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

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"

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.

Here is video of Munchkin enjoying his veggies:

Next time: Rabbit Care: Water