Make sure the cage size is appropriate for your bunny's size and energy level. If your bunny is caged all the time, then you have to have a really large cage, or a play pen attached to it.Special attention must be given to flooring.
Cages with wooden floors are the best, whether they are fall through or continuous. Make sure the wood inside the cage is not treated, painted or stained , as the bunny will chew on it.
Cages with plastic bottoms are hard on the bunny's paws. There is no grip, the toes spread around unsupported, and over time the bunny starts misbehaving or being aggressive due to pain. Eventually the bone structure collapses, leaving permanent damage.
See more cage types and ideas to build your own, on our Cages & Condos page.
Roaming Floor
The quality of the floor is also important for the area where your bunny is roaming. A curious fact is that bunnies allowed to roam in the whole house would often limit their adventure to the little rug in front of their cage. Why? because the floor is slippery, and it hurts their feet, just like the cages with plastic bottom above.
If you really want your bunny to roam, you need to get a bigger second-hand rug, so your bunny will feel comfortable to hop around on a larger area.
Food
Rabbit Pellets are the most common food for bunnies. They are made so the bunnies have a balanced diet and proper vitamins and minerals. Make sure you buy the rabbit pellets. DO NOT USE CHICKEN PELLETS as they can bloat an kill your bunny. If you need temporary food for a day or so, until you buy rabbit pellets, then better stick to hay and carrots.
Pelets can be 18% protein (for babies or for bunnies that live outside during winter), 16%, 14% (most common for adult bunnies), or 12% (for overweight or old bunnies that need to get or keep lean).
Our rescue bunnies are fed 14% pellets and a mix of whole grains (which sometimes are sprouted), and they are allowed to eat as much as they want. I fill their bowl twice a day, and I make sure they always have some left over, because I do not want them to ever be concerned about food and go in survival mode during this transitional time. I consider that it is enough for them to deal with the anxieties of a new owner, new place, new approach, especially when some are recovering from neglect or abuse. Also, bunnies that come as a pair, even if they are very bonded to each other, will fight if food runs out and they start thinking in survival terms.
When you adopt a bunny rabbit from us, you should start with 14% rabbit pellets (you don't have to do the grains, but if you choose so I can tell you how to mix or sprout them safely). At least for the first two weeks you should keep the bowl with food all the time, to avoid getting the bunny into a survival mode. If that happens you may have to deal with all sorts of unusual behaviours, including teritorial reactions, protection of food, aggression, etc. During the adjustment period they might eat a lot, or they might eat very little, but in time they will switch to a more normal amount of food per day. After the first 2-4 weeks, when the bunny is completely settled and comfortable with your place and with you, then you can switch to other pellets and you can ration the amount to their necessary daily intake to keep lean and healthy.
Hay
Bunnies need to have enough fiber in order to keep a healthy GI tract. For this purpose hay is very important to be included in their daily diet. Without it, they can develop diarrhea, bloating, and can get to GI stasis (blockage) and death. I have had bunnies that preferred to eat only hay, leaving the pellets and grains almost untouched. Like hay, hulls from grains can meet the same need for fibe. Bunnies really benefit from eating hulled grains - which is the closest to their natural way of feeding in the wild. Hay is mostly dehydrated grass, and can be replaced by giving your bunny access to a lot of fresh grass on a daily basis. You should still have hay available in the cage, as a backup.
When we discuss fiber, it is important to know that, aside from the regular poop (round dry pellets), bunnies also have a soft poop which they eat back. For this reason they must have access to their own poop, and it is unhealthy for them to live on a mesh that lets everything go through. This soft poop is formed when bunnies eat hay, hulls, or any other fiber. Rabbits are herbivores, and since they do not have a second stomach like cows, their fiber goes into the cecum (a part of their large intestine) to be partially digested and inoculated with proper bacteria, then eliminated as soft poop (often like a cluster of soft pellets), and eaten back for final digestion. This is the poop that gets squished and can stick to the bunny's hair if stepping or laying on it. It is soft and dark, you can see the well formed pellets, even if they are in a cluster. (Do not confuse this soft poop with diarheea - which is usually a lighter colour, smells bad, and is mushy. Diarheea is a serious health issue for a bunny, you must consult a vet ASAP, and antibiotics may be needed. )
You can find hay in any pet store or grocery store, but at astronomic prices. I buy a huge bale of hay for $8 (first cut local hay) at Otter Co-Op Feed Store (3548 248 St. in Aldergrove, cross with Fraser Hwy, 604-607-6901). If you have just one bunny, that can last you 4 months. Really, you can feed a bunny with pellets and hay, for 4-6 months, within just $20.,($3-5 per month) I choke when I see a lot of propaganda telling you a bunny costs over $100/month to keep. That can be true if you buy everything in small size bags and from a pet store, but they fail to tell you the affordable alternatives.
Water
Bedding
I have tried all kinds of bedding. Some bunnies like to have it just in the litter box, and tehy love to keep a clean carpet in their cage. Other bunnies want the bedding all over their cage. When I get a new bunny and notice that the food is wasted (food pellets are pulled out of the bowl and spread through the cage, as well as the hay), I immediately add bedding to the whole cage, and that usually stops the waste. There are many kinds of bedding, more or less healthy for bunny rabbits.
I use newspaper sheets only to line the bottom of the cage or litter box. They absorb and keep the moisture, leaving the bedding on top cleaner, and it is so much easier to remove the litter from the cage or litter box (you just roll it with the newspaper). However, I prefer to not have the bunny in direct contact with the newspaper, and I put other type of bedding on top of it.
Aside from the natural hay and straw, my favourite artificial bedding is paper shredding. Bunnies really love it, as it creates the environment of tall grass, and when it gets wet it goes flat, keeping a low volume and allowing for addition of bedding between regular cleanings. It's FREE (just connect with a lawyer's office, or another business that creates a lot of paper shredding). Moreover, you help reduce the land fill, and get it transformed into compost.
Treats
The best treats for bunnies are veggies, legumes and branches from the allowed list (see other heading below). Most common are dandelion (bunnies' favourite), carrots and apples. I consider any modern money-eating- treats (like yogurt drops) as synthetic processed and unhealthy. And why buy dehydrated carrots and other legumes or fruit with lots of preserving chemicals, when they are all availale in the produce store year round? I have also seen the alfalfa bombs, which are very hard to chew on. None of the bunnies that tried these bombs seemed to get much out of them, and they usually lay around for weeks, therefore I don't like them. As a simple rule, any treat that comes from a package (except wen I get a mix of unprocessed whole grains compatible for rabbits), is out.
Toys
Veggies, Legumes, Trees, Shrubs, Flowers
Like any other animals with pellet poop (including rats), bunnies can not pass gas and therefore can die from any food that produces gas. (As a matter of fact, you can kill rats by adding baking soda and borax to flour). Gassy food bloats rabbits, adding up in their GI tract until they die. Also, while bloated, they may feel full and stop eating, thus dying from starvation before the bloating kills them. Consequently it is very important to know what is allowable and what is not for rabbit food. Below is a list I compiles from other rabbit sites on the internet, but you should know that there is some controversy over some of the foods in the list. I tried sorting through such controversies and came with the best list, but you must do your own research and you should confirm with your vet any decision about using such foods for your rabbits.
SAFE FOODS | USE WITH MODERATION & CAUTION | UNSAFE FOODS | |
| Vegetables & Legumes | Agrimony Alfalfa Apple Avens Balm Banana Barley Basil Beetroot Blackberry Borage Broccoli Buckwheat Burnet Camomile Caraway Carrot Celery Celeriac Chervil Chicory Chickweed Chinese leaf Cleavers Clover, WHITE Coltsfoot Comfrey WILTED SLIGHTLY Coriander Corn marigold Corn spurrey Cow parsnip Crosswort Cucumber Dandelion Dead-Nettles Dill Dock BEFORE FLOWERING Endive Fat hen Fennel Goosefoot Goosegrass Goutweed BEFORE FLOWERING Ground elder BEFORE FLOWERING Hawkbit Hawkweed Heather Hedge parsley Horseradish Jerusalem artichoke Knapweed Knotgrass Kohlrabi Lavender Lovage Mallow Marjoram Mayweed Maywort Meadowsweet Melon Milk thistle Mugwort Nipplewort Oats Orache Oxeye daisy Parsley Parsnip Peas Pear Peppermint Pigweed Plantain Pumpkin Radish GREENS Raspberry Sage Savory Sanfoin Shepherd's purse Silverweed Sow thistle Soya Strawberry Swiss Chard Tare Tomatoes Trefoil Vetch Vine leaves Watercress Watermelon Wheat Yarrow | Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Corn Groundsel Kale Lettuce Molasses Mustard greens Spinach Tallow Turnip | Arum Bigwort Bindweed Bluebell Bryony Buttercup Celandine Clover RED Colchicum Corncockle Cowslip Cuckoo pint Dog's Mercury Elder after flowering Euphorbia Evergreens Fool's parsley Foxglove Ground ivy Hemlock Henbane Kingcup Meadow Saffron Milkweed Nightshade Ragwort Scarlet Pimpernel Spurge Toadflax Tomato LEAVES Traveller's joy Beans Peach leaves Plum leaves Potato SPROUTS Rhubarb Wood sorrel |
| Tree & Shrub Leaves Should always be fresh young leaves | Acacia Apple Beech Birch Blackberry Cherry Hazel Horse Chestnut Lime Mountain Ash Mulberry Pear Poplar (not black) Raspberry Strawberry | ||
| Twigs | Apple Birch Blackberry Fir Hazel Hawthorn Maple Pear Raspberry Spruce Willow | Acacia Apricot Azalea Beech Box Cherry Clematis Elder Holly Ivy Laburnum Mistletoe Nux vomica Oak Oleander Peach Periwinkle Plum Privet Rhododendron Rosewood Snowberry Spindleberry Thorn apple Waxplant Wisteria Yew All evergreens not mentioned in safe twig list | |
| Flowers | Aster Carnation Daisy Geranium Geum Helenium Hollyhock Honesty Marguerite Marigold Michaelmas daisy Nasturtium Rose Stock Sunflower Wallflower | Acacia Aconite Antirrhinum Anemone Brugmansia Columbine Crocus Daffodil Dahlia Delphinium Feverfew Gypsophila Hellebore Hyacinth Iris Larkspur Lily of the Valley Lobelia Love-in-a-mist Lupin Narcissus Poppy Primrose Snowdrop Tulip Any bulbs |
When a Good Bunny Turns Bad
After rehoming dozens of bunnies I noticed that, occasionally, a really good bunny can turn bad for a while, after getting adopted. According to the former owner, and based on my direct assessment at the rescue, the bunny is thought of being very friendly, litter trained, calm and well behaved, no biting, no aggression, etc. It can even be a neutered or spayed bunny, so socialized and docile that I can comfortably recommend it to a home with small children.Then the bunny gets adopted, and within a week or two the new owner contacts me for support, while dealing with one or more escalating problem behaviours. I would expect some issues to arise during the adjustment to a new home, new people, new rules, etc., but not to the extent being described, and not from a very docile neutered/spayed bunny.
After working with a few new owners though the issues of adjustment they were facing, I started observing some common trends. I would like to share these learnings with all bunny owners, so they can better understand and monitor their bunnies through an adjustment or crisis time.
POSSIBLE PROBLEM BEHAVIOURS
Here is a comprehensive list of problem behaviours reported by new owners. This is a compilation list from different bunnies and owners, in most cases there was just one or two problem behaviours, and often they were within normal limits rather than escalated.
- Overeating: they eat all they get, never have enough, act like they have bottomless stomachs, gaining weight, competing for food
- Littering issues: not using the litter box, choosing to litter in a different spot, or littering all over, spraying carpet or objects, etc.
- Mounting other pets, objects, owner's foot, etc.
- Avoidance: hiding a lot, avoiding human contact, not wanting to be picked up, running away from humans, struggling to escape petting or cuddles.
- Aggression: little nips or biting, grawling or thumping feet when opening the cage or replenishing food, scratching when picked up or put down; well bonded bunnies start fighting each other, etc.
First you must know that any good bunny can go bad when feeling unsafe or dealing with a lot of frustration, or both (worst case). Therefore you must ask a few exploring questions, to understand your bunny's struggle and address each contributing trigger with a proper solution. Here is a general questionnaire you can go through to better understand your bunny. Before you start you must print the questionnaire. (print this page, or copy the table and paste it in a document to print. draw the table on paper and write down only the significant questions that apply to your situation)
If you print this questionnaire (request a printable copy by E-mailling us) and circle “yes” or “no”, you will end up with a list of triggers and suggestions for good care that can help your bunny settle and recover it's best behaviour. The list is not exhaustive, but rather a work in progress. Feel free to send feedback or suggest necessary additions.
NOTE: Circle carefully, as “yes” and “no” changes between the columns, depending on the nature of each item (“trigger” or “good care”).
QUESTION | TRIGGER | Good Care |
Bunny is caged all the time (not enough space to keep well and active) | yes | no |
Bunny has at least a couple of hours roaming time (out of cage) each day | no | yes |
Bunny has a private area where he can hide at will (bunnies need time out to distress and rest) | no | yes |
Bunny is fed on time, never has to worry about it (otherwise the bunny may get in survival mode, becoming territorial, aggressive, etc.) | no | yes |
Bunny receives at least one healthy treat a day (carrot, cilantro leaves, slice of apple, dandelion leaves, etc., see the lists above) | no | yes |
Bunny has reasonable interaction with people and is pet several times each day (Especially when the only pet or the only bunny in the home, it is totally dependent on human interaction to keep healthy and sane) | no | yes |
Bunny has regular time out to be alone for sleeping, resting, chilling, etc. | no | yes |
Bunny can chew on unpainted wood toys or branch pieces in the cage. (They need to chew on a regular basis, for their teeth and their GI balance. Avoid painted, stained and treated wood, as they have very toxic chemicals.) | no | yes |
Bunny is overstimulated by environment (too many colours, toys, etc,) | yes | no |
Bunny is overtouched by people (You must figure out how much human interaction is wanted by your bunny. Some bunnies are very open for interaction and touch, while others are more independent/distant and want to be left alone. ) | yes | no |
Bunny is oversocialized with other pets (they need time away from everyone, including other pets or even other bunnies | yes | no |
Bunny is bullied, chased or pushed around by children, other bunnies/pets, or adults in the home | yes | no |
| Bunny is scared around some pets or people (possible abuse or rough/inappropriate handling when others can't see) | yes | no |
Bunny is alone most of the time (gets lonely and depressed if not enough social time) | yes | no |
Bunny is lonely despite having a lot of attention, needs a bunny friend | yes | no |
| Bunny lives with a large family, all members interact with the bunny, even when bunny is not in socializing mood. | yes | no |
| Bunny lives in an environment with a lot of noise (e.g. in a balcony by a busy road), or a lot of loud music. (this scares, overstimulates and fatigues bunnies) | yes | no |
Bunny is groomed as required by its breed type (e.g. regular brushing is required by long hair lionheads, fuzzy lops, angoras, Jersey wooleys, etc) | no | yes |
Bunny has mats (patches of entangled hair, which pulls its hair/skin, and can become a straight jacket ) | yes | no |
Bunny has long, curved nails that cut into its paws when standing, hopping, etc. | yes | no |
Owner is often very anxious or depressed, or moody (bunnies can soak that negative energy from people and act it out) | yes | no |
Owner is very busy or distant, bunny feels left out, unwanted | yes | no |
Owner is needy, expects the bunny to meet his/her own emotional and social needs. (we can't make bunnies responsible for our needs, we need to take care of that ourselves. We should meet bunnies in our emotional abundance, not in our neediness) | yes | no |
Bunny witnesses aggression (verbal, physical, etc.) in the home, and feels unsafe, or soaks the negative energy in the home. | yes | no |
Bunny has no freedom for interaction on its own terms, it's all about the owner's timing and way. (we need to take time and give space to learn how the bunny likes to interract and how often) | yes | no |
Bunny's cage has plastic bottom and the floor is often uncovered and slippery (this gives pain, as the paws/toes are often spreading around from lack of support, and the bone structure will eventually collapse with permanent damage.) | yes | no |
Bunny roams in a room with slippery floor (waxed floors, laminate, hardwood, sanded shiny concrete, etc. Gives the same painful/collapsing paws problem as above) | yes | no |
Bunny's cage has wire mesh floor (depending on the size of mesh openings and size of bunny, this overstimulates the paws, or produces painful rubs and cuts.) | yes | no |
Bunny is fed a lot of greens, whatever bunny eats, and as much as bunny wants to eat. (See the tables above. There are many gassy greens, and bunnies can't pass gas, they keep bloating and die. Other greens are OK only in moderation. Or bunny simply has intolerance to some greens that are normally OK for bunnies to eat.) | yes | no |
Bunny is fed wet grass and greens (this may upset their stomach) | yes | no |
Bunny is not fed hay, or not enough (this allows bad bacteria to overpower the good bacteria, and bunny's GI system is out of balance, can get obstructed, leading to death) | yes | no |
Bunny has watery eyes, and a discharge is getting the hair sticky around eyes (this could be due to conjunctivitis, abscess in tear duct, bad teeth, and other infections around the head area) | yes | no |
Bunny has dandruff (These are mites. If not treated it will eventually make hair fall off, creating naked patches. It can also transmit to other pets and humans) | yes | no |
Bunny is shaking head a lot, or getting reddish crusts in his ears (ear mites, must be treated) | yes | no |
Bunny lives in a smoking home (second hand smoke is bad for bunnies too) | yes | no |
Bunny is overweight (This gives a fatty liver, and many other kinds of internal illnesses. Monitor the amount of fruit intake, as it has sugars. Switch to pellets with less protein, e.g. 12%. Consult a vet to decide on a proper diet and amount of food, based on bunny's size, age, level of activity, etc.) | yes | no |
| Bunny is scratching a lot (Check for fleas, lice, mites, chemical irritants. Adding food grade DE (diatomaceous earth) to the food on a regular basis and powdering their coat if infested will help keep your bunny and other pets free of internal worms and external parasites. Consult a vet if significant or persistent infestation.) | yes | no |
