HELPFUL INFORMATION

Timberline Acres Rabbitry

Helpful Information

IMPORTANT RABBIT FACTS:

Life span: 9-12 years (possibly longer)
Normal body temperature: 100.5-104 F
Rabbits are herbivores, so their physiology is closer to a horse or cow than to dogs or cats. If you keep the rabbit's digestive tract healthy, you keep the rabbit healthy.
Rabbits are very social animals and in nature they live in groups. Like dogs and cats, they are affectionate and bond with people; therefore they should be kept indoors as part of the family
The rabbit’s natural instinct is to be close to the ground and have access to a safe hiding place; this is because they are a prey species, which basically means that many other animals eat them. Thus it is not safe for rabbits to be left unsupervised with a dog or cat, or allowed outdoors in an unsecured enclosure.

WHEN YOU FIRST BRING BUNNY HOME:

Many rabbits are shy at first. Have the rabbit's home ready in advance (containing hay, water, and a couple handfuls of pellets), so that you can bring the bunny home, place it in its new area, and let it get used to it for two or three days. The bunny will be under a great deal of stress with changing homes, so allow the bunny to get used to its new surroundings with as little stress as possible in order to avoid illness. Before bringing bunny home, you have to decide where he/she will live. Making your bunny a house rabbit will help to create a special bond between you and your bunny. Rabbits make terrific house pets, and can be kept in a similar manner as we would keep an indoor cat. Many rabbits roam free throughout the house, or have their own room. If you have other pets or small children, or when you first bring bunny home before he/she settles into its new house, you may need to keep him/her in a cage or pen. While there are many cages available at pet stores, they are truly too small to house an average sized bunny. Also, the wire bottoms are uncomfortable for bunny feet. Since cages are so limiting, a better purchase would be a pen, called a dog exercise pen or x-pen. Pens give your bunny a lot more room when he has to be caged, and easily allows bunny to come out to play. If you do use a cage, it should be kept on the floor and not up on a table. Rabbits are much more comfortable when they live on the floor. Many rabbits do not like when people reach into their cage to drag them out, so it’s better to open the cage door and let the bunny walk out on its own to explore. Sit down, relax and watch your bunny check out the room and you. This allows the rabbit to feel secure in its new home, because it knows where to run to be safe and it can approach you and meet you as it would a friend. Allow the bunny increasing amounts of time out of its cage, under supervision. This method also encourages using the pen or cage as a place to pee and poop. It may take a few weeks for your new bunny to settle down and open up to bond with you; a calm environment and consistent behavior on your part will help your bunny adjust quickly.

SPAY & NEUTER:

If you are adopting a Mini Plush Lops from us, they will come with a spay/neuter contract to ensure they are going to a pet only home. Their health and emotional well-being will benefit greatly from being spayed or neutered. Neutered male rabbits stop spraying, stop humping everything that moves, stop being aggressive, and become more cuddly and mellow. Spayed females will be less frustrated and less aggressive, and more calm and loving. It may take a few weeks to a few months after the surgery for your bunny to mellow out and the hormones to clear out of the system. Rabbits can start breeding as early as 3-5 months of age, therefore males and females need to be kept separate until they are spayed or neutered. Male rabbits can be neutered as soon as their testicles descend, around 3-4 months old. Female rabbits can also be spayed at 3-4 months of age

BEHAVIOR:

Rabbits are quiet and peaceful animals that respond to attention and affection when treated with gentleness and love. They are intelligent animals that form adoring lifelong relationships. They love to be petted, like snuggling, enjoy jumping and leaping playfully for fun, live to chew, and will bring joy to your life. If you’ve never experienced bunny love, open your heart and mind, and lay down on the floor with your bunny roaming free. Watch your bunny and you’ll learn to recognize his body language: nervous, frisky, curious, loving, etc. See the world through your bunny’s eyes - how would it feel to be a bunny? Bunnies like to be comfortable and happy, and as mentioned previously, don’t deal well with stress. Gently and patiently work with your bunny to get it used to a carrying case, traveling, nail trimming, brushing, and being lifted. This training will decrease your bunny’s stress during these procedures. Many bunnies go through an adolescent phase somewhere around 3 months to 1 year old. They have a lot of energy and curiosity, and are constantly exploring, often getting into trouble. Like a two year old child, this phase is best dealt with by redirecting their energies. Instead of reprimanding, just remove the valuable/important item the bunny has discovered, and give him a box of tissues to rip up, or a box filled with magazines to tear apart. Spaying and neutering helps to calm adolescents to some degree, but be assured, they will grow out of their naughtiness.

Rabbits can be LITTER BOX trained very easily. Restrict the rabbit to a small area and place a litter box in the corner, preferably where the rabbit has already chosen to go to the bathroom. Sides should be low enough so the rabbit can get in and out without difficulty. You can place some droppings in the litter box to encourage the bunny to use it, as well as some hay.

Provided your rabbit with plenty of toys for mental stimulation and to help wear down the teeth. Dry branches from untreated trees, wooden chew toys for birds, and unfinished, unpainted wicker or straw baskets are perfect chewing toys for rabbits. They also like things that can move, such as toilet paper rolls, small empty cardboard cartons, and small piles of shredded paper, or air filled balls. You can hide treats in their toys to encourage foraging behavior.

Your rabbit’s backbone is fragile and can fracture very easily if the rabbit gives a strong kick, so it is always important to support the hind end. Never pick a bunny up by the ears because it’s painful for them and simply not necessary. It’s better to grasp the loose skin over the shoulders and scoop the rabbit up under the chest. Then, place the other hand under the back legs to lift from the floor. When you’re first learning how to handle a rabbit, it’s better to practice close to the floor so that if the rabbit jumps out of your arms, it won’t be a big fall.