Domestic Rabbit
(Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Diet: Herbivorous
Adult Size: Varies by breed from 2 lb-22lb
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Native To: Wild rabbits are found worldwide, but domestic breeds are mostly descended from European animals
Characteristics: Quiet, friendly, easy to tame and handle
 

Did You Know:

  • Over 40 breeds of domestic rabbit are recognized by the American Rabbit Breeders’
    Association

  • Rabbits twitch their noses to expose all their highly sensitive scent receptors to the
    air, helping them to detect predators. When a rabbit’s nose stops twitching, it’s both
    very relaxed and secure in its surroundings, or it’s asleep with its eyes open.

  • A rabbit’s ears represent about 10 percent of its body area. Aside from playing a
    critical role in the rabbit’s acute sense of hearing, which is important in escaping
    predators, the big ears help the rabbit stay cool by dissipating body heat.

  • Rabbits have excellent peripheral vision because their eyes are spread so far apart
    on their heads, but they cannot see food that’s placed directly in front of them.
Look Out For This:
Rabbits are world-class chewers. When let loose in a room, they will
quickly look for something to chew on. Wooden furniture legs,
carpet, electrical cord and bookshelf edges are favorite targets.
Rabbits should be let out of their enclosure for indoor romps, but the
rooms should be rabbit proofed, which means that any chewable
objects should be removed or covered to protect them and the pet.

The material below is a general guideline, and is not intended to serve as your sole sources of pet care information. Visit a veterinarian and consult a broad range of literature to ensure that your pet receives adequate care.

Things You Should Know About Rabbits

The Basics:

Rabbits were originally categorized as rodents, but now they are classified in the Lagomorpha order. A key difference between lagomorphs and rodents is that lagomorphs have four incisors in the upper jaw instead of the two found in rodents. Pet rabbits are originally descended from wild European animals, cross-bred by rabbit fanciers to create the hundreds of different color, shape and size variations we see today.
Although they’re very social in the wild, rabbits can be wary of one another when kept as pets. Like people, different rabbits have different personalities, and some are more sociable
than others. Rabbits that don’t see eye to eye can get into intense fights that can result in serious injury or even death. However, many rabbits do get along, especially if they’re
littermates or they’re introduced to one another gradually.
Rabbits that have been spayed or neutered also are more likely to be companionable. As far as getting along with their human companions is concerned, rabbits are warm, affable and infinitely amusing pets that are ready to provide years of companionship when given the proper care.

Enclosure: They Need Room:

The cage or hutch should be spacious enough for the rabbit to
move about freely, at least four times the animal’s length. A good rule of thumb is to allow 1 square foot of floor space for every pound the rabbit weighs, with enough height for it to
stand up on its hind legs. Of course, the bigger the enclosure, the better. The enclosure must be well ventilated, and placed in a well lit location away from drafts, direct sunlight, or any area where the temperature fluctuates wildly. Rabbit enclosures should never be placed in a cold basement or an attic. Never use an enclosure with wire mesh floors, since they can cause foot and leg sores. If housed in a cage with a wire floor, the animal will likely choose to spend all of its time
sitting in its litter box to spare its tender feet. Solid floors will contribute greatly to the health and well-being of a pet rabbit.
The enclosure floor should be covered with a layer of hay, straw or aspen shavings to keep the rabbit cozy. Never use cedar or pine based products, since they can cause severe
respiratory problems. Rabbits have traditionally been housed in outdoor hutches, but most experts today strongly
discourage this. Even if the climate is kind enough, outdoor rabbits often fall victim to predators. Dogs have been known to pull parts of the rabbit through the wires and eat the
available limb. Raccoons can easily break through the strongest wire mesh, and even if the predator can’t physically reach the rabbit, the very sight of it peering in is likely to bring on a heart attack. Outdoor rabbits are also more vulnerable to diseases, pests and parasites, and are less likely
to become part of the family and bond with their owner than are indoor pets. One solution is to build an outdoor rabbit pen where the animal can be placed when the weather is fine, to run around freely under the supervision of its keeper. A rabbit must never be left alone outdoors – it can soon dig his way out, or be attacked by a passing cat. Some rabbits will tolerate a harness and leash for a supervised trip outside to exercise. Be sure to get the rabbit used to the harness prior to going outside, to prevent an unfortunate incident. Just because the rabbit will come to you inside does not mean that it will come to you if it gets loose outside.

Outside The Enclosure: Rabbit Proof Rooms:

Being active, athletic animals, rabbits must be let
outside the enclosure to explore a room or two in the house. Rabbits should only be let out in rooms that have been rabbit-proofed. Make sure any nooks or crannies that the rabbit can
squeeze into have been securely blocked. Remove all household cleaning products, potentially poisonous plants, and electrical wires. Wooden furniture legs should be covered, and if possible the room should be uncarpeted. A rabbit should never be left in a room without supervision by a responsible person.

Litter Box: Bunny Bathroom:

Being very clean animals by nature, rabbits will often choose to designate one corner of their enclosure as the bathroom in order to keep the rest of their living quarters fresh. If it becomes apparent that more droppings are being found in one
part of the cage than anywhere else, a litter box should be placed there. After lining it with newspaper, fill it with hay or pelleted newspaper cat litter. Clay cat litters should not be used, since they can cause digestive or respiratory problems in rabbits. Clean out the litter box daily. If the rabbit seems reluctant to use the litter box at first, place a few of its own droppings inside to help it understand the box’s purpose.
Lighting: Rabbits have no special lighting requirements, other than a 12-hour on/12-hour off day/night cycle.

Temperature & Humidity: Cool Is Better Than Warm:

Rabbits will do fine at normal room temperatures, provided things don’t get too hot. A rabbit is much better equipped to handle cooler temperatures than warmer ones. When the thermometer reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, heatstroke becomes a real risk for rabbits. A rabbit approaching heatstroke will lie down, stretch out, pant and possibly foam at the mouth. Impending heatstroke is a medical emergency and veterinary care must be sought at
once. Before reaching the vet, a rabbit should be place in a cool, shaded area, and a cold, wet towel should be placed around the ears. The animal can also be placed in a rubber tote with ice in the bottom and 2-3 towels as insulation between the rabbit and the ice. Make sure to monitor the temperature that the rabbit is in contact with to prevent over chilling.

Food & Diet: Grass Hay Is Great:

Rabbits need a constant supply of a grass hay such as rye grass or timothy hay. Alfalfa hay is not recommended for any rabbit, but a baby, since it does not supply enough fiber. Eating hay not only keeps the digestive system healthy, but also helps wear the teeth down. Limited commercial rabbit pellets or dry food can also be given, as part of a diet rich in hay and vegetable matter – too much dry or pelleted food can lead to obesity, gastrointestinal stasis, or chronic diarrhea. Rabbits also enjoy a mix of fresh leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, red or dark green lettuces, turnip greens and carrot tops. Always introduce new vegetables gradually - some are tolerated better than others. If the animal shows no sign of diarrhea or gas, the new vegetable can be given in larger quantities. Give rabbits a mixture of different kinds of vegetables at each serving, offering about two cups of vegetable for each 6lb of the animal’s body weight. Avoid cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, since they cause painful gas in most rabbits. Offer food in a heavy ceramic bowl to prevent the animal tipping it over.
The rabbit’s fibrous diet of hay and vegetable matter is hard to digest efficiently, so it has to eat its food twice to extract all the nutrients it needs. Rabbits produce two kinds of droppings – the dry, hard pellets normally found in rabbit cages, and a softer, shiny mucus-coated dropping known as a cecal or cecotrope. Rabbits gain more nutrition from eating cecals than they do from eating regular food, since these partially digested droppings contain beneficial bacteria picked up on their way through the digestive system. Finding a large amount of uneaten cecals in the cage can be the first sign of illness – observe the animal carefully for any other symptoms. Like rodents, rabbits have incisor teeth that grow constantly. If rabbits do not wear down their teeth by chewing, the teeth will grow too long and they will starve. A diet offering plenty of grass hay and other roughage will wear down a pet rabbit’s teeth. As an added step, rabbits should be provided with wooden chew toys and blocks. Also, your rabbit should have yearly oral exams by a veterinarian. If there are problems, early treatment is the best. If let loose in the house, many rabbits will chew carpet - this must be prevented, since ingested carpet fibers will result in a digestive tract obstruction – this is a veterinary emergency.
Water: They Need Plenty Of Fresh Water: Rabbits need a constant supply of clean, fresh chlorine-free water, most preferring a cage-mounted drinking bottle to a dish. Change the water daily, and check for leakage - the water should only come out when the animal sips at the tube.
A Note About Water: All water given to this pet must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals. (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.
Grooming: Brushing Is Essential: Since rabbits lick their coats like cats, they can develop
hairballs. However, rabbits are unable to cough up or vomit their hairballs, so the accumulated mass of hair and food can lead to a fatal intestinal blockage. Rabbits that are
ingesting too much hair as a result of grooming will have small droppings, sometimes with hair visible in them. Regular brushing will remove loose hair and reduce the risk of
hairballs. Every three months, rabbits enter a shedding period during which time they must be brushed several times a day. Every alternate shed will be heavy, with massive fur loss. The
next time the animal sheds, fur loss will be lighter. Rabbits shed in different ways: some take two weeks or more to lose their old coats, while others drop all the fur in one day.
These animals in particular must be groomed as soon as they start shedding and every couple of hours thereafter, since they could easily ingest most of their coat in a single licking. Rabbits may develop bald spots during a shed, but the hair will usually grow back within a week or so.
 

Bright Idea:
In their natural environment, the roughage rabbits eat keeps their
teeth trim. As pets, however, rabbits can develop dental disease if their diet
doesn’t include enough abrasive material. In addition to being fed a proper
diet, a rabbit should be taken to a veterinarian for a dental exam once a year.
The rabbit’s keeper should also routinely conduct at-home dental exams,
looking for the signs of oral problems, which include loss of appetite, watery or
bulging eyes, nasal discharge, teeth grinding, “sloppy eating” (food falling
from the mouth), and lumps around the jaw and eyes.
How to Handle A Rabbit:
A rabbit that is handled at a young age typically becomes very comfortable with the whole
notion of being held by a human companion. When picking up a rabbit, approach the
animal slowly and calmly, speaking in a gentle voice. Gently pull the rabbit toward you,
placing one hand against his hindquarters, and softly holding the scruff of his neck with the
other hand. Then place one hand under the rabbit’s chest and the other under his rump. It’s
critically important to support the rabbit’s hindquarters to protect against spinal injuries.
Lift the rabbit up with the hand under his chest, while supporting his hindquarters. Pull the
rabbit toward you as you lift, so his head is facing the opposite direction to yours. Gently
slide your hand from under the rabbit’s chest as you press his forequarters against your
side. The idea is to hold and carry the rabbit so his head is tucked under your arm sticking
out behind you, between your body and elbow. Rabbits should never be picked up by the
ears. Also, avoid putting a rabbit on his back, since this induces stress.

Rabbits Around The House:
Rabbits need regular exercise - without it they are likely to become obese and develop a
variety of physical ailments that can reduce the quality and length of their lives. A rabbit
needs at least two hours of exercise daily. This means letting the rabbit outside its cage to
play in a secure and safe area inside the house or outdoors. Do not give a rabbit free range
of the house. Instead, limit its explorations to one or two rabbit-proof room(s) of the house.
This room should be secure and escape proof, with no exposed electrical cords or wires that
the rabbit can chew, no houseplants or cleaning supplies that can be harmful to a rabbit,
and no exposed wooden furniture legs that the rabbit can chew on. If possible the room
should not have carpeting on the floors, since this is likely to be chewed by the rabbit.
Rabbits can also be let out in a secure and enclosed outdoor area. Make absolutely sure that
this area is escape-proof with a fence that the rabbit cannot hop over, squeeze through or
dig under. The outdoor area should also be free of toxic plants or garden chemicals that can
harm a rabbit.
Whether a rabbit is allowed to roam indoors or out, it should always be closely supervised
by its human companion. Aside from its own capacity to escape or get into trouble, a rabbit
that’s left alone outdoors can fall victim to predators such as a cat. A rabbit can become
accustomed to a harness and leash - it is important that the rabbit becomes familiar with the
leash and harness prior to trying it outside.
Rabbit keepers should also make sure that their pets are never left alone with dogs, cats,
parrots or other companion animals. Many of these pets will naturally regard the rabbit as a
prey animal, so their interactions should always be monitored carefully.

 

Cleaning The Enclosure:
As is true for other small pets, a clean cage is critical to a rabbit’s good health. Many of the
most common ailments afflicting pet rabbits can be traced to dirty enclosures. A pet
rabbit’s cage should be inspected daily, and uneaten food and fecal material should be
removed. (If a rabbit uses a litter box, fecal material should be removed daily, and the litter
should be changed twice a week.) Inspect the bedding at the start and end of every day,
picking out droppings and removing uneaten food. Empty out, clean and refill the litter pan
daily, disinfecting it weekly.
Once a week, empty out all the bedding and thoroughly clean the hutch and accessories
with hot, soapy water using a scrubbing brush. Rinse and dry everything thoroughly before
putting in fresh bedding and replacing the accessories.
Periodically disinfect the cage with a product designed for small animals or a bleach
solution, following the guidelines found earlier in this manual. Rabbits should be placed in
a secure “holding” cage or tank while their cage is cleaned. Always wear rubber gloves
when cleaning a rabbit’s cage, and wash your hands afterward.

 
Common Rabbit Ailments
In the wild, the weakest creatures at the bottom of the food chain are the first choice of
predators. So it isn’t surprising that rabbits, like other prey animals, have become very
adept at hiding injuries and illnesses. While adaptive in nature, this trait among rabbit can
pose a special challenge for pet owners.
Medical problems in a rabbit are often difficult to detect in their early stages. The rabbit
keeper should be very aware of a pet’s normal behavioral patterns, as well as its physical
condition. Any sudden and dramatic changes should trigger an immediate response. In
most cases, this will include a call to the veterinarian.
Typical signs that could be indicative of an emerging medical problem include blood in the
urine (rabbit urine is normally yellow to rusty orange in color), a high level of salivation
(often indicative of dental problems), diarrhea, head tilting (a sign of ear infection), labored
breathing, a loss of appetite, runny eyes, or lethargy.
A rabbit that exhibits these symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian. If a rabbit hasn’t
produced any stool in 24 hours, it should also be taken to a veterinarian promptly. Here are
some of the more common ailments that afflict rabbits:
  • Loss of balance, tilting the head to one side, lying down with head on floor,
    hopping in circles, moving eyes rapidly from side to side: These symptoms suggest
    wry neck, which is a disturbance of the inner ear or possible brain. The severity of
    the condition depends on the cause of the ear disturbance - from a simply cured ear
    infection to head trauma, or a more serious parasitic infection known as E. cuniculi.
    Seek veterinary advice immediately.
  • Bordetellosis – A rabbit that sneezes often, has nasal discharges and labored
    breathing, isn’t interested in eating and is generally lethargic, may well be suffering
    from this respiratory disease. Similar to “kennel cough” in dogs, it irritates the
    lungs, nasal passages and bronchial passages, and is more likely to affect older
    rabbits. Veterinary care should be sought immediately.
  • Pasteurellosis – This is another respiratory disease affecting rabbits. Its symptoms
    are very similar, but might also include lumps and head tilting or shaking.
    Treatment from a veterinarian should be sought promptly.
  • Ear Mites – Signs of this problem include dark crusty discharge from the ear,
    incessant scratching of the ear and head shaking. This condition is very contagious
    from rabbit to rabbit, so infected rabbits should be separated. A veterinarian can
    effectively treat ear mites with topical medication.
  • Flea Infestation – Just like dogs and cats, rabbits can become infested with fleas. A
    veterinarian should be consulted for treatment of flea infestation.
  • Fur Mite Infestation – Tiny spider-like fur mites can infest a rabbit causing flaky
    skin, red skin patches and the loss of hair in clumps. The common name for this
    condition is walking dandruff. A veterinarian can prescribe medication to rid the
    rabbit of this parasite. Since mites can survive for days in carpet and bedding, the
    rabbit’s environment must be treated too.
  • Enteritis – This is an intestinal disorder that can cause diarrhea, bloat, protruding
    eyes, teeth crunching and weight loss. A rabbit suffering from this condition tends
    to act agitated and restless. Common causes of the disease are: an improper diet,
    stress, or exposure to antibiotics. The gastrointestinal tract of a rabbit contains
    beneficial bacteria that are essential to the digestive process. As a result, great care
    must be taken not to kill this “good bacteria” along with the “bad” when
    administering antibiotics to rabbits. This is one reason to choose a veterinarian
    who’s experienced in treating rabbits.
  • Malocclusion – This is a relatively common dental disease in which improperly
    aligned teeth don’t wear down sufficiently. As a result, the teeth become too long,
    making it difficult for the rabbit to chew and eat. Providing a rabbit with chew toys
    and a diet rich in abrasive material will reduce the risk of overgrown teeth. Rabbits
    should visit the veterinarian once a year for an oral and general health exam. A
    rabbit exhibiting the signs of malocclusion (poor appetite, drooling/excessive
    salivation, teary and bulgy eyes, teeth grinding, food dropping from mouth) should
    be taken to a veterinarian immediately.
  • Heatstroke – Rabbits can tolerate cool temperatures better than heat. When the
    temperature is in the 80s, rabbits run the risk of heatstroke. Symptoms of heatstroke
    include rapid breathing, panting, foaming at the mouth, or lying stretched out in a
    prone position. In these cases, move the rabbit into a cool area, and place a cold,
    wet towel around his ears. Then seek veterinary care immediately.
  • Pododermatitis (Sore Hocks) -- This is when the joints closest to the paws on the
    hind legs become inflamed, and often infected as well. Typically, this condition is
    the result of a rabbit being overweight and under-exercised. It is also caused by
    cage floors that are dirty or damp. Wire cage floors that do not provide the rabbit
    with a smooth surface are another prime cause of sore hocks. The condition is
    treatable by veterinarians.

What's The Right Weight For A Rabbit?
Rabbits are naturally sleek, athletic animals. If a rabbit is a normal weight, you will be able
to feel his ribs under the skin without feeling a layer of fat. The hindquarters will be free of
folds of skin, and the chest will not be bulging.

 

Rabbit urine can change colors as a result of diet. Typically it ranges from
light yellow to rust colored. However, if the urine is bright red, it may well
be a sign of internal bleeding. In these cases, a veterinarian should be
consulted promptly.

.


Recommended Rabbit Supplies:

  • Cage and (optional) hutch

  • Rabbit Food

  • Timothy Hay

  • Chew Block

  • Litter Box

  • Pelleted Paper Litter

  • Hiding Area

  • Absorbent, Dust-Free Bedding

  • Metal Tipped Water Bottle

  • Food Bowl

  • Harness and leash