I have a new rabbit and need help....

[alp777]

Hello all. I am new to this board. My husband decided to suprise my 2 year old daughter with a rabbit today.:shock:
Ok not a big deal cause I like rabbits the only problem is that I haveno idea how to take care of one. Like what do they need to eat and howoften? How often do I need to clean out her cage and what do I put inthe bottom of it? How often should I let her out of the cage forexcerise? If you guys could help me I would be so greatful. Thanks inadvance for any advice.

Amy

 

[diamond]

To Alp777

You Should feed your rabbit every morning and eveneing.

when it gets up and just before bed.MORNING= You should feed it rabbitmix or pellets.Not both!!:XYou shouldfeed itfreshchopped food.And put hay in the hay rack.And reefill tthe waterbottle.

NIGHT=Give your rabbit extra dry food.Take away the fruit and veg frommorning.check that hay rack is full + the waterbottle.

Put some woodshavings or newspaper on the bottom of cage + top it offwith a big pile of straw.Let your rabbit out as muchas possible.:dude:

From Diamond

 

[HankHanky]

alp777 wrote:

Hello all. I am new to this board. My husband decided tosuprise my 2 year old daughter with a rabbit today.:shock:
Ok not a big deal cause I like rabbits the only problem is that I haveno idea how to take care of one. Like what do they need to eat and howoften? How often do I need to clean out her cage and what do I put inthe bottom of it? How often should I let her out of the cage forexcerise? If you guys could help me I would be so greatful. Thanks inadvance for any advice.

Amy

Hello Amy,

you will get a variety of opinions on this and any other subjectpertaining to rabbits. I will just give my opinion and you can do asyou wish with the information:

First I house my rabbits in all wire cages. These are the easiest andmost healthy for the rabbit. Feces and urine fall to the ground throughthe floor-wire keeping the rabbit in a clean and healthy environment. Ifeed my rabbits once aday that is more than adaquate. I use [J]feeders. Rabbits should be fed one ounce of feed per pound of bodyweight. Only youngsters and Does with litters are kept on full-feed.The time of day you feed your rabbit is up to you. Do what fits intoyour schedule. You should feed and water at the same time everyday.Your rabbits will acclaimate to your schedule. A qualityPelleted rabbit feed,grasshay and water are the only requirements tomaintain a healthy rabbit. Anything other than what I have alreadymentioned should be considered a treat and fed as such. That is onlyocassionally. Fruits and Vegetables are loaded with sugar, too many ofthem isd what leads to much of the dietary problems of rabbits.

How often you let your bunny out of it's cage is up to you. there areother options for those rabbits which cannot always be given timeoutside the cage.

If you have a rabbit cage with 1/2"X1" floor wire it is basically selfcleaning. You will want to brush any Cling-ons from the cage floorwithin 24 hours. This helps in the prevention of Coccidiosis.

I hope this helped.

Dennis,C.V.R. http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/crescentvalley

 

[diamond]

[align=center]:?CLEANOUT[/align]
[align=left]:shock:This is the worst bit of getting a rabbit!!:shock:[/align]
[align=left]You should clean out your rabbits house everyday.[/align]
[align=left]Put your rabbit in her run or or her carry case while youcleanout.:shock:Clear out all the dirty bits then throw themaway.Then add fresh bedding.[/align]
[align=left]Twice a month you can throw out all the bedding and givethe cage/hutch a really good scrub!!!!Make sure the house isnew beddingin.[/align]
[align=left][/align]

 

[Carolyn]

Welcome to the forum, Diamond, and congratulations on your new baby.

Personally, I follow Dennis's line of thinking as to the wire bottomsand pellets, timothy hay and water being my rabbit's main source ofdiet while everything else, I consider a treat and feed in moderation.

I love your screenname.

-Carolyn

 

[bluebird]

I feed purina rabbit pellets, you can get theseat a feed store,also hay.you didnt say how old your bunny was but i donot feed greens or fruit to rabbits under 4 months of age as it maycause diarrhea in bunnies that can be fatal.If he is older than 4months and you want to feed greens start him out slowly rapid dietchanges are not good for bunnies.bluebird

 

[m.e.]

There are a lot of wonderful informational sitesthat can help you out, but I recommend the House Rabbit Society(http://www.rabbit.org/). They can answer almost anyquestion.

Hope everything goes well with you and your new bunny.

~M

 

[tuftie]

hello well depending on where you live in theworld advice can be very different. i clean my hutch once aweek thatseverything bedding food sawdust the lot my bunnies always go to thetoilet in the same place so this can be cleanedeveryday.minelive out sideand when i clean them out i alway put them inthere run and i use a pet disinfectant in the hutch. mine like to eatlotsof fresh hay, fresh grass, dandylion leaves, cloveraswell as lots of fresh veg cauliflower carrots,tomatos,oranges, cucumberapples but not the core and plenty of dry food mine like a good mix.alot is try and erorro if they dont like it they wont eat it just likechildren. it may be of help love Denise