I decided to break this up into a series of at least 3, so not too long. Rabbits have different personalities, just like many pets. From my experience I found lopped-earred bunnies to be the most mellow, minis a little less mellow. Larger rabbits seemed to be smarter & learned to use litter box faster & were easier to teach. I fostered a California mix rabbit “Frosty” who I don’t think he knew he was a rabbit. He would try & steal food from me & he learned a couple tricks. He would go back to his pen to do his business most of the time. Note: rabbits drop dodo when excited. The photo below is of Frosty, he was about 10 lbs. Monitored he could hang out with the dogs I had at the time, I never left them alone together, not even for a few moments.
Rabbits need to be brushed weekly to prevent fur-balls. Using a very soft brush like this is a good option. https://amzn.to/3FxqIgR Or another option from Amazon would be this one: https://amzn.to/41QDLS4 Rabbits are not bathed with water, they clean themselves. A rabbit’s nails should be trimmed about once a month or as needed. Keeping any pets nails at a good length helps them to move comfortably & is better for their feet, muscles & joints.
Rabbits eat pellets & should be given them twice a day. Rabbits that are 10 months & under should be fed an Alfalfa based pellet like this Oxbow brand https://amzn.to/4kKTmv4. Oxbow is the best brand out there that I have ever found. Feeding a quality food keeps an animal healthier, which keeps Vet bills down & helps it to live longer. A rabbit that is over 10 months should be fed a Timothy based pellet such as: https://amzn.to/3XSFllc. Use heavy crocks for pellets as rabbits like to dump dishes if they can. Always use metal or ceramic dishes as plastic can be chewed on & swallowing plastic is not healthy. https://amzn.to/4ifLXST. Dishes that screw on to the bars can also be a good choice https://amzn.to/41VlX8m.
Rabbits must have hay available at all times, a variety of different types of hay is good for them,: https://amzn.to/4i8Wz66, changing it up every time you get it will give them a more varied diet. I again recommend Oxbow brand, quality is so important, no it is not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for. https://amzn.to/3DvFFj6. I am linking several different Oxbow hays here for you. https://amzn.to/4bT8J0p Hay can be fed in a hay ball or hay basket to keep it off the ground so stays clean. https://amzn.to/43MbL4E Hay balls are best for smaller rabbits as larger rabbits eat more hay https://amzn.to/4hhdhPn
Rabbits drink from a water bottle, not a bowl, a 16 oz water bottle is good for a full size rabbit. Here are a couple options https://amzn.to/41rJfTf This next one fills from the top which is a nice feature https://amzn.to/3DvGFDS Thoroughly wash the water bottle daily & fill with fresh filtered water. If you turn the bottle over & remove the air bubbles, you will help prevent the water bottle from leaking. Check it before you walk away, if it leaks the cage will get soaked & your rabbit won’t have water to drink.
Rabbits need fresh food as part of their daily diet. I would prep a bunch of greens for my foster rabbits for 3-5 days & keep it in a salad spinner in refrigerator (saves time). You can add up to a tablespoon of fresh fruit daily (if any), Fruit is too sweet to feed more. In my blog series on rabbit care (Saturdays for the next 3-4 few weeks ) I will be giving a list of fresh foods rabbits can eat.
If you don’t have a rabbit yet, & haven’t read my previous post, please read my blog post #18 on “Is a rabbit the pet for your family”. You will find helpful information there even if you already know that you want a rabbit.
If you have questions or comments please feel free to reach out to be thru my blog or at echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com. If your finding my pet care blog helpful, interesting, or fun please share it with your friends, subscribe & like posts so more people can find my blog & help their pets to thrive.
Thanks, Debbie
Echoing Great Pet Care 