Rabbits N'Rodents

Questions and Answers

General

1./Which breed is the best?

2./Boy or Girl

3./Can I have one bunny?

4./There are lots of baby bunnies at the petstore, can't I just go there instead of rescuing?

5./My local petshop is selling baby rabbits under 8 weeks old, isn't that too young?

Care

Can I use a shed as outdoor rabbit housing?

Diet

1./ Safe Food List

Health

1./What should I have in a bunny first aid kit? 

2./ Should I neuter my rabbits?

   Which breed is the best?

Unlike dogs, there are not as noticable changes between the breeds, and really it depends on whether you want a large or small bunny, a long or shorthaired etc. If you look at the different breed sites it will give a bit of insight into what is typical of the different types, but if you are rescuing a bunny, chances are the shelter can tell you what type of character each individual bunny is like.

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Which sex?

Rabbits usually do best in male/female combinations, and as mentioned below, they do much better in pairs. If you are rescuing bunnies, they are often neutered and bonded into mix-sexed pairs.

If you are getting two babies, two girls or two boys should be fine, however, you will have to neuter them before fights break out, which is very common with two bucks. I have never heard of two mature unneutered bucks living peacefully together, so please take that into consideration. Two females, especially littermates usually get along well, but spaying is still recommended for health reasons (see the neutering section).  

Males and females which have not been neutered are often quite agressive, males often spray urine and both sexes may growl, pounce and bite when they hit the teenage tantrums, which is another reason to get them fixed.

Apart from that, there is no real distinct difference between the sexes as very bunny can vary greatly from the next.  

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Can I have one bunny?

No, bunnies need friends like rats and gerbils etc, and it is very rare to find a bunny which dislikes others, they do better in pairs as in the wild they live in large groups. They enjoy grooming each other and interacting with each other through play. 

Also you will find they are more confident around you as they have each other and at times when you are away they will have constant company that they can communicate with and snuggle up to.

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There are lots of baby bunnies at the petstore, can't I just go there instead of rescuing?

A lot of petshops buy their animals from cruel mills, and so many animals are dumped off at rescues as unwanted pets. Read this for more information: Where to get your Pet Rabbits-Adopt?Buy? 

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My local petshop is selling baby rabbits under 8 weeks old, isn't that too young?

 Yes it is, and if you live in the UK it is illegal! So please talk to the owners, and explain they are breaking the law, if they refuse, you can report them. Phone the RSPCA, however, they are unlikely to do anything, so contact your local council if neccessary. If you live elsewhere you will have to contact your local animal department to see if any action can be taken.  

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Can I use a shed as a suitable outdoor home?

You certainly can if you take all the right precautions and live in the right climate, read this article on Sheds.

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Suitable fruits are:

• Apple (seedless, as seeds are toxic and green apples can cause colic in young rabbits)
• Banana (should be limited to a rare monthly treat as it is too sugary and in excess upsets the gut flora)
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Pear
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

Suitable Vegetables and plants are:

• Bok Choi*                                                                                   
• Broccoli
• Brussell Sprouts*                                       
• Cabbage* (savoy)
•  Carrots- including tops 
• Camomile
• Cauliflower greens*
• Celeriac
• Celery- cut small to avoid choking on stringy bits and include the leaves
• Chervil
• Chicory
• Clover (white, NOT red)- limit, part of clover is used as rat poison, so small amounts
• Coltsfoot
• Cucumber 
• Dandelion*
• Fat Hen
• Fennel
• Groundsel*
• Goosefoot
• Goosegrass
• Hedge Parsley (not fool's parsley)
• Kale *
• Pak Choi  
• Spinach*
• Spring greens
• Tomato (feed sparingly)
• watercress

Suitable Herbs are:

• Basil
• Coriander/cilantro
• Dill-usually not the most favoured, but some like it
• Heather
• lavender
• peppermint
• oregano
• parsley* (not fool's parsley!)
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme 

* means that these veggies should be strictly limited to no more than 2 or 3 portions a week as they are either very gaseous (cauliflower, cabbage etc), very high in calcium (parsley, cabbage etc) or they are oxalates which can be toxic if fed in large amounts of a long period of time (ie spinach and kale etc). I choose not to feed kale or spinach because of the oxalates.

Safe Flowers

• Carnation
• Hollyhock
• Marigold
• Nasturtium
• Rose
• Sunflower

Safe plant leaves (rinsed and young- do not feed old, decaying leaves)

• Apple
• Blackberry
• Pear
• Raspberry
• Strawberry

Safe wood

• Apple
• Birch
• Maple
• Pear
• Willow

AVOID:

• Azeala
• Beetroot leaves
• Bigwort
• Blubous Plants
• Bluebell
• Buttercups
• Clover(red)
• Clematis
• Cherry tree wood
• Corn
• Cowslip
• Crocus
• Daffodil
• (Deadly) Nightshade
• Dog's Mercury
• Evergreens
• Fool's Parsley
• Foxglove
• Grapes, not toxic in small amounts, and some people feed them, but they can cause adverse effects, especially red grapes
• Hemlock
• Holly
• Ivy
• Lemons and limes
• Lettuce (causes tummy upsets, contains no nutritional benefit and can cause diarrhoea)
• Milkweed
• Mistletoe
• Peas
• Peach leaves and wood
• Plum leaves and wood
• Poppy
• Potato
• Primrose
• Ragwort
• Raw Potato and potato leaves
• Red Clover
• Rhododendron
• Rubarb including leaves and stalk
• Snowdrops
• Sweetcorn
• Tomato leaves
• Woodsorrel
• Yew
• Anything else you are unsure about - If  In Doubt, Leave It Out!

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What are good things to have as a first aid kit?

All bunny owners should have a first aid kit on standby incase there are any incidents, this is what I always have on stand-by, all kept together in a seal tight lunchbox:

First Aid kit

• Salt: To be dissolved in boiled cooled water when needed for cleaning shallow cuts.
• Antiseptic Wipes: Needed for cleaning surface cuts or bites
• Needless syringe/glass eyedropper: For feeding liquids or vet prescribed medicine
• Rubber Gloves:Useful when cleaning cuts
• Hydrogen Peroxide:Can be used instead of salt, just a small dab on sterile pads
• Nail Clippers
• Cotton buds
• Tweezers
• Spare water bottle
• Vet Contact number (including emergency vet number)

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Should I Neuter my rabbit?

For more information, please read this section: Spaying and Neutering 

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