Instructions
Rabbit-Proofing Rooms
Choose a room without smooth flooring (use carpet or textured tile). Elevate and cover all power cords and wires in the room. Cover all power outlets and move heavy furniture to block access to them if it is reasonably practical.
Ensure that there are no rabbit-toxic plants in the room and remove any potentially dangerous substances, such as cleaning chemicals and insecticide.
Place a litter box in the room and fill it with paper, wood pulp or citrus bedding; wood shavings and clumping cat litters can be toxic to rabbits. Replace used bedding daily.
Remove any staples or tape from a large box. Cut a hole on the side of the box that is large enough for your desired breed of rabbit to enter. Upturn the box and place it in the rabbit-proofed room.
Rabbit-proof any other rooms in which you will allow the rabbit to freely roam. Put several litter boxes and cardboard boxes throughout the home to allow a roaming rabbit access to bathrooms and hiding places.
Rabbit Cages
Choose a wire cage (wood in cages will be subjected to unwanted gnawing) that is at least five times the size that the rabbit will be when it is fully grown. Place the cage in a location without drafts and out of direct sunlight throughout the day.
Cover the wire floor with cardboard, as stepping on wire harms rabbit feet. Coat the floor with an inch or so of bedding, preferably paper pulp-based bedding or kiln-dried pine shavings (cedar and other aromatic woods can lead to severe health problems in rabbits). You can also use hay as both bedding and food source.
Place food and water dishes that are either heavy or securely attached to the cage to avoid tipping. Place a litter box in a corner of the cage. Place an upturned cardboard box in the cage to provide a hiding place.
Place untreated wood or cardboard (such as expended paper towel and toilet paper rolls) in the cage for the rabbit to chew on; as with rodents, a rabbit's teeth grow continuously throughout its life, meaning that constant gnawing is essential for dental management. Avoid materials with sharp edges or hazardous parts (such as plastic) that a rabbit could ingest.
Rabbit Nutrition
Feed the rabbit a diet primarily composed of grass hay (ideally timothy hay) and supplemented by dark, leafy vegetables such as lettuce, parsley and collard greens. Provide rabbits with a constant supply of hay and several cups of vegetables each day. Offer rich foods (such as high-quality pellets, alfalfa hay and fruits) only sparingly or as a treat.
Give rabbits several different vegetables at once to ensure variety and occasionally change the menu. Introduce new vegetables in small quantities at first to avoid upsetting the rabbit's digestive system; increase the proportion of the vegetable as the rabbit adjusts.
Offer a constant supply of water, as rabbits cannot obtain water from their food like many other animals.
Replace the water supply daily and clean the bowl if it is dirty. Replace the food dish daily; do not leave any vegetables in the cage for more than a day. Replace any wet hay-based bedding, if any, and replace dry hay bedding every several days.
Rabbit Health
Have any rabbits that you don't intend to breed spayed or neutered regardless of whether you own any other rabbits; unneutered male rabbits are prone to aggression and territorial spraying, and unspayed female rabbits are vulnerable to reproductive diseases such as uterine cancer. Bring rabbits to veterinarians for annual check-ups to avoid medical problems.
Wipe down the rabbit cage (and heavily-frequented places where the rabbit is allowed to roam) every several days with a mixture of one part white vinegar to one part water. Wipe cleaned areas with water and then towel-dry to reduce the vinegar's odor. Clean all litter boxes and droppings/urine that miss the litter boxes.
Lift the rabbit from its front and back sides and hold it against your body to handle it. Lifting a rabbit by the stomach or ears can cause significant pain and injury, as can holding it under its front legs and letting its body hang.
Take the rabbit out of its cage (if caged) for several hours each day and allow it to exercise in a rabbit-proofed room; playing with it during this time will promote its bond with you. Avoid stressing the rabbit by keeping away other non-rabbit pets (such as cats or dogs, especially if any of the pets are a new addition to the home) and loud noises (including young children).
Groom the rabbit with a soft brush and use a damp cloth to remove loose fur. Clip the rabbit's nails at least once a month, and possibly more often if the rabbit is normally cage-bound.
How to Care for Rabbit Breeds
Rabbits typically make for gentle, friendly and long-lived pets, but properly caring for them can be difficult. You cannot keep domestic rabbits safely outdoors without risking overheating or predation. Therefore, you must keep rabbits indoors in a large and well-equipped cage or allow them to roam the home freely, in which case the entire home must be rabbit-proofed against the small and chew-loving creatures. Different rabbit breeds vary in size, coating and temperament, but basic care for rabbits is largely universal.