Rabbits

If you have a rabbit or intend to get one, you must be prepared not to keep it confined in a cage for the whole of its life, which may be up to seven years. Rabbits are intelligent animals and respond well to affection but, sadly, the life of a rabbit is usually lonely and boring.

Housing

Usually, rabbits are housed outdoors in a hutch. If you decide to house your rabbit in this way, build or buy a good hutch at least 2 metres long, 80cm high and 80cm wide, which has a boarded-in sleeping area filled with fresh straw and newspaper, and a wired-in day run.

Predators such as dogs and cats must not be able to get near the run, and the wire must be strong enough to stop dogs from burrowing in.

The sleeping area must be raised off the ground and, if the day run is at ground level, make sure the sides go at least 10 cm underground to stop your rabbit from burrowing out and escaping. A box or bare cage will not do. The hutch needs to be waterproof and warm and should be placed in a sheltered spot free from wind and rain. Clean out the hutch thoroughly three times a week.

Your may chose to keep your rabbit indoors. If so, you must have the co-operation of everyone in the house to stop the rabbit from running away. The rabbit should have a secure, quiet place for it to go as it chooses. Rabbits can be successfully house-trained, and the best way to do this is to provide it with several litter trays and regularly place it in the tray. Reward any results with a treat and lots of praise. All rabbits love to chew, so make sure that electric cords are out of teeth’s reach.

Diet

Your rabbit’s main food should be rabbit pellets, but also provide plenty of fresh vegetables such as celery, cabbage and carrots. Rabbits need to chew, so ensure a supply of small branches or twigs, and every so often add straw and alfalfa hay to their diet. Don’t give sweet things, such as cake or chocolate. Fresh, clean water must always be available. The water bowl must be heavy enough to stop the rabbit from tipping it over. Young rabbits also need calcium supplements.

Handling & Grooming

Many people are surprised to learn that rabbits do not conform to the cute-and-cuddly image we have of them. Rabbits are independent and often prefer to sit beside you rather than on your lap. Rabbits can learn to accept routine handling, but it is best not to pick them up and carry them around in your arms endlessly.

Never lift a rabbit by its ears. This is totally wrong and could be compared to you being picked up by the ears. Rabbits regularly groom themselves. If your rabbit becomes dirty it usually means that its living conditions are unsatisfactory. Daily brushing of your rabbits coat will help to stop fur balls forming and will also make it tamer and easier to handle.

Health

Daily handling of your rabbit will give you a chance to check for fleas; lice; ticks; sores; wounds; and discharges from eyes, ears and nose. If you find anything unusual, see your veterinary surgeon. Constipation may be cured by giving more green-stuffs; diarrhoea may be cured by withholding greens for 24 hours and feeding only hay and water. If either condition persists for more than 24 hours, see you veterinary surgeon.

The rabbit’s front teeth, the incisors, keep growing throughout its life. To keep them in trim, rabbits need both hard food and a gnawing block. Any wood will serve as a gnawing block, but a newly cut log with the bark left on is best. You should note that rabbits pass two sorts of droppings – hard fibrous pellets (usually during the day) and soft faecal pellets (usually during the night) which will be eaten by the rabbit. This is a normal part of the rabbits digestive process and does not mean it is ill.

As there is evidence RCD (Rabbit Calicivirus Disease) has spread to the Wellington region, we advise that all rabbits be vaccinated.

Desexing

At 3-4 months of age you should contact your veterinary surgeon and arrange for your rabbit to be neutered (males). You will find that a desexed rabbit is less aggressive, easier to train, and generally happier and more contented. A rabbit can become pregnant at a very young age and can have up to 11 leverets (baby rabbits) in each litter and up to 12 litters each year. That’s 132 rabbits a year!

Rabbits & Other Animals

Generally, a rabbit will get along with cats, well-trained dogs, and other rabbits. Introduction to another rabbit should take place on neutral territory, i.e. outside the run. If both rabbits are desexed there is a good chance of a friendship forming, but two males are less likely to get along. The best situation is a female (doe) and a neutered male (buck), who will usually become inseparable. This is by far the best life a captive-born rabbit can have, compared to a lonely life cut off from its own kind. A guinea pig can also be kept with a rabbit. Cats and rabbits generally work their relationship out, but you can help by holding the cat on your lap and letting the rabbit check it out for itself. If you have a noisy or aggressive dog don’t get a rabbit, but if your dog is obedient, introduce them slowly and stay with them to make sure the dog behaves.

Points to Note

A rabbit is not a toy and should never be given to children as a plaything. If you want your children to learn about rabbits, you must be prepared to care for the rabbit every day and not neglect it. The best way to learn about rabbits if you don’t want one as a companion, is to buy a book about them.

Under normal conditions a rabbit makes no sounds. If your rabbit makes unusually excessive noise, it may be a good idea to take it to your veterinary surgeon.

Adoption Costs

Male $55 (neutered & vaccinated against RCD)
Female $20 (vaccinated against RCD)