Rabbits

Rabbits can make incredibly fun and wonderful pets. Ranging from large in size with a fluffy hair coat and floppy ears, to small with a smooth hair coat and straight ears, rabbits come in all different shapes and sizes. They can be very curious creatures and very highly social, so It is a good idea if you are thinking of getting a rabbit to handle them often in order to best socialize them. You can even train them to use a litter box!

At Chatham Animal Clinic, we offer wellness exams, nail trims, critical care, and dental evaluation.

  • Life span 5-12 years
  • Adult Weight: Species dependent 1-15 pounds
  • Sexual Maturity 4-7 months
  • Highly social creatures thus it is good to work on handling from a young age
  • Can be litterbox trained
  • Very curious thus need constant supervision when outside of their normal environment
  • Will chew anything including furniture and electrical cords
  • Don’t forget they are prey creatures so usually keeping them in a quiet location is necessary
  • Unlimited high quality grass hay such as timothy, oat, or brome
  • Limit pellets to ¼- ½ cups per day because the grass hay is much better for their teeth and promotes a healthy gut/intestinal motility
  • Feed up to 1 cup per 4 pounds of body weight in greens such as Kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, collard greens, mustard
  • greens, and cilantro. Avoid iceberg lettuce because it lacks nutrition
  • Add in a few apples, pears, peaches, carrots or green bell peppers as treats
  • Avoid or limit high-sugar treats such as bananas, raisins, or yogurt treats
  • Supply unlimited fresh water daily.
  • Make sure you have a cage that is large enough for them to explore and get exercise with a wire or solid bottom
  • Rabbit “proof” the cage by making sure it is escape proof with proper locking mechanisms
  • Make sure the cage does not contain any toxic material such as lead paint and is not near any chewing hazards such as electrical cords
  • If a litter box is being used, make sure to use paper litter pellets or shredded recycled newspaper or minimal dusty shavings (avoid pine or cedar shavings because the dust can cause respiratory infections). Clean the litter box daily just like you would your household cat
  • Provide rabbit safe toys such as chewing wooden blocks, cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls in order to enrich the environment
  • Provide a house or “nesting box” in which they can hide if they feel threatened or just want quiet time.
  • Proper handling is very important because improper handling can cause serious life-threatening injuries such as back fractures which will cause paralysis
  • If a rabbit resists physical restraint, it should be released and approached later when it has calmed down.
  • The best way to pick up or approach a rabbit is by covering the eyes with one hand and lightly stroking the rabbit with your other hand.
  • When holding a rabbit make sure that the body weight and rear is being supported adequately
  • Never pick up a rabbit by the ears
  • If you are concerned about being scratched or bitten, place a towel over the rabbit and wrap it around the body in order to restrain the feet before picking up.
  • You can also slide one hand under the breastbone of the rabbit and grasp both front legs between one hand and support the rear with the other hand
  • Annual health and wellness exams are recommended
  • Spaying and neutering are recommended in order to help prevent cancer later in life and decrease the chance of unwanted pregnancies if there are more than 1 rabbit in the environment and to decrease aggressive behaviors that can be displayed.
  • Since rabbits are prey species, they will hide any sickness behaviors as long as they can meaning you must pay special attention to your rabbits eating and social habits.
    • Watch for a decrease in eating
    • Watch for decrease in energy level
    • Make sure they are urinating and pooping daily

Rabbits

Rabbits can make incredibly fun and wonderful pets. Ranging from large in size with a fluffy hair coat and floppy ears, to small with a smooth hair coat and straight ears, rabbits come in all different shapes and sizes. They can be very curious creatures and very highly social, so It is a good idea if you are thinking of getting a rabbit to handle them often in order to best socialize them. You can even train them to use a litter box!

At Chatham Animal Clinic, we offer wellness exams, nail trims, critical care, and dental evaluation.

  • Life span 5-12 years
  • Adult Weight: Species dependent 1-15 pounds
  • Sexual Maturity 4-7 months
  • Highly social creatures thus it is good to work on handling from a young age
  • Can be litterbox trained
  • Very curious thus need constant supervision when outside of their normal environment
  • Will chew anything including furniture and electrical cords
  • Don’t forget they are prey creatures so usually keeping them in a quiet location is necessary
  • Unlimited high quality grass hay such as timothy, oat, or brome
  • Limit pellets to ¼- ½ cups per day because the grass hay is much better for their teeth and promotes a healthy gut/intestinal motility
  • Feed up to 1 cup per 4 pounds of body weight in greens such as Kale, parsley, romaine lettuce, green leaf lettuce, collard greens, mustard
  • greens, and cilantro. Avoid iceberg lettuce because it lacks nutrition
  • Add in a few apples, pears, peaches, carrots or green bell peppers as treats
  • Avoid or limit high-sugar treats such as bananas, raisins, or yogurt treats
  • Supply unlimited fresh water daily.
  • Make sure you have a cage that is large enough for them to explore and get exercise with a wire or solid bottom
  • Rabbit “proof” the cage by making sure it is escape proof with proper locking mechanisms
  • Make sure the cage does not contain any toxic material such as lead paint and is not near any chewing hazards such as electrical cords
  • If a litter box is being used, make sure to use paper litter pellets or shredded recycled newspaper or minimal dusty shavings (avoid pine or cedar shavings because the dust can cause respiratory infections). Clean the litter box daily just like you would your household cat
  • Provide rabbit safe toys such as chewing wooden blocks, cardboard boxes, paper towel rolls in order to enrich the environment
  • Provide a house or “nesting box” in which they can hide if they feel threatened or just want quiet time.
  • Proper handling is very important because improper handling can cause serious life-threatening injuries such as back fractures which will cause paralysis
  • If a rabbit resists physical restraint, it should be released and approached later when it has calmed down.
  • The best way to pick up or approach a rabbit is by covering the eyes with one hand and lightly stroking the rabbit with your other hand.
  • When holding a rabbit make sure that the body weight and rear is being supported adequately
  • Never pick up a rabbit by the ears
  • If you are concerned about being scratched or bitten, place a towel over the rabbit and wrap it around the body in order to restrain the feet before picking up.
  • You can also slide one hand under the breastbone of the rabbit and grasp both front legs between one hand and support the rear with the other hand
  • Annual health and wellness exams are recommended
  • Spaying and neutering are recommended in order to help prevent cancer later in life and decrease the chance of unwanted pregnancies if there are more than 1 rabbit in the environment and to decrease aggressive behaviors that can be displayed.
  • Since rabbits are prey species, they will hide any sickness behaviors as long as they can meaning you must pay special attention to your rabbits eating and social habits.
    • Watch for a decrease in eating
    • Watch for decrease in energy level
    • Make sure they are urinating and pooping daily