maltby minilops
breeder & exhibitor of quality mini lops
Caring for your rabbit
When buying a rabbit, take your time to look at the different breeds and what will suit you best, do you want a house rabbit or one to live in the garden ?, how much space do you have to allow for a hutch ?, and do you want something small enough to pick up, or large enough to be noticed ?.
A large rabbit will require at least a 6' hutch with plenty of space to run around, preferably a large run in the garden, or if the garden is enclosed the full run of the garden whilst being supervised, Never go out and leave your rabbit loose in the garden, anything could happen.
Once you have decided on the size and breed you would like, take care to choose from a reputable breeeder, look around their stud, making sure you look that the care and wellbeing of their rabbits is in good order, check that the parents of the baby you are buying are nicely bred and of the size and type you are looking for,and that they have a nice clean shiny coat, bright eyes, good teeth and are not thin and under weight.
Never take a baby rabbit less that 8 weeks old home with you, they will not have been properly weaned and the stress of the move can cause many illnesses and they may die as a result.
Handling your rabbit.
Never pick up your pet by the ears or by the scruff of the neck, the ears are very sensitive and can be easily damaged, both of these methods of handling are painful and stressful to rabbit The correct way is one hand under the belly, the other supporting the bottom. Hold your rabbit close to your body so he/she feels safe. With a new or nervous rabbit it is advisable to sit on the floor with him/her until you both feel confident, that way he wont be injured if jumps from you. Panic causes rabbits to move quickly, it only takes a few seconds for him/her to fall The more you handle your bunny the better the pet you will have.
Vaccinations
It is advisable to get your rabbit vaccinated from VHD (once yearly) and myxomatosis (one every 6 months), this can be done from 8 weeks of age, and usually consists of 1 injection per virus,
WATER BOTTLE
Check your rabbits drinking water. A rabbit that is not drinking water, is almost certainly not eating either. This is a danger sign that you need to have them checked out more thoroughly should they not start dringking within a couple of days. Make sure he/she has clean, fresh, cool water at all times, especially during the hot summer months. Also, make sure that the water bottle is not leaking, or blocked or dirty :- A dehydrated rabbit goes down hill rapidly.
Food
There are many different types of feed on the market, in a range of types, pellets, mixes and extruded, speak to your breeder to find out what your baby has been reared on,
One of the first signs that a rabbit is sick is that he/she stops eating. Check the food dish every day, check around and underneath to make sure that your bunny has eaten his/her food and not just thrown it around. Never top up the half full food dish, as it becomes stale very fast and moulds and toxins can build up, which can be very harmful to rabbits. Food should be stored out of sunlight, in a clean air-tight container.
Do not change your rabbits diet suddenly , if for any reason you have to change his/her diet, do it gradually, introducing the new brand a little at a time, incorporating it into what he/she is already being fed, slowly building up. The rabbit has a very delicate digestive system, sudden changes are harmful.
rabbit mix extruded rabbit rabbit pellets
HAY
Always maintain a fresh supply of quality hay for your rabbit, remove any left from the previous day. Always store your hay in dry conditions as damp hay goes mouldy very quickly and must not be fed . Hay is an important food source for your rabbit, it is a high fibre source which they require.
FRESH VEGETABLES
Feed your rabbit fresh greens and fruit, but remember everything in moderation, what seems like a little to us is a lot for rabbit, to much leads to diarrhoea. Never feed a rabbit fruit/veg that you wouldnt eat yourself. Cauliflower heads, a few leaves, carrots, celery, dandelion leaves, brussel sprouts leaves. Cabbage may be fed in small amounts but sometimes causes upset tums.young baby rabbits i recommend not feeding too many fruit/veg until about 12 weeks unless the breeder has reared them on them first. sometimes it can be a bit rich for a babies stomach to cope with if he/she is not used to it.
Type of bedding.
There are a many types of bedding i prefer wood shavings, they are highly absorbant and smell fresh and clean, other forms of bedding are straw, this come in normal or chopped, again i prefer the chopped, but it is whatever suits you or your rabbit, however normal straw, (usually barley) is not absorbant, the urine will drain through, therefore i usually recommend a layer of shavings on the bottom to absorb the urine otherwise it will sit on the bottom of the cage and help to rot your cage floor, some people use hay , this should be used as a feed source only, other bedding includes less conventional types such as shredded or chopped paper and hemp core,
Shavings Chopped Shredded Hemp
Straw Paper