Keeping animals outdoors often means a gathering of pesky flies in our barn, yard, or both. Flies are an inevitability as we move into the spring and summer months, and keeping flies out of the rabbit hutch is a job not to be taken lightly.

Rabbits are especially vulnerable to swarms of flies because they can fall victim to a condition called “flystrike”. According to Chris McLaughlin in her About.com article Treating Flystrike in Rabbits, “…flies are attracted to manure, urine, and otherwise wet or damp areas,” which definitely includes our rabbit’s hutch tray. It is possible for your rabbit’s rear end to get wet and mucky with the urine and feces, and that’s when flies strike (no pun intended). They lay their eggs on that wet and soiled area of your rabbit, creating a situation where your rabbit is now a host to a mess of maggots, eventually leading to your bunny’s death.

There are many things that can be done to keep flies out of the rabbit hutch. These are the strategies that I personally use:

• Hang rosemary or other aromatic herbs in the cage or hutch. Make sure these are either fine for the rabbit to eat, or hung out of your bunny’s reach.
• Add crushed garlic cloves, or even garlic peels and scraps to the hutch tray. Again, make sure that the garlic cloves or scraps are out of reach of your rabbit, though I doubt they would try to eat it anyway. Still, garlic can be toxic in large amounts for your rabbit, so best to be careful with it.
• Add aromatic herbs to the hutch tray—has the same effect as the garlic.
• Keep your hutch trays clean and dry as much as is possible. Scoop and rinse them frequently, and if you have it, add DE and pine shavings to the hutch tray to control urine odors after you scoop.

 

For further reading:
Treat Flystrike in Rabbits and Fly Control in the Rabbitry by Chris McLaughlin (About.com)


 

Rabbit obesity can be easy to achieve if we are not careful. Once our little friends are carrying a few extra ounces or even pounds, it can mean the difference in whether or not they are able to groom themselves, get proper nutrition, and live a full life.

Rabbit obesity is a problem that can touch your rabbit in more areas than you could shake a stick at. It can cause problems as treatable as sore hocks, or problems as difficult and perilous as liver or even heart issues. Their nutrition can hang in the balance if they are not able to reach their cecotropes to eat them. Just like our bodies don’t function correctly when we are overweight or obese, our rabbit’s won’t either, and fatty deposits can collect in their lungs, liver, and bladder, causing myriad issues to your treasured friend.

Aside from weighing your rabbit weekly, there are a few things we can do for our bunny friends to help them to stay at their proper weight.

Preventing Rabbit Obesity with Exercise

Chances are, your rabbit lives in a cage or hutch most of the time, which means that they don’t have the same opportunities for exercise as their counterparts in the wild enjoy. Never fear–there are still some simple things that you can do to help your precious little lagomorph get his daily workout.

Bunny Run

Set up a large fenced area in your yard where your rabbit can stretch his legs, and allow him at least one hour per day to do just that. If your fenced area isn’t predator-proofed, you’ll want to make sure that this time is not unsupervised. Here is an example of a predator-proofed bunny run.
 

Indoor Time

If a bunny run isn’t available, or if you’d just prefer to have your bunny closer to you, bring her indoors to cruise around the house. Make sure all cords are out of reach, because bunnies do like to chew them!
 

Toys

Hang toys from the ceiling of their hutch, or put ‘furniture’ in their cage. Bunnies love to rearrange their rooms, which provides a bit of activity, movement, and calorie burning for during those days when you can’t bring your rabbit out for exercise.
 

Prevent Rabbit Obesity with a Larger Living Space

Often, people will give their rabbits a multi-level living space where their bunnies can traverse upstairs, downstairs, and all around a large area, while still remaining contained. This is ideal, however, if you do not have that kind of space in your home, make sure that your rabbit’s cage or hutch is tall enough that they can stand on their hind legs without their ears touching the ceiling, and wide enough for at least 2-3 hops.

Prevent Rabbit Obesity with Proper Feeding

In order to keep your rabbit at a healthy weight, she needs to be fed a proper diet, in proper amounts, which will go a long way in keeping your rabbit comfortable and well-nourished.

Pellets

If you use pellets to feed your rabbit, he will need a specific amount to ensure that his weight remains balanced. House Rabbit Society suggests to feed as follows:

5-7 lb body weight – 1/4 c daily
8-10 lb body weight – 1/2 c daily
11-15 lb body weight – 3/4 c daily

While the University of Minnesota Extension Office suggests:

Small breeds: 2-3 oz per day
Medium breeds: 3.5-4 oz per day
Large/Giant breeds: 4-8 oz per day

The instructions on your feed bag will also give some guidance on how much to feed your rabbit, according to the nutrients included in the feed itself.
 

Hay

There are many types of hay that you can give to your rabbit, but by far, Timothy hay has been the most recommended. Rabbits require clean hay every day, available at all times. Hay provides the proper roughage needed to prevent blockage in their GI area, as well as a way for rabbits to chew as much as they need to. Hay does not have the calories that feed does, which makes hay a fabulous and needful addition to your rabbit’s nutrition.
 

Vegetables

Rabbits love vegetables, and there are all kinds that are very good for your rabbit. There are also many kinds that can cause weight gain, diarrhea, and other issues for your rabbit. Check out our Safe Foods for Your Rabbit post for a complete list of vegetables to feed to your bunny.
 

Treats

Treats should be few and far between. Fruits and starchy vegetables can present problems for your rabbit due to their sugar content. Avoid sugary foods on the whole, and feed nutritious foods that cause weight gain (think oats and sunflower seeds) only in the proper amounts, and not daily unless they are part of a carefully blended homemade feed with proper amounts added.

Sources:
Rabbit Environment – PDSA for Pets in Need of Vets
The Perils of Bunny Obesity by House Rabbit Society
University of Minnesota

Rabbits have quite a delicate system and when we don’t know what is safe and unsafe for our little furry friends, we risk upsetting their systems, which for baby rabbits can be deadly.

When choosing safe foods for your rabbit, you may choose to feed with store-bought pellets, or make up your own rabbit food blend, but chances are, you will want to supplement with vegetables and perhaps a treat of fruit now and then.

When giving certain vegetables, you will want to be mindful of the effects that regular feeding of these vegetables will have on your rabbit. Some are high in oxalic acid, which is toxic and can damage your rabbit’s kidneys over time. If you choose to give these to your rabbit, they should be only one out of three greens given per day.

Some vegetables, like carrots, contain more sugar than is good for your rabbit on a regular basis. These vegetables can cause obesity in your rabbits, which can lead to other health issues.

And still, other vegetables can give your rabbit gas if fed too much of them in one sitting. Notes following each vegetable suggestion will help you to understand which vegetables are best for your rabbit on a regular basis, and which should be given sparingly.
 

Safe Leafy Vegetables

These vegetables should make up 75% of your rabbit’s fresh portion of food each day. It is recommended to feed 1 packed cup for every 2 pounds of your rabbit’s body weight per day.

Arugula Basil (all types) Beet greens (high in oxalic acid) Bok choy Borage leaves Broccoli leaves (stems or tops can make rabbits gassy) Carrot tops (carrots are high in calcium and should be given sparingly) Celery Chicory Cilantro Clover Collard greens Cucumber leaves Dandelion leaves Dill Endive Escarole Fennel (the leafy tops as well as the base) Frisee Lettuce Kale (all types)

Lettuce - romaine or dark leaf (no iceburg lettuce and no cabbage) Mache Mint (all types) Mustard greens (high in oxalic acid) Parsley (high in oxalic acid) Radicchio Radish tops (high in oxalic acid) Raspberry leaves Red or green lettuce Romaine lettuce Spinach (high in oxalic acid) Spring greens Swiss chard (high in oxalic acid) Turnip greens Water cress Wheatgrass Yu choy

Safe Non-Leafy Vegetables

These should be fed sparingly each day due at about 1 tablespoon per 2 lbs of body weight per day.

Carrots Broccoli (leaves and stems) Edible flowers (roses, nasturtiums, pansies, hibiscus) Celery Bell peppers (any color) Chinese pea pods (the flat kind without large peas)

Brussel sprouts Cabbage (any type) Broccolini Summer squash Zucchini squash

Safe Fruits

These foods should be used for treats, as they are meant to be fed to your rabbit even more sparingly than non-leafy vegetables. Feed no more than 1 tsp. per 2 pounds of your rabbit’s weight per day.
NOTE: It is said that it is more nutritious to leave the skin on organic fruit when feeding to your rabbit. However, if you are not sure of the origin of your fruit and whether or not it is organic, remove the peels.

Apple (any variety, without stem and seeds) Cherries (any variety, without the pits) Pear Peach Plum (without the pits) Kiwi Papaya Mango

Berries (any type, raw) Pineapple (remove skin) Banana (remove peel; no more than about 2 1/8 inch slices a day for a 5 lb rabbit…they LOVE this!) Melons (any – can include peel and seeds) Star Fruit Apricot Currants Nectarine

A few things to remember

• If you will be making vegetables and fruits a regular part of your rabbit’s diet, please consider purchasing organic and pesticide free veggies.
• When introducing new fresh produce to your rabbit, do it slowly and only giving one new vegetable or fruit at a time. This will ensure that your rabbit’s intestinal tract has the time to adjust, and you the opportunity to see if your rabbit experiences any adverse reactions to the new food.
• Leafy greens and new baby bunnies don’t mix well, as the leafy greens can cause diarrhea, which can be fatal to young rabbits.


 
Sources:
PDSA.org (UK)
House Rabbit Society
My House Rabbit


 

Surprisingly, litter box training my rabbits was extremely easy!  Rabbits prefer themselves and their cages to be clean, so they will naturally prefer the use of a litter box.

The only thing you really have  to do is take a few signals from your rabbit. If you already have a bunny at home in a cage, just notice the location in their cage they are already using, they are more than likely already returning to the same spot every time. Then, all you have to do is add the litter box in that spot.  I also put a few of the rabbits pellets in the litter box to help the bunny realize what you are expecting from them. I used a paper towel to soak up some urine from the bottom of the cage. Placing this in the bottom of the litter box the first time puts their scent in the box, and it draws them to it. If they decide to use another section of their cage, simply move the box to that area. They will eventually figure this out. It took mine around 3 days to get it perfect, but they never urinated outside their box again. My male rabbit was about 6 months old when I trained him, the females were around 5 months old. I have never attempted training rabbits younger than this, so it may vary somewhat by age.

Litter

 This is the litter that I use. It is all natural, and has a bit of a woody scent, pine. NEVER use cedar shavings this can cause respiratory issues. The neat thing about this litter is it is completely flushable and biodegradable. Since there are no chemicals in it, I am experimenting with emptying their litter pans in my garden to compost. The litter expands with the first rain, and will usually breakdown within just 1 or 2 days of rain.

Litter Boxes

I noticed one problem pretty quickly in training my bunnies! Their fur would usually carry a few ‘balls’ out of the litter box as the jumped out. This would leave the occasional rabbit pellet on the carpet. I located this neat litter box and it really helped. Instead of tracking in and out over their old litter, waste falls through the wire and is trapped underneath.

Timothy Hay

One final trick that I learned was that rabbits will sometimes eat and poop at the same time! I added a hay rack right over the litter box and I filled it with Timothy Hay! This attracts them to the area to feed on the fresh hay, and without even realizing it, they are using their litter box. (However, if you give treats or prizes outside the cage, this does not mean they will poop outside!)

Territorial Droppings

Rabbits are not perfect, and litter box training is a process. Sometimes your rabbit may forget, and you have to start over with training, but don’t get frustrated with them. Also, they are very territorial and hormonal animals. They use their pellets to mark their territory. If they feel threatened by another animal, droppings will appear more frequently.  If they detect the smell of another animal they are unsure of on you, they may drop pellets at your feet. This is intentional, and not a miss at using the litter box. Males are especially prone to territorial droppings. My male lion head is very specific with this. He can be out all day long, and never leave a single dropping. As soon as I get home, he will jump on my lap and leave me a couple just to say, you are mine. Luckily, rabbit pellets are small and hard, and usually do not have a  smell. You will get used to cleaning up the few they may leave around.

Just pay attention to their signals. My issue is the fact that I have female rabbits in another location, as well as cats at the office. When I get home, he gets very territorial about me and where I have been! I am his, and he is determined to let theses other animals he detects know this.

If you do not have any other animals, and are not around other animals, this may not be an issue for you at all after the first few days.

Shared at:
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, The HomeAcre Hop

              Picking a new rabbit can be rather daunting. So today I’m going to write about my favorite breed: Mini Lops. I’ve always found them to be great pets, and I’d just like to share my information with people trying to pick their breed. This post will be about the ups and downs of Mini Lops and a touch about the Lop family. Hope you enjoy!

              When one is looking into rabbits, they have to take many, many things into consideration. The first, of course, being breed. Contrary to popular belief, each breed is extremely different not only in look but in temperament too. From my own personal experiences I’ve found that the smaller the breed is, the prissier they are. Of course, this isn’t a solid rule but only a suggestion. My personal favorite breed, one of two that I own, are Mini Lops. While they’re not an entirely popular breed (which actually surprises me, since they’re the classic ‘stuffed rabbit’ style, long body and lop ears), I’ve found them to be probably the most agreeable breed I’ve encountered.

              Mini Lops are, as the name suggests, in the Lop family. They sit beside one of the most common breeds in my area, Holland Lops, and less popular breeds such as: English Lops, French Lops, and the newer American Fuzzy Lop. ‘Lop’ refers to lopped, or ‘drooping’ ears. They hang by the cheeks and in their youth sometimes stick out horizontally. I’ve always found the Lop family to be docile and friendly but, like most rabbits, need a bit of training to get them into a particular rhythm. My rabbit, Michelle, was very easy to train and probably my only problems with her is how protective of her space she is. This is normal with rabbits and personally I think that makes sense. Imagine someone going into your house and moving everything around? Frankly, I’d be rather upset about it too.

              Now, the less fun part is the technicalities. If you choose a mini lop as your breed, you need to know a few things. Their ideal weight is around 6 pounds, but they can definitely gain weight quickly. My little girl is overweight, but so far it hasn’t created any problems outside of the rabbit showing world. There are tons of rabbit diet methods (that sounds kind of funny, doesn’t it?) out there, but I’ve always find that exercise goes far enough. Which brings me to the next thing to keep in mind: space. While Mini Lops can stay in their cages for most of the day, it’s always great to let them out and run.

              So there you have it: the bare-bones basics of Mini Lops. It’s definitely not everything you need to know, but it’s definitely enough to get you on the way. My own personal suggestion, no matter what breed you choose, is to do as much research as possible and then finally decide what suits your life best. To summarize Mini Lops: Calm, not difficult to train but can occasionally take some hard work, and lots of running space. I hope this helped teach you a thing or two about my favorite breed!

Shared at:
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways

Rabbits continually groom themselves. Just like cats, they end up ingesting their own fur. Unfortunately, unlike cats, rabbits are not able to vomit. This means that what enters the stomach, must proceed through the digestive track.  At times, fur may become impacted in the digestive track causing serious and life threatening complications- known as both, hair balls or wool block.

It is generally easy to spot the symptoms of wool block or a hair ball coming on your bunny.

• They will start to become lethargic.
• They will start eating and drinking less and less, eventually stopping.
• Their stools will become smaller and smaller, maybe even being strung together with tiny pieces of wool.

This can all happen in a single day. Rabbits have to eat, even 24 hours without food is dangerous. In this case, an emergency trip to a good vet will probably be necessary. If it hasn’t progressed too far, the vet will probably give them a dose of a good rabbit laxative, which will probably be the solution. There actually are a few rabbit laxatives available on the internet that can be used if the problem is caught early enough.  I have used these products a couple of times, but I prefer to prevent this problem, and the use of laxatives if at all possible. These laxatives can be dangerous, but are preferable to allowing the rabbit to continue deteriorating.

• Good, high fiber, quality pellets in their everyday diet.
• Timothy Hay in unlimited quantities in the cage/hutch.
• Daily greens (such as romaine lettuce) and veggies!
• Limited amounts of fruits
• Exercise- time out of cage, preferably at least 2 hours every day!

Papaya and pineapple are an excellent preventative treatment for a sluggish digestive track due to ingesting fur.  Pictured above is organic dried papaya bits, (no-sugar added) purchased from Whole Foods. The use of fresh papaya and pineapple is preferable, but dried is extremely effective and easier to keep on hand, and at times, rabbits will actually prefer the dried to the fresh. The enzymes in both pineapple and papaya are actually able to break down the fibers from their wool, making it pass through their systems much easier.

 I use these sparingly, because of the high sugar content of fresh or dried fruit; however, I do give it to them daily. What is wonderful about dried papaya is the fact that rabbits love it so much! I have actually trained my rabbits using just these tiny papaya bits. I let them out for play time in the morning before work, and all evening after work. When I am ready to put them up for the day, or the night, I go get one tiny piece of this, and they run and jump back in their cage on their own. It took some time for them to get the idea, but I only gave them this treat when they were in their cage. I make sure to always say ‘treats’ prior to giving it to them, and now, they run to get it!

Spending time with your rabbit, just as you would a cat or dog, is extremely important. In doing this, you will learn their individual personalities. This is extremely important in being able to identify sickness early enough to treat. Once you learn their habits, it will be easy to notice when they aren’t eating or drinking as they usually do. When they aren’t thrilled to get a usual treat they love, it will be noticed by you quicker.

Pardon my pun, but it is possible for your rabbit to simply have a bad ‘hare’ day, but understanding them is the key to identifying problems early enough to save their lives! If you are scared or worried, take them to the vet. Your vet can help you learn what is normal for your rabbit and what is a potential problem.