DIET: Rabbits eat mostly Timothy hay. They also eat pellets which you put in a heavy ceramic bowl. We feed our rabbits 1/4 cup of pellets per rabbit per day. We feed our rabbits as much Timothy hay as they can eat. We put the Timothy hay in a hayrack to keep it off the floor of the hutch/cage. We get all of our hay and pellets from Oxbow and ZuPreem. Good hay should smell very sweet. We also feed our rabbits a small amout of oats occasionally as a treat food. Since lionhead rabbits have alot of fur, they can choke if the fur gets in their throat. Papaya tablets help prevent furballs so you should give your rabbit one daily.
WATER: Bunnies need to have a clean fresh bottle of water at all times. You can use bowls too but some bunnies may tip them over and make a big mess. If your rabbit is living in a hutch outside in the winter you will need to get a heated water bottle so the water doesn't freeze. Some bunnies only drink from bottles with a ball bearing at the feed. They might need to be taught how to drink from a bottle with a wire at the opening such as the heated ones. Watch your bunny carefully for a few days after they get a new bottle to make sure they are drinking from it. You may have to teach your bunny how to use the new bottle by bringing his/her mouth over to it and releasing some water by using your finger.
VEGGIES: Bunnies can also eat A SMALL AMOUNT OF occasional fresh greens. Celery, carrots, parsley, and spring mix are the vegetables bunnies like the best. If your lawn is safe from dangerous chemicals you can feed rabbits dandelion greens from it.
OUTSIDE OR INSIDE?: You may wonder if you should keep your bunny inside or outside. Their is some risks to putting your bunnies outside. For example heat, bugs, and anxiety. Since bunnies have fur coats they don't tolerate temperatures over 80 degrees well. Outside hutches must be kept in the shade. When the temperatures aproach 80 we place a bottle full of ice in the hutch for our bunnies to lay next to. Another reason why you might want to keep your bunny inside is flies. A fly can bite your bunny and leave a cut sore that can be infected with larvae. If you do decide to put your bunny in a hutch outside, make sure you cover it up with a plastic tarp when it rains. Also make sure to change the hay immediately if it gets wet so it does not get moldy. Some bunnies get anxiety from being outside.
LITTER TRAINING: Many of our rabbits are litter trained we use a corner litter pan and paper pelleted cat litter. You can litter train a rabbit by placing their litter pan in the area where they go to the bathroom. It also helps to put some bunny poops and a paper towel soaked with bunny urine in the litter pan.
BEDDING: We use no bedding with our rabbits except for timothy hay in the nest box. Timothy hay should never be allowed to get damp and should be immediately replaced if it gets wet or damp.
HOLDING A RABBIT: Rabbits have very strong back legs. If they are not supported at the back a rabbit could kick and break its back. You should always use two hands to hold your rabbit. One grasping it around the middle and the other underneath or supporting its back end.
FUR: You should groom your rabbit regularly by brushing or combing it with a small animal brush. Also make sure nothing is stuck in their fur.
WATER: Bunnies need to have a clean fresh bottle of water at all times. You can use bowls too but some bunnies may tip them over and make a big mess. If your rabbit is living in a hutch outside in the winter you will need to get a heated water bottle so the water doesn't freeze. Some bunnies only drink from bottles with a ball bearing at the feed. They might need to be taught how to drink from a bottle with a wire at the opening such as the heated ones. Watch your bunny carefully for a few days after they get a new bottle to make sure they are drinking from it. You may have to teach your bunny how to use the new bottle by bringing his/her mouth over to it and releasing some water by using your finger.
VEGGIES: Bunnies can also eat A SMALL AMOUNT OF occasional fresh greens. Celery, carrots, parsley, and spring mix are the vegetables bunnies like the best. If your lawn is safe from dangerous chemicals you can feed rabbits dandelion greens from it.
OUTSIDE OR INSIDE?: You may wonder if you should keep your bunny inside or outside. Their is some risks to putting your bunnies outside. For example heat, bugs, and anxiety. Since bunnies have fur coats they don't tolerate temperatures over 80 degrees well. Outside hutches must be kept in the shade. When the temperatures aproach 80 we place a bottle full of ice in the hutch for our bunnies to lay next to. Another reason why you might want to keep your bunny inside is flies. A fly can bite your bunny and leave a cut sore that can be infected with larvae. If you do decide to put your bunny in a hutch outside, make sure you cover it up with a plastic tarp when it rains. Also make sure to change the hay immediately if it gets wet so it does not get moldy. Some bunnies get anxiety from being outside.
LITTER TRAINING: Many of our rabbits are litter trained we use a corner litter pan and paper pelleted cat litter. You can litter train a rabbit by placing their litter pan in the area where they go to the bathroom. It also helps to put some bunny poops and a paper towel soaked with bunny urine in the litter pan.
BEDDING: We use no bedding with our rabbits except for timothy hay in the nest box. Timothy hay should never be allowed to get damp and should be immediately replaced if it gets wet or damp.
HOLDING A RABBIT: Rabbits have very strong back legs. If they are not supported at the back a rabbit could kick and break its back. You should always use two hands to hold your rabbit. One grasping it around the middle and the other underneath or supporting its back end.
FUR: You should groom your rabbit regularly by brushing or combing it with a small animal brush. Also make sure nothing is stuck in their fur.
NAIL CLIPPING: If your rabbit's nails get long and sharp you may want to clip the points off them. Do not clip too much as if you cut them too short it cuts into the blood vessals in them and it could cause a lot of bleeding and pain.
CLEANING THE CAGE: You need to keep your bunny's cage nice and clean. You should clean the cage every couple days. To keep a bunny healthy he/she must live in a clean place. Cages/hutches can be wiped down with an animal friendly cleaning spray. We use "Healthy Habitat," which can be found in your local pet store.You must give your rabbit new hay for his nesting box so it doesn't get moldy. Also clean out your rabits water bottle/bowl every few days to make sure that your rabbit is getting nice fresh water.
SIGNS OF SICKNESS: If you see any of the following it is reason to contact your veternarian immediately: weeping eyes, trouble breathing, wheezing, open sores, sneezing, listlesness, not eating, not pooping and urinating, soft watery poop.
CLEANING THE CAGE: You need to keep your bunny's cage nice and clean. You should clean the cage every couple days. To keep a bunny healthy he/she must live in a clean place. Cages/hutches can be wiped down with an animal friendly cleaning spray. We use "Healthy Habitat," which can be found in your local pet store.You must give your rabbit new hay for his nesting box so it doesn't get moldy. Also clean out your rabits water bottle/bowl every few days to make sure that your rabbit is getting nice fresh water.
SIGNS OF SICKNESS: If you see any of the following it is reason to contact your veternarian immediately: weeping eyes, trouble breathing, wheezing, open sores, sneezing, listlesness, not eating, not pooping and urinating, soft watery poop.