Do's and Don't's

These are VERY important for you to know.

DON'T put bunny in the pool. Even though bunnies are excellent swimmers bunny will not be happy with you.
DON'T feed bunny any food that is not bunny friendly!
DON'T give bunny a cage that is to small or has wire flooring.
DON'T allow bun to chew on electric wires!
DON'T forget to do the DRHC!

DO let bunny exercise.
DO give bunny a lot of attention.
DO brush bunny a lot.
DO give bunny all that she needs.

Remember all your do's and don't's!

A healthy bunny is a happy bunny.

A Lazy Bunny

A lazy bunny is a big problem. They don't really exercise wich makes 'em chubby! If your'e always trying to get bunny too exercise then he is going to get fat. I have a VERY lazy bun. I was worried she might get chubby so I watched her diet closely so I wouldn't over feed her. Give bunny fun toys to play with and shut the cage door when she exercises. If he just sits there then coax him with a healthy treat
and hold it up over his head. Find out what his favorite toys are. Ones to chew on will give him good dental health.
When you feed bunny give her 2 tsp. or no pellets at all. Remember if you already give her them then you must slowly wean her off them. Give her only hay and good veggies. NO "fun" mixes, or treats.
This'll help keep a lazy bun from getting chubby.
You may need to give her a bigger cage to play in. A big cage will make bunny explore, and want to play in. Bunnies are more active at night though. So bunnies may not be quite so hoppy in the day.

I hope this helps a lot!

How to Keep Bunny Healthy

Everybody wants their bunny too live a long good life.  Here is how you can help keep bunny healthy.

~Exercise~
Giving bunny exercise is REALLY important. Especially if your bunny is lazy then you'll need to coax her by laying out a healthy treat and letting her hop around. Supervise bunny at all times and give her a nice indoor space to hop in. Don't let her play on carpet,tile, or slippery floor. Buy some hey mats and lay them out. Bunny should have at least 1 hour in the morning,afternoon, and nighttime. If you have an outdoor rabbit then give her a safe pen to play in or watch her as she hops around your yard. Give bunny toys like paper towel rolls,or special bunny sticks to chew. Please mind all toys that came from China. Also mind sticks or toys that have been coated in something. Have fun!

~Food~
You can read my post on food to help you watch bunny's diet. Beware of chubby bunnies.  However, whenever you want to wean bunny off of something do it slowly. Bunnies have a sensitive digestive tract. When you change the pellet brand mix in the new with the old. Big bunnies can have about a tablespoon (which is a super small amount). Small bunnies can have half a tablespoon. Dwarfs can have 2 teaspoons. Enjoy!

~Housing~
Giving bunny the proper housing really matters for health. Read my posts on cages, outdoor bunnies and indoor bunnies. Also "rabbit proof" your house and garden. (Please see the link to the "indoor" and "outdoor" rabbit links).
Keep bunny away from drafts and out of the sun but not in complete shade. Outdoor bunnies need a very secure hutch.  You can even build a bunny condo  for bun to have. Also give bunny a cage that bunny can stand in. 4 inch. should be left above the head. You also must give bunny the proper litter.

~Regular Health Checks~
Read my post on health checks. If you see any wrong symptoms watch over bunny well. If they persist for over 2 days or worsen then call your vet! Bunny should also be spayed or neutered to avoid cancer. Also check the litter box for bad poops. Make sure that you always are careful with a new bunny. New bunnies can become very stressed/scared by noise and it can make them VERY sick.

I hope your bunny stays nice and healthy!

The Daily Health Check

Health issues in bunny can be avoided by exercise, a good diet, and proper housing. I'll do a first aid kit lesson should any severe problems arise. If you see any of these signs in bunny then keep a close eye on her to see if the symptoms go away. Rabbits tend to hide pain and illness so please be vigilant when doing the DRHC!

Daily Rabbit Health Check (DRHC):

.Lack of appetite (not eating salads or other foods).

.Lethargic, unresponsive, or sitting in a hunched over position.

.No poop or pee in the litter box (ALWAYS check the litter box).

.Diarrhea or mushy poop.

.Smaller then normal poop in litter box.

.Poop strung together with fur (more on these "pearl poops" later).

.Hard/bloated or doughy stomach.

.Labored or very rapid breathing.

.Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, rasping or nasal sounds.

.Loud tooth grinding.

.Overgrown front teeth, lumps along the jaw and/or drooling.

.Discharge from nose and eyes.

.Straining to pee and/or spots of blood in the pee. Or even chalky-white urine.

.Scabs, crust or wax in ears. 

.Non-lop rabbit with a "flopped over" ear.

.Head tilt, difficulty with balance, or falling over.

.Sore-hocks (heals with open sores, redness or swelling scabs).

.Dandruff (possible fur mites).

If you see 2 symptoms in bunny then watch over her and if it consists for over 2 days then call the vet! 

Outdoor Rabbit Safety Regulations

OK, everybody! Outdoor rabbit time! This is all you need to know about an outdoor rabbit. Are you ready? GO!

Things to make sure you deal with in your yard:
1.Remove any plants that are bad for bunny. (Or just keep bunny in a pen).
2.Fix any weak spots in your fence or put some extra covering around your fence.
3.If you don't keep bunny in a little pen then make sure that your fence is 5 ft. high or more.
4.Make sure that you bring bunny inside if it is over 80 degrees. So have a space ready inside. Take bunny in if it is under 65 degrees.
5.If you live in the country with other animals then KEEP BUNNY IN A SAFE SECURE CAGE or in a pen. (Take bunny indoors for night).

Make sure that the cage has some hiding spots in it. Be careful of other animals who are a danger to rabbits. Even if they can't get in the cage, if they've got fleas then bunny could catch them!

Whether outdoor or indoor, keep bunny safe and happy.

Remamber to keep bun out of the sun!

Bunny Litter

Yes, it does matter what type of litter you use. The chemicals in the litter affect bunny just as certain chemicals affect you.

Litter                                                            What it does 
Softwoods (like pine, or cedar shavings)      Thought to cause liver damage
Cat litter                                                         Zinc poisoning
Swheat Scoop Litter                                      Can cause obesity when eaten
Clay litter                                                       Toxic
Clumping litters                                  Clumping in digestive tract when eaten
Corn Cob Litter                                             Causes lethal blockage
Oat and Alfalfa Based litters                          Good (But don't let bunny eat it!)
Newspapers                                                   Absorbent (Doesn't control oder)
Citrus based litters                                         Work well, but may be hard to get
Paper Pulp                                       Great litters! (Try Carefresh or Today's News)
Compressed Sawdust pellets                          Highly absorbent litter

I use Carefresh litter. It is very absorbent and good on oder control.
I hope this helps!

Snowberry's litter box.

The Indoor Bunny Safety Regulations

You need to decide before you get a bunny whether or not you'll have an indoor rabbit or an outdoor rabbit. Today we'll talk about indoor rabbits. An indoor rabbit lives inside with you. This means that you will need to rabbit proof your home.

Rabbit Proofing Regulations:
.Put tape or plastic over all electric cords to keep bunny from chewing on them. (Keep them up out of reach).
.Keep all plants (fake and real) away from bunny. That means up high!
.Keep all sharp, and heavy items out of reach.
.When letting bunny out of his cage watch over him!
.Keep him from under the table.

Cage Regulations:
.Keep the cage out of the sun, but not in complete shade.
.Don't put it up high on a shelf.
You can read my post on cages.

Make sure that you rabbit proof very good to avoid any accident!

Getting Pet's Along With Bunny

Getting other pet's along with bunny is not easy. Most other pet's might feel like you're bringing something that'll challenge their territory. Dog's, and cat's need to learn to get along with bunny. This'll keep less pet issues in your home.

How to Make Your Pets Friends with Bunny:
1.When you first adopt bunny put her in a place that is away from noise and other pet's.
2.When bunny has had at least 2 weeks in a safe place, then put her in her permanent spot (not in the sun, or complete shade) so she can be seen by your pet's, but not hidden where you can't supervise
3.When you see that your other pet is either ignoring or just sniffing out bunny, then you can move her out of the cage. Put her on your lap and let the dog or cat sniff her out.
4.If the dog is barking, or cat is hissing then put bunny back in the cage. If the animal climbs up on the cage or is barking at bunny then don't take bun out yet.
5.Repeat step 4 until the cat or dog will sniff, or lick bunny. If they do that then you can put bunny on the floor and see what happens. Hopefully they will curl up next to each other or groom the other.

My cat (Olive) just pretends Snowberry dosen't exist. She climbs on the cage a lot. I know that if she got the chance, she'd attack Snowberry. I'm still working with them on being friends.

Olive.

Get off the cage, Olive!

Whats for Dinner?

What you feed bunny REALLY matters. A lot.

From hay to veggies it is SUPER important to give bunny the right food at breakfast, lunch, snack time, 

and dinner.

Hay:

Hay is vital to bunny as much as water is. Bunny needs hay to survive. So whenever you see bunny's hay bowl/rack going empty, then it is time to refill.  

Pellets:

Pellets were originally meant to make bunny fat! Most vets don't recommend pellets for bunny. If you haven't ever given bunny pellets then it is best not to give them to bunny at all. If you do give bunny pellets ask your vet if you should quit using them. If you do wish to quit, slowly wean bunny off the pellets. I give Snowberry only 2 tsp. of pellets. I use Carefresh Pellets for her since that brand doesn't have to much suger in it. Do Not Feed Alfalfa Pellets!

Veggies:

All bunnies love a good veggie dinner in their bowl! Bunny can have the following veggies:

.Cilantro

.Kale (very small amount! 1x a week is OK)

.Red leaf lettuce

.Romaine

.Green leaf lettuce

.Spring mix of greens

.Check with the vet to see what else

Veggies to avoid:

.Iceberg lettuce

.Celery stalks

.Collard Greens

.Spinach

.Broccoli

.Cauliflower

.Cabbage

Good Treats (only 2x week allowed) :
.Papaya (No seeds or store bought chunks)
.Carrot (Small chunk)
.Apple (No seeds)

Big Time No-No Foods:

."Rabbit Friendly" fiesta-style mixes

.Processed treats

.Nuts/seeds

.Chocolate (Toxic)

.Cookies/Crackers

.Cereal/Granola

.Yogurt drops

.Pasta/Bread/Rice

.Raisins/Dried Fruit

.Potatoes/Tomatoes

.Beans/Legumes

.Apple Seeds/ Papaya Seeds (Toxic)

.Citrus Fruits
.Store bought papaya chunks

Any food that you don't see listed Don't Feed Bunny!
See if you can get a check list of food from your vet. Also no allowing bunny too munch on dog or cat food from the cat or dog's bowl. If you have a chubby bunny then that is not good! A chubby bunny will end up very unhealthy. If you've got a lil' chubby bunny then it is more then likely the pellets. Give him less pellets- or none at all!- and more workouts. DO NOT TRY AND STARVE HIM! If you have a lazy bunny then you'll have to wait until I do a post about that. 

Snowberry enjoying some hay.