GENERAL
Before you decide to obtain a rabbit remember your rabbit will rely on YOU for its every need – not just its comfort, but for healthy day to day living.
Your rabbit will require DAILY CARE and attention 365 days of the year regardless of any other plans you have. And, he can live from 5 to 10 years.
REMEMBER: Correct Feeding, Clean Water, a Weather/Dog , etc-proof house. Cleanliness in the house, generally ensure a healthy rabbit.
ARE YOU READY?
ASK YOURSELF: HAVE YOU GOT THE COMMITMENT AND TIME??
HANDLING: NEVER lift a rabbit by the ears or the scruff of the neck. Lift your rabbit with two hands and then cradle against your body. If your rabbit is badly handled it can make him/her extremely skittish for the rest of its life.
SEXING: Pick your rabbit up, turn over and hold under one arm. The males have a round genital opening and gentle pressure around it will expose the penis. The females have a genital slit. Both just in front of the anus.
HOUSE TRAINING: Rabbits can be house trained by leaving a container of dirt or newspaper in the same place at all times. Do not expect your rabbit to be housetrained though if you don’t have it inside on a regular basis. Also ensure when inside that doors and windows are left shut and that cats and dogs are not bothersome. (Generally your rabbit will let you know where he wants his dirt tray/newspaper left.)
NEUTERING OR SPEYING: Contact your Veterinarian.
Rabbit kittens are extremely cute and appealing like all baby animals, but remember NZ has to destroy large numbers of cute unwanted cats and dogs already, so don’t give NZ an unwanted rabbit problem as well.
Bear in mind that a doe’s pregnancy last 28-34 days, usually around 31 days. IT CANNOT BE OVER-EMPHASISED THAT RABBITS BREED PROLIFICALLY SO PLEASE DO NOT BREED UNLESS YOU HAVE GOOD HOMES FOR ALL THE KITTENS.
Ensure you keep a doe and buck separated or the consequence will be many young kittens throughout the course of a year.
HEALTH : IF IN DOUBT CONTACT YOUR VET. If your rabbit dies unexpectedly seek Vet advice and possibly a post mortem examination from the Vet. Thoroughly disinfect the hutch.
HEALTH WATCH
A healthy rabbit should display the following:
· Demeanour – alert, watchful, responsive to human approach
· Movement – strong movements particularly in the hind legs
· Appetite – good, eating frequently and drinking regularly
· Breathing – quiet and regular
· Coat – clean, no soiling by faeces or urine, no tangles, skin sores or parasites
· Ears – alert to sound, no discharge
· Eyes – clear and bright with no discharge
· Nose – no discharge, rabbits noses twitch
· Feet – clean and dry with no skin broken and nails not over long
Rabbits can become ill quickly without warning, seek immediate veterinary advice.
PARASITES/DISCHARGES: Daily handling will give you a chance to check for fleas, lice, ticks, sores, wounds, discharges from eyes, ears and nose. If anything unusual is evident contact your vet.
CONSTIPTATON AND DIARRHOEA: Constipation may be cured by giving more greenstuffs, diarrhoea may be cured by withholding greens for 24 hours and feeding only hay and water. If either condition persists for longer than 24 hours, contact your Vet.
NAILS: If your rabbit does not have the opportunity of wearing his nails down get professional advice on how to do it properly. Care has to be taken not to cut into the blood and nerve supply.
GROOMING: Rabbits regularly groom themselves and as a general rule only ANGORAS need meticulous DAILY grooming. If your rabbit becomes soiled and dirty it generally means that the living conditions are unsatisfactory and dirty. But daily brushing of your rabbit’s coat will ensure daily handling of your rabbit, therefore tending to make it tamer and easier to handle. This is very important.
ABANDONING: IT IS ILLEGAL TO ABANDON ANY ANIMAL and this includes rabbits. Under the section 14(2) of the Animals Welfare Act 1999 the penalty for a person who without reasonable excuse, deserts an animal in circumstances in which no provision is made to meet its physical health and behavioural needs, to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding $25,000 or BOTH. If you do not want your rabbit and cannot find a good home for it take it to your Vet or local SPCA for either finding a new home or humanely putting it to sleep.
CHOOSING YOUR RABBIT
Breeds you will find in N.Z. are Angora, Chinchillia, Rex, Californian, NZ. White, Flemish Giant. All of these breeds are ver similar regarding looking after, although the Angora needs careful daily grooming.
FEEDING
Fresh water MUST be available at all times, and should be changed daily. It is possible to buy water bottles which may be filled and hung outside the hutch. A metal tube protrudes downwards through the wire netting to allow the rabbit to drink. Ensure the bottle is low enough for your rabbit to drink from especially if you have kittens.
You must also check the NOZZLE on the water bottle weekly as these can become clogged.
Prepared rabbit pellets are available from Pet Shops. These contain all of the nutrients needed for good growth and maintenance. On of the most successful diets for your rabbit is pellets followed by good quality hay and carrots. To avoid hay being soiled affix a hay rack in the hutch.
IT IS IMPORTANT to include small amounts of CLEAN greens can also be fed each day, e.g. puha, dandelions, grass, dock leaves, clover, chickweed, parsley, COOKED potatoes and COOKED peelings (DO NOT feed RAW POTATOES) .
Fresh fruits e.g. pears, apples, bananas with skins removed, cauliflower, peas, swede, turnip. Rabbits also enjoy cabbage, oranges with the skins removed – and many of these foods are a source of Vitamin C – important for all animals. Rabbits particularly enjoy milk thistle as well.
. Be aware that too much green food though, for domestic rabbits will cause diarrhoea. Avoid LETTUCE as this gives rabbits diarrhoea and can make them very unwell. Blackberry leaves, oak, elm and will leaves help to cure diarrhoea. Also be careful about sudden changes of diet. This can cause digestion problems.
The amount of food you feed your rabbit each day and the feed times should be changed to prevent a monotonous diet.
The diet of the pet rabbit should mimic the diet
of a wild rabbit as much as possible.
HEAVY CONTAINERS FOR FOOD SHOULD BE USED, IDEALLY FOOD TROUGHS OFF THE FLOOR.
POISONOUS PLANTS: Do not feed rhubarb leaves, raw potatoes, potato tops, roots and seeds of dock or grasses from roadsides where there is any possibility they have been sprayed with herbicides or insecticides. It in doubt, don’t risk it. It’s not worth it.
NOTE : Rabbits pass 2 sorts of droppings. Hard fibrous pellets (usually excreted during the day) and soft faecal pellets (usually excreted during the night) which are eaten again. This is a normal part of the rabbit’s digestive process and is in no way indicative of ill health.
Recommended size for outside hutch for one rabbit is 1000mm long x 800mm wide x 600mm high. A third of the hutch should be enclosed for sleeping quarters or a portable sleeping box 50cm x 30cm x 30cm can be placed inside the hutch. Ensure that sleeping quarters are draught free. Remember, though, your rabbit will most probably spend a great deal of time in his hutch so if you can make the hutch even larger than the recommended size your rabbit will appreciate it.
If the hutch is enclosed on 3 sides ensure that the hutch is not in a position where it can overheat. Ventilation for your rabbit is extremely important.
If flooring of the hutch is above ground level DO NOT use chicken wire, as this can cut your rabbit’s feet. Use welded wire mesh 2.5 x 2.5cm or a slatted floor well covered with layers of newspaper (removed and cleaned each day) and either straw or hay.
Exterior of hutch may be protected with gloss paint or polyurethane varnish. DO NOT use lead base paint, DO NOT use tanalised timber.
See Figure 1 for example of outside hutch. Note: Hutches are also available commercially. The use of a portable hutch is extremely useful for allowing rabbits “free range” food during nice weather. This is good for rabbits.
Figure 2 should not be used as a permanent cage. It should also have a netting base on the ground level to ensure your rabbit does not burrow out.
DOORS: The hutch needs separate doors to the day and sleeping compartments, both well fitting with good hinges and catches.
ROOF: Needs to be covered with roofing, felt, tiles etc., for good weather proofing, and should overhang the hutch to keep its sides dry and to prevent driving rain from saturating the interior.
FLOOR LITTER: Floor of day compartment needs a layer of litter spread on top of newspapers that will absorb the urine. Sleeping compartment needs layer of peat moss, litter, cat litter or untreated wood shavings about 5cm deep with a deep layer of straw on top. In severe weather it should be possible for the rabbit to sleep inside an entire ball of straw.
GNAWING BLOCK: Rabbits will damage their own hutch by gnawing to wear down incisor teeth. PLACE UNTREATED LOGS, BARK/TWIGS IN HUTCH TO FOR YOUR RABBIT TO GNAW. THIS IS GOOD FOR THEIR TEETH.
Figure 2
The use of a portable pen is of benefit to rabbits kept confined
to a hutch for long periods. Ensure part of the pen is covered to provide
shelter from sudden showers or hot sun.
· The entrance into the sleeping enclosure should not be too big as the design should replicate that of a burrow. In the wild the rabbit does plug its body to the opening to prevent predators entering.
· The roof of the rabbit’s sleeping quarters should be hinged and secure, a hinged roof allows for ease of access when cleaning out and the roof should be waterproof.
· The sleeping quarters should not sit directly on the ground – this is to avoid damp rising.
THE RUN IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE:
· Rabbits must be able to stretch, observe any rabbit in a hutch and you will see them trying to stretch. Sadly many rabbits are kept in hutches where they are unable to move naturally and this is extremely cruel.
· It is recommended that the height of the run be sufficient to enable the rabbit to stretch. The length also needs to be of a reasonable size so that the rabbits can exercise and play to prevent boredom. In the wild rabbits forage for several miles a day.
· Rabbits need to be to spend time in their run even when weather is bad without having to resort to the sleeping quarters.
Bedding
· Good quality hay should be available 24 hours per day and used in their sleeping quarters. The hay should be changed daily and must be kept dry.
· It is not advisable to use wood shavings from soft woods as the chemicals released can cause respiratory and liver problems.
EXERCISE THAT WILL HELP THE RABBIT’S BODY AND BRAIN
EXERCISING: The run should be sufficient that your rabbit can move around and exercise adequately. If your rabbit is easily handled it makes a nice change to bring him out of the hutch into the home and allow him to hop about.
STIMULATION: A rabbit’s life can be extremely boring and frustrating. Stimulation and activities to enhance their mental wellbeing are important.
Suggestions to stimulate their daily life include the placement of NON chewable pipe that they can run through easily or hide in should they desire. Boxes or untreated logs that the rabbit can hop up and down on, pinecones to play with are fun for the rabbit. Another activity could include the placement of a litter tray in the corner of the run – fill the litter tray with sods of grass so your rabbit can eat and dig should it wish to.
Pet Rabbits require plenty of exercise – food should be scattered in their run or cage so they can look for it. Pallets should be fed in a bowl.
If your rabbit is of a placid nature he/she may enjoy a walk on a leash from time to time.
If rabbits are denied the needs as listed they can become unhappy and may develop behavioural problems. If they are denied a chance to dig their claws can become too long; if they are denied exercise they can suffer from brittle bones and obesity. If denied a chance to chew their teeth can grow too long and serious dental conditions can occur.
All of these factors should be taken into consideration before taking on such a responsibility. Sadly to many rabbits are dumped outside the doors of the SPCA, they are frightened and vulnerable, many in need of grooming. They have escaped from poorly designed hutches, only to be hit by cars or attacked by dogs or cats.
Rabbits live for 5 to 10 years,
Rabbits are for life, not just for Christmas.
Figure 1 Figure 2
