Help and advice about Rabbits

The rabbit's popularity shows no sign of waning - in fact rabbits are considered the third most popular pet. They make attractive companions; they are loyal, affectionate, playful and clean animals with a high level of intelligence. Rabbits have a complex range of emotions and such is their ability to communicate that they have been compared to humans. You only have to think of the great rabbits of our time - Bugs Bunny, Beattrix Potter's Peter Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland's White Rabbit and the families in Watership Down - to appreciate the magnetic appeal of these long toothed, carrot-wielding creatures.

Breeds

Rabbits belong to a family of animals known as 'Lagomorphs' - which literally means 'hare-shaped'. The pet or domestic rabbit is known as 'Oryctolagus cuniculus' which translates as "hare-like digger of underground passages." Rabbits are available in a wide range of colour, breed and pattern variations, but those most commonly kept in the UK fall into two categories: fur breeds and fancy breeds. Size and type differ hugely in the fancy breeds from the 1kg Dwarf Netherland rabbit to the Giant Flemish - which can weigh an amazing 7kg or more. Other popular breeds include the Angora, Belgian Hare, Dutch, Harlequin, Lops, Himalayan and Rex.

Buying a rabbit

Never buy a rabbit that is less than eight weeks old; it is too young to be away from its mother. Rabbits normally live 5 - 8 years and it is believed that the larger the rabbit, the more mellow the temperament. Similarly, males are slightly more gentle than females. When assessing rabbits don't suspend them in mid air, rabbits are ground dwelling creatures and feel anxious when unnaturally elevated. It is important that your prospective rabbit is healthy. Here are some points to help you.

The rabbit should appear fleshy and the backbone should not be prominent.
The coat should be clean and glossy with no tiny white dandruff-like flakes (a sign of mites).
The Nose should be clean with no dried deposits or mucus.
Eyes should be open, bright, clear and free from discharge.
The chest should exhibit gentle rhythmic breathing with no 'rattles'.
Ears should be clean, with any obvious odour.
The top teeth should slightly overlap the bottom and there should be no sign of decay.
There should be no signs of discharge or dried faeces on the rabbit's rear.
The rabbit's general attitude should be alert, healthy and interested in its surroundings. If the rabbit is sitting hunched in a corner or looks distressed then it may be in poor health.

Housing

A rabbit will need a clean cage with ample room to live and space to exercise. Rabbits can be kept in the home or outside in a weatherproof, protected hutch, where it will also need a shaded area. The minimum hutch size for average sized rabbits is 5 foot long, 2 feet deep and 2 feet high. Wire cages or hutches are advised as they are stronger, easier to maintain and unlike wooden structures cannot be chewed, or become soaked and smelly with urine. Opinion on the best arrangement for housing rabbits has changed and the general consensus nowadays is that rabbits need company. They are social animals that crave physical contact with other rabbits. Most vets now recommend keeping a neutered pair together, a male and female will enjoy each others company, as living alone is not a natural state for a rabbit. Cages with wire floors can be used as they facilitate cleaning - droppings and urine pass through the grating into a removable tray beneath. Nonetheless, wire bottomed cages have disadvantages: they prevent rabbits from reabsorbing their droppings, which is an important part of diet. Metal wire can also turn cold quickly, robbing the rabbit of body heat especially at night and during winter. Metal is also uncomfortable for a rabbit's paws so you will need wooden boarding on the floor and some hay for added warmth and comfort. Every cage and hutch should have feeding bowls and water vessels: open containers or a vertical drinker attached to the side of the rabbit's housing. A rabbit should not be in its cage 24 hours a day. If outdoors the hutch should have an adequate-sized run for exercise, if indoors the rabbit should be allowed to run around a room. All rabbits should be supplied with chewable toys which keep its teeth trim while providing some useful distraction.

Outdoors

Outdoor rabbits will need a hutch, containing a cage and an enclosed unit. Hutches with heavy wire mesh are best as these prevent the animal from escaping and predators from entering. Rabbits can live quite happily outdoors if their housing is waterproof, warm, draught-free and provided with dry bedding. In colder temperatures the hutch should be placed near a wall or side gable to block it from the elements. In summer always provide a rabbit with shade because the animal's brain can swell very quickly in hot weather; in the wild rabbits hide from sunlight by escaping underground. Also, remember that the angle of the sun changes throughout the day - so make allowances when locating the hutch. The hutch should be slightly elevated above ground level as this allows air to circulate and prevents moisture from gathering. A raised hutch also stabilises temperatures for the rabbit inside. Litter and bedding Rabbits are naturally clean because as denning animals they tend not to foul their sleeping quarters. You should always use dust-free, soft and absorbent bedding products, specifically made for small animals. Straw, shavings, shredded paper or specialist medicated bedding are the best to use. A small amount of hay is beneficial both as nesting material and for eating - hay is an important source of roughage in a rabbit's diet. Remove and replace soiled bedding regularly, and every week, try to wash out and disinfect the whole housing area. Regular cleaning will prevent infection and disease. Johnson's developed a cleaner specifically for small animal housing called Clean ‘n' Safe, which is available from all good Pet Shops and Garden Centres.

Indoors

Indoor rabbits are normally neutered to make them less aggressive and reduce odours. House rabbits can be provided with litter trays and organic cat litter (not clay or wood based litters as the dust causes respiratory problems for the rabbits). A litter tray is needed for house training a rabbit, which is a good idea if your pet has the full run of your home. Rabbits are very intelligent animals and after deliberate care and planning, a rabbit can be trained to use its litter tray in much the same way as a cat. In the home rabbits should be safe from danger, however, things like wires and cables, books and magazines should be out of reach; otherwise a rabbit will happily munch its way through them!

Diet

Like many humans, rabbits love to eat all the wrong foods! Like us, they will eat junk food before tucking into a fresh salad and the proverbial "rabbit food." With this in mind, it is important that owners keep their rabbits healthy - by feeding the correct foods. A balanced diet should always be supplemented with treats however, to keep rabbits from getting bored. Johnson's have a great range of treats for rabbits all designed to stop boredom and get them a little excited – why not try the new treat2eat range.

Feeding

In the wild rabbits are dawn and dusk feeders, preferring a variety of sweet, tender foods that are rich in protein and fibre. Commercial rabbit foods have an important place in a rabbit's diet because they contain approximately 16% protein and 16% fibre. Rabbit pellets should be fresh, sweet smelling and short in length. Rabbits can be fed a mixture of pellets and flakes made from grasses, oats, bran, peas and corn. Once you have decided on a brand of food, your pet rabbit should do well on 50 grammes (2oz) of pellets per day depending on its activity level and size. Divide this into two feedings, one in the morning and the other at night. (Don't allow your rabbit to free-feed as it leads to obesity and may cause diarrhoea). Nevertheless, a pellet-only diet is not advised because it lacks other essential nutrients. Furthermore pelleted food doesn't exercise a rabbit's teeth in the way for which they were designed. A rabbit's teeth are designed for slicing and grinding at a rate exceeding 120 chews per minute. Small, hard pellets of food cannot be sliced so they are crushed by the molars. This causes dental misalignment because the teeth are growing too quickly before they can be worn down. The best approach is to feed on a diet of bulky foodstuffs, alfalfa, hay, and vegetables. In your rabbit's salad you can also include clover, peapods, dandelion greens, kale, carrot tops, parsley and beetroot tops which are high in plant proteins. Do not feed lighter greens such as lettuce, bagged salad greens, celery or cabbage as they lack nutrients. Lettuce can cause diarrhoea, cabbage causes wind, and celery can get caught in the rabbit's gut. Try and include three different dark green vegetables every day in your rabbit's diet.

Don't over feed rabbits on beans, peas, corn, wheat, barley and vegetables that grow underground.
Don't feed your rabbit crackers, bread or pasta as these are sugary and can cause tooth decay in rabbits.
As a treat, feed your rabbit fruits that are high in fibre such as apples, pears, peaches, pineapples and strawberries. Always avoid bananas and grapes.
Everyone knows that rabbits love carrots - however don't just feed them the body of the carrot, the carrot tops are a valuable source of protein.
Supply rabbits with grass. It is an essential part of a rabbit's diet in the wild; it is an excellent source of fibre, and maintains the health of the intestinal tract.

Recycling

Rabbits are herbivores and use up to 80% of the foods eaten. Rabbits digest food very efficiently, using everything twice to get the maximum benefit. They pass food through their gut twice in a process known as refection. Using its mouth it catches some of its faecal droppings straight from the anus and then swallows them. The droppings you find on the bottom of the hutch should be hard and dry and contain the residues of food, which the rabbit cannot use. The droppings caught and swallowed by the rabbit are soft, moist and wrapped in mucus. (These droppings are also known as cecotropes). Be wary if you notice cecotropes on the floor of the hutch; your rabbit could be ill and you should seek veterinary help. Obese rabbits often cannot reach their cecotropes and this is an indication to reduce meals as the rabbit may be overweight. And again, avoid wire floors in hutches as the cecotropes can fall through the grating depriving the rabbit of much needed minerals.

Tips

Young rabbits should be fed on a pellet-only diet until the age of six months. After this time slowly introduce fresh greens. Don't make any sudden changes to a rabbit's diet as it will cause stomach upset. Rinse vegetables in water to remove any material that may have been sprayed on them to preserve freshness and colour. Place food in a bright corner of the hutch if you want to encourage your rabbit to eat. Because rabbits prefer sweet foods, you can use molasses or sugar to dress up a food which you are trying to introduce to the rabbit's diet. Gradually reduce the sugar topping until the rabbit is eating without sugar. Always have a fresh supply of water in the rabbit's hutch. Rabbits drink about two times more water than the amount of food they eat. Remember a rabbit cannot survive longer than 24 hours without water.

Health

Being hardy creatures rabbits rarely need veterinary treatment but if they do fall sick look out for the following symptoms: diarrhoea, runny nose, sneezing. If the rabbit stops eating always ensure it has a supply of water - it takes two and a half times more water to re-hydrate a rabbit than it does a cat or dog. Outdoor rabbits may also be at risk from fleas and mites so they should be treated with a product safe for use on kittens. Another threat is mxyomatosis, which can be transmitted by insect bite or through direct contact with an infected rabbit. There is no known treatment for myxomatosis, so avoid any contact between your pet and wild rabbits, which may be carriers of the disease. The best way to protect your rabbits is to take them to your vet and have them vaccinated every 12 months.

Did you know...

Rabbits originate from the Iberian Peninsula. "Spain" literally translates as "the land of the rabbit."

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