Proper Feeding and Housing for Pet Rabbits

Rabbits are a great starter pet for a child who is learning about responsible pet ownership. They are fairly hardy pets that are gentle and tolerant. Any child will love a pet rabbit and spend lots of time caring for their new friend! While there are several types and breeds of rabbits, the basic care is fairly similar across the board. I will go over basic feeding and housing of your pet rabbits.

A rabbit's diet is very important to their overall health and well-being. Rabbits are natural vegetarians who love to chew. Their teeth are growing continually as all members of the rodent family. Many pet stores will sell a pellet feed that is specially formulated for rabbits. The daily dosage is determined by the weight of your rabbit. Generally speaking you will feed your rabbit one fluid ounce of feed per pound. There are about 8 fluid ounces in a cup. So your 8 pound rabbit will eat about one cup of rabbit pellet feed per day. Rabbits will over eat, so it is important to feed them daily and only place one days worth of food in their cage. Rabbits also like to forage, so feeding them alfalfa hay weekly will allow them to munch and chew through the hay. The hay also will create extra bedding in their home. Pet stores carry small cubes of pressed alfalfa hay for small animals. You can also buy special gnawing sticks for rabbits and other small rodent animals at many pet stores. These will help the rabbit to chew down their teeth and prevent overgrown teeth. Your rabbit should have access to fresh water at all times as well. It is best to not give your rabbit other house hold food such as lettuce and carrots. Their stomach may become inflated from the change in diet and result in death.

Your rabbits living environment is also very important to their overall well-being and health. A cage should be built with wire since rabbits are rodents who can chew through wood very quickly! Any fencing for small animals will to the job. The bottom of the cage should also be lined with wire so that the droppings and urine will not accumulate in the cage. If the rabbit is living in an unclean environment it may suffer from bacterial infections and parasites. Somewhere in the cage you will want to construct a small box that the rabbit can use as a house or bedding area. This will give them some added privacy and protection from the weather. Ideally you will want to cover the top of the cage with a solid surface to provide protection from the sun and the rain. You will want the cage to be about 3 feet deep and no more than 3 feet wide. This will allow for easy catching of the rabbit! If you make the cage too large, you may find yourself chasing after the hoppity rabbit! Feed can be placed in a tin or porcelain bowl, but water should be placed into a special rabbit waterer that attaches to the outside of the cage and has a nipple that enters the cage through the wire. Rabbits will spill their water and contaminate the bowl with dirt.

Once you have your feeding schedule made up and food purchased, and have your cage ready, you can purchase that rabbit! Rabbits are a simple animal that will make for a great first pet for your child! With some direction and guidance your child can have success with their rabbit!