Providing Information About Rabbits

Questions & Answers

Here are some of the more popular questions people have about their pet rabbits. Don't see your question? Feel free to email me with your question. beabun@telus.net

Q/ Do Bunnies Need Baths?

A/ No, baths are not recommended for several reasons; (1) bunnies are much like cats and keep themselves well groomed (2) bunnies have sensitive skin too much bathing and/or soap can dry out and irritate the skin (3) some rabbits just don’t like water. That being said there are a few times when bathing a rabbit is necessary such as when they have had a bad bout of diarrhea and it’s still stuck to their fur, another time would be when they have a skin condition such as fleas or mites and you want to clean them up before applying a medicated treatment. Please see Grooming Requirements & Your Rabbit.

Q/ I have an older rabbit, is it too late to litter train?

A/ No, It is never too late to litter training a rabbit. The first step would be to put a litterbox inside your rabbit’s cage. This way you can tell how well your rabbit uses his/her box. If your rabbit is already used to pooping all over your house, that may continue, however, the pee should be contained to the litterbox. You can put hay into the litterbox to encourage the use of the litterbox. Please see Training Your Rabbit.

Q/ What litter material is best?

A/ Never use cedar or pine wood chips, clumping cat litter or litter containing deodorizing crystals as all of them have been linked to serious health related issues in rabbits. Aspen is usually the preferred wood shaving or using a recycled paper or wood pulp products. I use “Care Fresh” bedding which is a reclaimed wood pulp product, 100% safe and contains no additives, chemicals or dyes. It can be expensive if you are using it for an entire cage, however, it goes a lot farther if you use it just for litterboxes. Please see Providing Comfortable Housing For Bunny.

Q/ Should I get one rabbit or two?

A/ Pet rabbits do not need to have another rabbit or animal companion to be happy. What they need is the attention of their owners, even if for just a few hours a day. There are a lot of websites devoted to bonding rabbits, however, what they don’t say is that some rabbits NEVER bond with another rabbit regardless of gender or being spayed/neutered. Bonding rabbits takes time and in the early process can result in rabbit fights with fur flying everywhere and possible bite injuries to the rabbits involved. Please see Rabbit Companions.

Q/ My rabbit is too aggressive, he/she lunges and bites me when I put my hand in the cage what should I do?

A/ Ask yourself these questions: (1) How old is it? a rabbit reaching sexual maturity can exhibit changes in behaviour and temperament. (2) Is it spayed or neutered? a rabbit may show signs of aggression and/or spraying to mark territory if unaltered. (3) What breed is it? some rabbits such as the Netherland Dwarf (a common pet breed) can be slightly more aggressive than some other breeds. They have a tendency to growl and lunge when hands are placed inside the cage. Spaying or neutering your pet rabbit can help solve or alleviate some or all of the aggression for the reasons mentioned above.

Aggression itself can be the result of many different factors other than those mentioned above it can be caused by reasons such as having a history of being mishandled or simply put the rabbit just has an attitude. Aggression cannot be corrected overnight but it can be done. It requires a lot of patience, persistence and retraining the rabbit as to what is acceptable and not acceptable behaviour. Please see Training Your Rabbit.

Q/ How many times does a rabbit moult in a year?

A/ A rabbit typically moults 3 to 4 times a year and can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Please see Grooming Requirements & Your Rabbit.

Q/ Does my rabbit need a salt or mineral lick?

A/ No, rabbit pellets designed specifically for rabbits will contain all the nutritional requirements needed. Please see Feeding Bunny A Health Diet.

Q/ How do I know if my rabbit is a boy or a girl?

A/ Sexing a rabbit can be difficult especially if the rabbit is young. You can try sexing your rabbit yourself or have someone more knowledgeable in rabbits do it for you. Please see Sexing Your Rabbit.

Q/ My rabbit poops a lot, what can I do about all the droppings?

A/ That's easy, take up gardening as hobby. Rabbit droppings makes a great fertilizer and won't burn your plants. Please see Rabbit Manure.

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