Rabbits make wonderful pets and companions. Like most animals, the more attention they receive the more they will give. Below are a few things to think about for owning a rabbit.
Housing
Rabbits are very sensitive to temperature. If outside, rabbits need to be in a well-insulated hutch, with plenty of shade through the warmer months and shelter in the cooler months.
Rabbits make great inside pets, and can be easily toilet trained to use a litter tray. The use of a litter tray makes cleaning hutches much easier. Use a cat litter tray, with a layer of paper pellets lining the bottom and hay over the top. If kept indoors, rabbits will need a large hutch to allow adequate movement. The size of the hutch required will depend on their size and the number of rabbits you have.
Keep outdoor housing covered in shade cloth or insect proof netting through the summer months to protect rabbits against insect vectors such as mosquitos, which can transmit fatal diseases such as myxomatosis. On hot Canberra summer days (over 30 degrees) freeze one or two litres of water in plastic containers and place within the hutch as evaporative cooling.
It is important to have an area within their hutch where they can hide, or retreat for sleeping and quiet time. Hiding places should include bedding such as hay, straw, untreated wood shavings or shredded paper. Bedding will need to be changed regularly to ensure it is a clean environment for your rabbits.
Food & Water
Like all of us, rabbits need access to fresh water daily. Specially designed bottles can aid in maintaining a hygienic water supply. Make sure you regularly clean their food and water dishes, and that your pet is being fed a varied, nutritious diet.
Most of the commercial pellet mix for rabbits are unsuitable for them as they are highly concentrated in energy to maximise weight gain. Feeding a commercially mixed food is like us eating fast food everyday. An ideal pellet should ideally consist of at least; 18% or higher fibre content, 2.5% or lower fat content, 16% or less protein content and 1% or less in calcium content.
Don't leave it up to your rabbit to decide how much it should eat per day. A rough rule of thumb is that for every 2kg of your bunny, ¼ cup of pellets should be offered daily.
Hay (meadow and timothy hay) is part of the natural diet and is instrumental in their health. Grass hay is rich in nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins. It is also high in fibre which makes your bunny feel fuller for longer and promotes bowel movements. Grass hay promotes the growth of ‘good bugs’ in your rabbit’s intestines to aid in digestion. It also encourages chewing which allows your bunny to wear down its teeth and promotes mental stimulation.
Grass hay should be available to your bunny 24/7 in unlimited amounts. A good place to source your grass hay is from stock feed stores. Avoid legume hays such as Lucerne (alfalfa) and clover. Legume hays are too rich in calories, calcium and protein and can lead to obesity and tummy upsets.
Like us, your rabbit needs to have a daily supply of fresh greens to stay healthy. Fresh greens are as important as grass hay to your bunny’s health. They provide important micronutrients and act as a source of palatable water. In the case of rabbits, variety is the spice of life: feed at least three different green veges to your bunny daily. Some good leafy greens are: Chinese greens, spinach, cauliflower and broccoli leaves. Avoid iceberg and cos lettuces as they are mostly water and have little nutritional value. Always wash your greens before giving them to your bunny.
If fed an appropriate diet with small amounts of good quality pellets with unlimited supply of grass hay and green veggies, a rabbit does not require any other supplementation. Small amounts of fruits may be given once or twice a week as special treats. You must remember fruits are strictly treat foods and should not be offered to your bunny daily as they are not part of the natural diet of a wild rabbit.
Is there anything I shouldn't feed my rabbit?
Some ‘no-no’ foods include beans, bread, peas, cereals, oats, corn, nuts, seeds, wheat, grains, dried fruits (such as raisins or apricots), sugar or molasses. Unfortunately, many of these foods are fed to rabbits by well-meaning owners as treats or as part of the commercial rabbit mix but they are unsafe for your rabbit to consume.
Socialisation and desexing
Rabbits are social and inquisitive animals by nature and as a result require regular interaction and enrichment. Having a companion can help ensure that they don't become lonely when you aren't home but care should be taken when choosing a friend for your rabbit.
A male and female rabbit pair will often bond together easier then two rabbits of the same sex, however if keeping rabbits together of mixed genders they must be desexed to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Rabbits can start to become sexually active from 3 months of age, so desexing is something you will need to get onto quickly. Even if your rabbits don't live together it is advised that they be desexed. This is quite important for female rabbits as up to 75% of un-desexed females develop uterine cancer. Desexing can also decrease aggression and urine spraying in males.
Vaccination
There has been a recent outbreak of Calicivirus in the Canberra region with new strains causing infection. The recommendation is that rabbits should have 2 initial vaccinations when they are young followed by a booster every 6 months.
Calicivirus causes sudden death in rabbits and is transmitted by insects and fomites (direct touch and objects) within the environment.
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