Westmorland Veterinary Group

Rabbits make a nice alternative pet to a dog or cat. They're not usually aggressive, dont have to be walked, and can easily be trained to use a litter tray. Rabbits are known for their easy breeding abilities, they reach sexual maturity at six months of age. Early neutering at 4-6 months is recommended to decrease both medical and behavioural problems.

Finding a healthy rabbit

Rabbits can be purchased at pet stores or through breeders. Ideally it is recommended that you should select a young bunny. Other things to look for are:

A nicely rounded animal - a rabbits back should be firm without a protruding backbone. Avoid skinny rabbits.
Bright, clear eyes.
A dry, clean tail - reject any rabbits with a sore anus or diarrhoea, indicated by a staining or matting of the fur under the tail.
A healthy coat - the coat should be smooth, glossy and clean, with no bare patches or parasites.
Clean ears.
Healthy claws & teeth - check the length of the claws to ensure that neither need trimming.
Sex - sexing young rabbits is not easy, even for experienced people. If you are getting rabbits from an RSPCA animal centre, branch or other welfare organisation, they will be happy to adivse you abou this.

Many rabbits are housed outside in a hutch with ready access to a grass run, although some people like to house their rabbit inside. The environmental temperature should be kept below 80F and should be well ventilated. Most owners use a portable dog or cat carrier as a cage, and use a towel as bedding. Wire rabbit cages are also fine. A concealed "hiding" area in the cage allows the rabbit to feel secure.

Within a rabbits home, they should be able to lie fully stretched out in any direction, take a sequence of consecutive unhindered hops, and sit up on their hind legs. Rabbits must have daily physical freedom so they can hop around and play, generally rummage about and, ideally graze.

In terms of bedding, rabbits need a warm, dry and comfortable floor surface. A thick layer of newspaper with a deep overlay of hay, rather than wood chippings and shavings. Straw often has sharp ends which can cause injury. A soft towel is appreciated by many rabbits and may help decrease the incidence of "sore hocks." A litter box, ceramic or steel food and water bowl should also be in the rabbits "house."

Naturally, rabbits are grazers, feeding mostly on grass and scrubland. Rabbits teeth never stop growing but are ground down naturally with the right diet.
Good quality hay such as alfalfa, grass or clover can be used to make up a pet rabbits diet. For rabbits less than one year old, pellets and hay can be available for the rabbit to eat as much as it wishes. For animals over one year of age, hay should make up most of the diet and be available at all times. Overfeeding pellets to adult rabbits is a common cause of disease. They can be offered at approxiamtely one quarter of a cup per 5 pounds of body weight. Fresh water should be available 24 hours a day.

It is perfectly natural for rabbits to eat their own droppings. This is called caecotrophy and is essential for digestion. Caocotrophy is fundamental to the rabbits health and must not be prevented.

Vaccinations

Your rabbit should be examined by a vet within 48 hours of purchase.
They can be given vaccinations against both Myxomatosis and Haemorhagic viral hepatitis. (VHD) Ask your vet about both these diseases, transmitted by insects and fleas, and preventative measures which can be taken against them.