Listed below are our top 10 tips of all time, when it comes to caring for rabbits and keeping them happy and healthy… We swear by them and would encourage all bunny parents to follow them each and every day.
1. Check your rabbits are eating and drinking every single day!
Never just place down their food and walk away. Observe their eating/drinking habits as much as you can every day and you will be able to tell quite quickly if your rabbit is feeling perfectly fine or if they are feeling ill!
2. Spend time with your rabbits and get to know them!
The more you put in, the more you get back from your bunnies! Once they get to know you, they become confident and their personalities blossom. You will also be able to tell straight away if your rabbit is acting differently and that can usually mean they are ill. We mentioned this in our first tip also because it really is so important to know all about your rabbit’s behaviour. The sooner you spot the illness signs in rabbits the better, as they hide their illnesses until they can no more and a rabbits health can deteriorate very rapidly indeed!
3. Have a routine and stick to it!
Rabbits love routine so much you would think they wore watches. Stick to the same routine as much as you can (I.e same feeding time and exercise time) and letting them sleep as much as possible during the day and your bunnies will be very happy & relaxed. Bunnies can get anxious and even impatient if their routine changes too much.
4. Provide different types of hay for your rabbits!
And change or top up the feeding hay every single day. Never think your bunny doesn’t eat a lot of hay and therefore there is no point buying different hays. There is every point! Many people think their rabbit doesn’t eat hay or much hay, but 9 times out of 10 you won’t be around to see them eat their hay. Rabbits like to graze on hay between their naps and that can be during the night between 12am to 5am. Just make sure their litter trays are full of hay because they love to graze on hay while on the loo! Also provide them with two or three fun hay racks to encourage hay eating. Different hay types will require different chewing actions and these different actions help keep their teeth from overgrowing.
5. Work hard to keep bunny boredom away!
A bored bunny can become a very destructive bunny. They have no voice so how else will they let us know they are bored or frustrated? Some well behaved ‘polite’ bunnies may just give you a nudge or a filthy look, but a large majority will turn their minds to what they can destroy to entertain themselves or get your attention. Create fun areas for them to investigate in and provide things to jump on and tunnels to run through to keep their minds stimulated.
6. Make sure your rabbits feel safe and secure!
Just imagine how it must feel for rabbits being at the bottom of the food chain. It must be very scary indeed! So it is very important to make sure your bunnies are not only safe from predators, but make sure your bunnies know & feel they are safe too. Always provide hideouts in their homes for rabbits to hide in when they get spooked or to sleep in, as hideouts will make bunnies feel very safe.
7. Find a vet that knows about rabbit health!
This usually means a vet that specialises in exotic pets, because rabbits are classed as exotic animals. Once you find a rabbit savvy vet, don’t be afraid to ask about having medications at home to help with those bunnies you have that have long term health issues like arthritis or reoccurring illnesses (as long as you are confident in treating them yourself).
8. Create a great bunny home!
Never think a hutch is enough, it’s definitely not! A bunny’s home (whether indoors or outdoors) needs lots of space, hideouts, a play area and a sleeping area or two. A feeding area and they love different levels to jump around on.
9. Learn how to health check your rabbits!
Educate yourself on rabbit health, especially your own rabbit’s health problems. Know how important it is to brush them and keep their nails trimmed. By carrying out a very simple health check regularly on your rabbits can keep many other illnesses away.
10. Treat them like they are family!
Because they are part of the family! Always be there for them and their every need – because they depend on you!
Visit our Bunny care section here on our website
for lots more bunny tips and advice
