HOUSING
When picking a home for your rabbit you have to think long term. I have tried several. Even a large cage can be unsatisfactory to your rabbit. A pen is the way to go. Most pet stores carry rabbit pens and if you cant find it, just ask. Pens provide lots of space to hop and stretch out. Toys can easily be tossed, and food and water fit nicely. I would suggest going to a dollar store buying a large rug ($20). You can cut this to size and place it under the rabbit pen. Rabbits love to chew on carpet, but the cheap short rug is not any fun to chew on. There are several products that claim to stop a rabbit from chewing but they dont. If your rabbit does live in a cage, then they will need about four hours out of the cage daily. That is VERY hard to do some days. Confinement can lead to biting, growling, and lunging at you. Depression can set in, and rabbits can refuse to eat and dwindle away. With a pen they usualy have enough space to roam.
PICK ME UP
Baby rabbits are small. That makes them hard to handle sometimes. They can become very excited and very hard to catch. Before you pick your rabbit up, see if they will come to you. This will stop them from being so nervous around you. Holding a rabbit can be stressful to them. Sometimse they are more comfortable if you let them sit on a couch or the floor and then stroke them. When they bow their heads down and thier ears go straight back, you know they are happy!!! If you feel small clicks when you stroke thier head, then you know they are very very very happy - its like a rabbit smile. Rabbits really enjoy being stroked from nose to tail. often times light pressure strokes on their heads is enjoyed alot.
I DON'T KNOW YOU!!!!
Imagine going to a new school and having every one trying to play with you and talk to you and take you places. What if you need to use the bathroom? Where are you suppose to be? When is lunch? Rabbits sometimes feel like that too. Let them explore thier new home. Sit next to it and read a book. Sometimes when you ignore bunny, she is going to want to watch you or smell you. If you want them to get to know your smell it may help to place a small peice of clothing or blanket that you have worn or slept in.
CLEAN HOUSE
Rabbits like things very clean. Take time to clean things up. If you don't keep a liter box clean, then why would they want to use it? If the rabbit mansion is dirty, then rabbit can be stressed and act badly. Keep rabbit happy. When you clean your room, clean thiers!!!
BATHROOM!!!
Baby rabbits have very small bladders. They have to go about every twenty minutes. If you don't want rabbit poop every where, then let bunny go home every twenty minutes. Give her five minutes and then she can come back out to play. After rabbit gets the hang of using the rabbit box, then she will start to hold it better. Junnie only needs to go to the rabbit box every hour or hour and half.
Place a rabbbit box in the pen. Let rabbit smell it and hop around in it. When you see a piece of rabbit poop, pick it up and let bunny smell it. Then place rabbit and the poop in the box. Do this when you notice dropings. If rabbit accedently wee's, then soak it up with a kleenex or paper towle, let rabbit smell it, and place both in the box. If rabbit goes while she is out playing then let her smell it and place her and it in the box. If you don't she is not going to learn very well, and most likly there is more to come!!!
BED TIME
Rabbits don't need blankets or pillows. If you give them those items they may just chew them up. Sometimes a dog toy made of lambs wool, or an old stuff animal will do. But beware, they will chew on thier stuffed animal, but they may also sleep with it. Rabbits like to sleep through the night. They also like to take a nap around noon. So if your rabbit is really active then it may be a good idea to take rabbit out in the early evening when she is calmer.
FOOD
Baby will love to eat. She will alot of different things. People food will make bunny sick. She can not throw up, so if it make her stomache angry, then she is stuck with it. Feed her pellets and she will be so happy. 1/4 - 1/2 cup a day is correct for an adult. Hay is very good for bunny. She can have as much Timithoy hay as she wants!! Be ware the hay will make her go. AND if you are training rabbit to use the box then place her food in the box. Many times as bunny eats, she will poop at the same time, so this helps her do it in the right spot.
Bunny can have almost any fruit or vegetable. Fruits will make bunny fat and can give her the runs so give in small amounts. Vegetables are mostly safe. Iceburg lettuce can kill rabbits, dont give them that. Try dark lettuces and carrots. Junnie loves cucumbers. Be creative and if you are not sure if bunny should have it then "bing" it on the enternet.
LOVE ME
The more time you spend with rabbit the happier they will be. Rabbits love to interact with people. They may not always want to be held but being around you is going to make bunny happy!!!
