So now that I've covered rabbit bedding, I am moving on to the litter box. Of course, you don't have to litter train your rabbit, but it is plus if your rabbit is litter trained. It keeps their cage cleaner, and you can have more peace of mind when you let them out of their cage to play. Of course, rabbits may have accidents now and then, and they do like to mark their territory.
Litter training a rabbit can take a short time or it can take a very long time. For the most part it is much much easier if your rabbit is spayed or neutered. That way they don't have as much of an urge to mark their territory.
To get your rabbit to use a litter box requires patience and consistent training. To start you must figure out which corner of their cage they use the most. You should then place the litter box there. You need to spot clean the cage more often and make sure to put any messes they make outside of the litter box into their litter box. This way they will know that they aren't supposed to do it in the cage, only in the litter box. You can also place a large amount of hay next to or inside of the litter box. Most rabbits like to eat while they do their business, so that encourages them to use the litter box. Do not use deodorizing cleaning solutions in the rabbit's litter box. If you want to encourage your rabbit to use it, you shouldn't completely deodorize it until you are completely sure your rabbit is totally litter-trained.
A few more tips and tricks:
Once you start litter training, I find it helpful to remove the bedding from the cage and only use it in the litter pan. I find that it seem to help them learn it faster. You can give them something soft to sleep in like a bed, towel, or a blanket. I did not have to litter train Munchkin, because he came to the shelter already very well litter trained. I have tried some litter training with rabbits at the shelter.
What to look for in a litter box:
Make sure it is large enough for your rabbit. Plastic ones are the most practical. You can buy corner litter pans that fit into a cage corner. I like these a lot, and I especially like the ones that have clips to lock it on to the cage. (Rabbit like to flip their litter box around sometimes so this comes in handy!). Simple rectangular plastic litter pans for cats work just fine too. You can also get a high back litter pan. This helps if your rabbit sprays a lot or doesn't do a good job of keeping everything in the litter box.
A special note: Do NOT ever use clay cat litter for a rabbit's litter box. It is extremely dangerous if ingested. Use a rabbit safe bedding instead.
Next time: Out of cage playtime
Showing posts with label rabbit care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rabbit care. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Rabbit Care: Bedding
I have been getting comments asking me what to use for bedding for rabbits, so now I will talk a bit about that.
If your rabbit is not trained to use a litter box, your bedding will be needed for two reasons:
1. As litter to keep the cage and your rabbit clean,
2. As something to sleep or make a nest in.
If you rabbit is trained to use a litter box, you will have litter in the box, so your bedding will only be used for sleeping in, and possibly playing in. (unless your rabbit feels inclined to not use the litter box once or twice)
For a non litter trained rabbit, the bedding needs to completely cover the cage bottom, usually a layer of about one or two inches. It also needs to be changed at least once a week and any soiled bedding needs to be removed daily. I like to use the softest bedding I can find for this kind of use. When you look for the bedding make sure it is absorbent, not dusty, and safe for your pet. Here are some different kinds of bedding you can use:
Aspen wood shavings- inexpensive, does a good job, but not very soft
Carefresh soft wood fiber- very soft, very absorbent, but don't be fooled by the bag it is not 99% dust free! (more like 99% dusty)
Recycled paper bedding- this is a favorite of mine, it is absorbent, can be composted, it's good for the environment and your rabbit, most brands bedding are fairly dust free, and all around a great bedding for your pet. (Sunseed is a good brand to get when buying recycled paper bedding)
Now if your rabbit is litter trained like Munchkin, you only use this stuff in the litter box. So to sleep in he gets some towels (he loves them with all his little heart). He loves arranging them, digging in them, and hiding and sleeping in them. You can also use fleece blankets or purchase a fleece bed for your rabbit.
Note: Never use cedar or pine shavings as bedding. It may smell good but the aromatic oils in them can cause respiratory and kidney or liver problems in your rabbit.
Another Note: If you use something like towels or fleece make sure your rabbit is not eating them.
Next time: The litter box
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Rabbit Care: Cage accessories
Well, we have talked a little bit about rabbit cages, now we can talk about accessories for the cage.
Here is what you will need for your rabbit in his cage:
1. a thick layer of bedding, or a litter box
2. something soft to sleep in
3. a hide box or someplace for your rabbit to feel safe and secure (although I understand it can be hard to find hide boxes for very big bunnies)
4. a food bowl
5. a water bottle or a water dish
6. toys and things to chew
7. hay racks or whatever else you might use to hold their hay
And something I didn't mention when I talked about the rabbitat:
A rabbit's cage should have a solid bottom, not wire mesh. Wire mesh is very uncomfortable for a rabbit's feet. It is sanitary because the droppings fall through to the bottom, but it is not good for your rabbit's feet. A rabbit does not have pads like a dog. They only have delicate skin and some fur on their feet. If you are worried about sanitation I would recommend training your rabbit to use a litter box. If you do have a wire bottom on your rabbit's cage, make sure you provide something solid on it for their feet to get a break.
Next time: Toys
Here is what you will need for your rabbit in his cage:
1. a thick layer of bedding, or a litter box
2. something soft to sleep in
3. a hide box or someplace for your rabbit to feel safe and secure (although I understand it can be hard to find hide boxes for very big bunnies)
4. a food bowl
5. a water bottle or a water dish
6. toys and things to chew
7. hay racks or whatever else you might use to hold their hay
And something I didn't mention when I talked about the rabbitat:
A rabbit's cage should have a solid bottom, not wire mesh. Wire mesh is very uncomfortable for a rabbit's feet. It is sanitary because the droppings fall through to the bottom, but it is not good for your rabbit's feet. A rabbit does not have pads like a dog. They only have delicate skin and some fur on their feet. If you are worried about sanitation I would recommend training your rabbit to use a litter box. If you do have a wire bottom on your rabbit's cage, make sure you provide something solid on it for their feet to get a break.
Next time: Toys
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Rabbit Care: The Rabbitat - housing your rabbit
So now that you know how to feed your rabbit, let's talk rabbit cages/hutches.
Indoors or outdoors?
Indoors is always a better option. Your rabbit will be safer, there will be no predators to worry about, and in a lot of places it is unsuitable to keep a rabbit outside in winter or summer. Rabbits do not do well in extreme heat and extreme cold. I would recommend keeping your rabbit inside where it can be part of the family, and letting them outside in a pen for some exercise as long as it is safe, the weather is good, and you can be there to keep an eye on your rabbit.
What should I use for my rabbit's home?
Here are some options:
A store-bought cage:
These are a good option as long as it is large enough. The minimum cage size is at least four times the size of your rabbit and would ideally be much bigger than that. Look for a cage that provides ample room for objects that will go in the cage, and room for your bunny to move around and be comfortable. Store-bought cages are not too expensive and are easy to clean.
A wooden hutch:
First off, these are very, very expensive. Secondly, they are difficult to keep clean and can easily be chewed. The pros are you can buy fairly large ones with multiple levels that provide plenty of room for a small-to medium-sized bunny.
An exercise pen:
An exercise pen meant for dogs and puppies make excellent rabbit homes. You can buy ones meant for rabbits as well. They provide plenty of room, are not too expensive, are easy to keep clean, and are infinitely expandable. Just make sure they have a height of about thirty inches so your rabbit cannot jump out.
A homemade cage:
Some rabbit owners make their own cage. They use wire storage cubes that can be found at Target, coroplast (corrugated plastic), and zip ties to hold it together. This is great as you can make the cage however you want and it is not too expensive, but it does take time and effort to put together.
Running free:
Some rabbit owners let their rabbits have free reign over a room or the house. To do this your rabbit would have to be very good about not chewing anything, you would have to rabbit-proof the house, your rabbit would have to be litter-trained, and you would have to be careful with other pets.
What I use:
For Munchkin I use a combination of a dog kennel and a playpen. That way he gets plenty of room. A dog kennel makes a great home for large rabbits like Munchkin.
Remember your rabbit should be let out of the cage for at least one to two hours each day for some exercise and some attention.
Next time: Cage accessories
Indoors or outdoors?
Indoors is always a better option. Your rabbit will be safer, there will be no predators to worry about, and in a lot of places it is unsuitable to keep a rabbit outside in winter or summer. Rabbits do not do well in extreme heat and extreme cold. I would recommend keeping your rabbit inside where it can be part of the family, and letting them outside in a pen for some exercise as long as it is safe, the weather is good, and you can be there to keep an eye on your rabbit.
What should I use for my rabbit's home?
Here are some options:
A store-bought cage:
These are a good option as long as it is large enough. The minimum cage size is at least four times the size of your rabbit and would ideally be much bigger than that. Look for a cage that provides ample room for objects that will go in the cage, and room for your bunny to move around and be comfortable. Store-bought cages are not too expensive and are easy to clean.
A wooden hutch:
First off, these are very, very expensive. Secondly, they are difficult to keep clean and can easily be chewed. The pros are you can buy fairly large ones with multiple levels that provide plenty of room for a small-to medium-sized bunny.
An exercise pen:
An exercise pen meant for dogs and puppies make excellent rabbit homes. You can buy ones meant for rabbits as well. They provide plenty of room, are not too expensive, are easy to keep clean, and are infinitely expandable. Just make sure they have a height of about thirty inches so your rabbit cannot jump out.
A homemade cage:
Some rabbit owners make their own cage. They use wire storage cubes that can be found at Target, coroplast (corrugated plastic), and zip ties to hold it together. This is great as you can make the cage however you want and it is not too expensive, but it does take time and effort to put together.
Running free:
Some rabbit owners let their rabbits have free reign over a room or the house. To do this your rabbit would have to be very good about not chewing anything, you would have to rabbit-proof the house, your rabbit would have to be litter-trained, and you would have to be careful with other pets.
What I use:
For Munchkin I use a combination of a dog kennel and a playpen. That way he gets plenty of room. A dog kennel makes a great home for large rabbits like Munchkin.
Remember your rabbit should be let out of the cage for at least one to two hours each day for some exercise and some attention.
Next time: Cage accessories
Monday, October 11, 2010
Rabbit Care: Water
It is very important that your rabbit always has access to a fresh and clean supply of water.
There are two different ways to give your rabbit water:
1. In a water bottle. This is easy and less messy, it also keeps the water clean.
2. A bowl, preferably a ceramic bowl they can't tip or one that locks on to the cage. The downside of these are that the rabbit tends to get debris in it, especially if your rabbit isn't trained to use a litter box and you use bedding on the bottom cage such as shavings.
For Munchkin I use both. He is pretty tidy so all that ends up in his bowl is some rabbit fur, so I refill it twice a day to make sure it stays clean. He prefers to use the bowl to the bottle, and only uses the bottle to wet his tongue before grooming himself. I refill both at least every day and wash them out very often.
You may want to know how much water your rabbit should drink.
I have read and heard that they drink a lot of water; at least an ounce per body weight. That would mean Munchkin should drink ten ounces a day. Well, he doesn't. He probably drinks three, maybe four ounces at the most. So don't worry if your rabbit doesn't drink a lot of water, just watch our for sudden changes in how much they drink. The amount that they drink also depends on what they eat. Munchkin gets a lot of water from his vegetables, so I know he is fine. I can also tell he gets enough water from the wet spots he leaves on my jeans when he licks me.
Next time: Rabbit Care: The "Rabbitat"
There are two different ways to give your rabbit water:
1. In a water bottle. This is easy and less messy, it also keeps the water clean.
2. A bowl, preferably a ceramic bowl they can't tip or one that locks on to the cage. The downside of these are that the rabbit tends to get debris in it, especially if your rabbit isn't trained to use a litter box and you use bedding on the bottom cage such as shavings.
For Munchkin I use both. He is pretty tidy so all that ends up in his bowl is some rabbit fur, so I refill it twice a day to make sure it stays clean. He prefers to use the bowl to the bottle, and only uses the bottle to wet his tongue before grooming himself. I refill both at least every day and wash them out very often.
You may want to know how much water your rabbit should drink.
I have read and heard that they drink a lot of water; at least an ounce per body weight. That would mean Munchkin should drink ten ounces a day. Well, he doesn't. He probably drinks three, maybe four ounces at the most. So don't worry if your rabbit doesn't drink a lot of water, just watch our for sudden changes in how much they drink. The amount that they drink also depends on what they eat. Munchkin gets a lot of water from his vegetables, so I know he is fine. I can also tell he gets enough water from the wet spots he leaves on my jeans when he licks me.
Next time: Rabbit Care: The "Rabbitat"
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Rabbit Care Part 1: Feeding Your Rabbit Veggies
Veggies. Rabbits love them and veggies are healthy. Here is some information about feeding veggies to rabbits.
Are vegetables a necessary part of a rabbit's diet?
Well, as long as your rabbit gets a balanced diet and hay, it isn't going to kill him if he doesn't get vegetables, but feeding your rabbit veggies helps keep him happy and healthy.
How much veggies should I feed my rabbit each day?
About two cups per seven pounds of your rabbit's body weight. It also depends on your rabbit's energy level. I generally give Munchkin about two cups of vegetables, which is slightly less than the typical standard, but he is not very athletic, and he is working toward maintaining a healthy weight.
What kind of vegetables are safe for my rabbit?
Here are a few: romaine lettuce (never iceberg lettuce), celery (best chopped into smaller pieces so your rabbit doesn't have difficulty with the strands), carrot tops, small amounts of carrots, basil, collard greens, dandelion greens, mint, endive, dill, green peppers, spinach (small amounts), cilantro, parsley, sage, and lemon balm
Note: Spinach is high in oxalates which can accumulate over time and become toxic to your bunny, and carrots, though they are a favorite of rabbits, are very high in sugar and are best fed as a treat only. Iceberg lettuce is not a good veggie for your rabbit as it is very watery and has no nutritional value for your rabbit.
Here is what I normally feed Munchkin for veggies each day. Note the small piece of carrot, and the celery is chopped up. He especially loves the celery leaves. Sometimes he also gets some herbs from the garden.
Next time: Rabbit Care: Water
Are vegetables a necessary part of a rabbit's diet?
Well, as long as your rabbit gets a balanced diet and hay, it isn't going to kill him if he doesn't get vegetables, but feeding your rabbit veggies helps keep him happy and healthy.
How much veggies should I feed my rabbit each day?
About two cups per seven pounds of your rabbit's body weight. It also depends on your rabbit's energy level. I generally give Munchkin about two cups of vegetables, which is slightly less than the typical standard, but he is not very athletic, and he is working toward maintaining a healthy weight.
What kind of vegetables are safe for my rabbit?
Here are a few: romaine lettuce (never iceberg lettuce), celery (best chopped into smaller pieces so your rabbit doesn't have difficulty with the strands), carrot tops, small amounts of carrots, basil, collard greens, dandelion greens, mint, endive, dill, green peppers, spinach (small amounts), cilantro, parsley, sage, and lemon balm
Note: Spinach is high in oxalates which can accumulate over time and become toxic to your bunny, and carrots, though they are a favorite of rabbits, are very high in sugar and are best fed as a treat only. Iceberg lettuce is not a good veggie for your rabbit as it is very watery and has no nutritional value for your rabbit.
Here is what I normally feed Munchkin for veggies each day. Note the small piece of carrot, and the celery is chopped up. He especially loves the celery leaves. Sometimes he also gets some herbs from the garden.
Here is video of Munchkin enjoying his veggies:
Next time: Rabbit Care: Water
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