Rabbit help....?

Question

I have a eight week year old rabbit that's a male and I was wondering if someone could give any tips on grooming, feeding, petting, taming etc.

I also heard you can tame your rabbit to be paper trained.
I would love to know how to teach a rabbit that.

Answer 1

Shibi gave a great overview. I would like to add:

1. I started out with nail scissors for cats. My rabbit could feel the scissors sqeezing the nail, even though I was not trimming too close to the quick. My vet uses (human) nail clippers. I tried them and I found that they cut better. The rabbit doesn't feel it unless I get too close to the quick. But some clippers don't open wide enough. Eventually I found a toenail clipper from Revlon which is just big enough.
2. Unless the paw is white, the nails are dark and it is hard to see where the quick ends. I solved this with an LED squeeze-light (flashlight). I put the light behind each nail before I cut. The quick shows up as a shadow in the translucent nail.
3. You have to leave dead nail beyond the quick. Don't trim closer than an 1/8 inch.
4. One skilled person can clip a rabbit's nails, but it works better with two people. If one person holds the rabbit so securely that there is no chance of getting free, the rabbit won't waste energy fighting. Wrapping the rabbit in a bath towel helps too. (called a "bunny burrito".)
5. You need to clip nails every month or two. If you let nails get too long it leads to toe injuries (because there is a lot of force on the paws when the rabbit runs or jumps.)
6. When you do a nail clipping, use the opportunity to clean out the scent ducts. These ducts have a stinky, musky waxy buildup. Although rabbits clean themselves very well, they won't remove this stinky wax - I think because it has a purpose in attracting mates. I use a rag or cotton swabs soaked in hydrogen peroxide to scrub the wax out. Some bunny's can't hold their urine when you clean that area, so have a bathtowel underneath.

There are lots of sources on litterbox training. I've included one below. A neutered/spayed rabbit is usually extremely reliable about using a litterbox.

Answer 2

Our rabbits have been litter-box trained and trained to let us know that they need to go outside to use the bathroom. For us, we just put a few of their poop pellets in the box and showed them where it was. They seemed to like the texture of the chips (I used corn-based litter chips and hay -- timothy not straw). They will gnaw on just about anything, so I suggest that you rabbit-proof your home before letting your bunny run around too much. That means, elevating or covering dangerous electrical and other cords and even your shoes (my bunny loved to eat my shoes). I also recall that you should avoid feeding your rabbit iceberg lettuce (it upsets their stomachs).

For training, I suggest encouraging them along with treats. My rabbit enjoyed the store-bought treats, peanuts, oats, fresh spinach, carrots, timothy hay and other similar foods.

For taming, I suggest that you gently hold your rabbit as much as possible. Never pick them up by the ears. Rather, pick them up behind the front haunches, above the belly and support their hind legs with your other hand. They will become used to being held and he will bond with you.

As for grooming, I found that I had difficulty trimming my bunny's nails. His nails were dark and it was hard to see where his "quick" ended and where it was safe to trim. Be careful, but do trim your rabbit's nails. Mine liked being brushed and, toward the end, he enjoyed a warm bath. They are like cats: they clean themselves. But, as my rabbit became old (he was 9 years old), he could no longer clean himself and I would bathe him.

Another thing that you may want to consider is having him neutered. My rabbit thought that I was his doe and he would spray me every day. He was pretty aggressive and he did not like males of any species. Once he was neutered he became much more docile and he lived longer than I ever imagined that he would live.

I hope that you can find a good book or website to help you more than I can. Rabbits are fantastic pets and I sure enjoyed mine. Here is a site with some suggestions. Good luck!

Answer 3

feed it good, love and pet it. also if you put ur rabbit in a cage make sure it dont get its head stuck in one of the holes because mine died like a day after she got her head stuck in the cage, and when they are dieing they kick thier feet and wobble thier bodies, so sad but true.

Answer 4

Lifespan
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A healthy indoor pet rabbit can live up to 10 years and longer. They enjoy throwing around toys and chewing on cardboard. In some home environments, they can develop an affinity with cats and even dogs. Though they are often caged in small areas, they can be trained to live as free-roaming pets, similar to cats and dogs. As pet rabbit medicine, diet and living environment improves, the rabbit's life span increases.

Housing
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While inexpensive caging is readily available in most areas, it is important to consider the safety of the rabbit when choosing a cage. It is of paramount importance to provide proper ventilation for a rabbit, to prevent respiratory problems as a result of ammonia build-up caused by their urine. Cages constructed entirely of wire are commonly used for both ventilation and sanitation purposes. Wire cages can pose risks to the animal, as wire mesh can be painful to their feet, as well as breaking their toes if their nails get caught in the mesh. Solid flooring is preferable, at least on a portion of the cage floor, to allow the rabbit to rest its feet. Wire cages are known to be easier to clean and sanitize than wooden hutches.

Unless they are being used for breeding, it is generally agreed that female rabbits should be spayed, as unspayed rabbits have high incidences of ovarian cancer. There are some health and behavior benefits from the neutering of male rabbits as well. If left intact, rabbits may spray urine in order to mark territory.

Rabbits tend to be aggressive towards other rabbits unless they have bonded. Spaying or neutering both animals may help make this process successful. It is not recommended to house two rabbits together in the same cage and assume that they will cohabitate. Even normally docile rabbits can become violent when left with an unbonded partner. This is common, but does not always take place. Many rabbits that are indifferent to each other can live together peacefully.

Unlike cats, rabbits cannot be declawed. Lacking pads on the bottoms of their feet, rabbits require their claws for balance, and removing rabbit’s claws will render it unable to stand, permanently crippling the animal.

If well cared for, rabbits make friendly and playful pets. They are kept as pets throughout the world, both indoors and out. Housed indoors and provided with adequate safety (especially from electrical cables and house plants that may be toxic to them), rabbits are relatively safe from predators, parasites, disease, and temperature extremes. Rabbits kept outdoors must be provided with shelter. This shelter may be heated in winter (although many rabbits can be kept outside with extra bedding even into temperatures below freezing ) but must be shaded in summer. Domesticated rabbits are most comfortable in temperatures between 10 to 21 degrees Celsius (50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit), and cannot endure temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) without assistance such as fans, frozen water bottles, and deep shade.

Food
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A rabbit should be given plenty of clean fresh water and grass hay daily. Dark green, leafy vegetables may be fed, such as: romaine and escarole lettuces; turnip, mustard, and collard greens; kale, parsley, cilantro, dandelion and basil. Carrots and fruits should be fed sparingly (approximately one tablespoon per pound of body weight every two days), as they are high in sugars. Starchy vegetables such as potatoes should be avoided. When feeding vegetables to a rabbit for the first time, begin with one type, then slowly introduce others, until a the rabbit has become accustomed to at least three different kinds of vegetables per serving; a variety of food keeps the rabbit's interest. Once a rabbit is introduced to vegetables, it should be fed vegetables daily, along with timothy, brome, or oat hay.

When choosing commercial feeds, choose those that do not include nuts, as nuts contain more fat than rabbits can easily metabolize, and may cause health problems, such as fatty liver. Nuts are commonly found in rodent food; as rabbits are not rodents, this food should be avoided. Pellets should be fed one ounce per pound of body weight per day. Traditionally, pellets are fed to rabbits bred for meat, and tend to cause excess weight gain. If a rabbit is fed pellets, a salt block is not necessary, as pellets are high in salt, though salt blocks are not otherwise harmful to rabbits.

Domestic rabbits should be examined daily as infections and illnesses can develop quickly. The eyes should be clean with no crust evident; ears should also be clean, along with any other part of the rabbit. Teeth should not be too long; teeth that are too long will not allow the rabbit to eat. However, it is not recommended that the keeper grind or clip a rabbit's teeth; seek a veterinarian's advice. If clipping is recommended, yet not an immediate threat to the rabbit's health, it is recommended that the keeper use a natural remedy, because once a rabbit's teeth are clipped, they will need to be clipped regularly. A rabbit's teeth can grow as long as five inches per year, but must be worn down to maintain a healthy bite. While teeth clipping is an option, it should be used as a last resort, unless the rabbit suffers malocclusion. If concerned about the length of a rabbit's teeth, introduce oat hay into the diet. Wooden chew toys are also recommended. However, a rabbit's whiskers are a major sensory organ and should never be clipped.

Safe handling of rabbits is taught by rabbit breeders and specialists. Never pick a rabbit up by its ears. When holding a rabbit, be sure all four feet are supported so that the rabbit does not kick; kicking too forcefully can break a rabbit's back. It is advisable to pick up a rabbit with a scooping motion, bringing it to rest on a forearm while allowing it to tuck its head into an elbow. Note that covering a rabbit's eyes creates a sensation of safety for the animal, because the darkness is reassuring, as there is nothing to see and frighten them.