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General Rabbit Care

All rabbits need certain basics in order to maintain their health...
REMEMBER HEAT KILLS! - Rabbits are very susceptible to heat. Anything over 80° is dangerous. Over 85° is extremely dangerous. If possible, you want to keep your rabbits in a cool place during the day. If they must be outside in the heat, freeze a 2 liter water bottle and place it in the cage next to the rabbit so they can lie against it.
Fresh Timothy hay or hay cubes- provides the necessary fiber to keep the digestive system moving. Do not use Alfalfa hay due to its high protein levels. This may cause many different health problems over time.
Low protein rabbit pellets - the protein levels should generally be at or below 16% (unless the doe is pregnant) in order to reduce the risk of certain health problems. Your rabbit will be healthy on pellets. You can also provide low protein treats/fresh vegetables/grass. We have found too many treats can cause a loose stool, so we try to keep these to small amounts. We have seen places recommend no treats to babies under 4 months - but we have had no problems with giving fresh grass or small amounts of carrot to any of our babies. Here is a good website on rabbit diet.
Pieces of non treated wood to chew - rabbit teeth grow throughout their lives. They must chew on things to keep their teeth worn down. If they do not wear their teeth properly the teeth can eventually become so long that they will no longer be able to eat.
Bedding - to use either in the cage or under the cage (if you have a wire bottom). Wood chips are what we recommend. DO NOT use scented chips (pine or cedar). This can cause poisonous fumes when the rabbit urinates on them. It can also cause liver problems over an extended period of time.
Grooming - rabbits groom themselves like cats. However unlike cats, a rabbit cannot cough up hair balls. By grooming your rabbit - especially when they are shedding - you can greatly reduce the risk of wool block as well as getting some one-on-one time with your rabbit. This is a MUST for long haired/wooled rabbits (such as Lionheads). You can use a cat grooming brush or you can even get your hands wet and gently drag them over the rabbits body. The shedding hair will stick to your hands.
We sell rabbit cages for $30. If you are looking for an outside rabbit 'hutch' or 'habitat' this is a good site.

For information on additional care click here