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Rabbit Care:
1) GENERAL INFORMATION: Excellent general care information is available at www.rabbit.org – please read this website as thoroughly as you can! On the search line (bottom of first page) you can type in any topic of interest to you, and get lots of up-to-date information – e.g.: “bunny-proofing,” “litter box training,” “spaying,” “bonding,” “diet,” etc. You should have a copy of the House Rabbit Handbook, 4th Edition, by Harriman – this book is often referred to as “the bunny Bible,” and is invaluable as a source of good rabbit information. Where to get it: book stores, amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com
2) “ASSIGNED READING”: Please read the following 4 articles on the NYC HRS website
a) “Rabbits Revisited”
b) “Gastrointestinal Stasis: The Silent Killer”
c) “9 Common Rabbit Myths”
d) “10-Point Primer for New Bunny Parents”
3) INTERNET ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT: Before adopting a bunny, it is suggested that you join “Etherbun,” (groups.yahoo.com/group/etherbun) – a large internet mailing list (4400+ members, including veterinarians, vet techs, and House Rabbit Society licensed educators), and read it for at least 10 days. This list has been a life-saver for many owners at times when their bunny has a problem, and it is not possible to reach a rabbit-savvy veterinarian. We want you to be aware of this wonderful resource, and know how to use it. However, this volume can be very high (25+ posts per day) so you need to check your email at least daily, and delete what you do not have time to read. You can also set your subscription preferences to “read on web only.” See http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/etherbun.html for instructions on joining.
4) VETERINARY CARE AND EXPENSES: Because companion rabbit medicine is not included in the curriculum in most veterinary schools, finding a rabbit-savvy vet can be tricky. Many vets will tell you that they “see rabbits” or “do rabbits,” but this does not mean they know rabbits. You can find a list of rabbit-savvy vets in the NYC-metro area at www.rabbitcare.org. Please be aware that rabbit veterinary care can sometimes be expensive; before you adopt, ask for examples of typical charges for various ailments.
5) RABBITS AND CHILDREN: Many parents view rabbits as animated stuffed toys, and assume, incorrectly, that they make great, low-maintenance, short-lived “starter pets” for kids. In fact, rabbits are not low-maintenance, and can live 7-10 years or longer. At the time of purchase, it can be hard to remember that, in just 4 years (around half the rabbit’s lifepsan) your 9-year-old child will enter puberty, have “raging hormones” and will be much more interested in the opposite sex than in family pets.
Other parents try to teach their kids “responsibility” by putting in their hands the life of another creature, at a time when the kids are not yet old enough to be responsible even for themselves. Within months of purchase, the novelty has worn off, the parents are tired of nagging about responsibility, and the rabbits become neglected.
That said, in the right households, rabbits and children can indeed interact safely and very happily, with one caveat: an adult must be the rabbit’s primary caretaker, and at least one parent must be committed to rabbit care for the next 10 years, or the life of the rabbit (which may be longer than 10 years). If you have children, and you, yourself, are truly committed to the long-term care of a rabbit, we strongly suggest you adopt the largest rabbit possible – a rabbit too large for your child to pick up. This will help to assure the rabbit’s safety.
6) RABBIT-PROOFING: Before bringing a rabbit into your home, make sure the environment is safe:
a) cover (or make inaccessible) all electrical and telephone wires
b) remove house plants from rabbit areas (many common house plants are toxic for rabbits)
c) if you live in an older building, you probably have lead paint on your walls – even if it’s under layers of latex paint. Cover (or make inaccessible) any baseboards or other painted areas that the bunny might chew.
7) BUNNY HOUSING: Your bunny will need a safe enclosure that he can call his own, no matter how much free-range time he has. The minimum cage size we require is 2 x 4 feet, and 4 x 4 feet is better. Puppy exercise pens make wonderful, versatile, and inexpensive enclosures for rabbits. A puppy ex-pen can easily accommodate toys, litter box, grass mats, and food and water bowls. Double- or triple-decker “condos” are also very nice enclosures (though considerably more pricey), and can be ordered from Leith Petwerks, or you can construct your own condo out of Neat Ideas cubes – ask on Etherbun for ideas about how to do this.
8) BUNNY EXERCISE AREA: If you have hardwood floors, you will need to provide, at the very least, some non-skid area rugs to give your bunny enough traction for running and jumping. Some bunnies will not even attempt to negotiate hardwood floors, and although others are willing, trying to maintain traction can strain their leg joints, and promote splay leg. Home Depot and many hardware stores sell hallway or stairway carpeting; it’s inexpensive (maybe around $2 per foot) around 26 inches wide, has a foam-type, non-skid backing, and comes on a roll so you can cut off however much you want and make “trails” through your house if you like. It’s easy to roll up and put away when you’re having company.
9) DIET: Your rabbit will need a daily diet of free-choice grass hay (such as Timothy, Brome, Orchard Grass, Meadow Grass, etc. (but not alfalfa, which is a legume hay!). Top-quality hay can be purchased in small or large (big $avings!) quantities from several companies: American Pet Diner (800-656-2691), Oxbow ( 800-249-0366), Sweet Meadow Farm. In the NYC-metro area, Dr. Jennifer Saver (Long Island) sells both small and large sizes of the most popular hays in her office: 516-877-7080. Before adopting a rabbit, please have at least 5 lbs. of hay available
Besides hay, your rabbit should have a salad of fresh leafy greens daily. Some examples of veggies that most rabbits love: Romaine and other leaf lettuces (Boston, red leaf, green leaf, etc.), kale, parsley, cilantro, dandelion greens (from the greengrocer, not picked outdoors!), collards, dill, basil, and many others (ask on Etherbun). Rotate the veggies you serve, trying not to feed the same one more than twice a week.
10) INDOORS vs OUTDOORS: We prefer to adopt to indoor homes. The NYC-metro area presents specific hazards that make outdoors risky for bunnies:
a) Baylisacaris procyonis, aka raccoon roundworm, is found wherever there are raccoons. Rabbits pick it up on their paws while hopping around outdoors, and ingest it when they groom themselves. It migrates to the rabbit’s kidneys and brain, is untreatable, and is inevitably fatal.
b) Viruses: West Nile Virus, Viral Hemorrhagic Disease, aka VHD, aka “Rabbit Ebola” – a bleed-out disease that has been found in 3 areas of the USA, one of which is NY. Extremely contagious, no treatment, and usually fatal.
c) Fleas and ticks, as well as Cuterebra and fly strike – a particular risk for outdoor rabbits; see http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-12/fly-strike.html
11) RABBIT-SITTING: Rabbits are highly territorial, and travel is stressful for them. But leaving them at home over the weekend with no one to watch them is dangerous. Have a plan for how, where, and by whom your rabbit will be cared for when you travel.
12) SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO BUY: A digital thermometer, Vaseline, heating pad, pediatric simethicone (baby gas drops—any brand), pediatric feeding syringe, and small nail clippers (from any pet store), in the style shown here.
Please bring your nail clippers, thermometer, and Vaseline to your adoption session, so we can show you how to clip your bunny’s nails, and take his temperature.
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