How to pick up a rabbit correctly
One or Two Rabbits?
Thinking of buying or adopting a rabbit? If you can't spend most of your day and night with the rabbit then get two! Rabbits love company. Having two will not stop them loving you just as much as if they were an 'only rabbit'. Care needs to be taken when introducing two rabbits for the first time. The Rabbit Sanctuary can pair up your two rabbits of choice before you take them home.Cost of a Rabbit
This article gives you a good idea of the cost of buying and owning a rabbit or two.Housing a Rabbit
Where should you keep your new pet rabbits? Will you have a house rabbit that also has access to the garden for fresh air and grass? A house rabbit can be kept in a playpen with a litter tray, cat tunnel, food and water dishes and be there to be seen and interact with the family - to be part of the family.The Perfect Rabbit Water Dish
Rabbits love to lap water. They also love to put their paws into the water then wash their face. Water bottles are good back up but they need a dish of water. It is also a good idea to have a water bottle just in case their dish becomes empty or dirty.
See more about Rabbit Accessories.
Rabbit Grooming
For grooming your rabbit you need a little rabbit grooming comb. It is made of steel with fairly fine comb spacing and is the best we have come across for long or short haired rabbits. It will calmly groom out any problems. Rabbits love the soft stroking that relaxed grooming provides.
Rabbit Litter Tray Training
RABBIT LITTER TRAY TRAINING
Is quite easy if you have the correct bunny accessories and set up.
Rabbits in their natural environment tend to find one spot to toilet. This makes toilet training them easy.
ACCESSORIES FOR RABBIT LITTER TRAY TRAINING:
You need a large litter tray
An odourless pet litter
A sprinkling of edible hay over the litter
A hay rack or hay bag at the end of the tray hung from playpen fence
Rabbit Pellet dish in the tray under the hay rack or hay bag.
PLACEMENT OF THE RABBIT LITTER TRAY:
Place the rabbit's litter tray in a corner of their playpen for best results.
HOW TO TRAIN THE RABBIT TO USE THE LITTER TRAY:
Sweep up any 'mistakes' and put into the tray
Keep the floor of the playpen clean with white vinegar
Feed hay and pellets at the end of the tray which keeps the untrained bunny in the tray for longer periods.
Rabbits love to eat and poo so having your premium hay and rabbit pellets in the tray will encourage litter tray use.
Rabbit Bonding
Bonding two rabbits can be tricky. Click to read about our "Desensitisation Rabbit Bonding Method" used at The Rabbit Rescue Sanctuary.
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| Rabbit Playpen with Hutch Near Door to Garden |
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| Ceramic Water Dish and Ceramic Food Dish These are too heavy to knock over and are hygienic. |
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| Rabbit Hutch on Verandah with pet fence and litter tray. This would be greatly improved with fly screening the open areas to protect rabbits from insects carrying the deadly rabbit viruses.
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More Rabbit care information currently being developed for our blog. Please return soon. If you are thinking about adopting a rabbit please contact us for advice on 0416 062 947 and we will be pleased to give you advice and support.
To adopt a rabbit use this link to our rabbit adoption application form.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR PET RABBIT
Rabbits are an exotic pet. They require special care, diet and handling as they are prey animals and have tiny delicate bones and a sensitive digestive system. They are also susceptible to rabbit disease spread by mosquitoes, fleas and flies.
RABBIT HOUSING
Best rabbit house is Your House and here is why...- Rabbits are safest if kept inside the home away from mozzies and predators
- In the home they are there to play their part in family life
- Our research and experience shows that if rabbits are inside the home that children don't tire of them like they do if they are in a hutch outside.
- The family can interact with the bunnies during their daily activities making them better pets
Rabbits need room to run so a playpen in the home is best with time out daily
Rabbits need a place to hide away and view the world from. A Rabbit HoundHouse is ideal.
The best diet is one that is high in fibre. Hay is the basis for a high fibre diet. RABBIT WATERER
The best drinking dish is a 500ml ceramic bowl per bunny & here is why...Rabbits need 350ml of water daily so 500ml allows for spillage and evaporation
Two rabbits will need either two bowls or a bigger bowl
Ceramic bowls are easy to clean and keep water cool
Ceramic bowls are impossible for a rabbit to tip over ensuring permanent water
Water must be changed daily or more often if food gets in the water
Drinking bottles are dangerous and can stop working
RABBIT LITTER TRAY
The best litter tray is a large one with high sides and here is why...The bigger the litter tray the better the results. Put the tray in a corner. If the rabbits wee or poo in another area provide a second tray there. A low sided plastic storage box makes a good litter tray.
RABBIT BEHAVIOUR
Rabbit behaviour is very complex. Rabbits are territorial and this must be taken into account at all times. Rabbits need a bunny friend. Both must be desexed. Opposite sexes get on better as friends than same sex rabbits.
