How to Care For a Domestic Rabbit

Although companion pets are usually dogs and cats, many people also choose other  animals to keep at home, such as birds, for example, canaries, or fish tanks. In recent years, other animals have also increased as domestic companions, such as ferrets or rabbits, and even some more exotic ones, such as boas and other snakes, or monkeys, etc.

The latter are more complicated to care for and attend to, but, without going into these curiosities, if you plan to have a pet, you could choose to have a rabbit. The reason why many people adopt them for their homes is that they are friendly, docile in character and do not give too much work in their care, and they can be kept in small houses.

The rabbit is native to the Iberian Peninsula, and even the Roman name Hispania would come to mean “land of rabbits”. The rabbit is an animal that varies greatly in all its varieties, both in size and in colors and body shapes. There are dozens of varieties of rabbit, with all kinds of colors, from brown to white, through bluish or reddish. Among them, those of the dwarf breed stand out, also very varied in their fur and color and shape of the snout or ears, highly appreciated by rabbit breeders.

Like all animals, the best way to enjoy their company is to know their habits and needs, which will allow them to stay healthy and happy while you enjoy their normal activities. For this we offer you several indications on how to take care of a domestic rabbit in the best way.

What do you need to take care of a domestic rabbit?

• A rabbit, or better, two
• A big cage
• Plastic and cardboard boxes
• Branches, wood and cardboard to gnaw
• Rabbit feed, hay and vegetables

Instructions for caring for a domestic rabbit

1. The rabbit hutch. It can be a cage and it will have to be large enough for the rabbit to lie down, move around and have space for a box to poop, as well as food and water containers. The larger the rabbit, the larger the cage should be. For an average rabbit weighing about three kilos, it should have measurements of at least one and a half meters long by one meter high and another meter deep. In the market you will find many of various sizes and higher or lower, with more or less accessories. Although rabbits adapt to domestic life, the ideal would be that you could have a room just for the animal, with branches and wood for it to gnaw on, and without obstacles that it can throw or injure itself with, although it can be a room that use to be, but keep in mind that you will have to protect the electrical cables from their bites, as well as other objects that you want to protect. The rabbit needs to move, and if you live in an apartment, you should leave it on the terrace for a long time, so that it can run and jump. If you buy a wire cage with nothing on the bottom, put a piece of wood so the rabbit doesn’t hurt its feet. Then cover the ground with grass, hay, branches, soft wood chips, mimicking its country setting.
2. Stool tray. For the rabbit’s depositions, the typical cat litter will not work, but you will have to put a box, cover it with newspapers, and fill it with plant material, grass, etc. on top. You can also get ready-made sanitary beds in stores.
3. A hideout. Provide a hiding place inside the cage, by putting a thick cardboard or wooden box, clean branches, etc. In addition, these materials will allow them to gnaw them, something they need to do constantly, since their teeth grow continuously and they have to file them by biting and gnawing all kinds of materials, since if they grow too much they would injure the mouth. . .
4. Feeding. The main element of their nutrition is there, something that you will always have to have on hand. You should also give him oatmeal, alfalfa and timothy grass, and in general, green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, watercress, parsley, or turnip greens. Despite the famous image of the rabbit eating carrots, you should give it very sparingly, due to its high sugar content, as well as fruits such as apples or strawberries and bananas, which should always be a special prize. On the other hand, there are many vegetables that rabbits cannot eat, because they can get seriously ill, such as iceberg lettuce -although they can eat romaine lettuce, always very well washed-, or tomatoes, peas, onions, corn, or the seeds. Also do not give him normal human foods, such as bread, milk, potatoes or cooked foods. Don’t give him lawn grass either. With two cups of vegetables a day they will have a sufficient dose. On the other hand, it should never lack fresh water, which you must provide daily.
5. The toilet. The cage should be cleaned every week with hot soapy water, and remove the feces daily and clean this tray with water and bleach. The rabbit itself should never be bathed, because they clean themselves continuously, like cats, although if they are very dirty they can be drying cleaned. You should also brush their hair several times a week, to prevent them from forming hairballs that they later swallow and from which they can die. On very hot days you can apply cold water to the neck and ears.
6. Coexistence. The rabbit is a sociable animal, so it is recommended that you have two, and since they are territorial, two males could attack each other, so it is better that they are male and female. In this case, sterilize them if you don’t want to breed; besides sterilization improves their character. If you want to hold them in your arms, do it very carefully, because they are a prey animal, and they don’t like it very much, and don’t shake them either. Don’t be surprised if they are uncomfortable. You should take your rabbit to the vet at least once a year, and vaccinate it against myxomatosis and other diseases if your doctor tells you to.

Tips for caring for a domestic rabbit

• Do not keep a rabbit in the vicinity of cats and dogs, because they could attack it.
• If you are going to have more than one rabbit, it is best that you acquire them at the same time. Even so, do not put them together from the beginning, but follow a process of getting used to it, by having them close in separate cages and little by little.
• Rabbits are comfortable in a temperature between 16 and 22 degrees Celsius. If it’s really hot, put them in the coolest part of the house, and put bottles of ice water in the cage. Think they can die from heat stroke.