sites online that provide plans. Here are a few sites with helpful, free information:

1. House Rabbit Network: Building a NIC Condo
2. Michigan Rabbit Rescue: Build a Bunny Condo
3. KW Cages: Rabbit Cages, Rabbit Supplies, Rabbit Housing, Small Animal Cage Supplier
4. Purina Mills: Construction of a Hutch
5. LSU AgCenter: Rabbit Hutch | Rabbit House | Hutches for Rabbits
6. Mother Earth News: Pequoda's Rabbit Hutch
7. Mississippi State University Extension Service: Homemade Rabbit Cages

• YouTube: How to Build a Rabbit Condo (Time: 5:06)

• Pellets are an important aspect of your rabbits diet because they are highly concentrated in nutrients.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Nutrition: Diet Requirements and Feeding Rabbits at Different Life Stages Pellets should be 15 to 19 percent protein and 18 percent fiber.ASPCA: Rabbit Care Do not feed pellet mixes contain seeds, grains, dried corn or dehydrated vegetables because they are poorly digested and can be dangerous for your rabbit.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines

• Up until six months of age, feed your rabbit as many pellets as it wants.ASPCA: Rabbit Care After that age, pellets should be limited because overfeeding can lead to obesity and medical problems.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Nutrition: Diet Requirements and Feeding Rabbits at Different Life Stages Once your rabbit is fully grown, it should be limited to 1/4 cup for every four to five pounds of body weight spread out over two feedings.Rabbit Advocates: Healthy Rabbit Diet The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits A good guide to follow is:
  1. 2 to 4 pounds: 1/4 cup daily
  2. 4 to 7 pounds: 1/2 cup daily
  3. 8 to 10 pounds: 1/2 to 3/4 cup daily
  4. 11 to 15 pounds: 3/4 to 1 cup dailyWisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines

• Rabbits should have fresh hay in front of them at all times. Hay provides rougate that reduces hairballs and helps digestion.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines

1. Feed your rabbit grass hays such as timothy, orchard, brome, oat, Bermuda or marsh.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines If possible, offer a mixture of these hays.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
2. Avoid alfalfa and clover hays because they are too rich in calcium and protein.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines Young rabbits (under 7 months old) can be offered alfalfa hay.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Nutrition: Diet Requirements and Feeding Rabbits at Different Life Stages
3. Do not feed straw because it is lacks nutritional value.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care

• Fresh vegetables should make up about one-third of your rabbits diet. Typically, these vegetables will be dark leafy green or root vegetables.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Nutrition: Diet Requirements and Feeding Rabbits at Different Life Stages

1. Feed approximately 1 to 2 cups of fresh vegetables a day.Rabbit Advocates: Healthy Rabbit Diet
2. Offer your rabbit a variety of vegetables each day.
3. Introduce new vegetables one at a time.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Nutrition: Diet Requirements and Feeding Rabbits at Different Life Stages Eliminate any vegetable that causes diarrhea within 12 hours after feeding.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
4. Variety is important, so feed your rabbit three different vegetables at a time. When introducing new veggies to a rabbit's diet, try just one at a time and keep quantities limited.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
5. You may be surprised to find that iceburg lettuce and carrots are not on this list. However, this is not an oversight:
   1. Iceburg lettuce is mostly water and can cause diarrhea.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines It should be avoided.
   2. Carrots are high in sugar and can cause intestinal problems.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines They can be fed as a treat, but not as a main part of a rabbit's diet.
6. Kale, mustard greens, spinach and other vegetables that contain high levels of oxalic acid should only be offered once or twice a week because the salts of oxalic acid can accumulate in a system and cause toxicity.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
7. You can begin offering vegetables to your rabbit as early as 3 months of age.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Nutrition: Diet Requirements and Feeding Rabbits at Different Life Stages

• Toys provide two vital functions for your rabbit. They help wear down its teeth and provide it with mental stimulation. Avoid any toys that have sharp edges, loose parts or are made of soft rubber.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits Also, make sure that your rabbit cannot get its head or paw stuck into the toy.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines

• A few examples of toys that are good for chewing include:
  1. Untreated wood, including branches from trees. (Allow the wood to dry at least a month before using.)VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  2. Cardboard including paper towel or toilet paper rolls.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
  3. Cardboard boxes filled with paper or with small holes
  4. Willow bowls, balls and rings.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
  5. Wooden chew toys designed for birds.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  6. Empty oatmeal containersPetEducation.com: Rabbit Proofing Your Home

• Rabbits also like toys that make noise and that they can move but are still chew-safe.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care A few examples of these include:
  1. Empty plastic or metal cans.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  2. Plastic Slinkies.PetEducation.com: Rabbit Proofing Your Home
  3. Hard plastic baby toys (keys, rattles).
  4. Bird toys.
  5. Woven grass mats, baskets and coasters (untreated).
  6. Wire, hard plastic or Whiffle balls.
  7. Small paper cups.
  8. Stuffed animal.Rabbit Advocates: Toys
  9. Concrete tubes.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines
  10. Toddler plastic play sets.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines
  11. Cat playhouses.
  12. Small towels or hay tubs.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines
  13. Jungle gym type toys.Rabbit Advocates: Toys

• Expert Village: Rabbit Chew Toys (Time: 1:29)

• Rabbits need several hours of exercise every day.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits Exercise fencing panels, such as those used by dogs, are great way to provide your rabbits with ample space to run and jump.
  1. Fencing needs to be at least three to four feet high.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  2. Never leave your rabbit outside in a pen unsupervised.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  3. A sheet of no-wax flooring can protect your floor underneath the pen.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care

• If you decide to allow your rabbit free access to your house you will need to "bunny proof" it. This includes protecting phone and computer cords, covering furniture, removing toxic plants and other materials.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care

• Expert Village: How to Exercise Your Rabbit (Time: 2:12)

• Most rabbits do not like to be picked up or cuddled.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines However, there will be times you need to do so. Picking up a rabbit must be done with care to avoid scaring or injuring it.
  1. Never pick up a rabbit by the ears or the scruff of the neck.House Rabbit Society: FAQ: Handling
  2. Instead, place one hand under the front and the other under the back of the rabbit.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care Then, scoop up the rabbit and bring it up close to your body.The Humane Society of the United States: How to Care for Rabbits
  3. Do not scoop up your rabbit by its stomach and allow the back legs to dangle. Rabbits have very powerful hind muscles. If it should kick in this position, it is possible for it to actually break its back.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines
  4. Work near the floor when learning how to pick up your rabbit in case it manages to get loose.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care

• Expert Village: Picking Up Your Pet Rabbit (Time: 1:22)

• Rabbits nails can grow very long and sharp if they are not trimmed. You will need to trim your rabbits nails about every two months.House Rabbit Society: FAQ: Grooming To do this, you will need nail trimmers (such as those used for cats), cotton balls or Kwik Stop, and a towel.
  1. Wrap your rabbit in a towel to help restrain it.
  2. The trick to trimming nails is "less is more." If you trim the much, you can cut into the quick and cause bleeding. See the image for a general diagram.
  3. Try to locate the quick before cutting by looking at the nail closely under a bright light.MyHouseRabbit.com: Clipping Your Rabbit's Nails
  4. If you cut into the quick, use Kwik Stop or hold a cotton ball onto the nail until the bleeding stops.House Rabbit Society: FAQ: Grooming Cornstarch and flour also work to help stop the nails from bleeding.About.com: Trim Your Rabbit's Nails

• Expert Village: Trimming Your Pet Rabbit's Nails (Time: 1:36)

• Although rabbits do not require regular shots or vaccinations, they should still be regularly checked out by a veterinarian. Rabbits will not show signs that they are ill until the illness is advanced.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines Take your rabbit to a veterinarian immediately if it shows any of the following symptoms:
  1. Lack of appetite or bowel movement for more than 12 hours (known as GI stasis).ASPCA: Rabbit Care Expert Village: Signs Your Pet Rabbit is Sick
  2. Watery diarrhea.ASPCA: Rabbit Care
  3. Listlessness.Rabbit Advocates: Keeping Bunny Healthy
  4. Loss of balance.Rabbit Advocates: Keeping Bunny Healthy
  5. Distended abdomen.Rabbit Advocates: Keeping Bunny Healthy
  6. Loud tooth grinding.Rabbit Advocates: Keeping Bunny Healthy
  7. Hunched posture.Rabbit Advocates: Keeping Bunny Healthy
  8. Hiding in unusual places.Rabbit Advocates: Health Concerns
  9. Drooling.Rabbit Advocates: Health Concerns
  10. Straining to urinate.Rabbit Advocates: Health Concerns
  11. Discharge from the eyes or nose.Rabbit Advocates: Health Concerns
  12. Coughing or sneezing.Expert Village: Signs Your Pet Rabbit is Sick

• Expert Village: How to Recognize Illness in Your Rabbit (Time: 2:46)

• Female rabbits can be spayed once they are six months old. Males can be neutered once their testicles have descended.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Why we Spay and Neuter Spaying or neutering your rabbit is necessary if you have two rabbits of the opposite sex (recall the idiom, "breeding like rabbits"), but is also a good idea if you only have one rabbit. While you may be tempted to breed your rabbits, be aware that it is very difficult to make money breeding rabbits. Furthermore, finding homes for the babies can be very difficult.House Rabbit Society: FAQ: Spaying and Neutering Before breeding, check with your local animal shelter to see how many unwanted rabbits they have.

• If that is not enough to convince you, here are a few more reasons to spay or neuter your rabbit:
  1. Reduces "aggression" in rabbits. Females are less likely to be territorial and males are less likely to spray or mount.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Why we Spay and Neuter
  2. Female rabbits are highly susceptible to uterine cancer.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Why we Spay and Neuter
  3. May reduce problem chewing behaviors and other destructive behaviors.PetEducation.com: Spaying and Neutering Rabbits: Why, When, and How and Post-Operative Care
  4. Will reduce urine odor.PetEducation.com: Spaying and Neutering Rabbits: Why, When, and How and Post-Operative Care

• Expert Village: Spaying & Neutering Pet Rabbits (Time: 1:31)

• Although rabbits will never become as trainable as a dog, the can be taught some basic rabbit manners.University of Miami: Training Your Rabbit One of the most common things people desire is to train their rabbit to use a litter box. Rabbits are naturally clean and will usually only urinate in one or two spots.Wisconsin House Rabbit Society: Care Guidelines House Rabbit Society: FAQ: Litter Training Once they have chosen a spot, you can start litter box training by placing a litter pan in that spot.
  1. Line the litter box with newspaper or pelleted newspaper.
     1. Do not use pine or cedar shavings.ASPCA: Rabbit Care
     2. Do not use clay or clumping cat litter.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care
  2. Place hay inside or near your rabbit's litter pan because rabbits usually defecate while they are eating.VeterinaryPartner.com: Rabbit Care

• For more information on litter training your rabbit, check out any of the following links:
  1. House Rabbit Society: FAQ: Litter Training | Litterbox Encore | Alternative Litterbox
  2. Rabbit Advocates: Litter Box | Litter Training
  3. Expert Village: How to Litter Train a Rabbit

• Expert Village: How to Train Your Rabbit to Use a Litter Box (Time: 2:09)

• Now that you and your rabbit have settled down, you might be interested in finding some activities that you can do together. You might sit down and read Ronald Lockley's The Private Life of the Rabbit. If you are interested in either Margery Williams' The Velveteen Rabbit or Richard Adams' Watership Down, they are both available in both book and movie format. Of course, you can also sit down and watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit or any of the numerous Bugs Bunny movies and cartoons.