Bunnie House

Cages - Make sure you have no protruding nails or screws inside the cage as this will cause damage to your animal.  Avoid wire mesh cage bottoms - they may be easier to clean but they cause sores on the bunnies tender feet.  Be careful where you put your bunny's cage - when the weather gets hotter bunnies can die of heat-stroke if left with no shade to lie in, whilst draughts can cause many health problems but frequently cause eye infections

Bedding -   There are many types of bedding available although you may not be able to acquire all types locally.  You will need two types of bedding, one for absorbency and one for warmth and comfort.  Wood shavings are absorbent and smell fresh and clean, although not the most absorbent on the market.  We have experienced many issues with wood shavings and in particular are aware that there is a sizeable percentage of rabbits that are allergic to them.  Other suitable absorbent beddings are hemp based and paper based.  We feature other beddings on our feed & bedding page. Normal straw, usually barley, and hay is not absorbent and the urine will drain through, therefore a layer of absorbent bedding on the bottom is needed otherwise the urine it will sit on the bottom of the cage and help to rot your cage floor, and also cause sores to bunny.  Straw is available cut or chopped. We have had many issues with cut straw and no longer use the product.  There are several chopped straw products on the market, again featured on our feed & bedding page, which have some valuable properties. 

Avoid scented beddings.  Studies show that they cause liver damage in small animals and that they can irritate your bunny's respiratory system as well. Never use hay as a floor covering as the bunnies will eat it, soiled or not.  Hay should be given in a bundle for either nesting or comfort.

Water - Always change your rabbits water every day.  You must remember to check the water at least twice a day but more often if you can.  Seasons will require you to pay more attention to your rabbits water bottles - winter will require that you ensure the water does not freeze and summer will require that you give cool fresh water more often.

Food - Your bunny needs plenty of fresh hay and either bunny muesli or pellets.  Although there are some good quality muesli feeds on the market, they do not prevent selective eating.  Extra care must be taken to ensure that your bunny is eating all of the ingredients in the mix otherwise your bunny may become ill through a deficiency in a certain area.  Pellets will stop all selective eating as they include all the vital vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your rabbit needs to stay healthy but you should ensure that your bunny has plenty of other 'treat' food to stop the boredom. 

All bunnies love carrots, but watch closely the quantity given as there is a lot of sugar in them.  Same with bananas and grapes etc.  If your bunny gets too heavy, their internal organs may not function very well. Sometimes too much veg will cause your bunny to have the runs. This is not good for your bunny, you must not allow your bunny to have any more veg until the droppings are hard again, and then reintroduce vegetables again slowly.

Chewing - Bunnies absolutely love to chew. Phone books are popular with bunnies who love to shred the pages, so make sure you keep all of your old phone books. Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are also safe and popular chew toys for bunnies. To make it even more fun, you can take a roll and stuff hay inside for them to dig out. Boxes and paper bags are also a great source of entertainment for bunnies.  You can fill the paper bag with hay, or just put an open paper bag on the floor for the bunnies to crawl into and dig. You'll be surprised at how long they can entertain themselves by playing with the bag.   Please read our page on toys for further information.