There are nutritionally complete balanced diets on the market. These pellets should be available at all times with plenty of fresh water. Rabbits have a tendency to be overweight and therefore should be fed 1/4 cup of pellets per 5 pounds of body weight each day. Clean, raw vegetables can be offered 2-3 times weekly, but should not make up more than 20% of the rabbits diet. These foods such as lettuce and carrots have a high water content but are lacking in nutrition.

A soft-spoken, relaxed approach works well with rabbits. They scare easily and may injure themselves with sudden movements. They should never be picked up by the ears.

Rabbits can be housed indoors or outdoors. They should be kept in a large enough wire cage to allow room to move around. They should not be left to run free in the house without supervision because they are very destructive chewers. Also, they can be injured by chewing on telephone or electrical cords. They can be litter box trained just as cats are.

It is recommended that both male and female rabbits be sterilized by about 5 months of age. This helps cut done on territorial aggression and in the female, cuts down on the chances of uterine cancer.

Rabbits can develop hairballs just as cats do from frequent grooming but the rabbit cannot vomit the hairballs which remain in the stomach. Surgery is sometimes needed to correct the problem. Rabbits should be brushed daily and fed a hairball lubricant such as those used on cats. Feeding fresh pineapple juice or pineapple chunks which contain the digestive enzyme papain, may help prevent stomach hairballs. A suitable alternative is piña colada yogurt , using ½ teaspoon per 2 pounds of body weight daily.

Some other health concerns in rabbits include hutch sores which can be treated with antibiotics, overgrown incisor teeth which should be clipped by an experienced veterinarian or technician, overgrown claws, heat stress, trauma to the spine, uterine cancer and selective anorexia. Antibiotics should never be used in rabbits unless they are specifically prescribed by a veterinarian.





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