How to care for Bunny Rabbits 

Orange and white floppy eared bunny rabbit

Bunnies are so cute and adorable. They say the average life span for a bunny rabbit is five to six years, but I’ve known some to live up to twelve years. When purchasing a bunny; there is no way of knowing if the rabbit is in good health or not, until you notice the slowing down of its activity level.

Veterinary bills are just as much as taking a dog for checkup. Rabbits are very quiet; they do not make noise unless they are being hurt. If they are spooked, or nervous they may tap their back foot on the ground. Just like Thumper in the Disney movie classic “Bambi”.
  
They are clean animals, if you provide a plastic toilet corner bowl, and fill it with wood shavings, they will constantly use it, and keep the rest of their cage fairly clean. But their toilet will have a bit of an odour to it; I do not recommend placing the cage in one of your bedrooms. Rabbits may also move a lot at night, so if you are a light sleeper you will not have a sound sleep.

Just like any living being, bunnies need daylight. Some people would get a bunny and place it in the darkness of a basement. This will shorten its life span. It is also true for Hamsters, Gerbils or Guinea Pigs. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight, you don’t want them to be over heated and may trigger a heart attack. The bunnies’ heart is very small if they become too stressed it will cause them a heart failure and die.
Wired bottom cages are uncomfortable for bunnies, and can create sores on their feet (paws). If your bunny is having these issues line the cage with few stacks of newspapers; this will give them enough cushioning to recover. 

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Heavy ceramic food and water bowls are recommended, rabbits constantly move things around with their mouths, if you have light stainless steel bowls; they will be constantly flipped over and food is wasted. Wet cages are not good for bunnies either; they always like to be dry especially where they sleep. It is very important to give them fresh water every day. 

Lop eared bunny enjoying the garden

Bunny rabbit sniffing a leaf

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Dry food pellet should always be available in their bowl, but in order to add to their nutritional value; place a couple of large carrots every day along with few pieces of mini wheat cereal which they love so much. They might like also fruit loops, now... what I mean by few pieces is just 4 to 5. Cereal is full of sugar, and as you know too much sugar is not good; but serial is fortified with minerals, and that is good for the health of your bunny. Do not offer anything with chocolate; usually it is not good for any animal. Parsley is one their favourite greens and has less water than other greens. If they eat a lot of fruits, and veggies that contains a lot of water in it like lettuce; they will have the runs (soft poo), which will make them sick. Dry pellet food should be constant along with some wedges of apple, or peach, or pear, carrots, and parsley is the perfect combination. They may like also to nibble on some bunny hay or alfalfa. Try to offer them some greens from your garden, just make sure no chemicals are involved.

Let your bunny run in the room for few minutes a day, but keep an eye on it; bunnies are curious and nibble at everything, so they could get themselves in trouble. Be careful how you step because they could be following your feet and you may step on them by accident. They love to run, and hop in the air wistfully, that is a sign of a happy bunny.

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