What do I feed my rabbit?
The most important things to feed your new friend are pellet rabbit food and Timothy hay. Other than that, you can add some fruits and vegetables. When you get your rabbit, he will be eating Timothy hay, pellet food, broccoli, kale, and, of course, carrots.
Feed your rabbit once a day. I feed my rabbits about a cup of food a day. Sometimes they eat it all, and sometimes they don’t. My system is everyday my rabbits get one cup of pellet food and either a vegetable or Timothy hay. One day I give them hay, and the next day I give them a fruit or vegetable. This is the system I have used for years, and my rabbits are healthy and happy.
If you want to add a new fruit or vegetable to your rabbit’s diet, introduce it slowly, one thing at a time. Raw vegetables are best. Occasionally giving a fruit as a treat is okay, but be careful of fruits. The sugar content can be too much for them. I give my rabbits small pieces of banana sometimes as a treat. They usually love bananas. With all new foods, watch for signs that the rabbit isn’t tolerating it well. Consult a vet if you are concerned. A complete list of foods that are safe for rabbits can be found by talking to a vet or through a search online.
Vegetables with a high water content (like lettuce) are very harmful for your rabbit and can give them severe diarrhea which can lead to death. Stick to dark leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, turnip greens, etc. Also avoid corn because rabbits cannot digest the hulls.
Water is very important. Rabbits can die very quickly without ample water. A water bottle for pets that attaches to the side of the cage works best. You should check the bottle daily to make sure that the rabbit has plenty of water.
What supplies do I need for my rabbit?
These are supplies I recommend for your new rabbit:
A cage: Whether you are keeping your rabbit inside or out, you will need a cage big enough for an adult rabbit to hop around easily.
Foodbowl: Make sure you use a bowl that your rabbit can easily reach the bottom of. If your rabbit is bad to flip over his bowl, you can buy hanging feeders. These will hold several days’ of food. I have some rabbits that play in their Timothy hay rather than eating it. For them, I have bought hanging hay feeders. All of these types of bowls and feeders ban be found at most pet stores or online.
Water bottle: Make sure you buy a bottle that will hold at least one day’s supply of water. Check your rabbit’s water daily. It is so important to make sure your rabbit has easy access daily to clean water.
Toys and treats: Many pet stores sell toys and treats for rabbits. I suggest you supply your rabbit with treats very seldomly. You don’t want to spoil their dinner. Toys are a great way to keep your rabbit happy and keep them mentally alert. Playing with your rabbit is also a great way to bond with your new friend. Rabbits can play with different toys. I have even seen some rabbits playing ball with their owners. Have fun figuring out what your rabbit likes to play.
What behaviors can I expect to see in my rabbit?
Rabbits have different ways of communicating with you and with other rabbits. Here are a few:
Binkies: When your rabbit is feeling playful and very happy, he may jump, twist, kick up back legs, run quickly across the cage, roll over completely, or other fun things like this. If you see your rabbit doing this, it is form of play. I see these mostly with young rabbits, and it is so fun to watch.
Foot pop: Sometimes you may hear a loud stomping noise coming from your rabbit. This is a foot pop. When the rabbit pops his foot on the floor in the wild, it is a warning to other rabbits nearby that there is a danger in the area. With your pet rabbit, it is probably his way of showing you he is not happy with you. It looks like what Thumper does in the movie Bambi, but is only one stomp at a time.
Flopping: Sometimes your rabbit will flop very quickly onto his side. When I first saw my rabbit do this, I thought she was dying. That is certainly not the case. When a rabbit flops on his side, it is his way of showing that he is relaxed and comfortable with his surroundings. It’s a bit like saying that all is well in the world. It makes me glad to see my rabbits do this, because it lets me know they are happy and content
Screaming: A rabbit scream is not a sound you ever want to hear. This is a cry of mortal terror. Usually it means that the rabbit is dying or thinks it is going to die. It is a terrible sound. If you hear your rabbit screaming, hurry to check on him, because he is most likely in extreme danger. The only time a rabbit’s scream is not a true sign of danger is when he screams because he thinks he is in danger. An example of this happened when I picked up a baby rabbit. She started screaming because she perceived she was in danger. Once I cuddled and petted her, she realized she was not in danger, and she stopped screaming.
Chewing: Rabbits love to chew things. Be forewarned that if you are letting your rabbit hop around your house, he is going to try to chew every cord he finds. Rabbits chew lots of things, but they especially love to chew cords. I strongly advise you to keep the cords away from where your rabbit will be.
How do I keep my rabbit clean?
Rabbits are very clean animals. They know how to keep themselves clean. Mostly, you want to leave them alone to take care of their hygiene on their own. Sometimes a rabbit will get dirty in some way and he won’t be able to clean himself. In these instances, use a wet cloth to clean the dirty area. Don’t submerge them into water. This can be very dangerous for your rabbit. It could cause your rabbit to stress itself to death.
Clean your rabbit’s cage daily. Rabbit feces has very little odor to it, but rabbit’s urine smells horrible. Cleaning the cage daily will help to remove these foul odors and to keep your rabbit clean and healthy.
Lionhead rabbits need to be groomed occasionally. I use a soft bristle pet brush to keep their hair looking good. I don’t have to do this very often. Rabbit hair can sometimes get matted. When this happens, I carefully cut the mat off of the fur with scissors.
What do I do if I think there is a problem with my rabbit?
I am always willing to help with your questions and concerns, but I am not a doctor. If you are worried about what is going on with your rabbit, my best advice is to call a vet immediately. Unfortunately, a rabbit’s health can deteriorate quickly. If you think your rabbit is sick, don’t hesitate to call your vet.
Stress is very dangerous for your rabbit. Loud noises, improper handling, fast movements, anything that would scare your rabbit, can cause enough stress to make your rabbit to die. When your rabbit first comes to your house and is getting to know you and your family, be very cautious of stress. As your rabbit adjusts to his new home, the stress factor should lessen greatly.
What do I need to be careful of with my rabbit?
Rabbits frighten easily. Loud noises can scare them badly, and can stress them out to the point that they actually die. Be careful that the environment around your rabbit is one that won’t induce stress.
Netherland dwarfs are not good pets for small children. These rabbits are very small and it would be easy for a small child to hurt one. If you do decide to bring a Netherland dwarf into your home, please carefully monitor your young children when they are playing with the rabbit.
As with any new pet, please monitor your new rabbit around other pets you have in your home (even other rabbits). Sometimes rabbits get along beautifully with other pets, but other times it could end in disaster.
If you are keeping your rabbit in a cage, always make sure the openings are fastened securely, and that the cage is in a place that other animals cannot harm the rabbit. This is especially important if your rabbit will be housed outside where predators and neighborhood animals could either harm the rabbit or scare him to death. If you plan to keep your rabbit’s cage outside, I recommend putting the cage in some sort of enclosure that would keep the rabbit out of the elements and keep it safe from predators.
The heat and sun are especially dangerous for rabbits. For outdoor rabbits, I recommend keeping the rabbits in a shady area. In very hot weather, I suggest freezing a 2 liter sized bottle of water and sticking it in the cage with your rabbit. The heat is more dangerous for rabbits than the cold, although extreme cold is dangerous for any outdoor animal.
Because of the extra fur on the Lionhead’s body, these rabbits are extremely susceptible to the heat. If you own this type of rabbit, be very cautious on hot days. For this same reason, Lionheads tolerate cold better than other breeds although caution should be taken on extremely cold days.