RRR Rabbit Care Info 2021

Rabbit Care Handbook
Congratulations on your new bunny! Our rabbits come with lifetime

support. At any point in your rabbit’s life you can contact us with
questions, comments, or concerns. We always love to hear updates and
see pictures of the bunnies we’ve sold too!
We work to socialize all of our bunnies before they leave our barn to
give them the opportunity to become gentle, affectionate pets and
show animals. We handle them, turn them over on their backs, check
their teeth and nails, and practice posing. They have also been exposed
to the sights and sounds of other animals and people.
On your bunny’s first day home, let him/her get used to their new
environment. After that, you should handle your bunny all the time so
he/she stays a sweet, social bunny!
If you look for bunny advice on the internet, you will find a WIDE
variety of conflicting information. For example, rabbit rescue
organizations like the House Rabbit Society does things very
differently from people who show and breed rabbits; and even among
the breeders, people do things a little differently. Between me and my
Mom, we’ve been raising rabbits for over 20 years in a lot of different
ways and we believe there is no right way. You need to choose the way
that is best for you and your family. This handbook is our guide with
information on how we raise our bunnies.
Housing
We keep our bunnies in wire cages with resting mats and a wooden
house that they can hide in, sit on top of, and chew. Wire keeps the
rabbit’s underside and feet much cleaner and more sanitary, and also
allows for better ventilation. The other advantage to wire cages is that
they are much easier to clean as the bunny’s waste drops into the pan
below, which you can easily pull out to clean and put fresh litter (pine
shavings or stall pellets) in.
There are a couple of larger vendors that are at most rabbit shows and
you can also order online from. KW Cages: https://www.kwcages.com/ and Bass
Equipment: https://www.bassequipment.com/SCResult/Rabbit-Cages-232
Bass Rabbit Starter Kit $59 KW Rabbit Space Cage $67
KW sells resting mats or you Petco or PetSmart sell

can get vinyl garden lattice wooden houses (Woodland)
Many people get a hutch to keep their
rabbit in. The one below can be used
indoors or outdoors. I found the one
below here. We do not recommend a
hutch that sits directly on the ground if
kept outside, as your bunny could dig out
or predators could dig in.
Another option is a plastic bottom

type of cage. You would fill it with
litter (paper based only) and clean
and replace the dirty litter regularly
(every 2 or 3 days). Pet stores or
Amazon sells many different
varieties of these types of cages.
Another enclosure option is an

exercise pen with a piece of
linoleum or something else for the
flooring. You would need a litter
box in this case as well. Notice
that the litter box is in the corner
of the cage with a hay rack right
above it. This is because rabbits
tend to poop while eating, and they
usually choose one corner to go in.
A risk with this type of enclosure is that your bunny may be able to
climb or jump out. We use these pens when we can take our rabbits out
and let them exercise while supervised.
Other items you will need are a water bottle (large size) or heavy
ceramic water bowl, a heavy ceramic food bowl, a hay manger and toys.
Good toy choices are made from wood, timothy hay, or the hard plastic
like jingle balls for cats. If you need litter, be sure to get a paper-
based litter – not cat litter.
Feeding
We feed our bunnies plain timothy pellets and

unlimited hay - orchard grass or timothy. Get any
pellets that are approximately 15% protein and
20% fiber. We will give you a bag of our food so
that you can transition your bunny. Our Mini-Rex
and Dutch get between 1/3-1/2 a cup of pellets per
day, and our Mini-Lops get between 1/2-3/4 cup of
pellets per day after about 4 months of age. From
weaning to 4 months, we free feed them.
For treats, you can give them these about every

other day: 1 or 2 pieces of dried papaya (unsweetened!) or 1 tablespoon
rolled barley and/or black oil sunflower seeds. The following treats
shouldn’t be given more than once or twice a week: slice of apple, chunk
of banana, small carrot, a couple sprigs of either parsley, cilantro,
basil, or spring greens. Don’t give them lettuces like iceberg, as they
are too watery and can give them diarrhea.
Health
The most common health issue in rabbits is digestive issues, as they

have very sensitive digestive systems. If your bunny has stopped
eating, drinking, or pooping, the first thing we suspect is a digestive
issue. The first thing we always try is giving Bene-bac probiotic gel and
be sure they have plenty of hay and water. In fact, we usually give
them a dose of Bene-bac whenever they’ve been in any stressful
situation. If that doesn’t help their appetite pretty quickly, try using
Critical Care – a powdered food you mix with water and syringe feed
your bunny. If that doesn’t help, you’ll need to see a vet.
Another common rabbit health issue is mites. If your bunny is

scratching a lot and has white scaly flakes at the base of their neck
and/or on their back, it’s likely mites. You can treat with oral
Ivermectin or topical Revolution flea treatment for cats and rabbits.
Anytime you go to a vet, it’s very important to see a rabbit savvy vet!
The House Rabbit Society keeps a list of rabbit vets per state:
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
Rabbits need their nails trimmed

about once a month. They have 5
nails on each of their front feet and
4 nails on each of their back feet.
Small cat nail clippers work fine. The
best way to do this is to have one
person hold your bunny on their back,
and another one clip the nails. On
each nail, there is a red or darker part which is the blood vessel. This
is easier to see on rabbits with white toenails. The best way to avoid
the blood vessel is to just trim off the sharp tips of the nails. If you
do hit the vessel and they bleed, don’t worry – just apply a generous
helping of flour or cornstarch to the nail.
Your bunny will shed during different times of the year, generally when
the seasons change. You can spray water on your hands and brush your
bunny with your hands to remove the excess fur.
You can use an exercise pen to let your bunny run
around inside or outside, as it’s much safer than
letting them roam free. We suggest getting one that
has a mat that you can put on the bottom when inside
to protect your floors, and on the top when outside to
protect from predators and provide shade. Even when
they are in the pen, always keep an eye on them!
Rabbits are much more sensitive to heat than
to cold. If it’s possible to keep/bring your
bunny into an air-conditioned space when it’s
over 85/90 degrees, that is ideal. If not,
some other ways to keep them cool are to put
frozen plastic bottles of water in their cage,
put a damp towel on top of their cage and use
a fan, and mist them with cold water.
Rabbits will almost always use the same area for
their toilet, so you can litter box train them. We
suggest letting your rabbit have a few days in
their new cage to select an area. When they begin
using one area more than others, put a litter box
in that area with a few droppings in the pan. Does (girl rabbits) seem to
prefer 2 litter pans – one to use for potty and one to sleep in. Hanging
a hay feeder on the side of the cage above
the litter pan will encourage the use of
the litter pan because many rabbits will
potty while eating, so the hay feeder
encourages them to use the proper spot as
they will sit and munch on the hay for a
while.
4H
We also encourage kids to get involved in 4H. In 4H, kids complete
hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic
engagement in a positive environment where they receive guidance
from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership
roles. 4H is a great way for kids to learn more about caring for their
rabbit and also in showing their rabbit if they are interested in that.
Go to 4-H.org to learn more and find a local club!
ENJOY YOUR NEW BUNNY!

Website: reisasrainbowrabbitry.weebly.com
Email: therainbowrabbitry@gmail.com
Facebook: Reisa’s Rainbow Rabbitry

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Rabbit Care Handbook

Congratulations on your new bunny! Our rabbits come with lifetime

Bass Rabbit Starter Kit $59 KW Rabbit Space Cage $67

KW sells resting mats or you Petco or PetSmart sell

Another option is a plastic bottom

Another enclosure option is an

We feed our bunnies plain timothy pellets and

For treats, you can give them these about every

The most common health issue in rabbits is digestive issues, as they

Another common rabbit health issue is mites. If your bunny is

Rabbits need their nails trimmed

ENJOY YOUR NEW BUNNY!

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