Have you ever seen a lop-eared bunny? There's no way you can walk past such a ball of cuteness without stopping for a few pets. The ears of lop-eared rabbits are their main attraction, but don't count out their personalities just yet!
There are many types of lop-eared rabbits. ARBA recognizes 5 of them, but you can say there are 14 or more droopy-eared breeds in total. They can be distinguished from one another by looking at ear size and shape.
Let's take a look at the different lop-eared breeds and how to care for them.
Breed names: Holland Lop, French Lop, English Lop, American Fuzzy Lop, Lop-eared Lionhead, German Lop, Cashmere lop eared rabbit, Plush Lop, Velveteen Lop, Miniature Cashmere Lop, Meisner Lop, Dwarf Lop, Mini Lop, Minature lop-eared rabbits
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Lop-eared rabbits are rabbit breeds that have ears that droop down rather than sit up straight. This feature makes them very popular among rabbit owners because they appear to be cuter than other rabbits.
This is why most people looking for pet bunnies pick these cute critters. Unfortunately, not many people realize how much work lop-eared rabbits are until it's too late. They require special attention especially if you have a breed with very long ear tips.
Long ear tips will usually get soaked in water when they drink. Dry them on cold night! Wet ear tips on cold nights can cause infections of the ear canal and other health issues.
You will also need to consider your rabbit's environmental needs. Rabbits with long ears may need a smooth, soft floor to jump on and lots of space to move around.
The lop rabbit is not only cute because it has characteristic lopped ear tips, but it also has personality to spare. These rabbits make excellent pets and are extremely sweet. Its friendly and loving nature adds to its appeal.
Depending on the breed, lop-eared rabbits can get quite big. The largest of the lop bunnies are the French lop-eared rabbits. These beauties can get up to 5.9kg (13Ib). You also get very small lop-eared hoppers. These usually only weigh around 0.9-1.8kg (2-4Ib).
These beautiful rabbits have a lifespan of around 5-14 years. This can differ between breeds. The size of the breed plays a huge role.
Lop-eared rabbit breeds are especially famous due to their looks. People love their long, hanging ears and cute button noses. If you like being very involved with your pets, then this bunny is perfect for you.
They need a lot of attention and care. Their somewhat quiet, yet friendly temperaments make them popular house bunnies. They are costly, however, due to their numerous health concerns mostly caused by their adorable floppy ears.
If you like grooming and checking your pet for issues regularly, then you'll adore a lop rabbit.
Lop-eared rabbits are often plagued by ear infections and dental issues. The fact that the ear tips on these bunnies hang down, creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
The hanging ear shells restrict airflow in the ear channels. In breeds with very long ears, you'll find that they get very dirty from dragging on the ground. Lop bunny breeds are also very susceptible to ear mites.
It's best to check daily and take your rabbit to the vet immediately if you notice any problems.
The best diet for a lop rabbit includes around 80% grass hay, fresh vegetables, leafy greens, a small amount of fruits, and healthy rabbit pellets without any grains, corn, and colorful pieces.
In my experience, I've found that feeding unlimited grass hay is best. They can't eat too much dried grass. Limit the veggies and leafy greens to two to three kinds per day and feed fruits only once or twice a week. For the pellets, it's best to follow the instructions on the packet.
The diet of lops is very similar to other bunny breeds. If you want to know more about how to feed your rabbit a healthy diet, go to our article on rabbit feed.
Are you wondering which bunnies are classified as lop-eared rabbit breeds? You'll be surprised at how many there are. Let's take a closer look.
The American fuzzy lop-eared rabbit breed is very similar in appearance to the Holland lop. The main difference between these breeds is the coat. American fuzzy lops have wool similar to their Angora cousins while the Holland lop has a thick fur coat.
If you want to show your American fuzzy lop-eared rabbit, you need to make sure it weighs at least 1.8 kilograms (4Ib).
A miniature lop-eared rabbit is one of those breeds that are easily confused with others, especially Mini lops. The Miniature lop and Mini lop aren't the same breeds even though they look very similar.
The Miniature lop, accepted by the BRC is often called a Mini lop for short. It is, however, very different from the Mini lops accepted by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA). In fact, the Miniature lop is most similar to the ARBA accepted Holland lop.
The Miniature lop-eared rabbit has a very small head. This can affect jaw alignment and cause malocclusion (misaligned teeth). Bunnies that suffer from misaligned teeth often have overgrown teeth that need to be tended to by a vet on a regular basis.
The French lop-eared rabbit is an amazingly large rabbit breed that has been created by breeding both English lop-eared and Flemish Giant breeds together.
This French lop bunny became famous in Britain in the 1960s, and in the United States in the 1970s. French lops typically weigh between 4.5 to 6.8 kilos(10-15Ib).
They are well known for their friendly personalities and love of affection. This makes the French lop the perfect pet. Due to their size, however, French Lops need lots of room to just be bunnies.
English lops were the first lop-eared rabbits ever bred by humans and are believed to be one of the oldest rabbit breeds in existence. These stunning lop bunnies are known for their distinctively long lop ears.
English lop ear rabbits have ear shells up to 33 cm (13 inches) long. Weighing between 4-6.8 kilos(9-15Ib), English lop-eared rabbits are one of the larger lop breeds available. Make sure you have a large hutch for the English lop breed so it doesn't stand on its ear tips.
By Bassetluv at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Holland lops are a very popular breed of rabbit. This lop-eared rabbit breed has a tiny body similar to Netherland dwarfs but with hanging ear tips and deep shoulders. They are extremely cute and very friendly which makes them wonderful pets.
Holland lops can be expected to have a maximum weight of 1.8kg (4Ib). The Holland lop-eared rabbit was created by breeding Netherland dwarfs to French lops. For Holland lops, their earlobes are their most distinctive feature.
The tiny breed of Cashmere lop is very similar to the standard Cashmere rabbit breed. The only real difference between these breeds of lop-eared rabbits is their sizes.
The Cashmere lop is a popular breed, especially as a house pet. They have beautiful, thick coats with long silky soft fur.
The Dwarf Lop is a lop-eared rabbit that can weigh up to 2.5kg (5.5 Ib) and is commonly known as the Mini Lop even though it's a completely different lop rabbit according to the BRC. The main difference between Mini lops and Dwarf lops is their size. Mini lops have a maximum weight of around 1.6kg (3.5Ib).
Although not as small as others of the lop-eared family, Dwarf lops are much smaller than most other lop breeds. This lop-eared rabbit breed is known for being exceptionally playful with a very docile nature. For this reason, they are excellent house pets.
This stunning bunny looks a bit different from other rabbit breeds. Its loped earlobes along with its lion-like main make this lop-eared breed truly unique.
Along with its striking look, it's also a very small breed weighing only 1.6 kilograms (3.5Ib) when fully grown. You'll also be awed by this breed's incredibly soft fur.
The Meisner lops aren't as well known as other rabbit breeds. This bunny is very similar to the French lops but has a more slender build.
Due to being a fairly new breed, it's currently quite rare. For this reason, the BRC added the Meismer as a member of its "Rare Varieties Club"
The German lopped ear is a chunky rabbit with a very muscular frame. Oar lop ears (ear shells hang to the side over the shoulders) and horn lop ears (the ear shells hang forward over the eyes) are not accepted in this breed.
You can expect to see this bunny with short to medium-length fur in a variety of colors and patterns.
Other lop-eared rabbit breeds that are not yet accepted by the BRC or ARBA include the Velveteen lops and Plush lops.
How much you'll initially pay for your bunny will depend on if you adopt, buy from a pet store, or a breeder. For adoption, you can expect to pay anything between 5-20 dollars for a rabbit.
It's best to avoid a pet shop completely. These rabbits are usually sickly and come from backyard breeders that don't care for their pets.
The best chance for a healthy bunny, however, is to buy from a reputable breeder. They take their rabbit's health seriously and always try to improve the breed.
The price of your new bunny will also differ depending on the breed you choose. Rare lop-eared rabbit breeds can cost as much as $1000 or more! Any bunnies with champion bloodlines will also be a lot more expensive than those rated as pet quality, just like in purebred dogs.
Bunnies are known to produce anything between 1 and 18 kits per litter. The average, however, is about 6 per litter. The size of your lops will also play a role in litter size. A dwarf rabbit, for instance, will have a smaller litter than a giant rabbit.
Yet again size will play a role in breeding age. Dwarf breeds like the Holland lops need to be around 4 months old to breed for the first time. Giant breeds like the English lops on the other hand need to be 6 months or older before they are bred.
At this stage, it is unknown if lop ears are a dominant or recessive trait. This trait was created by selective breeding and not by natural selection, however.
Giant lops can weigh up to 6.8 kg (15 Ib). The largest of the lops is the French lop.
Dwarf lops are small bunnies that weigh up to 2.5kg (5.5Ib). They are much larger than Holland lops and other miniature breeds.
The docile nature of most of these bunnies makes them excellent pets. If handled correctly, they won't mind being helped from time to time. Some might even seek out the contact.
The floppy nature of a rabbit's ears is caused by genetics. Rabbit ears are held up by three sets of cartilage that lock together. In a bunny with ears that flop, there is a gap between two of these cartilage sets which causes a weak spot and thus drooping ears.
Mini Lops love snuggling and are very affectionate. For this reason, they are great pets for those who want a cuddly bunny.
Droopy ear bunnies are more susceptible to health problems such as ear infections and dental issues. A lot of them have small heads. This causes the rabbit's nose to be short which increases the chances of detail issues.
5-8 years. Just like dogs, large rabbit breeds have a shorter lifespan than miniature breeds.
French lops make excellent pets. They are calm, affectionate, and large enough to not be threatened by the household cat.
Dwarf breeds are usually more active than their giant counterparts. Despite their need to run and jump, they are very affectionate and love to cuddle.
8-14 years. Dwarfs generally live longer than giant rabbit breeds.
The appeal to have a bunny as a pet has taken off recently. A pet rabbit is cute, active, quiet, relatively easy to care for, and an excellent companion. Who doesn't want such a cute creature to live a long and healthy life alongside us?
Rabbits weren't very popular house pets, until recently. They were thought to be smelly, untrainable, and destructive, good for being outside only. As a result, not everyone knows how long rabbits live and what it takes to care for one.
It's much more common to see popular pets like dogs, cats, and other pets around humans. That's why their lifespans are fairly common knowledge.
You'll be surprised to know that bunnies are fairly long-lived pets. I'll tell you more about the lifespan of a rabbit in this article. I'll also throw in a few tips and tricks to assure a long and healthy life for your bunny buddy.
Let's take a look at rabbit life expectancy and how it's affected by us.
The average lifespan of a domestic rabbit is about 5 to 10 years. There are a lot of factors that can affect this. In the wild, rabbits live for only a few years many never making it past their third or fourth birthday.
Wild rabbits live very stressful lives. They are constantly in danger from predators, may suffer from water and food shortages, and are exposed to many diseases.
Domestic rabbits on the other hand live very privileged and sheltered lives. They get everything they need from their humans. Many pet rabbit owners even opt to take their fluffy friends for yearly check-ups at the vet.
The oldest rabbit to ever live was a wild-born rabbit named Flopsy from Australia. Flopsy lived to be 18 years and almost 11 months old. Besides Flopsy, there was also a rabbit called Mick that reached the age of 16 and another called Heather that turned 15 before passing away.
Flopsy is for sure the oldest rabbit we know of, but there might be more that was never recorded. Rabbits don't make it to their teens very often, so to have one is quite an achievement as a rabbit owner. If you have a rabbit that's 14 years old or older, you're a rabbit-keeping legend!
Generally speaking, you can say a spayed or neutered rabbit may live to an age between 6 and 13 years old. There are many factors to consider when trying to figure out how long a pet bunny will live, however. Let's take a closer look.
Just like in dogs, breed size does make a difference when it comes to rabbit age. Generally, larger breeds of domestic rabbits live shorter lives than smaller rabbits. This means that dwarf rabbits, like the Netherland dwarf, may live a longer life than the Flemish Giant and other giant breeds.
On top of that, you need to also consider inherited genetic problems. Some domesticated rabbits are much more prone to developing breed-related health concerns. These problems could potentially shorten the lifespan of your pet rabbit.
For instance, dwarf bunnies have shortened noses. This makes them more susceptible to dental diseases and tear duct blockages.
Larger breeds on the other hand are more sensitive to warm weather conditions. They find it much more difficult to cool down so extra care must be taken if you have an outdoor bunny. They're also more susceptible to heart disease and arthritis due to their size.
In some cases, a specific breed is more susceptible to a certain problem. For instance, the Dutch rabbit breed has an increased risk of developing cancer.
Unfortunately, pet rabbit owners like you and I have no control over this. All you can do is keep your rabbit healthy, take it for regular check-ups at the vet, and hope it lives a long happy life with you.
Most pet rabbits live the longest when fed the proper diet. Nutrition plays a major role in the average lifespan of a bunny no matter the breed.
Pet rabbits are herbivores and thus need a diet specifically tailored for their needs. Unlike most herbivores, however, they can't ruminate (chew the cud) like cows and sheep can.
To make up for this, domestic rabbits eat cecotropes (special soft poop with lots of vitamins in it). Don't panic if you see your pet rabbit eating its own poop, it's normal behavior. Rather start worrying if your pet rabbits stop eating their own feces.
The eating of feces is called coprophagy. In rabbits, it's very important if you want your bunny to live a long life.
Wild rabbits also display this behavior. Cecothropes are usually produced early in the morning and can be recognized by their smell and soft texture. Normal bunny poop is quite hard, dry round pellets with almost no scent.
The main part of a rabbit's diet is grass hay. It's best to give an unlimited supply of hay so your pet can eat as much as it wants. If your pet rabbit is older than 3 months, you can also introduce fresh food like leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits.
Young bunnies should only be fed rabbit pellets along with unlimited hay. Make sure the pellets contain no colorful pieces, nuts, or corn.
Stick to plain old boring rabbit food with no extras. If there's a tiny bit of corn in the pellet ingredients, it shouldn't be a problem, but large dried corn kernels can cause serious intestinal blockages.
You can also check out this article, What To Feed Your Rabbit Daily, for more detailed information on feeding bunnies.
All pets need somewhere to stay. More and more people are allowing domesticated rabbits into their homes. These rabbits are referred to as house rabbits and are becoming very popular pets for those in apartments.
Pet rabbits are relatively quiet and don't need a very large space to run. If your pet bunny will be living indoors, you can get a large hutch with a puppy pen attached to it. This will help you to create a safe house rabbit environment away from any electric cables and wooden furniture.
Outdoor pet rabbits live just as long as other bunnies if given a proper home. They need somewhere to take shelter from bad weather and an area to run and graze. If you have no grazing, you'll need to provide lots of hay.
Outdoor pet rabbits are more exposed, however, so you need to visit the vet more regularly vet and also stay on top of vaccinating on time. Keep your rabbit away from any natural predators by making sure the hutch is completely secure with a roof and a wire floor.
A pet rabbit needs mental stimulation to stay healthy. Rabbits tend to get bored very quickly. This can get them into trouble which can be detrimental to your rabbit's health.
You can provide mental stimulation in the form of chew toys can you get from any pet store, homemade toys, and supervised free roaming time. Pet stores usually have quite a collection of toys.
The toys also don't have to be specifically for rabbits. Bunnies enjoy cat tunnels, wooden toys for birds, and an array of toys for other animals. Just make sure they are safe for chewing on!
For homemade boredom busters, you can give your bunny a simple maze made from cardboard boxes. You can also stuff a toilet roll with some leafy greens and watch them trying to get it out. If you have an extra litter tray, fill it with soil to create a dig box. They absolutely love it and it's low maintenance.
No matter how many years old your bunny is, playing and running will always be a favorite pass time for most rabbits. For exercise get a puppy pen or use a baby gate to section off a part of your home. Make sure it's bunny safe and let them run. Bunnies that get to exercise regularly stay fit and thus live longer.
If you don't plan on breeding with your rabbits, it's a great idea to get them spayed or neutered. Male rabbits tend to start spraying urine everywhere when they reach sexual maturity. They do this as a way to mark their territory and everything in it including you.
Male rabbits might also start grunting and become aggressive. If he was part of a bonded pair, you might notice them fighting more due to hormones taking over.
Female rabbits also spray urine occasionally, but it's a more prominent trait in males. You might notice your female rabbits start refusing to use the litter box, however. Spaying and neutering help with house training.
It also helps to avoid health concerns related to the reproductive tract and of course, it also avoids hundreds of babies.
Rabbits can breed every 32 days. The male can mate with the female rabbits as soon as they gave birth. It's best to keep your rabbit male away from the females.
When you take hormones out of the mix, rabbits tend to live a long and happy life.
The last thing that plays a big role in rabbit health is routine veterinary care. Bunnies need to go for yearly check-ups to make sure they have no dental issues and to get their vaccinations done. Rabbit's teeth never stop growing so it's very important to check for any issues if you want your bun to live longer.
Pet care is your most important duty as a rabbit owner. No matter which rabbit breeds you keep, staying up to date with health care is the key to a long life.
Have you ever asked yourself: How long do rabbits live in captivity? The answer is much longer than in the wild. In captivity, they are protected from natural predators, checked for health issues, and fed proper diets.
These rabbits are given everything they need to live a long life. This significantly improves the rabbit lifespan of captive bunnies.
If you're not sure if your bunny is a dwarf or a standard-sized breed, check out the list below:
In the wild, rabbits live to reproduce. It's their whole purpose. Pet rabbits on the other hand live to be loved by us. Most pet rabbits can't reproduce. Rabbits are low-maintenance pets if you're prepared for them.
A rabbit's life cycle begins here with a tiny baby called a kit being born. This kitten is quite different from the fluffy hopper we know and love. It was born blind, deaf, and without hair. Baby rabbits don't begin to see their surroundings until about 1-2 weeks after birth.
In the first month of its life, the baby bunny drinks from mom and starts to nibble on some grass from the nest.
It will eat and sleeps in the same place, always relying on its mom for nutrition while it learns how to be a rabbit. Babies grow extremely fast and need to be fed high-protein foods.
After 2 months the young bunny is considered old enough to be on its own. They remain near their mom and sibling, but they are now considered independent.
Pet rabbits may be adopted from a family home when they reach 8 weeks (2 months) old. At this stage, they are very easy to train and integrate into your household. They are considered youngsters until they reach one year of age.
Most rabbits can reproduce from as young as 4 months old. Rabbits are only considered adults, however, when they are around one to two years old depending on the breed.
Once rabbits reach five to seven years old, they are considered seniors. These rabbits typically shouldn't be bred anymore. Senior rabbits need to be fed the proper nutrition to keep them healthy and help them live longer.
If you want your cotton-tailed friend to live as long as possible, make sure you do the following:
These are all great ways to keep your rabbit healthy.
Rabbits live between 5 to 10 years as pets. A lot will depend on the breed of your bunny, its health, and what you feed it.
Definitely. As long as the cage is big enough to accommodate lots of running and jumping. Cages are best used outside to protect your bun from predators.
Yes, pet rabbits need to be fed the right diet for them to live healthy lives. They need lots of grass hays, rabbit pellets, fresh greens, vegetables, and an occasional treat.
Dwarf breeds live longer than large breeds. The average lifespan of smaller breeds is between 7 to 14 years old. Living on a poor diet might affect your rabbit's health and life span. Domesticated animals rely on humans to keep them healthy and happy.
These tiny rabbits can live between 7 to 14 years. They are part of the dwarf breeds. These bunnies are very popular house rabbit candidates. Just make sure to check their ears regularly for any infections.
Wild rabbits live shorter lives than domesticated rabbits. You can expect wild rabbits to live for around 3 to 5 years. The reason for the shorter lifespan is due to predators, food shortages, and diseases.
In captivity, these bunnies stand a much bigger chance to live to the same age as domestic rabbits.
Did you get your bunny yet? If not, you can now adopt without worries. Make sure you adapt your rabbit's diet to a healthier one if you haven't yet, expand the exercise area and add lots of bunny safe toys. Your little hopper will entertain you for years to come!
Happy hopping!
The Chinchilla Giganta rabbit is part of a group of bunny breeds that are classified as giants. If you’re thinking of adding one of these beauties to your family, you’ll need to make sure you’re prepared.
In this complete guide, I’ll show you how to care for your bunny, what they eat, how to set up a rabbit safe enclosure and tell you a bit about breeding (and how to avoid it).
Read on to learn more about the breed called Chinchilla Giganta.
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Somewhere in the 1800s in France, a kit with a silver coat was born to agouti (Sandy) coloured rabbit parents. This kit looked exactly like its littermates with black-tipped fur, but instead of the rusty red or tan band underneath the dark tips, this baby had a band of pearly white. Some call it silver agouti since it’s basically the wild fur pattern of agouti with the rusty brown colour replaced by pearly white.
The French farmer, in whose hutch this baby appeared, was quite fascinated and decided to try and breed more of them. Parisians found these rabbits, with a very similar coat to the South American Chinchilla rabbit, very fascinating creating a rimple of interest.
Officially, Monsieur Dybowski, a French engineer and rabbit breeder, is listed as the creator of the French Chinchilla rabbit, but this fur colour predates him without a doubt. Monsieur Dybowski worked hard to improve this early chinchilla. Eventually, he got to show them for the first time in 1913. In 1914 he improved so much that his chins took top honours at the national rabbit show.
From here the ‘Chinchilla rabbit’ craze spread to the UK in 1917 and to the USA in 1919. From there, they were officially recognized as ‘Chinchilla Rabbit’ in the USA in 1924. Later it became known as the Standard Chinchilla Rabbit when the Giant Chinchilla and Chinchilla Giganta breeds appeared individually during World War 1.
The Chinchilla Giganta was developed during WW1. The development of this breed started in England and continued in Germany. Chris Wren wanted to produce a giant variety of the Standard Chinchilla that can be used for meat in addition to its fur.
To produce this breed, they crossed the Standard Chinchilla rabbit with Flemish Giants and a few other rabbit breeds. As a result, a larger chinchilla coloured rabbit was born. The Chinchilla Giganta became very popular very quickly and is now known as one of the best fur and meat rabbits available today.
This rabbit has dense, but silky resilient fur that's about 3.18cm (1¼ inches) long. The undercoat is a deep blue slate that stretches about half the length of the fur.
From there you will find a pearly white band and after that, you’ll find black guard hairs and the ends will be tipped with alternating black and white tips that give the rabbit its grey colouration. The belly should be pure white.
The body is semi arched, long, graceful and finely boned. The ears, head and limbs should be in proportion with the body. You’ll find black lacing all around the ears.
Overall, the Chinchilla Giganta will appear to have the grey coat of a chinchilla rodent, hence the name.
Chinchilla Giganta size differ between adult bucks and does. The does must weigh a minimum of 4.07kg (9Ib) and the bucks 3.86kg (8½Ib) when fully grown. The Chinchilla Giganta, no matter sex, aren’t allowed to weigh more than 5.44kg (12Ib) per breed standards.
These stunning giants can live for around 7 to 10 years. A lot will depend on how you care for your bunny, however, so make sure you do the research before getting one.
The Chinchilla Giganta is very friendly with a docile nature. Depending on personality and sex, you’ll find them to be very cuddly and will even seek you out for some head scratches. Aggression is rare in this breed, but it does occur occasionally.
Most of the time you can expect your bunny to be very lively and curious. They love to explore and will rarely sit still during their crepuscular time (dawn and dusk). Later you might find them sleeping under the couch or table until the fridge is opened…
Chinchilla Giganta rabbits are escape artists. They jump quite high and are excellent diggers. Keeping them confined is a challenge.
Chinchilla Giganta bunnies make excellent pets. They are, however, extremely undervalued as pets due to a lack of knowledge about them. Their size makes them suitable for households with small children and other pets such as cats and dogs.
They are very friendly, cuddly and soft with a lively nature. This means you’ll never be bored with all their antics.
Being gentle giants, Chinchilla Giganta rabbits easily get along with other rabbits as well as other pets. It’s best, however, to keep them with others of similar size to avoid any accidents.
If you’ll be keeping your rabbit with an animal of another species, you’ll need to make sure they are compatible. Bunnies can get along with predatory pets, but extra supervision will be required.
It’s recommended to keep Chinchilla Giganta bunnies in groups of at least two. They are very social and need companionship to be happy rabbits. Here’s a quick list of some possible friends for your bunny.
These stunning rabbits are herbivores. Their main diet should consist of lots of grass hay, rabbit pellets, fresh veggies and a few pieces of fresh fruits once in a while. It’s very important to feed your giant bunny a balanced, yet varied diet for optimal health.
The Chinchilla Giganta is quite large which means it also needs to eat a lot. A rabbit also has a very sensitive digestive system so you can’t make any quick changes in diet. Another thing, rabbits eat constantly. They have to since they can’t ruminate like other herbivores.
It’s best to supply your Chinchilla Giganta bunny with an unlimited supply of fresh, good quality grass hay. These include timothy hay, oat hay, barley hay, teff hay, meadow hay and orchard grass hay. You can create a mix of several kinds of hay to make it more interesting for your bunnies.
Legumes like Alfalfa and Lucerne can be given in small amounts. One handful per day is usually enough for adult rabbits. This type of hay is very high in protein which is great for growing babies, but very bad for the adults that don’t need as much protein.
Too much legume hay can cause kidney problems in your adult rabbits. Youngsters under 6 months can eat as much of it as they like though.
Your bunnies should also be supplied with a good quality rabbit pellet. This means commercial rabbit food without any coloured bits in it. The pellets are only there to help wear down the teeth and supply your Chinchilla Giganta with vital vitamins and minerals.
Depending on your brand (it's best to read what the package says) you can feed your youngsters unlimited pellets until one year old. After that, you can bring it down and feed your adults between 100-120g (3.5-7.1 Oz) of pellets per day.
It’s best not to feed youngsters under 3 months any veggies, greens or fruits. At this stage, they have very sensitive digestive systems. Adults on the other hand can get one tablespoon of fruit three times a week.
They can also get one cup made up of a mix of three kinds of greens and veggies every day in addition to their normal food. Make sure to switch up the greens and veggies every day for a varied diet.
Chinchilla Giganta rabbits are fairly low maintenance pets. They need to be brushed once a week to remove any loose hair in their coats when they aren’t moulting. During the moulting season (spring and autumn) you will need to increase your brushing to twice a week.
They also need their nails clipped at least once a month to stop them from becoming too long. If you feel brave enough, you can check your rabbit's teeth during this time as well, if not, ask a rabbit savvy vet to do it.
If you live anywhere that is not South Africa, you also need to get your bunnies vaccinated once a year. South Africa is free from all major rabbit diseases and thus doesn’t require any vaccinations. There is a vaccine against snuffles available for South African rabbits, however.
Chinchilla Giganta rabbits are very easy to care for, but they do require quite a lot of space. Fortunately, these bunnies can adapt to both indoor and outdoor lifestyles.
They will thrive in any environment that has been made rabbit safe, has enough space to run and jump and has lots of places to sleep the day away. In this section, you can learn how to set up the perfect Chinchilla Giganta enclosure.
Many rabbit owners like to keep their bunnies cage-free, but this isn’t an option for everyone. If you have a free-roaming bun, you will know how difficult it can be to keep them and your furniture safe.
A good option is to close off one room to turn it into a bunny room. Alternatively, you can set up a nice pen for your rabbit, or build a large outdoor hutch. Keep in mind that the minimum cage size requirement is 90cm (35.5 inches) high by 90cm wide by 90cm long. If your cage is this small, however, you will need to make time to let your bunny out to stretch its legs.
It’s best to have an enclosure that is a minimum of 1.2 m (47 inches) wide by 1.8 m (71 inches) long by 90cm high in my opinion. This allows them to run, jump and play to their heart's content.
If your enclosure is outside, you will want to place wire on the ground. The reason for this is that rabbits are excellent diggers. If you turn your back for 30 minutes, you might come back to an empty play area.
For an outdoor area meant as an exercise or play area only, you can place 50x100mm wire mesh on the ground. This means the wire mesh has blocks that are 50mm wide and 100mm long. These blocks allow your bunny to graze without being able to escape the enclosure.
Move the pen whenever the grass gets too short or if the area gets yucky with poop.
If you have a permanent outdoor play area, you can bury the wire. This allows the bunnies to dig and graze without being able to dig too deeply and escape.
If you have an indoor enclosure, you want to put something absorbent and nonslip at the bottom of the pen/cage. These bunnies can be potty trained, but it might take a while so you want to protect your floors. Something like washable puppy pads or waterproof sheets work well.
Some people also put linoleum flooring on the bottom of the cage to protect existing carpet or wooden floors.
Toys are always a good idea when it comes to Chinchilla Giganta rabbits. These bunnies get bored easily so giving them something to do prevents a whole lot of destruction.
The toys don’t need to be all fancy and expensive, they’ll probably chew them up pretty quickly. The best is to make your own by giving them branches from fruit trees, toilet paper rolls stuffed with hay or vegetables, tunnels made from cardboard boxes and platforms to jump on.
You can also buy hay balls and all kinds of fancy rabbit toys, but do make sure they are actually safe. Not all toys in pet stores are safe for chewing critters. If possible, avoid anything made from plastic. Stick to pet safe wood, grass and carton boxes that are safe for chewing on.
If your bunnies live indoors, you can litter train them to make cleaning easier. For that, you need a large litterbox, bunny safe cat litter (those made from wood or recycled paper are great).
Place it in the corner your rabbit chose to potty in. If you can, place some hay in there or hang a hay feeder from the wall above the litterbox. You’ll notice bunnies eat and poop at the same time.. This will ensure the litter box gets used.
For the feeding area you need bowls and something to put water in. You might also want a hay feeder to minimize the mess.
Hang the hay feeder over the litterbox to encourage pottying in the right place. The bowl will be for the pelleted food and another for veggies. Make sure these are heavy enough so your bunny can’t pick them up. The same goes for the water bowl. If you like, use a bottle instead that’s attached to the pen or cage.
If left unattended, your rabbit will start to smell pretty quickly. It’s best to clean the litterbox every two days. If it smells sooner than that, you will want to change to a different cat litter or make it deeper. Just make sure not to use any clumping litter or those made of crystals.
For the rest of the cage, you can do spot cleaning whenever you notice an accident. Clean out the whole setup once a week to remove stray poos, hair, dust and hay laying around. You can also use this time to sanitize everything.
Don’t use any harsh chemicals. White vinegar mixed with water is perfect for the job.
Unless you’re a registered breeder or planning on becoming one, breeding your bunnies definitely isn’t a wise thing to do. There are so many homeless rabbits due to people breeding these wonderful creatures and then abandoning them when they can’t sell or care for them anymore. The best way to avoid breeding is to get your bunnies sterilized.
Sexing rabbits isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially when they are young. It’s generally easy to tell male and female from each other when the rabbits are fully grown.
Females, called does, have a dewlap which is a flap of skin under the chin. They are also finer with a smaller head. Generally, you’ll find that they are larger than the males overall.
If you apply light pressure just in front of the genitals you’ll see the vulva protruding. You can tell it's a female if you can see a slit on an oval-shaped protrusion.
Male bunnies, called bucks, have a very large head with no dewlap. They are stockier than the females and usually a bit smaller. When checking the genitals you might see a testical or two, but they aren’t always visible so don’t rely on it.
Same as with the females you can apply light pressure just in front of the genital area. This will cause the penis to protrude. If you can see a round head with only a small opening, it’s a male.
The only way to sex babies and youngsters is by looking at the genitals.
If you want to breed, you don’t need to do anything special. Just make sure your female is a decent weight. Underweight females might not make it if they have a very large litter.
You also need to make sure your chinchilla Giganta females are at least 6 months old (8 months is better). The males can breed from as young as 5 months old.
The breeding process itself is very straightforward. Just remember to always put the female in the male’s cage, never the other way around. Does can be extremely territorial and might hurt the buck if he enters their territory.
During breeding the male and female will chase each other around and grunt. The male will nip the female and attempt to mount her until she submits. The breeding itself will take a few seconds.
You know the job is done when the male falls off the female and appears stunned for a minute or two. This is normal. Allow them to breed three or four times during one session. It should take around 30 minutes.
Around 28 to 36 days after mating you can expect babies. Make sure the doe has a box to nest in from day 26 of pregnancy. Once the kits are born check that they are clean, alive and have round bellies. This means they are well cared for. Allow the doe to do the rest.
Once kits reach around 2-3 weeks old you can start giving them pellets and grass to nibble on. Also, make sure there’s a water bottle for them to experiment with. Large bunnies like Chinchilla Giganta tend to drink from their moms until they are 6 weeks old. For this reason, never separate the kits from thier mom before 8 weeks old.
If you’d rather avoid having kits around, get your rabbits sterilized at a rabbit savvy vet. When a buck gets sterilized it’s called neutering. When a doe gets sterilized it's called spaying. Neutering is generally a smaller operation and is much cheaper and less risky to do.
Sterilizing will prevent your bunny from being overly aggressive, destructive and hormonal, but this isn't always the case. All bunnies are different. It will definitely prevent problems like reproductive tract cancer, however.
Chinchilla Giganta rabbits are very healthy and don’t have any major hereditary problems. There are a few general things you need to pay attention to, however.
To evaluate the health of your bunny, take note of everyday behaviour. If you notice any sudden changes like laying down more frequently, it’s worth checking out.
Do an overall health check at least once a week. This means picking up your bunny, looking into the ears, checking the eyes for mucus or tear stains and checking the nose for the same. Also, check the front paws for any dried mucus.
Next check the genital area and tail. If there's any dried poop on the tail, your bunny might have/had diarrhoea.
Healthy bunnies have clear eyes, clean ears, dry noses, clean genital areas and clean front paws. They also act lively, jump and run around, especially during dawn and dusk.
Some issues you need to look out for are:
Sudden lack of appetite followed by lack of poop or very small poop pellets.
Upper respiratory infection that causes difficulty breathing.
Bacterial infection of the ears that affect coordination and balance.
The virus is spread by insect bites. Can be prevented with a vaccine.
A virus that causes internal bleeding. Can be prevented with vaccines.
Loss of movement of one or more limbs. Usually caused by a physical injury.
Rabbits can’t pant or sweat to cool down. In extreme conditions, they may need some help.
If you see any mucous around the eyes, nose and paws with attempts to mouth breathe your rabbit might have a respiratory infection.
Flystrike is caused by a botfly that lays its eggs on damp fur during warm weather conditions.
Small critters that cause dandruff-like skin flaking in the ears. These can turn to crusty, bleeding lesions if left untreated.
Swelling caused by fluid under the skin.
A common disease among livestock. Characterised by sudden weight loss, depression, bloody diarrhoea and loss of appetite.
See a vet as soon as you notice something amiss with your rabbit. Being prey animals, they are excellent at hiding illness until it's almost too late to help them. The sooner you get treatment, the better chance of survival and recovery for your bunny.
Make sure you see a rabbit savvy vet.
The best place to buy these critters is directly from a registered breeder with a good reputation. This way you know you’re getting the best, healthiest bunny possible. Never support petshops!
If you live in America, you might have some problems finding a Chinchilla Giganta rabbit. They mostly only have Giant Chinchillas which is a very similar breed. You can try contacting the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) for possible breeders. If you’re in Europe, you can contact the British Rabbit Council (BRC).
If you’re in any other country, it’s best to contact the rabbit club or association in your area.
If you’re in South Africa, the best places to try are the Gauteng rabbit breeders association (GRBA) in Gauteng, Judy Stuart from the Natal rabbit club in KwaZulu-Natal and Mighty Paws Rabbitry (Owner Rita Wagener) from the Cape Rabbit Club in the Western Cape.
No, despite the name, chinchilla rabbits can’t breed with the rodent called a chinchilla. They are completely different species. The chinchilla rabbit got its name due to the similarity of its coat to the coat of the rodent called a chinchilla.
The maximum Chinchilla Giganta size, no matter sex, is a max weight of 5.44kg (12Ib) per breed standards. The minimum weight for bucks is 3.86kg (8½Ib) when fully grown and for does it is 4.07kg (9Ib).
Chinchilla rabbits cost around $40 per rabbit. In South Africa, the cost varies from R300-R950 per rabbit depending on quality.
Yes, they are a very underappreciated breed. They are most well known as commercial rabbits but aren’t that well known in the pet trade. As a result, they are now on the livestock endangered list.
The Chinchilla Giganta is a very easy to keep, lovable breed. You won’t be disappointed in this bunny if you’re looking for a new family member to love. Do you have your enclosure set up ready? If so, you’re ready to adopt your new family member!
Tell me in the comments below what you think of this wonderful breed.
Happy hopping!
There are different rabbit bonding stages with different expected behaviors. To bond rabbits properly, you must understand what they’re going through. Here’s what I experienced while bonding rabbits.
The first thing that you should keep in mind is that bunnies are incredibly territorial (especially the females). For them to accept a friend into their space takes time, effort, and incredible patience from the owner.
Warning: Be prepared for a lot of new gray hairs. Rabbit bonding is unbelievably stressful.
Secondly, let your bunny help choose their new friend. A lot of rescues and breeders allow bunny dates. During these speed dates, you’ll see which bunny personality gets along with yours the best, making bonding so much easier.
There are a few positive signs and behaviors you can look for during this initial introduction that can point toward an easier bunny bonding experience. These are:
There are also a few red-flag behaviors to watch out for. Keep in mind that they don’t mean your bunnies can’t bond, but it will take a bit longer for them to get along and a lot more effort from you.
Here are a few pre-bonding tips:
There are a few must-do’s before you attempt bunny bonding. If you’re not sure how to get started, take a look at the list below.
Introducing rabbits is stressful enough without getting hormones involved. Getting your bunnies neutered (if you have males) and spayed (if you have a female rabbit) takes the unpredictability of hormones out of the mix. Wait at least eight weeks after getting these procedures done before you attempt bonding two rabbits.
Why? It can take around eight weeks for the hormones to settle down after your bunny gets fixed. In some cases, they become even more hormonal for a few weeks before settling. A lot of aggressive behavior might be seen during this time.
Getting your rabbits fixed can be very beneficial for your beloved pets. You won’t need to worry about unplanned pregnancies, uncalled-for aggression, phantom pregnancies, hormone-related behavioral issues, and cancer of the reproductive tract.
In the case of bonding, taking hormones out of the mix means you’ll see less aggression and territorial behaviors than before. That means less chasing, humping, charging, and full-on attacking. The whole process is just so much easier, and the bunnies accept each other much faster.
It’s especially important to fix male rabbits. They run the risk of having their testicles bit off if not fixed before bonding. They also spray urine everywhere during marking, which can create quite a smelly mess.
Female rabbits can be fixed when they are around 4-6 months old. Generally, dwarf female rabbits can be fixed at four months, while giant breeds need to wait until they are six months old. This is due to dwarf and giant female rabbits maturing at different rates.
Male rabbits can be fixed when they are around 3-4 months old. Again, take the size of the breed into account. Giant breeds mature much slower than dwarf breeds.
Don’t stress. It’s still possible to bond rabbits that are not spayed or neutered. Some rabbits can’t be spayed or neutered due to a health issue or are simply too old (7+ years). For this to work, however, you need a huge area to get them to coexist peacefully.
You also need to make sure the sickly or older rabbit won't get injured by the new friend. If the health issue is very serious, rather keep them separated.
While you’re waiting for those pesky hormones to calm down, you can start to prepare a neutral space. This is an area neither bunnies have been allowed in for at least a week. Make sure the area is free from any rabbit-related smells.
If your existing cotton-tailed friend is a free-roam bun, you will need to restrict access to a part of your home for at least a full week before bonding starts. This means using a baby gate, exercise pen, or door to restrict access to the soon-to-be neutral areas.
If you’re existing bun had access to the area before, you can spray or wipe down the restricted area with white vinegar to remove any residual bunny smells. If you’re bonding outside, simply spray some white vinegar on the grass to remove any unwanted smells.
Make sure the bonding area is big enough. You will start with a very small neutral pen, but as the bonding progresses to the next stage, you will need to be able to expand the bonding area. Every time you reach the next stage, expand a bit more until your neutral pen reaches at least 2 by 2 meters (6.6 x 6.6 feet).
By Benny Mazur
You will need some things to keep yourself safe as well. Make sure you get thick gloves to separate your bunnies in case of a fight. Something like ski gloves or thick leather gloves work best.
You will also need a dustpan to separate aggressive bonding rabbits without getting yourself bitten. Once you have all that, get something like a puppy pad to place under the cage for absorbing wee. You will also need an exercise pen or something similar to restrict the space.
Bonding rabbits is a very intense experience for everyone. Make sure you are mentally prepared and act quickly when any unwanted behaviors are noticed.
You can start the bonding process before your rabbits officially meet. House rabbits separately near other rabbits in the same room. Put the other rabbit pens next to your original pen with a double fence and a bit of space between them to prevent biting through the divide. This way, they can smell other rabbits but cannot physically interact with them. Do this for a few days.
Make sure to feed your rabbit right next to the fence, as close to the other rabbits as possible. Eating together is a way of starting the bonding process without introducing rabbits. Keep in mind that most bunnies can jump 1.5 meters high. Your pens need to be high enough so that they cannot get into each other's pens and go into full attack mode.
Different rabbits may behave differently during each rabbit bonding stage. Some behaviors need to be stopped immediately, and others need to be allowed, no matter how stressful they are to watch. Let’s take a closer look at rabbit behavior when bonding.
Behaviors you should allow:
Nipping is a dominance behavior. You’ll usually see this occur around the face, eyes, and bum. The nipped bunny will jump in the air or pull away really quickly.
You might also notice nipping during grooming. Just hang in there. This behavior will lessen as the bond between your bunnies becomes more established.
Seeing clumps of fur flying everywhere can be quite stressful. This usually happens when one bunny takes hold of the other to either hold it in place or to mount it during humping.
When the second rabbit pulls away, some fur will inevitably be lost.
Mounting is more than a sexual behavior. It’s also a way to show dominance. Allow mounting as long as the bunnies take turns doing it, and never allow them to mount from the head to avoid a nip down below.
Chasing can be highly stressful to watch, but as long as both rabbits seem comfortable and relaxed, let them do it. If one starts getting defensive and aggressive, stop the chasing immediately.
Behaviors you should stop immediately:
Full-blown fighting is rare. During a fight, the bunnies stand up on their hind legs and start scratching at each other with their front paws in the air.
This can lead to eventually rolling around on the floor and biting. In many cases, one rabbit might end up screaming in fear or pain. This is highly stressful and will be a significant setback if you don’t stop the behavior in time.
Keep in mind that all bunnies are capable of fighting, and it doesn’t mean they can't bond. It only means the bonding process will take a lot longer.
Rabbits usually lunge out of fear or feeling trapped. Make sure to intercept the lunge or, better yet, prevent it from happening in the first place by redirecting your rabbit’s attention elsewhere.
Biting to draw blood should never be allowed. Small nips are okay. If you notice your bunny standing in an aggressive posture, be ready to intercept an incoming bite. Like a lunge, it’s better to distract.
If your bunnies circle each other in close-knit circles, separate them by forcing them to move around an obstacle, which can be either you or something you’re holding.
If you’ve been bonding for a while, you might be wondering if the end is in sight. Answer the following questions to make your call:
If you answered yes to all these questions, go ahead and move them into their new home. Keep in mind that you’ll need to supervise for the first 48 hours to make sure they don’t regress.
A change in environment can trigger unwanted behaviors. This is especially true if one of your bunnies lived in the area before.
Get ready to sleep next to their cage one last time (hopefully) to make sure all is well.
Congratulations! You now have bonded rabbits!
Never expect too much from your first few bonding sessions. The bunnies need time to get to know each other and relax before any kind of bond can form. Trust is earned, not just given in a day.
You might see a lot of aggressive behavior and mistrust at first, but these should reduce as they get to know each other and progress through the different rabbit bonding stages.
Not all bunnies do this, but some take grooming to the extreme. Grooming is a coping mechanism and a way to show submission. Very dominant bunnies may want to avoid grooming the others.
If you have two dominant bunnies, you might see them bowing and pressing their heads together, refusing to give in. If one doesn’t give in after about 10 seconds, break them up since it can lead to fighting.
Whoever gets groomed first will usually be the more dominant rabbit in a pair.
Despite what you believe, most rabbits can be extremely vocal, especially during bonding. Grunting can mean many things, so be ready to intervene if you hear one or both grunt. It's one of the signs of aggression, after all.
Grunting can be a warning before an attack, a way to express excitement, a way to express fear, or it can even be sexual.
Often, this behavior is due to aggression or fear when heard while bonding. As long as you don’t allow any fighting, the grunting should reduce as the bunnies start to trust each other.
If you’re confident in your ability to read your rabbit’s body language, you can use a water spray bottle to break up fights and prevent unwanted behaviors.
Keep in mind that your timing needs to be perfect for this to work. Rabbits learn quickly, so you may only need to do this a few times.
You have to spray at the exact moment the behavior takes place. The behavior you’re looking for after a spray is for the offender to stop and wash itself. If you don’t get this reaction, you need to find a new way to intervene.
Use this method sparingly! Bunnies get used to it quickly and stop caring.
There are many variations of products that can do this. Depending on your country, you might find it in the form of a spray or wipe. This product is often used to reduce stress when transporting animals.
You only need this if you have very aggressive bunnies. It should calm them enough to prevent fighting. Keep in mind that it’s only there to take the edge off and won’t stop all bad behavior.
If you’re unsure if such a product exists in your country, ask your vet for advice.
If you don’t have the time to bond with your pets, or if you’re too nervous to try it yourself, you can always get a professional to do it for you. Make sure you do your research, however, since there are lots of scammers out there.
Ask your local rabbit rescue or vets in your area to recommend someone for the task. Keep in mind they only do the groundwork for you, so they won’t be fully bonded rabbits when you get them back. It’s up to you to finish the bonding process.
Do the 48-hour test if you feel your bunnies went through all the rabbit bonding stages and are now a pair. Sleeping near their cage is essential during the test and once moved to their new home.
The change in environment might trigger some unwanted behaviors, especially if one of your buns owned this new space before.
If you’re having a lot of problems bonding, check out this Facebook group for more rabbit bonding advice.
By Wolf Gordon Clifton / Animal People, Inc. - Own work, CC BY 4.0
Pairing rabbits can sometimes be extremely difficult. Bonding comes with a host of different problems. You can also easily make mistakes in any of the rabbit bonding stages. Here’s how to avoid them.
If you allow unwanted behaviors, you might end up with one rabbit fearing the other. You might also have to deal with some severe injuries, so make sure to supervise and intervene when required.
If you expand before your bunnies are ready, you will do more harm than good. If unwanted behaviors haven't disappeared completely, don’t expand the cage.
Expanding often leads to an escalation of unwanted behaviors. One rabbit might try to claim the neutral space, which can lead to fighting.
If the area smells like one of the bunnies, you might notice territorial behavior and a lot of fighting. It's best to clean the area with white vinegar and prevent any bunnies from going in there for at least a week before you start bonding.
If you intervene at the wrong time, you can cause more harm than good. Make sure you know which behaviors to stop and which are okay. Some behaviors may appear extreme but are necessary for them to form a bond.
Only do stress bonding if nothing else works. It’s very rarely required and must be done by a professional.
NOTE: Stress bonding temporarily stops fighting. It doesn't bond bunnies permanently.
Stress bonding is something you should only do as an absolute last resort. You can place your bunnies in a crate together and take them on a car ride to do stress bonding. Alternatively, you can place the crate on a washing machine that's on its spinning cycle.
Another way is to turn on a vacuum cleaner right next to the crate or put them in a stroller and take them on a bumpy walk. You can also carry the carrier and bounce it around slightly.
This is very stressful for them, and they will seek comfort from the only companion available. Once done, they might bond easier, or you can create the opposite result, and they now hate each other since they associate the other bun with a negative experience, which can delay bonding.
This is another form of stress bonding since the slippery surface causes the bunnies to feel insecure. I advise against this method since it may lead to injuries.
The fact that they also can’t see what is around them might also heighten their fear response. This is not a great way to keep your rabbit healthy during bonding.
If you use this method, you’ll also need to change bonding areas since you cannot expand the bathtub. This may lead to a regression in all the progress you made.
If you’re having a very hard time bonding your bunnies, you can try forced cuddling. Place the bunnies on the floor or sofa together and pet their head together. Do this for a minimum of 10-15 minutes at a time. Make sure to wear thick gloves just in case of a nip or bite.
Do this multiple times a day, every day, until they get used to each other. Don't do forced cuddling in the bonding area. It’s only there to create a good memory to make it easier for them to accept each other.
By Tjflex2
Bonded rabbits get along peacefully, groom each other, and there’s a noticeable absence of unwanted behavior. A good way to tell is by letting them spend 48 hours together. Any unwanted behaviors like chasing, nipping, fighting, or biting mean they're not ready.
The best method to introduce rabbits is by using a bonding pen. Allow them to spend 4-12 hours in this pen under supervision. Once fighting and other unwanted behaviors cease, slowly expand the pen until it’s 2x2 meters (6.6x6.6 feet). Let your bunnies spend 48 hours together in the pen, then move them to their new home.
Let your bonded rabbits spend 48 hours in the same pen. They’re bonded when there is no unwanted behavior, such as chasing, biting, and fighting in their time together. If there's fighting, go back a step.
Rabbits can get along with other pets but don't expect bonding on the same level as bunny-to-bunny bonding. The process will also take a lot longer since you’ll be bonding with different species.
By Stamatisclan - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
Clean the whole area with white vinegar to remove any smells. Do the same with any items or toys going into the new enclosure.
Put them together in the same carrier to move them to their new rabbit home and let them explore. This way, they are less likely to claim the neutral territory as their own.
Keep an eye on them for 48 hours to make sure no unwanted rabbits' behavior resurfaces. If the area is huge, limit the space and slowly increase once you're sure they're getting along.
No, it doesn’t matter if you use the same gender or a mix. All that matters is that you do the bonding process properly and get them fixed before introducing them for the first time.
Make sure to wipe everything down with white vinegar in your rabbit's personal space before introducing a second rabbit. This will remove any smells and create a neutral territory.
Allow bunnies to choose their new friends to make bonding easier even before you bring a second rabbit home. You can do this by taking your existing bunny to the shelter and letting them interact with bunnies there for a short time as a first date.
You can also adopt an already bonded pair. Choosing a new friend is simple if you take personality into account.
No, as long as you keep a close eye and make sure the bigger rabbit doesn’t injure the other smaller rabbit while humping. Everything's going well — hang in there. They'll be getting along in no time.
Bonded bunnies do everything with one another. These bonded rabbits groom each other, eat together, lay down together, and even play together. It's a beautiful thing to watch.
Now that you know a bit more about bonding, it’s time to try it for yourself. Make sure you’re well prepared, know some rabbit body language, and know which behaviors to look out for. Let me know in the comments below if you need any help and which method worked best for you.
Happy bunny bonding!
Are you thinking of welcoming your first house rabbits as pets into your home? Choosing your first pet bunnies can feel extremely overwhelming.
I know how nerve-wracking it can be since you want to make the best choice for everyone. Fortunately, the whole choosing a pet rabbit story doesn’t have to be so scary.
If you’re about to welcome a little hopper into your family, make sure you’re prepared. Here’s what you need to know.
By Chris Friese
Before you get your first rabbits as pets, ask yourself the following question: Is a rabbit the right pet for me? Rabbits have some specialized needs that will need to be addressed. Unlike what most believe, they aren’t the easiest pets to keep. Here are a few things to help you decide if a pet rabbit is, after all, the best pet for you.
Once you’ve answered all these questions and you still want your bunny, take a look at what you need to get before bringing your new pet home.
Before bringing your new hopping friend home, make sure you already have everything ready to make your bunny feel at home. House rabbits as pets need a bit more than cats and dogs when it comes to their care. Make sure you have the following before bringing your bunnies home:
If you need a bit more information on these supplies, check out our article on preparing for your first rabbit.
To get set up, choose a location in your home like a room or corner of a room to dedicate to your bunny. Make sure this area is free of anything your bunny rabbit can destroy such as electric cables.
Set up the playpen in such a way that it protects the walls, but still gives your bunny some space to run and jump. This playpen needs to be high enough so that the rabbit doesn’t simply just jump over it.
Inside this playpen, you can set up a hutch or a cage. This will be the sleeping quarters for your bun. Place some bedding inside made from hay or something similar. On the floor of the playpen, you can place a floor protector. Also, dedicate one corner to the litter tray. Keep in mind that you might need to move the litter box to your rabbit’s preferred weeing corner.
Add some rabbit safe toys, a food and water bowl and you’re just about ready to go. House rabbits as pets are usually free raoming in the house. If your bunny will be doing this, you will need to protect any wooden furniture as well as electric cables. Read more about this in our article on rabbit proofing your home.
Once you have a cosy bunny home set up, you’re ready to start choosing a rabbit for your family.
Picking bunnies to bring home can be extremely exciting but also nerve-wracking. To make the choice easier for you, I’ve put together a few things to consider when choosing a pet rabbit. Here’s what you need to think about.
The first thing you’ll need to think about is the size of your potential rabbit. Bunnies come in all sizes from very small dwarfs to giant breeds. What you choose will depend a little on what you can offer your cotton-tailed friend.
If you have a lot of space but prefer a small bunny, then there is no reason to worry. More space is always better after all. The problem comes in when you have only a small apartment with very little running space for your bun. Giant breeds need a bit more space to stretch their legs. If you want one of these, make sure you have the space.
Make sure you have your pet’s best interest at heart when choosing a size bunny.
If it matters to you how your bunny looks, you might want to choose a breed that suits you. Just like dogs, different breeds look and act very differently. If you’re confused, do some research on rabbit breeds before you get a bunny.
For those who want a very active breed, it’s best to stick to the smaller bunny breeds. If you want a lazy rabbit that loves to cuddle, a big breed may be better. Keep in mind that not all breeds act the same.
If you like cuddly house rabbits as pets, consider a flemish giant or a continental giant. These breeds are also big enough to not be at risk when interacting with small children and other pets like cats.
It’s always good to know if you want a baby rabbit or an adult. There are many rabbits in rescues that need homes. Unfortunately, most of these are already adults. If you’re willing to take in an adult, it’s always a great idea to look at a few rescues.
If you want a baby rabbit of a specific breed. You can either ask rescues if they have any or contact a breeder. Make sure not to get your baby before 8 weeks old. They still drink from mom until they are around 6 weeks old.
Also, make sure the breeder is reputable and keep their bunnies in good condition. Backyard breeders must be reported to your local SPCA to prevent animal cruelty.
Different rabbits have different personalities. If you want outgoing house rabbits as pets, try choosing one that comes to sniff you. These bunnies are curious and won’t mind being handled.
While choosing your bunny, also make sure to pick it up. If the new bunny struggles a lot, it might not like being handled. If you want to cuddle it, choose one that doesn’t struggle when sitting on your lap.
Female bunnies are usually the more difficult gender. If you’re a first-time rabbit owner, a male bunny might be a better choice. Male rabbits tend to be much calmer, less destructive and less territorial. Female rabbits on the other hand are more independent, more territorial, sometimes quite aggressive and very destructive.
If you have a lot of patience, experience and time, a female bunny can make a perfect pet. If you’re not so confidant yet and don’t have a lot of patience or time, rather consider a male bunny. Remember that there are always exceptions.
House rabbits as pets aren't the cheapest critters to keep. Are you ready for the investment? They are long term pets that require special foods to stay healthy. They also need special cages to keep them out of trouble when you aren’t around to keep them safe.
Bunnies also need special veterinary care. If you’re prepared to invest in your rabbit friend, then you shouldn’t have any problems. Just keep in mind that they aren’t the cheapest pets to keep.
Bunnies need a very specific diet. You will need a lot of hay and veggies to keep them healthy. This can become quite an expensive process.
They also need special veterinary care so make sure you have a vet in mind before you get your pet. If something goes wrong with a bunny, it usually goes very wrong very quickly. Don’t wait until the last minute to find a bunny savvy veterinarian.
If you already have other pets, you will need to think about how you will be integrating your house rabbits as pets. Very small bunnies like Netherland Dwarfs, it isn’t the best idea to keep them with predators like dogs and cats.
Larger bunnies do better since they don’t immediately trigger the hunting instincts of your other pets. If you have chickens and guinea pigs, however, your bunnies should get along just fine with them.
They will also be just fine with cats and dogs if you get a kitten or puppy at the same time as your bunny and raise them together.
The last thing you need to consider is your family. Does anyone suffer from pet allergies? Just like cats and dogs, rabbits also have dander in their fur. They also shed heavily as cats do. For this reason, you might not want one if someone is allergic.
If you have small kids, you also might want to put off getting a bunny. Small kids are very rough and might injure your fluffy friend by accident. If you’re willing to supervise, however, it might work out. It might also be best to get a giant breed instead of a small one.
You will also need to establish who will be caring for this bunny. There is a lot of work that goes into rabbit care. Litter boxes need to be cleaned every second day, poop needs to be picked up, water needs to be changed and the bunny needs to be fed. All of these tasks can take quite a bit of time. Make sure everyone knows their duties.
Also, make sure that a rabbit suits your lifestyle. If you travel a lot, this pet might not be the best choice for you. Rather get something like fish that won’t miss you too much when you’re gone. If you’re a stay at home parent or if you work from home, on the other hand, bunnies are great pets. They thrive on attention and need a lot of love to stay tame.
By Jdlrobson
Now you might wonder how exactly you’re supposed to only choose one or two rabbit out of the whole bunch. Here’s what you need to look for:
A clean bunny is usually a healthy bunny. If the bunnies have a dirty bum, look a bit scruffy or has wee stains all over, you might want to find out a bit more about them before getting one.
You can also evaluate the health of a bunny by doing a physical examination. Healthy bunnies usually have clear eyes with no mucus in the corners. The nose should be twitching, be dry and mucus free. If the bunny is continuously sneezing, it also might be sick.
The area under the tail should be clean and poop-free. The spine should be felt but not prominent and definitely not visible. The same goes for the pelvis and the ribs. The ears should be erect (except if you have a breed such as a lop), clean and moving freely.
The whole body posture of the bunny should be alert, curious and ready to either play or run. A rabbit that is overly skittish may have never been handled or is feeling sick. If the bunny seems listless, it might also be sick.
While checking the bunnies for health and cleanliness, also check their living conditions. Bunnies kept in smelly, nasty environments usually aren’t very healthy. Rabbits are very clean animals. If given the choice, they won’t ever get themselves dirty.
Also, check the living conditions of the parents. If they aren't present, ask to see them. Some backyard breeders will show you the babies, but they won’t show you the nasty conditions these kits were kept in.
Every bunny has its own personality. Some are sweet and cuddly while others are super active and curious. You will need to spend some time with the rabbit you’d like to adopt to get a reading on its personality.
Some can be very shy and only really start to show you what they are made of once they get used to you. If you can, visit your bunny of choice several times before it’s allowed to come home with you.
By Jdlrobson
This might not be important to you, but how much your bunny costs will be directly related to its health and quality. Cheap bunnies often have health issues and have been bred by unknowledgeable people. This is not always the case, but unfortunately, it happens often.
Bunnies that cost more are usually of a specific breed and prized by the breeder. These are the bunnies in the best conditions since breeders usually prize their animals and only send the best out into the world. They also often attend shows and courses to learn how to breed for health and quality.
The best option, however, is to adopt. Adopting a bunny means you give one poor soul a happy ending. Unfortunately, these rabbits aren’t always in the best of health and might have some trust issues. This is expected since their previous owners more than likely abused or abandoned them. If you have the patients and money, however, I would highly suggest adopting a bunny in need.
Before taking your new rabbit home, there are a few things you must straighten out with the current owners or breeder. Here are a few things you must ask:
Sometimes it’s not the most straightforward process to choose house rabbits as pets for your family. Here are a few things you need to ask yourself:
Not all rabbit breeds are the same. Some are large and can weigh 10kg (22 pounds) or more. Others are small and can weigh as little as 1kg (2.2 pounds).
You will also need to decide if you want your rabbit to have long or short fur. Keep in mind that rabbits with long fur require much more grooming and personal attention than those with short fur.
The last thing you’ll have to consider is colour. Rabbits come in many colour varieties with a stunning amount of different colour patterns. Not all of these might be appealing to everyone so make sure you choose something you like.
By Hippopx
Healthy rabbits are easy to identify. Look out for the following signs that your bunny is in good health:
Rabbits might seem like super easy pets, but this isn’t always the case. These critters need special living arrangements and food to keep them safe, happy and healthy. You will need to get the following for your bunny:
For more on what to get for your bunny, click here. As you can see, bunnies aren’t the cheapest animals to keep, at least initially. If you’re willing to invest in your little friend, however, you won’t be disappointed.
Rabbits can be kept as free-roaming pets if you’re willing to bunny proof your home. Some people dedicate one room to their rabbits and close it off with a baby gate. Bunnies do just fine outside as well as long as the area is safely enclosed, has shelter and is large enough for them to run around. Keep in mind that they need enough space to run and do all kinds of rabbit things.
There are only two places you should ever consider buying a rabbit from. The first is a reputable breeder that is registered with a breed registry and the second is an animal rescue. Never buy a bunny from a pet shop or someone that just breeds their pets unethically. These bunnies are often sick or so badly bred that they have health issues for life.
The best place to get a rabbit is from either an animal rescue or a registered breeder. This way you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into without being lied to about the condition your rabbit is in or the best care for it.
Rabbits can get along with other animals if introduced properly. Dogs can be trained to leave the bunny alone for instance. Cats are a bit more difficult, but you can get past the danger by getting a large rabbit breed. They can also successfully live along with guinea pigs, chickens and other non-aggressive pets.
By Ed Brey
No, most rabbits hate this. They are prey animals and being picked up feels like being captured by a predator. This is super stressful to them and should be avoided where possible. If you need to pick up your bunny for any reason, make sure to support the back and hindquarters and hold your rabbit close to your body so it feels safer.
The frequency will depend on where you live. In some countries, rabbits need to get yearly vaccinations like dogs and cats to avoid serious illnesses. In other countries, it might only be necessary to see a vet on the rare occasion that something is wrong. It’s always good to do a yearly checkup, so if you can, get into that routine.
Yes, it’s always better to keep rabbits in pairs. They are extremely social creatures and will bond with a partner for life. Bunnies kept on their own will become bored and lonely easily which often leads to destructive behaviours and depression. Just make sure to bond them properly. Pet rabbits fighting can get quite dangerous to everyone involved.
Yes. Rabbits need a special veterinarian. The vet needs to be knowledgeable in the care of rabbits and other exotic pets. Make sure you have a rabbit savvy vet in mind even before you get your new friend.
If you’re a new rabbit owner to be, take a look at the following mistakes to avoid them yourself.
Many bunny owners get their rabbit before they are ready for it. This leads to a scramble to put together a cage and get all the necessary things a rabbit needs to live a happy, healthy life.
Rabbits are long term pets. It’s best to do the proper research before you get your new pet. Rabbits aren’t the easiest pets and they definitely aren’t for beginner pet owners. Make sure you know exactly how to care for your new fluffy friend before it comes home.
People often believe that pet rabbits can live on carrots and lettuce. This unfortunately is not true. The main food in your rabbit’s diet should be hay with the rest only being supplements. If you’re wondering how to correctly feed a bunny, take a look at this article.
Now that you know a bit more about choosing your first pet rabbit, it’s time to select your long time fluffy partner. Make sure to create a list of what you want before you go rabbit hunting and do the proper research. Once you’re set up and prepared at home, it’s time to bring your cotton-tailed friend home.
Let me know in the comments below how you found your new pet rabbit.
Do you want to learn some rabbit facts for owners? Adopting a new pet rabbit is something that a lot of people rush into, only figuring out how to care for the animal after they’ve already picked it up. But is a bunny the right pet for you?
Rabbits make the most wonderful house pets. They are hugely underrated (in my opinion anyway) alternatives to the more traditional dogs and cats. Of course, doing your research is very important, so in this article, I’ll give you 9 important facts to help you decide whether a bunny rabbit is really the right pet for you.
Let's get you started on facts about rabbits.
Rabbits can be the most amazing pets. Here's why...
Before you buy or adopt a bunny, it’s very important to consider the pet rabbit lifespan. Of course, you want to provide your pet with a great home for its entire life.
So how long does a pet rabbit live? Well, with the right care you can expect your bunny to live between 8 and 10 years. Think of it as the same sort of commitment as getting a large dog breed.
Don't believe me? Watch this rabbit facts video on bynny show jumping.
Did you know that bunnies can be trained? No, they can’t do your homework, but they can be taught a few handy tricks and habits.
You can litter train your pet rabbit for example, or even teach him or her to do fun tricks like jumping over obstacles. Training your pet rabbit is a great way to bond with your bunny and keep him or her well exercised.
This is one of the most fun rabbit facts right?
Your pet rabbit may need specialized veterinary care if it gets sick or injured. It’s a good idea to call the local veterinarians and animal hospitals in your area to find out who can help if necessary.
You should definitely have your pet rabbit spayed or neutered. This can make them a lot calmer and prevent them from making lots of baby bunnies. While this can be pretty expensive, it’s something that we do for our cats and dogs, so why not for our bunnies too right?
Pet rabbits are usually very healthy and problem-free, but if you don’t have access to proper animal health services for your pet, a fluffy hopper might not be the best pet for you.
One of the most common questions I see is: can I keep my bunny with cats, dogs, and other pets? The answer is yes and no. In many homes, rabbits make great friends with cats and dogs and they will even cuddle together.
The important thing to remember is that rabbits are prey animals and cats and dogs are predators. Allowing your rabbit to roam freely is not recommended if your dog, for example, has a strong prey drive and a history of chasing small animals.
Rabbits can make great friends with other rabbits if they are bonded correctly. If not, they can get into some pretty vicious fights. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of different factors at play here, and the subject deserves a more in-depth article of its own.
Rabbits are naturally clean animals if given the right care and space. In fact, you can even house train your rabbit.
A litter-trained rabbit is an extremely clean animal that will always keep its sleeping area clean and free of any nasty smells. Of course, if you never let your bunny out of its hutch or sleeping cage, it will have no option but to ‘go’ there.
Don't bathe your rabbit. Bathing is not necessary because rabbits don’t go very long at all without grooming themselves, just like cats do. In fact, it is very stressful and even dangerous to wash your bunny, so rather let them clean themselves.
These are two very important rabbit facts wrapped up in one that you might not have known.
It’s important to provide your pet rabbit with a healthy, balanced diet. Bunnies should always have access to food, but not just any food will do.
Your pet rabbit should have a constant supply of hay, and be fed regularly with high-quality, balanced rabbit pellets. Occasional snacks of fruits like guava and vegetables are also great for bouncy bunnies. Read my in-depth guide on how to feed your rabbit for more information.
Rabbits are active creatures that love to run and play. While pet rabbits can be kept in cages, they need to be large enough to allow the bunny to move around freely and extend their bodies to their full length.
The cage is really only for sleeping in and it is very important that your pet rabbit gets plenty of time and space to roam out in the yard or the house. The various pet rabbit breeds vary a lot in size, but even small breeds like the Netherlands dwarf will appreciate the space to run and explore every day. If you can't supervise, place your bunny in a safe enclosure to keep him or her safe from predators.
Rabbits are inquisitive animals that explore the world with their sharp teeth. It’s not that they are destructive, they just like to test different objects and materials in their environment. Rabbits have very sharp teeth so electrical cables can be a serious hazard to pet rabbits that are allowed to roam the house. Make sure to inspect the house before you let your binnies out, they think cables are excellent chew toys.
Rabbits can dig so you’ll need to inspect your yard very carefully to make sure there are no places where they could escape. Although bunnies can swim, you should also keep them away from swimming pools and water features to be safe. Also, make sure there is plenty of shelter available.
For an animal with such incredible leaping abilities, rabbits are not very good with heights! This is probably because they are built for jumping far, but not high.
In any case, you should take care to never drop your pet rabbit or let him or her jump off anything higher than about 0.5 meters (1.5 feet) at most. Being pretty fragile creatures, rabbits are not great pets for a family with young children.
If our rabbit facts didn't help and you’re still struggling to make up your mind, run through this short list of pros and cons:
✅Rabbits are quiet and clean
✅Pet rabbits can be very cuddly and affectionate
✅Rabbits are vegetarian
✅You can train your pet rabbit
✅ The rabbit lifespan can be over 10 years
❌Rabbits aren’t good pets for small children
❌Sick bunnies require specialized care from an experienced vet
❌Bunnies need plenty of space for exercise
❌Bunnies like to explore the world with their teeth
Once you have put in the time and effort to research the needs of your pet rabbit and set up a great environment for her or him, bunnies are pretty easy pets to keep.
Many pet rabbits just love attention and being petted because they are highly affectionate creatures. It really depends on their individual personality of course.
Most rabbits are very calm, peaceful creatures. Bunnies do have sharp teeth though and again, each individual has his or her own personality so bites do happen sometimes.
Rabbits are grazers, which means they need to eat a lot of grass. All that grass has to go somewhere, and this means a lot of poop. Fortunately, rabbit poop is dry, compact, and odourless, so it really isn’t so bad.
Having a pet rabbit is great fun and something that can really enrich your life. These wonderful animals fit right into most homes.
They do have some special care requirements though, and if you feel like you can’t keep up with those in the long term, perhaps bunnies are not the right pets for you. Please feel free to leave any questions you have in the comments and I’ll do my best to get back to you soon!
If you have more rabbit fun facts owners should know about, leave them in the comments too.
Happy hopping!
Are you cleaning up yet another mess in the living room, wishing it was possible to litter-train your rabbit? Well, the good news is rabbit litter box training is completely possible and quite easy.
To litter train your rabbit, you'll need multiple litter boxes, litter, white vinegar, and hay. Set up the litter boxes in corners where your rabbit likes to go and add a few droppings to each box along with a hand of hay to encourage your rabbit to use them. Rabbits like to eat and poop at the same time.
To learn more about how to encourage rabbits to use litter boxes regularly, keep reading.
Before you attempt any training at all, it's important to understand that contrary to popular belief, rabbits are very clean animals. This means that they prefer clean litter boxes over stinky poop-filled litter pans. And believe me if I say they'll let you know, usually by finding another clean corner to urinate in instead of using the designated litter box.
Another thing to understand is that training a rabbit to use a litter box is not the same as training a cat. You will need a lot of patience and proper supervision of your fluffy friends if you want them to develop good litter box habits. For the best chance of success, however, you’ll have to keep the following questions in mind before you start training your rabbit:
It is much easier to litter box train a sterilized rabbit than it is to train an intact rabbit. Spayed or neutered rabbits usually don’t feel the need to mark their territories as intact rabbits do. This is especially true for bucks (male rabbits). Bucks will often spray urine to mark their territory and possessions if left intact. This behavior is perfectly normal but can be quite frustrating for bunny owners.
Pro Tip: If you prefer to keep your bunnies intact, I will recommend investing in a urine guard to keep your home and yourself free from spraying urine.
Rabbits can be fixed from around four to six months old, depending on the size of your breed. Giant breeds often take longer to mature, making it safer to only sterilize them at around six months old. Dwarf breeds mature quickly, making them ideal candidates for being fixed at as young as four months old.
You might feel that major surgery is quite extreme just to keep your home clean, but sterilizing rabbits has a lot of other benefits as well. It can help to prevent your rabbit from acting out and biting you, lessens territorial behavior, prevents some severe health issues, and, of course, improves the smell.
In my opinion, it's definitely worth looking into if you won’t be breeding your pet rabbits.
This question might seem irrelevant, but how we handle our pets directly influences their behavior.
For instance, Rabbits that are handled roughly or grabbed and dragged out of their hutch against their will often mark more aggressively. They do this due to feeling insecure and threatened by you and feel the need to remind you that it’s their space. This can make potty training especially difficult.
On the other hand, respecting your rabbit's space and allowing your pet to come to you instead can have the opposite effect. Rabbits that are handled gently often get trained more easily.
It is very important to clean any area your rabbit urinates in with a product that will remove the ammonia smell. If you don’t clean properly, the smell will attract your rabbit again, and you’ll later find another mess to clean in the same spot. If it smells like a toilet, it must be a toilet, right?
To avoid any nasty habits from forming, clean up any accidents with white vinegar or an enzyme cleaner specifically designed to remove pet urine odors
Unlike cats, many rabbits prefer to have more than one litter box to choose from. Let's face it: pet rabbits are lazy. Instead of using the litter box provided, you might find them going to the nearest corner instead.
Rabbits often choose one corner to wee in and stick to, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have a corner in every room or even several corners in a large room. To prevent litter training setbacks, make sure you have enough litter boxes to go around.
Rabbits can be taught to poop in their litter boxes, but some rabbits just won’t comply no matter what you do. Scattering poop around the house is often a way for a bunny to mark its territory. This behavior is more commonly seen in multi-rabbit households, especially where more than one intact male lives together.
In some cases, you’ll have to learn to live with it. Some bunnies will use litter boxes regularly for urinating, but no matter how hard you try to teach them, they'll continue to scatter poops all over the place. Fortunately, rabbit poop isn’t nasty at all. It also has little to no smell unless your rabbit is still intact and is easy to clean up.
Gus napping in his litterbox by Keith Survell
Now for the fun part: litter-training rabbits!
Before you start litter training a rabbit, however, you’ll need to ensure you have everything required. Even better, make sure you have all these supplies before your bunny comes home. This way, you can start to potty train from day one.
Here is a quick list:
More Litter Boxes!
A cat litter box works much better for bunnies than commercial rabbit litter boxes. People forget that rabbits can be as big or even bigger than a cat which means litter boxes specifically designed for rabbits are often too small for giant breeds. Instead of trying to use the litter tray, you'll find your rabbit starts to wee on the floor instead.
If you find that your rabbit kicks a lot of litter out of the box, a covered litter box might be the answer. Rabbits like to dig, and a litter box is the perfect candidate for this behavior. You can also try to counter this by providing dedicated dig boxes instead.
Another thing you might find is that just one or two litter trays just won't cut it. You'll most likely end up with a litter box in almost every corner of the room. Better get ready to see them as part of the furniture.
Organic litter
You will need a rabbit-safe absorbent material like recycled paper-based litter, wood stove pellets for small animals, or other organic litters. Just ensure no scent additives or harmful chemicals are added to the litter. Shredded newspaper is also often used as litter but doesn't trap the strong smell of rabbit urine as well as organic litter for cats.
Make sure to avoid any clumping litter like clay litter. If your rabbit ingests any clay litter, the clumping effect can cause serious obstructions that could harm your bunny.
You might also need to test different litter until you find one your rabbits like. Bunnies can be very picky and might refuse to use any other litter box, which means you can't trust them around the house anymore.
Some safe litter include:
Paper litter: Yesterday’s News, Okocat paper litter, Kaytee Clean & Cozy, Carefresh, Oxbow Pure Comfort, Small Pet Select Soft Paper Bedding, newspaper
Wooden Pellets: Feline Pine, wood stove fuel pellets
Wheatgrass Litter: Critter Country, Cat Country, Oxbow Eco-Straw
Aspen bark litter: Gentle Touch Pet Products
Oat- or alfalfa-based pellets
Puppy pads
If you can't find safe litter, you can use puppy pads if you hide them deep underneath some delicious timothy hay. Puppy pads are great at absorbing the smell of rabbit urine, but it's not entirely safe for them to chew on.
Fresh hay
Placing hay in the litter box will make it more attractive to rabbits. Rabbits often poop while eating. You can use this and force your bunny to eat hay inside their litter box to keep the poop contained. To keep the hay clean, bunny owners often hang a hay box above the litter box. This way, you can get them litter box trained without lifting a finger.
Vinegar and baking soda or enzyme cleaner
You must clean the area properly if your bunny makes potty training mistakes. Any residual urine smell will attract your bunny back to the same spot. Most rabbits prefer to go in the same spot over and over, so placing a litter box where the accident happened can help your rabbit associate the litter box with a toilet.
You can remove the smell by soaking up the urine, covering the area with baking soda, and spraying vinegar on top. Let it sit for a few minutes before wiping up the solution. Alternatively, you can buy a premixed enzyme cleaner from your nearest pet store.
Paper towel
Paper towels are handy for cleaning up any accidents. Simply soak up the urine and discard the paper towel in a nearby litter box. The smell of urine will attract your rabbits and will encourage them to use the litter box.
Install a playpen, hutch, or baby gate
To ensure your rabbit's litter box training is successful, you’ll have to temporarily restrict your cotton-tailed friend's freedom. Baby gates and playpens are very handy for doing just that, and a hutch is great if you cannot watch your rabbit.
Training your rabbit takes time, and restricting your rabbit's area can speed up the process.
Once you have everything you need, you can finally start the litter training process. Here’s what you need to know:
You must choose an area for indoor toilet training, preferably with a tile or cement floor that is easy to clean. Set up your playpen or install the baby gates to restrict access to other rooms.
The less space your bunny has initially, the better. More space means more areas to mess in. Something you don't want or need while trying to teach your bunny a new habit. To force them to use the litter box, smaller areas are easier to control.
Prepare the litter box by adding an absorbent material such as organic litter, wood stove pellets, or shredded paper at the bottom with at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) of hay on top. Rabbits love to eat and poop at the same time, and the hay will also stop them from eating the litter.
Once you’re done, pick a corner to place the box in and set your pet rabbit free to start potty training.
Eco-Bun Henrietta knows a grand way to reuse packing material by Ketzirah Lesser & Art Drauglis
The most important step in litter training rabbits is ensuring they're using the litter box provided, not the floor. This means that you'll need to keep a close eye on your bunnies while they’re free-roaming.
If you see an accident in a specific corner, wipe it up, place the urine-stained towel in the litter box, and move a litter box to that corner. Rabbits are creatures of habit, so they will most likely return to that corner.
The urine-stained towel will also help them recognize the litter box as a toilet. If you see any poop lying around, add them to the litter box. If your bunnies consistently wee in two separate corners despite your best cleaning efforts, ensure you have a litter box in each corner. After a week or so, you should start to notice fewer accidents, and the rabbits will start to seek out the litter box as a toilet.
Just make sure to clean up any accidents with a solution that also removes the residual smell.
If your house rabbit potty training is going well and your pets reliably use their litter trays for at least one month, you can slightly expand their roaming space. After starting with one room, you can expand to a second room. If you started with a playpen, you can let them out into the rest of the room. Just make sure they know where the litter box is.
When you expand their roaming space, you might find your rabbits slightly regressing. This is normal and does not mean that you need to start over to train your rabbit again. Instead, gently herd your rabbit to the nearest litter box and make sure to add a hay box or hay rack above to encourage them to use it.
Your rabbits might slightly regress and use a different corner of the room as a toilet. If this happens, move the litter box there or add a second box. If you’re adding a second room you’ll also need to add another litter box for that room.
Bunnies aren’t very good at seeking out a litter box, so ensure one is always in sight. You can keep expanding your rabbit area as soon as they reliably use the litter box.
Just because your bunnies are now litter-trained doesn't mean your work ends. As mentioned before, rabbits are very clean animals. This means you'll need to clean the most used litter box daily by scooping out any soiled litter and replacing the soiled hay.
If you scoop soiled litter out every day or at least every other day, your litter trays will stay fresh for longer. Remember that they'll need complete cleaning and disinfecting at least once a month.
Pro Tip: Don't remove all the soiled litter while you potty train. Rabbits are attracted to scent, and leaving some soiled litter will help to train a rabbit to find their dedicated toilet faster.
As you can see, litter box training a rabbit doesn't need to be difficult. All that remains now is putting in the effort. House rabbit toilet training can be beneficial for both you and your rabbits. They’ll get more freedom and attention from you while you won’t need to constantly clean up their mess, giving you more time to bond with your fluffy pets.
I know potty training can be frustrating, but if you keep at it and remember to have fun and appreciate your pets, you will eventually get through the tough times.
Are you currently litter training a rabbit? Let me know how it's going in the comments below.
If you don't have a rabbit yet, check out our article on how to choose your first pet bunnies. Happy training!
The time it takes will vary from rabbit to rabbit. It can be as fast as one week or as long as three months or more if you have a stubborn rabbit. Be patient; all bunnies learn at their own pace. Remember, the more consistent you are with training, the sooner you'll have a fully trained rabbit.
Place some hay in your litter box to lure your rabbit into it. Before long, you'll find your rabbit eats, sleeps, and poops in its litter box. That's why it's so important to keep it clean. You can also encourage litter box usage by placing soiled paper towels from accidents in the litter box to encourage your bunny with scent.
You can start to litter box train your bunny as soon as you get him or her. If you have all the supplies ready when your bunny comes home at eight weeks old, start immediately. The sooner you start, the sooner you can have a completely free-roaming bunny.
Definitely! Older bunnies might take longer to break old habits, but they are just as trainable as young rabbits. Just be patient and clean any messes properly to help them learn a new bathroom habit.
Rabbits use their poop as a way to mark their territory. This is a behavior that is more prominent in multi-rabbit households. To stop this behavior, make sure your bunny is fixed, pick up any poop, and place them inside the litter box. In time most bunnies will learn that this is where their poop should go, but there's always the odd one out that refuses to learn, so be prepared to find a golden nugget here and there.
Sources:
'Litter Training'. House Rabbit Society. https://rabbit.org/care/litter-training/
'How can I house train my rabbit?'. BC SPCA. https://spca.bc.ca/faqs/can-house-train-rabbit/
Melissa Witherell, DVM. 'How to Litter Train Your Rabbit'. PetMD. https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/how-litter-train-your-rabbit
Are you suspecting that your rabbit is pregnant? Unexpected pregnancies are quite common in unsterilised rabbit households due to incorrect sexing. It is very difficult to tell male from female in young rabbits after all. This incorrect pairing can lead to unexpected pregnancies, especially if you planned on getting a same-sex pair.
Before you start worrying about how to care for a pregnant rabbit, let’s make sure that she is actually pregnant.
Rabbits can breed from a very young age. If you have a dwarf or small breed rabbit, you can expect your bunny to be sexually mature at around three and a half to five months old. In large or giant breeds it can take anywhere from five to eight months to reach sexual maturity.
If your bunny is already sexually mature and you expect that she’s pregnant, look for the following signs:
You might not be aware that your rabbit is pregnant until a few days before she gives birth unless you’ve seen the mating. Most bunnies hide their pregnancies very well and none of the signs may be present at first. If you notice any sudden behavioural changes like pulling fur and creating a nest, you might need to prepare for some rabbit babies on the way.
It is possible for female rabbits to have fake or pseudopregnancies. This means that she will display all the signs of being pregnant and even build a nest, but the babies will never arrive. You’re most likely dealing with a fake pregnancy if all your rabbits are definitely female or your male is sterilised.
If you suspect your rabbit is pregnant but you’re not sure how that could’ve happened, you can take your cotton-tailed friend to the vet for an examination. If she’s around 10 to 14 days pregnant, the vet should be able to identify the babies with an ultrasound or by palpating her abdomen. The vet should also be able to tell if it’s a pseudopregnancy. Pseudopregnancies will usually only last two to three weeks before she'll be back to normal behaviour.
Collecting Nest Material by Mark Philpott
Caring for a mother-to-be really isn’t that different from normal rabbit care. You will need to make sure she always has access to fresh, clean water and good quality hay. Once she reaches the end of her pregnancy, you will need to provide an appropriate nesting box with ample straw to build a nest with. Also, make sure to separate her from the male since he’ll try to mate with her immediately after she gave birth and may even kill his offspring.
Preparing for the birth of your new baby rabbits isn’t difficult. You will need to give the mother an appropriate nesting box about seven days before her due date to prepare a suitable nest. Also, give her plenty of hay or straw to build a nest with.
New mothers will usually build their own nests and pull fur from their sides, chests and dewlaps to line the nest with. This fur is very important for keeping the babies warm. If the mother doesn’t pull fur, you will have to hold her and pull her fur or substitute with an appropriate material like cotton wool.
The rest is really up to the new mom-to-be. On the day of the birth, make sure to leave her alone. You can check that all the babies are alive, but don’t touch them unless it's an emergency.
A rabbit pregnancy usually lasts for 28 to 32 days regardless of breed. After birth, the mom will rarely if ever be seen near her young. This is normal since rabbits only feed their kits once or twice a day.
You can expect around four or five kits (baby rabbits) from your small breed rabbit and 12 or more from your large breed rabbits. If you want to know more about caring for baby rabbits, click here.
If your rabbit is pregnant, you can expect quite a few babies to arrive. Make sure you’re prepared to care for these little cuties and their mom. It can be quite fun to build your own nesting box if you like doing DIY projects.
If you’re not a registered breeder, make sure to get both your rabbits fixed before any more breeding takes place. There are loads of rabbits in shelters and I’m sure you don’t want to contribute to that number.
Remember to enjoy this miracle with your bunnies. Seeing baby rabbits is quite a sight to behold.
As a bunny owner, you will need to transport your rabbit from time to time. You might need to visit the veterinarian or just want to take your beloved pet with you on holiday. No matter the reason, you will need to know how to transport your rabbit safely.
Don’t fret if you’ve never had to transport your rabbit, here is what you need to know.
Toki - The kids at the vet for claw trimming by Tjflex2
If you’re planning to go away for the holiday, you might want to take your precious bunny with you, but is it really in your pet’s best interest to travel with you? Travelling can be extremely stressful to you and your long-eared friend. Most pet bunnies will be much happier staying at home with a pet sitter rather than travelling with you.
If travelling is a must, there are a few things you can’t go without. These items are non-negotiable if you want your bunny to feel safe and comfortable. Travelling can make rabbits very sick due to the stress, so it is in your best interest to make your pet comfortable. A rabbit should never be allowed to roam freely in your car. It is very dangerous not only for your pet but for you as well.
Cat carriers are great for transporting rabbits, especially those with hard sides and multiple doors. Carriers will keep your fluffy friends safe while in the car, create a space for them to hide in and protect your car against urine and faeces.
You will need to make sure the carrier is big enough for one or two rabbits to turn around and lay stretched out. It should, however, still be small enough to create a sense of security for your bunny.
For rabbit carriers, a hard material such as plastic or wire is necessary to prevent chewing and escape. Collapsible, soft-sided carriers aren’t suitable for rabbits and neither is cardboard boxes. Both are too easy to chew through, and the boxes may become dangerous to your pets when soaked in urine.
The ideal carrier for a rabbit should be able to open both on the sides and at the top to make it easier to get to your fluffy friend. Other features should include a non-slip floor, hard solid walls and good ventilation. You can cover the carrier with a towel or blanket to make the interior even darker, but keep in mind that your rabbits still need proper ventilation.
It is very important for your rabbit to stay hydrated throughout the whole trip, especially if your travelling over a long distance. Providing a water bowl is a recipe for disaster since the water will spill all over the place as the car moves over bumps. It is much better to provide a rabbit drinking bottle.
Attach the drinker to the carrier to allow your rabbits access to water throughout the trip. Most drinkers come with metal clips to help you secure them to the carrier without any risk to your bunnies.
Make sure that your fluffy friend has ample hay to chew on inside the pet carrier. You might have to take some extra hay to replaced any soiled hay. The hay will also provide a nonslip surface for your bunny to relax on during your trip.
It is extremely important that your cotton-tailed friend has access to food at all times, even when going in for an operation. Never starve your rabbits, their bodies don't work like those of cats or dogs.
Rabbits have very delicate digestive systems that may shut down completely when your bunny is starved. This may lead to serious health problems and even death. If your bunny refuses to eat during a trip, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Most carriers have a removable floor that allows urine and faeces to collect underneath away from your pets. Your rabbit will stay dry, but there's no escaping the strong ammonia smell.
It is best to use an absorbent material like puppy training pads or newspaper to absorb the urine at the bottom of the carrier. Use puppy training pads if you want to take care of the smell. This way your bunnies will be much happier without the strong smell of ammonia constantly around them.
If you’re wondering which carrier is best for your rabbits, here are a few options:
This carrier is ideal for short trips to the vet. It is easy to assemble, hard to chew through and easy to carry.
This carrier has lots of ventilation holes, is difficult to chew through and have a top-loading door for easy access to your bunny.
This travel carrier is large enough to transport two or even three rabbits quite comfortably. If you have a bonded pair, this crate is the way to go.
This carrier isn't that great for driving long distances, but it is definitely ideal to take your bunny on a walk. It comes in handy if the vet is just a walk away.
This combination carrier is ideal for any situation or adventure you plan to go on with your bunny.
As a first step to reduce stress, get your bunnies used to the travel container a few days prior to your big trip. Place it somewhere within your bunny enclosure and let them investigate it on their own terms. You will soon notice them going in and out as they please without any motivation from you.
If you want to make the carrier even more attractive to them, place some yummy treats or hay inside for them to nibble on. On the day of the trip, feed them inside the carrier and close the door to keep them there. Bonded bunnies can travel together in one container as long as it can accommodate them both. Let the trip begin!
Just like with dogs and cats, it is possible to car train your rabbit, but it will take a considerable amount of time. Keep in mind that not all bunnies are good travellers and the majority prefers to stay home. If you’re someone that travels a lot and your bunnies will need to go with you, then car training will definitely be beneficial.
Start by getting your fluffy friends used to the travel container. Once they’re comfortable going in on their own, carry them to the car and start the car with them inside. Leave it running for a few minutes, then turn it off and take them back inside and feed them lots of treats. Do this for a few days until they relax and fall into the routine.
Next, drive around the block before letting them out of the car again. As they get used to the movement of the car, they will start to feel comfortable and behave normally. In time there should be no stress when it comes to travelling.
This whole process is called desensitization and will definitely help your bunny friend in the long run. Remember to be patient and loving and never scold your bun-bun for being scared.
There’s a lot of debate around where the safest place is to put an animal carrier in your car. Experts did a lot of experimentation and came up with the following:
The risk of injury is extremely high for the front passenger seat. If the airbags inflate when in an accident, they may damage the pet carrier and injure your beloved bunny. There is also a possibility of the carrier being thrown through the front window when braking hard or colliding with something.
While safer than being placed on the front passenger seat, there is still a significant risk of injury. When you’re in an accident there is the possibility of the carrier getting crushed.
The backseat is much safer than the front of the car. There is still a small risk of the carrier being thrown to the front of the car during a collision, however.
This is the safest area to place your pet carrier. There is nowhere for the carrier to go during a collision and much less risk of getting crushed.
If your carrier doesn’t fit behind the front and backseats, you can place it against the back of the backseat if you’re driving an SUV. If not, secure the carrier in the backseat. Never place your bunny inside the boot. It is too dark which can make the experience frightening and there is the possibility of running out of air.
If you’re transporting rabbits, remember to take your turns gently. Also, remember to break gently if possible. Taking turns quickly and breaking sharply will cause your rabbit to slide around and hit the sides of the carrier. This can be quite scary to them and cause potential injury.
Congratulations, you've managed to transport your rabbit safely but now what? If you just brought your rabbit home, you can check that you have everything you need on our rabbit care checklist.
Once you reach your destination, you will need to create a rabbit safe area for them to relax in. If you can, bring as many toys, blankets and other rabbit belongings with you to recreate their territory at home. It will also help them to settle if their smell is already around the place.
If your rabbit doesn’t travel well, you will need to give it time to settle and relax. Don’t force interaction and make sure there’s food and water available. If you can, bring bottled water from home and keep feeding them the same food to make them feel at home. Rabbits can sometimes be picky about the water they drink.
Travelling with your rabbit doesn’t have to be stressful for either of you. If you start car training early, you will have even more success. Don’t worry if your rabbit doesn’t travel well, just make them as comfortable as possible and keep your trips short. It is best not to keep them away from home for more than 2 days at a time.
Take some time to prepare your rabbit for travel, have patience and you both should have a great upcoming trip!
Baby rabbit care is a skill some rabbit owners need to learn quite unexpectedly. These little critters may surprise you by appearing in your rabbit hutch seemingly overnight. This is especially true if you're an owner of an unsterilized female or two.
Baby rabbits are called kits. They can come along if you have an unsterilised male and female pair or a misidentified male or female bunny that turns out to be of the other sex.
No matter how it happened, the babies are on the way or already here and you urgently need some baby rabbit care tips! Caring for these little balls of cuteness is now your main concern after all.
To bring your stress levels down a notch, let’s take a look at what you need to know to care for baby rabbits.
The first thing you’ll have to do is make sure mommy rabbit has a comfortable, safe place to have her babies. If you know the date she was mated, you can work out when she’ll need the nest. It is always a good idea to let her prepare the nest around 7 days before she is due. If you’re unsure, provide a nest as soon as she becomes restless.
Rabbits have a gestation period of 28 to 32 days regardless of breed size. This means that your rabbit will be pregnant for only a month before the babies arrive! Just before she's due she'll gather grass in her mouth to nest with. She'll also pull out the fur on her chest so don't panic when you see her plucking her own fur.
The nesting box size will depend on the size of the breed of rabbit you own. You can either build a nesting box yourself by searching for DIY rabbit nesting boxes, buy one on Amazon, or you can use something simple like a carton box with an entrance cut out just big enough for mommy to get in and out. (Keep in mind that you’ll probably have to disturb the babies every day to replace the carton box as it gets soggy.)
The nesting box should have a slight step to prevent the babies from getting out before they’re ready but still allow mom into the nest for feeding.
Once the nesting box is ready, provide lots of hay for your doe (female rabbit) to nest with and don’t panic if she starts pulling out her fur. Mother’s to be will arrange the hay to their liking and then line the nest with fur to keep the babies warm. This fur will usually come from her chest area and flanks.
If you notice that your bunny has built a nest but hasn’t lined it with fur after the babies are born, you can help her out by either holding her and pulling more fur for her to line the nest with or providing cotton wool to keep the babies warm. Make sure that the cotton wool or other material you provide as an alternative, isn’t stringy since such materials may be dangerous.
So you’ve given mom everything she needs to prepare for her babies, but what about your buck (male rabbit)? If you have an unsterilised buck, make sure you remove your male from the picture. Consider getting him fixed while your female raises the babies unless you’re a registered breeder.
It is very important to separate the male and female unless you want more babies in a month. Does can breed again even on the day they give birth! Doing so is unethical though, she at least deserves a little break before you plan to breed her again. Experts suggest that you wait 35 days to breed again.
In my opinion, there are enough rabbits in the world, so unless you have a specific reason to breed, just get your pets fixed.
If you’ve given mommy a nesting box and made sure she pulled enough fur to keep the babies warm, then the rest is up to her. All you can do on the day the babies are born is watch from a distance. If you interfere the mom might reject the babies or even eat them.
Make sure to avoid touching the babies until they are about 3 weeks old unless it’s an emergency. You can check on them to make sure they stay in the nesting box and that they’ve been fed. Their bellies will appear extended if they are full of milk.
If you find a baby outside of the nesting box, gently warm it in your hands if it is cold and then place it back into the nesting box with the others. Keep an eye to make sure the baby stays in the box.
If your doe gave birth in mid-winter, you can use a reptile heating pad to keep the nest toasty. The babies need to be able to move away from the heat if they want to.
Owners of new mother rabbits usually worry if the babies are being fed because they rarely if ever see mom near the kits. This is normal since rabbits kept some of the behaviours of their wild European ancestors. They will usually stay a good distance from the nest to keep the babies safe from predators, but they’ll still be watching.
The doe will usually only feed her young under the cover of darkness when she feels safe. The babies also only get fed once or twice a day, unlike puppies and kittens that need to be fed every two hours. Rabbit moms are very rarely seen with their kits.
Sparrow and babies by bonny_jean13
There's usually no need to worry, but you can check if the babies have full bellies. They will appear round and plump if they were fed and skinny when not fed. You can also keep an eye on the mom to see if she gets into the nesting box at least once a day. If the babies scatter around the cage or nesting area often, there is some cause for concern since they might be missing feedings.
You will need to make sure the babies are warm and then place them back into their nest. It might be necessary to upgrade the nest to prevent the babies from getting out.
Another way to check is to see if the mom is lactating. You will need to place your doe with her belly facing up on your lap. Find and then gently squeeze her nipple to see if any milk comes out. If you see a drop of milk, she’s definitely feeding her babies. If you can't seem to figure it out, take her and her babies to the vet for a checkup.
The vet will usually give the mom an estrogen shot to encourage motherly behaviour and lactation. In some cases, you will need to force the mom to feed her babies by holding her in a standing position over them. If that doesn’t work, you can either foster them with another rabbit mom (if you have one) or try to raise them yourself (not recommended).
Hand-rearing is not recommended when it comes to taking care of newborn baby rabbits. It is always better to attempt placing them with another lactating mother if you have two does that gave birth around the same time. If you don’t have another doe, you can attempt hand-rearing if it’s an absolute emergency.
Baby bunnies can be raised by feeding them goats milk or kitten formula. Before you attempt this, however, contact a veterinarian that has some knowledge of rabbits for advice. If it’s a wild rabbit you’re trying to save, first make absolutely sure that the mom isn’t close by feeding the baby at night.
Rabbit’s milk contains a lot of calories because the babies only get to feed once or twice a day. For this reason, it is a good idea to add 100% heavy whipping cream (make sure there’s no sugar added) to the kitten formula or goats milk.
It is very important to let the baby drink by itself. Force-feeding comes with the risk of aspiration (inhaling the milk). Use a syringe with a special nipple to allow the baby to drink. This way you can also track the amount.
Once the eyes are open and the babies are starting to explore adult food, you will need to feed them some of your adult rabbit’s cecotropes.
Cecotropes are the first soft, gell-like poos that a rabbit eats before making its usual round, dry poos. The cecotropes are very important since they contain healthy bacteria and nutrients that the babies will need to help them to develop the correct flora in their digestive systems.
Cecotropes are also excellent for treating weanlings with diarrhea. If the baby refuses to eat, mix two or three cecotrope pellets into the formula to feed the baby.
Baby rabbits will begin to eat solid foods when their eyes open at around 10 days old. Never try to feed them solid food before their eyes aren’t properly open. The babies will usually start to become curious and nibble on the hay in their nest when they are around 2 to 3 weeks old.
Just because the babies are eating doesn't mean you can wean them. Mommy rabbit will wean her young when they are around 6 weeks old or even older. She will gradually decrease feedings until they lose interest. Make sure you give her ample space to escape her babies during this stage.
For this reason, you should never force a baby rabbit to leave mom before it’s 8 weeks old. This is especially important in giant breeds. Rabbits under the age of three months should also never be fed any fruit or vegetables. It is best to give the babies access to unlimited hay. I would also suggest healthy, balanced rabbit food like rabbits pellets for vitamins and other nutrients.
It is best to avoid muesli, even in adult rabbits since it can cause digestive problems. Rather keep to rabbit pellets. These pellets are usually either made from timothy hay or lucerne. If you’re wondering about feeding your adult rabbits, you can check out our article on ‘How To Feed Your Rabbit’.
It is best to leave the nest alone and keep an eye from a distance. You should see mommy rabbit returning sometime during the night to feed her babies.
Baby rabbits should never be separated from their mother before they are at least 8 weeks old. This is very important in giant breeds since they mature much slower than dwarf breeds.
Baby rabbits are very fragile. It is best to leave them to their mom until they are around 3 weeks old. Rabbit babies of 3 weeks and older can be petted and gently handled.
Now that you know a bit more about baby rabbit care, you can finally relax a bit. Mommy rabbit should take care of most of the duties involved. All you have to do is provide a nesting area, nesting material, lots of food, fresh water and peace and quiet.
Keep an eye from a distance. If you notice any problems you can jump in to help. For more advice or if you have more questions, don't hesitate to comment below. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Hopping!
