Beyond the Easter Basket: A Real Look at Bunny Ownership
With Easter just around the corner we thought it was a great time to focus on beautiful bunnies! A family friendly Easter icon, we will start to see lots of bunny imagery all around! While we do not advocate getting pets as presents, we know lots of people might start thinking about the possibility of a pet bunny around this time. How could you not with all the cute fluffers we see!
Rabbits can make exceptional pets. These small fluffy creatures are very intelligent, can learn tricks, be litter trained and bond closely with owners. It is important to remember they are fragile little creatures and so need a safe environment and supervision around young children! They can live between 8-12 years of age and make great companions.
So here are some “bunny basics” you need to know!
Housing
A good setup is crucial for a rabbit and you need to consider if it is going to be indoors or outside. There are size guidelines online but one recommendation on the RSPCA website is a hutch that is 6m2 floor space and approx. 1m tall. It should incorporate an enclosed section of the hutch to sleep in (or rest and hide), as well as eating.
They should also have access to an exercise run to allow natural activities like running, jumping, standing upright, grooming and toileting.
The enclosure bedding/floor must be soft underfoot to prevent pressure sores developing on their feet- this can be a debilitating and incurable condition in rabbits.
Protection from predators and pests.
The enclosure needs to be safe from predators such as cats and dogs if indoors, as well as foxes and birds of prey if located outdoors. In addition, mosquito protection is essential if outdoors due to the mosquito borne disease myxomatosis and fly-strike from blow flies. Preventing access for vermin that might try to steal food should also be considered.
Temperature control is essential so airflow, shade and temperature must be considered for both indoor and outdoor options. Outdoor rabbits may need to be brought inside during extreme weather conditions. Check out the RSPCA website for more tips and advice on housing.
Diet
A balanced diet is essential for rabbits! The require mainly oaten or grass hay and this should represent about 80% of their diet. This means a 2kg rabbit should have about 1 cat litter tray worth of hay per day! The hay helps maintain dental health and fibre to support their digestive system.
Green leafy veggies should be the next 10-20% of their diet with Asian greens, grass, dandelion leaves, carrot tops some of the many options.
Treats, including pellets, should be less than 5% of the overall diet. Options include apple, strawberries, and capsicum. If giving pellets, 1-2 tablespoons of a high-quality rabbit pellet is enough to supplement a balanced diet.
Anything you want to consider feeding your rabbit should be checked that it is pesticide free and safe to give. Check out rabbit.org/care/food-diet for a very comprehensive list of what you can feed!
Vaccination
The only vaccine we have available for rabbits is to protect against rabbit “calicivirus” otherwise known as “Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV)”. Rabbits should be vaccinated every year starting from 10 weeks of age. This is done at your annual health check and vaccination appointment with a vet.
Desexing
It is important to sterilize (also known as neutering or desexing) your rabbit. In particular females have an up to 80% chance of uterine cancer in rabbit more than 3 years old. It is also important to remember that rabbits reach sexual maturity early and if house together males and females can produce offspring from 4 months of age!
Health checks
Annual health checks are important to assess their weight, general health, dental health, skin and coat. We can discuss diet and husbandry, giving tips and advice as needed. Also we love a chance to snuggle a cute bunny!
Enrichment
Finally, lets talk about enrichment! That’s the fun stuff, for both the rabbit and you as an owner! It is important to have ways to stimulate your rabbit mentally and keep them physically engaged. There are lots of different ways to do this and you can have a lot of fun exploring what your bunny likes.
Rabbit.org has loads of great suggestions including toilet rolls stuffed with hay to roll and nudge, tunnels to run through, jingly bells to throw around, slinkies to push and pull around. Even paper bags can be fun to hide in crunch around and chew on! Just make sure anything you give is digestible and pesticide free OR not able to be chewed up. Anything metal needs to be free from rust!
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If you decide to invite a rabbit into your life, remember the AWL SA and RSPCA often have bunnies needing new homes. If you need advice on how to get set up for a rabbit there are loads of resources online. Just get in touch and we can point you in the right direction!
