Toys are good way to grind your rabbits teeth down. Rabbits teeth are growing constantly. Their front teeth grow 3mm every week! To avoid dental problems they need to have a well balanced diet but also LOTS OF TOYS. Some good toys to give your rabbit include untreated willow baskets. My bunnies love palm leaf bowls, but make sure they are 100% palm leaf and no chemicals. My bunnies also go crazy for willow balls.

Try out different textures to find out what your fur baby loves the most! You can also hide treats in their toys to make them more appealing to your bun. Foraging Matts are great to use for your rabbit. I have one for my bunnies. They absolutely go nuts over it! I sprinkle some dried flowers over it and they sit their digging and eating for hours. Its a good way to encourage their foraging behavior.

Ears

Rabbits are vulnerable to ear problems. This is due to the size and many folds within their ears. Check the outer ear for discharge and feel around the base of the ear for lumps. Also watch out for a head tilt that might indicate an inner ear infection. If your rabbit is scratching its ears more than usual, has patches of missing fur, or thick brown fluid in its ear canal, it may be suffering from ear mites. The discomfort caused by an ear infection may also cause your rabbit to go off its food or become irritable or subdued.

Handling your bunny

When you get your rabbit you are going to have to know how to hold them properly. It is important to keep your bunny as comfortable as possible. First thing you need to know is that a rabbit’s backbone is very fragile and can fracture very easily. You need to support their hind end. NEVER pick your rabbit up by their ears because its very painful for them.

You need to put your hand under their back legs and lift them off the ground while keeping them close to your body for comfort. Hold them firmly, but make sure you’re not holding them too tightly and take away their air. Bunnies are prey animals and so they get scared and dislike being held. The only time in the wild they are lifted off the ground is by a predator, which is why being picked up scares them. I handle all my bunnies from the time they are born. They get used to it but some bunnies prefer to be on the ground no matter how much you handle them, it’s their instincts.

Helpful hint for creating your Bunny’s Home

How to make your bunny’s cage “home sweet home”.

Your bunnies cage should allow them to stand up on their hind legs without them hitting their head on the top of the cage. Make sure you have enough space for their litter box along with a resting area. I also recommend finding a cage that’s easy to clean. Make sure your cage is made from indestructible materials like metals or plastic (They chew on things made of wood). Wire bottom cages can be uncomfortable for rabbits’ feet. They can cause arthritis which is very painful and uncomfortable. It also creates sore hocks on their feet, which is also super painful. Wire bottom cages are not recommended.

Flooring options for the bottom of your cage include paper-based bedding, wood pellets, wood bedding, and washable puppy pads. Washable puppy pads work great because they are very easy to clean. If your bunny has an accident the pads will absorb pee really well. Fleece is really good to use as it's very comfortable for your bunny. From my personal experience with fleece, my one rabbit tends to like to pee on fleece no matter what I do so every rabbit is different.

In the end it all depends on your bunny and what they like and do the best with. When you first get your rabbit, I would suggest using paper or wood bedding. Your baby bunny will have a lot of accidents as it gets used to their new home. Litter training works best when you can pick up the accident area (paper bedding) and place it in the litter box to train them where to go.

Your cage should be kept in a cool well retaliated area. Rabbits can be caged outdoors, however, it’s not ideal. Rabbits can suffer from fatal heat strokes in the summer and easily contract other sicknesses that can be fatal while your bunny is outside. Bunnies are known to live longer indoors and to have less health issues. In addition, it can be very difficult to protect your bunny from predators when they are kept outside. Always keep their cage clean. A dirty cage can attract unwanted guess like bugs, ants, flies, parasites, and other insects that can be harmful to your rabbit. I keep my buns indoors to ensure their safety and well-being. I have also noticed it’s easier to forget about them when there’re outside. I do not recommend putting your bunny outside, however, it is for you to decide how to make an outdoor enclosure that is both safe and healthy for your buns.

SPAYING AND NEUTERING

Spaying and Neutering can increase your bunny’s lifespan and reduce the chances of cancer (ovarian, mammary, and testicular). Spaying and Neutering will make it a lot easier to litter train your bunny as well. Because of territorial instincts, it can be more challenging to train your bunny to use the bathroom in the same spot habitually. Having your bunny Spayed or Neutered will make cleaning a lot easier as the majority of their potty breaks will be taken in their litter box.

BUNNY HEALTH CHECKS

Rabbits don’t like to show when they’re feeling under the weather, which is a prey animal instinct. Bunnies don’t want to appear weak to predators, so they won’t make it obvious when something is wrong. It’s good to do a monthly check-up on your rabbit to make sure there’s nothing out of the ordinary. By doing this you can catch early signs of illness and prolong your rabbit’s life. Make sure you're observant of your rabbit to make sure there isn’t any behavioral changes which can indicate illness or pain. Rabbits don’t need vaccinations, but you can get vaccinations against some common disease in rabbits. Some people don’t get annually veterinary check-ups, but I recommend having annual vet visits to stay on top of their health.