THE RABBIT P.A.D.D.'s
Basic Care Instructions
(mainly for beginners)
Your bunny is an intelligent, social animal that needs affection and special care. Average life span of a healthy rabbit is 5-10 years.
Handling
Approach your rabbit calmly and slowly. Do not offer your hand to sniff as you would a dog. Rabbits can't see their mouths and will nibble anything there to see if it is edible. Pet on the top of the nose, muzzle and ears. Do not pick up a rabbit by the ears. Put one hand under the rabbit and one on top; bring the rabbit against you with the bunny's nose in the crook of your elbow. Let the bunny rest on your arm and put your other arm on his back to maintain balance. Your rabbit likes to be held close to your body so he doesn't feel like he might slip and fall.
Feeding
Rabbit pellets will be the main diet. These can be expensive if you purchase from a pet store. They are less expensive if purchased at feed stores. Check around to find one that specializes in rabbit products. Make sure that if you decide to change their food you do it gradually by blending their usual food with the new until their digestive system grows accustomed to the new food.
Occasionally, small amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables can be given as treats. Do not feed lettuce, cabbage, spinach, or any kind of watery vegetable because these can cause runny stools and upset stomach.
We give our rabbits a special treat consisting of a blend of oats, crimped barley, and black sunflower seeds. Not only do they love it, but it helps maintain a good fur coat.
The amount of pellets to be given depends on the size of your rabbit. Usually between 1/4-1/2 per day.
They also like timothy hay, coastal, or alfalfa hay. The hay can be given at any time, preferrably daily.
Rabbits like to chew and play so provide wood pieces, empty toilet paper tubes, empty soda cans, or golf balls to entertain them. Check over objects before putting them in with your rabbit to avoid it from getting hurt. Rabbits chew to grind their teeth down. If they don't have anything to chew, such as wood pieces then their teeth can overgrow which will cause them to suffer and at worst they will have to be put down.
Health
Health problems in rabbits can quickly become VERY SERIOUS. You should know which veterinarians would see rabbits before you have a need. Runny nose/eyes, coughing, sneezing, head tilting, bloating, diarrhea, no feces, gurgling sound in the stomach or intestines, lack of appetite are some of the signs to watch for.
Rabbits are not prone to fleas and do not need baths. If they do happen to get fleas you can use an over-the-counter kitty flea powder. Don't forget to keep it out of their eyes! They do need their toenails trimmed and their coats brushed occasionally (nails- 1-2 times a month & brush coats weekly). Trimming their nails can be pretty tricky. I would advise taking them to the vet to have it done the first couple of times until you get the hang of it.
If your rabbit stays outdoors during the long hot summer season, 
you can fill a 2-liter soda bottle with water and freeze it. If the temperature goes over 90-95 degrees just put the frozen bottle in the cage for them to lie next to. Fans or a misting system are ideal if you have more than a couple of rabbits. Rabbits should always have shade and lots of fresh water.
The winter season is not as much of a problem as the summer. Rabbits like the colder weather, but if the temperature goes below 40 degrees put enough hay for them to burrow in to keep warm.
Litter Box Training
Use straw, shredded newspaper, dried corncob, alfalfa or oat based litter (clay cat litter irritates nose and eyes and pine/cedar shavings can cause liver disease). Observe your pet, bunnies like to use the same corner. Once you figure out where your pet has chosen for its spot, place the litter box there. When the rabbit uses it let him out and reward with a treat. Should accidents occur, put bunny back in the cage and in the litter box. Never spank your rabbit as it could easily result in internal injuries. Nevermind the fact that it is down right mean!
I recommend purchasing a rabbit care book to help you learn more of the basics. These can be found at most book or pet stores.
We hope you will enjoy your pet for many carefree years.
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