Bunny Blue Eyes (Care Sheet)
Handling: Try not to handle your bunny too much the first 24-48 hours, just let her acclimate quietly to her new environment. Changes can be stressful to bunnies and this way she can acclimate to it slowly and calmly. Start by sitting next to bunny's cage and talking in a calm soothing voice. When you do start handling make sure you place one hand on the back and the other one under the bottom. Always make sure you are supporting bunny's bottom so they feel safe. Sitting is a great place to practice and once you feel more confident, which will also make bunny feel more at ease, you can try walking around.
Food : Timothy Hay and Rabbit Pellets. I use Purina Show, if you plan to switch to another brand just do so very gradually, try to take a good 2 weeks. Oxbow is a great brand that pet stores carry. Timothy Hay is the most important part of their diet and they should have a constant supply. Keep their hay in a hay rack off the floor.
Stools : Rabbit health lies mainly in their digestive system. Diarrhea is the number one cause of death in rabbits. If you see your bunny’s stools getting loose, stop feeding pellets and just feed hay. If the loose stools continue you can offer bunny some Old-fashioned oats or toast. When the stools look normal (hard little balls) you can add the pellets. If bunny’s poops get much smaller than normal this is not good either. Offer plenty of fresh leafy vegetables and if the poops don’t return to normal size or bunny isn’t eating, take him to the vet. Fresh pineapple juice works well for wool block and papaya tablets are also good for the long haired breed. Probiotics are a great thing to give your bunny if their stools seem a little irregular. You can find it at the pet store or online in powder or paste form. There is a certain type of poop that bunnies eat. It is called cecotropes and looks like soft grapelike clusters. This is an important part of their diet, you may see it once in a while and that is normal.
Grooming : Short haired bunnies don’t need much grooming, just check to make sure they don’t get anything stuck to their underside. They become better groomers as they mature. They will molt a couple times a year and need more brushing then. The Furminator Brush is great for the long haired breeds. Be very careful not to hit the vein when trimming nails.
Exercise: Exercise is very important to keep your bunny healthy. Ideally 1-2 hours per day, but no less than 15 minutes. It's also a lot of fun watching their true personalities come out in play and see them do their happy little jump spins! A small area in your house works well for playtime, or there are also small animal playpens that work well too. Just make sure there are no wires around that they can chew on (they will find them!) Add a fun little wooden house to hop on and a tunnel to explore and your bunny will be in paradise!
Temperature : All our bunnies have been raised indoors, but can live outside under the right conditions. In the summer, don’t let them stay outside if the temperature is above 80 degrees. Try putting a frozen water bottle in their hutch to keep them cool. Bunnies can die from heat stroke very quickly. In the winter make sure they have a house with plenty of hay and keep them dry.
Toys : Bunnies love to chew and need to as their teeth are always growing and this is the way they file them. Pet stores sell bunny toys or you can use toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, or non treated wood blocks. Wooden hay racks are great because they can hold hay and be used as a chew toy.
Good treats : Do not give your bunny fruits and vegetables before 6 months of age it can hurt their digestive system. Good treats include basil, spinach, beet greens, pineapple, carrots, carrot tops, cilantro, clover, collard greens, dandelion greens and flowers, endive, escarole, kale, mint, mustard greens, parsley, peppermint leaves, radish tops, raspberry, strawberry, and blackberry leaves, strawberries, apples, melons, peaches, plums, blueberries, banana, cheerios and shredded wheat. Remember, not in excess!
Bad treats : Alfalfa, lettuce, cabbage, candy, celery, broccoli, corn, nuts, sugar, and dried fruits (other than papaya)
Litter Training : All bunnies have been started, but may need to re learn a bit once they go to a new environment. They usually take well to litter training though and do very well. In the beginning it just takes a little patience and flexibility. Start bunny in a small area, preferably it's cage and supervise closely. They usually prefer to urinate in one particular corner. Take notice of which corner and place litter box there. If bunny goes in the litter box offer praise and a treat. If bunny starts to urinate outside of the litter box, calmly and gently place them on the litter box. Never scold or punish bunny for accidents. Just clean up and watch more closely next time.
Once bunny is using the litter box inside the cage you can let them outside the cage for playtime. Start with a small area and watch them closely. You will start to notice signs that your bunny is about to urinate or defecate like slightly lifting their tail. Calmly direct bunny to box. In large areas you may need to use more than one litter box.
For the litter box use all natural litters that are non-scented. Don’t use clay litter or cedar chips as they are harmful to bunnies. Newspaper, pine shavings, and Carefresh all work well. My favorite is called EZ Equine, it is a natural pine pellet pet bedding. Scatter-less litter pans work well. When litter training it’s best not to use bedding in the bottom of the cage because bunny will get confused and treat that as a litter box as well. Rabbit urine can change in color from yellow, orange to dark red and this is normal.
Any questions please don’t hesitate to ask us or your vet! rmburghen@gmail.com
Handling: Try not to handle your bunny too much the first 24-48 hours, just let her acclimate quietly to her new environment. Changes can be stressful to bunnies and this way she can acclimate to it slowly and calmly. Start by sitting next to bunny's cage and talking in a calm soothing voice. When you do start handling make sure you place one hand on the back and the other one under the bottom. Always make sure you are supporting bunny's bottom so they feel safe. Sitting is a great place to practice and once you feel more confident, which will also make bunny feel more at ease, you can try walking around.
Food : Timothy Hay and Rabbit Pellets. I use Purina Show, if you plan to switch to another brand just do so very gradually, try to take a good 2 weeks. Oxbow is a great brand that pet stores carry. Timothy Hay is the most important part of their diet and they should have a constant supply. Keep their hay in a hay rack off the floor.
Stools : Rabbit health lies mainly in their digestive system. Diarrhea is the number one cause of death in rabbits. If you see your bunny’s stools getting loose, stop feeding pellets and just feed hay. If the loose stools continue you can offer bunny some Old-fashioned oats or toast. When the stools look normal (hard little balls) you can add the pellets. If bunny’s poops get much smaller than normal this is not good either. Offer plenty of fresh leafy vegetables and if the poops don’t return to normal size or bunny isn’t eating, take him to the vet. Fresh pineapple juice works well for wool block and papaya tablets are also good for the long haired breed. Probiotics are a great thing to give your bunny if their stools seem a little irregular. You can find it at the pet store or online in powder or paste form. There is a certain type of poop that bunnies eat. It is called cecotropes and looks like soft grapelike clusters. This is an important part of their diet, you may see it once in a while and that is normal.
Grooming : Short haired bunnies don’t need much grooming, just check to make sure they don’t get anything stuck to their underside. They become better groomers as they mature. They will molt a couple times a year and need more brushing then. The Furminator Brush is great for the long haired breeds. Be very careful not to hit the vein when trimming nails.
Exercise: Exercise is very important to keep your bunny healthy. Ideally 1-2 hours per day, but no less than 15 minutes. It's also a lot of fun watching their true personalities come out in play and see them do their happy little jump spins! A small area in your house works well for playtime, or there are also small animal playpens that work well too. Just make sure there are no wires around that they can chew on (they will find them!) Add a fun little wooden house to hop on and a tunnel to explore and your bunny will be in paradise!
Temperature : All our bunnies have been raised indoors, but can live outside under the right conditions. In the summer, don’t let them stay outside if the temperature is above 80 degrees. Try putting a frozen water bottle in their hutch to keep them cool. Bunnies can die from heat stroke very quickly. In the winter make sure they have a house with plenty of hay and keep them dry.
Toys : Bunnies love to chew and need to as their teeth are always growing and this is the way they file them. Pet stores sell bunny toys or you can use toilet paper rolls, cardboard boxes, or non treated wood blocks. Wooden hay racks are great because they can hold hay and be used as a chew toy.
Good treats : Do not give your bunny fruits and vegetables before 6 months of age it can hurt their digestive system. Good treats include basil, spinach, beet greens, pineapple, carrots, carrot tops, cilantro, clover, collard greens, dandelion greens and flowers, endive, escarole, kale, mint, mustard greens, parsley, peppermint leaves, radish tops, raspberry, strawberry, and blackberry leaves, strawberries, apples, melons, peaches, plums, blueberries, banana, cheerios and shredded wheat. Remember, not in excess!
Bad treats : Alfalfa, lettuce, cabbage, candy, celery, broccoli, corn, nuts, sugar, and dried fruits (other than papaya)
Litter Training : All bunnies have been started, but may need to re learn a bit once they go to a new environment. They usually take well to litter training though and do very well. In the beginning it just takes a little patience and flexibility. Start bunny in a small area, preferably it's cage and supervise closely. They usually prefer to urinate in one particular corner. Take notice of which corner and place litter box there. If bunny goes in the litter box offer praise and a treat. If bunny starts to urinate outside of the litter box, calmly and gently place them on the litter box. Never scold or punish bunny for accidents. Just clean up and watch more closely next time.
Once bunny is using the litter box inside the cage you can let them outside the cage for playtime. Start with a small area and watch them closely. You will start to notice signs that your bunny is about to urinate or defecate like slightly lifting their tail. Calmly direct bunny to box. In large areas you may need to use more than one litter box.
For the litter box use all natural litters that are non-scented. Don’t use clay litter or cedar chips as they are harmful to bunnies. Newspaper, pine shavings, and Carefresh all work well. My favorite is called EZ Equine, it is a natural pine pellet pet bedding. Scatter-less litter pans work well. When litter training it’s best not to use bedding in the bottom of the cage because bunny will get confused and treat that as a litter box as well. Rabbit urine can change in color from yellow, orange to dark red and this is normal.
Any questions please don’t hesitate to ask us or your vet! rmburghen@gmail.com