Note: We do not have rabbits available specifically as pets, although you can of course call your rabbit whatever you wish even if it is also an educational project or meat-breeding stock. :)
Shiny Satins Rabbitry
Rabbit Care and Information Sheet for Rabbits Not in Production
Rabbit Necessities
- Cage—24” x 30” or larger is the minimum size I recommend for a full-sized satin, 24” x 24” for a mini satin, although you can get away with 18” x 24” for a small dwarf-carrying mini satin. There is no such thing as a too-big cage, so I would recommend the largest you can afford and have space for.
If you will have the rabbit indoors, consider getting a cage with high sides or a urine guard, or putting linoleum or coroplast underneath to catch any urine that leaks out the sides. You can build your own “cube and coroplast” or “neat idea cube” cage out of storage cube panels assembled with cable ties, or a puppy playpen. I recommend sides at least 30" high if there is no lid, and some rabbits will be able to escape even that height.
Two or more rabbits in a cage need a proportionately larger cage. 1 square foot per pound of rabbit is a good rule of thumb.
If you use a wire cage, make sure the wire floor is at least 16-gauge wire; preferably 14-gauge. 14-gauge double-galvanized wire is the gold standard for rabbit cage floors. 1/2" x 1" holes between the wire is standard, but make sure the 1/2" wires are on the top, as this gives the rabbit a better surface for its feet. See our article on wire floors for more information about why we feel this type of housing can be appropriate for rabbits.
- Water Bottle (32 oz. is good for a satin; 16 oz. is generally big enough for one mini satin)
- Food (14% to 17% protein for an adult rabbit not in production; growing/lactating rabbits need 17% to 18% protein)—should be plain green pellets, not the kind with whole grains and seeds mixed in.
- Grooming supplies (soft brush, deshedding brush, nail clippers, styptic powder, cotton-tipped swabs, baby or mineral oil.
Optional Items:
- Grass or timothy hay (not alfalfa hay for an adult rabbit—too high in calcium)
Litter Box Training
To litter box train, try to keep it so that the litter box is the only place that has the odor of their urine and droppings. When you clean up accidents, put them in the litter box. If you notice the rabbit using a particular corner as a potty, put a litter box in that spot if possible. Move the bunny into the litter box if you see them going elsewhere. In a solid-bottomed cage, you may want to put down something absorbent to catch any accidents.
A litter box should be emptied when it gets to the point that the rabbit is sitting in manure or soiled bedding, usually every 1-3 days.
Start off with the rabbit having only a small area to roam, and gradually increase the area as they learn how to find their litter box from a wider range.
A litter box should be emptied when it gets to the point that the rabbit is sitting in manure or soiled bedding, usually every 1-3 days.
Start off with the rabbit having only a small area to roam, and gradually increase the area as they learn how to find their litter box from a wider range.
General Maintenance
Never lift a rabbit by the ears. Always support the hindquarters when you pick the rabbit up.They can break their backs by kicking their hind feet out if they are held with the back legs hanging loose. It is important for the rabbit to feel and be secure.
You can hold onto the scruff of the neck if you need to in order to control the rabbit, and this is the recommended method if you are in a situation such as a show where there are things that may startle the rabbit, or you need to carry them in the proper way for fitting and showing. But actually lifting the rabbit's weight by the scruff causes bruising and damage beneath the skin, so I never lift the rabbit by the scruff unless it's an emergency (better to hold the rabbit briefly by the scruff than to let it fall if you can't keep a grip on it). Always support the rabbit's weight with one hand under the body in addition to holding onto the scruff.
My preferred method when possible is one hand under the chest with my pointer finger between the front legs and the thumb and other fingers wrapping around both sides of the rabbit's chest, and the other hand under the hindquarters. Another good method, which some rabbits prefer, is to hold it in a football carry with the rabbit's head tucked under your arm and the other hand resting on the rabbit's back. Or, especially for kids, you can just sit down and let the rabbit hop into your lap.
If you take the rabbit out of the cage backwards, they are less likely to catch legs/claws in the doorway or kick when being put in and out.
Rabbits do need to be taught appropriate behavior, just like a dog or other animal. See our page on dealing with nipping and biting for how to handle this issue when it arises.
Rabbits can be clicker-trained, and there is a great resource for this at http://www.clickerbunny.com/
You will need to clip the rabbits’ nails regularly, and check the ears and teeth every so often to make sure they are not showing signs of ear mites or teeth overgrowth. You also need to clean out the scent glands on either side of the tail every now and then—I check these whenever I clip nails. You can just use a cotton-tipped swab with mineral oil on it. Mineral oil is also good for treating ear mites: just swab it over the inner surface of the ear. I recommend checking toenails and anal glands weekly or bi-weekly. A dog/cat nail clipper works great on rabbits, or you can use a Dremel or Pedi-Paws tool.
Rabbits can get hairballs, but they cannot vomit like a cat. The best prevention against hairballs is regular grooming, lots of fiber in the diet (i.e. hay), and lots of exercise. You should brush your rabbit regularly to remove loose hair and prevent matting.
Rabbits can get fleas, pinworms and other parasites. The best prevention is to keep the rabbit's environment very clean, paying special attention to brushing clingers off the bottom of the cage and making sure manure is not piling up in the cage. Cleanliness is also very important for air quality and keeping ammonia levels low to help prevent respiratory illnesses.
Food-grade (NOT pool-grade) diatomaceous earth is a non-chemical way to treat many parasites (use caution with this, however, as inhaling anything dusty or powdery can cause respiratory issues for rabbits). Ivermectin in the appropriate dosage is also safe for rabbits if necessary. However, ivermectin will not treat coccidia; sulfadimethoxine (generic Albon) is a recommended treatment for coccidiosis.
Rabbits in the USA do not need any vaccines.
You can hold onto the scruff of the neck if you need to in order to control the rabbit, and this is the recommended method if you are in a situation such as a show where there are things that may startle the rabbit, or you need to carry them in the proper way for fitting and showing. But actually lifting the rabbit's weight by the scruff causes bruising and damage beneath the skin, so I never lift the rabbit by the scruff unless it's an emergency (better to hold the rabbit briefly by the scruff than to let it fall if you can't keep a grip on it). Always support the rabbit's weight with one hand under the body in addition to holding onto the scruff.
My preferred method when possible is one hand under the chest with my pointer finger between the front legs and the thumb and other fingers wrapping around both sides of the rabbit's chest, and the other hand under the hindquarters. Another good method, which some rabbits prefer, is to hold it in a football carry with the rabbit's head tucked under your arm and the other hand resting on the rabbit's back. Or, especially for kids, you can just sit down and let the rabbit hop into your lap.
If you take the rabbit out of the cage backwards, they are less likely to catch legs/claws in the doorway or kick when being put in and out.
Rabbits do need to be taught appropriate behavior, just like a dog or other animal. See our page on dealing with nipping and biting for how to handle this issue when it arises.
Rabbits can be clicker-trained, and there is a great resource for this at http://www.clickerbunny.com/
You will need to clip the rabbits’ nails regularly, and check the ears and teeth every so often to make sure they are not showing signs of ear mites or teeth overgrowth. You also need to clean out the scent glands on either side of the tail every now and then—I check these whenever I clip nails. You can just use a cotton-tipped swab with mineral oil on it. Mineral oil is also good for treating ear mites: just swab it over the inner surface of the ear. I recommend checking toenails and anal glands weekly or bi-weekly. A dog/cat nail clipper works great on rabbits, or you can use a Dremel or Pedi-Paws tool.
Rabbits can get hairballs, but they cannot vomit like a cat. The best prevention against hairballs is regular grooming, lots of fiber in the diet (i.e. hay), and lots of exercise. You should brush your rabbit regularly to remove loose hair and prevent matting.
Rabbits can get fleas, pinworms and other parasites. The best prevention is to keep the rabbit's environment very clean, paying special attention to brushing clingers off the bottom of the cage and making sure manure is not piling up in the cage. Cleanliness is also very important for air quality and keeping ammonia levels low to help prevent respiratory illnesses.
Food-grade (NOT pool-grade) diatomaceous earth is a non-chemical way to treat many parasites (use caution with this, however, as inhaling anything dusty or powdery can cause respiratory issues for rabbits). Ivermectin in the appropriate dosage is also safe for rabbits if necessary. However, ivermectin will not treat coccidia; sulfadimethoxine (generic Albon) is a recommended treatment for coccidiosis.
Rabbits in the USA do not need any vaccines.
Feeding
We will give you some starter food of the kind the rabbits are used to eating, and information about where to buy it. If you wish to switch to something else, you will need to transition slowly to a new food. Start with ¾ old food and ¼ new food and gradually increase the amount of new food over about 5 to 7 days.
A full-grown Satin rabbit in our rabbitry usually eats about 5 ounces (1 cup of our feed) per day of pellets, plus some hay. Our mini satins eat about 2.5 oz (½ cup) of pellets per day (a little more if they are non-dwarf). For our rabbits and feed it works out to about ½ to 1 oz. of feed per lb. of body weight, but it may vary with different rabbits and feed.
We recommend feeding your rabbit once or twice a day. If you feed the rabbit twice a day, just give it half of its meal in the morning and half in the evening. Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn, so many people like to feed in the evening. Whatever time you feed, the rabbit will do best if you feed it at about the same time every day. We don't recommend giving several days' worth of feed at a time, as the rabbit may eat it all at once or it can lose some nutritional value with several days' exposure to air and light. Feed the rabbit only what it will eat in a day.
Most rabbits should not be free-fed once they’re past the rapid growth stage (unless they’re underweight). We usually free-feed satins or feed them 1.5 to 2 times the normal ration until they are 4 to 6 months old or nearing senior weight, whichever comes earlier, but mini satins start getting their food rationed at weaning age. You’ll want to feel your rabbit regularly to see if it is feeling too bony or is starting to get overweight, and adjust the feed amount accordingly. Weighing regularly is a good idea. The first sign of being overweight on a rabbit is usually getting flabby around the shoulder area. You should be able to barely feel the spine above the shoulders if you try, but no bones should be obvious or jut out prominently.
We recommend a rabbit feed that is between 17% and 18% protein for a growing rabbit, and between 14% and 17% protein for an adult rabbit that is not producing litters. The fiber in the feed should be equal to or (preferably) greater than the protein level.
Generally a feed that is all green pellets is best. The ones with chunks of whole grain, seeds and treats mixed in look pretty but do not tend to be as nutritionally balanced, and often bunnies will pick out what they like best and leave the rest. Feed stores generally carry higher-quality and more reasonably priced rabbit food than pet stores do, but Wal-Mart carries a brand called Small World rabbit food made by Manna Pro that we feel is decent, and that is corn-free. We prefer a corn-free feed as we feel it lowers the incidence of gastrointestinal problems and results in a healthier rabbit, but a high-quality feed that contains corn can be used if it is introduced gradually.
Greens, fruits and vegetables are not necessary with a high-quality pellet, although many rabbits enjoy them. Especially with a young rabbit, they can cause diarrhea. If you do decide to introduce them to a rabbit that is not already used to such feeds, wait until the rabbit is at least 3-6 months old and do it very slowly. You can search online to find out what foods are safe for them to eat. Parsely, grass, dandelions and blackberry leaves (that have not been treated with pesticides, of course) are our rabbits’ favorites. We do not recommend feeding foods high in sugar, such as carrots, in large quantities. Watch out for commercial rabbit treats with added sugar—these are not good for rabbits.
Rabbits should always have fresh water available. Buy a bottle brush to deal with any mold that grows in the water bottle, since this is toxic to rabbits. A nipple brush for baby bottles works well on the nozzles. Dumping out the old water and giving fresh water every day can help retard mold growth, as can a dash of apple cider vinegar in the water (up to 1 Tbsp per gallon).
A full-grown Satin rabbit in our rabbitry usually eats about 5 ounces (1 cup of our feed) per day of pellets, plus some hay. Our mini satins eat about 2.5 oz (½ cup) of pellets per day (a little more if they are non-dwarf). For our rabbits and feed it works out to about ½ to 1 oz. of feed per lb. of body weight, but it may vary with different rabbits and feed.
We recommend feeding your rabbit once or twice a day. If you feed the rabbit twice a day, just give it half of its meal in the morning and half in the evening. Rabbits are most active at dusk and dawn, so many people like to feed in the evening. Whatever time you feed, the rabbit will do best if you feed it at about the same time every day. We don't recommend giving several days' worth of feed at a time, as the rabbit may eat it all at once or it can lose some nutritional value with several days' exposure to air and light. Feed the rabbit only what it will eat in a day.
Most rabbits should not be free-fed once they’re past the rapid growth stage (unless they’re underweight). We usually free-feed satins or feed them 1.5 to 2 times the normal ration until they are 4 to 6 months old or nearing senior weight, whichever comes earlier, but mini satins start getting their food rationed at weaning age. You’ll want to feel your rabbit regularly to see if it is feeling too bony or is starting to get overweight, and adjust the feed amount accordingly. Weighing regularly is a good idea. The first sign of being overweight on a rabbit is usually getting flabby around the shoulder area. You should be able to barely feel the spine above the shoulders if you try, but no bones should be obvious or jut out prominently.
We recommend a rabbit feed that is between 17% and 18% protein for a growing rabbit, and between 14% and 17% protein for an adult rabbit that is not producing litters. The fiber in the feed should be equal to or (preferably) greater than the protein level.
Generally a feed that is all green pellets is best. The ones with chunks of whole grain, seeds and treats mixed in look pretty but do not tend to be as nutritionally balanced, and often bunnies will pick out what they like best and leave the rest. Feed stores generally carry higher-quality and more reasonably priced rabbit food than pet stores do, but Wal-Mart carries a brand called Small World rabbit food made by Manna Pro that we feel is decent, and that is corn-free. We prefer a corn-free feed as we feel it lowers the incidence of gastrointestinal problems and results in a healthier rabbit, but a high-quality feed that contains corn can be used if it is introduced gradually.
Greens, fruits and vegetables are not necessary with a high-quality pellet, although many rabbits enjoy them. Especially with a young rabbit, they can cause diarrhea. If you do decide to introduce them to a rabbit that is not already used to such feeds, wait until the rabbit is at least 3-6 months old and do it very slowly. You can search online to find out what foods are safe for them to eat. Parsely, grass, dandelions and blackberry leaves (that have not been treated with pesticides, of course) are our rabbits’ favorites. We do not recommend feeding foods high in sugar, such as carrots, in large quantities. Watch out for commercial rabbit treats with added sugar—these are not good for rabbits.
Rabbits should always have fresh water available. Buy a bottle brush to deal with any mold that grows in the water bottle, since this is toxic to rabbits. A nipple brush for baby bottles works well on the nozzles. Dumping out the old water and giving fresh water every day can help retard mold growth, as can a dash of apple cider vinegar in the water (up to 1 Tbsp per gallon).
Veterinary Care
You will want to find a rabbit-savvy vet so that if a situation arises where your rabbit needs prompt medical care, you will know where to take it. Certain antibiotics are very toxic to rabbits, and they do not tolerate some anesthetics well, so it’s important for your vet to be rabbit knowledgeable.
What I ended up doing when I was looking for spay/neuter prices was to just call around to every vet in my area to ask if they did rabbit spay/neuter, and how much it would cost. If you do this, to be sure to find out if the price includes things like anesthetic, pain meds, any IV fluids needed, etc. or if it's just the surgery. I found out that some clinics will quote you a price that doesn't really include all the costs, and then charge "separately" for everything besides the actual surgery that's required. Seems a bit deceptive to me, since you can't actually do surgery without anesthetic. :)
You should also find out if a separate exam is required and how much that costs, and whether the clinic requires any pre-surgery bloodwork or any other testing, and the cost on that.
Then I asked a few very important questions. For a male, you want to know if they go in through the abdomen or just make a cut through the testicle sac to do the neuter. Going in through the sac is much easier on the rabbit, as it doesn't cut abdominal muscles, and there's really no good reason to cut the abdomen open for a neuter.
You also want to make sure they use gas anesthetic. Sevoflurane or isoflurane are supposed to be the safest for rabbits.
And, the trick question: ask if the rabbit needs to fast before surgery. If they say yes, they don't know much about rabbits--rabbits should never fast. Any clinic that says the rabbit has to fast should get scratched off the list of possibilities.
I also asked about the rate of complications and death, and how many rabbit spays and neuters they do. I asked about their surgical procedure, how big the incision usually is, whether they use a knife or a laser, and what type of stitches they put in or if they use glue. (Ideal would be dissolving stitches or glue, and laser or laparoscopic surgery, but this usually costs more and may not be worth the extra cost depending on the price difference.)
Another thing to watch out for, if it becomes necessary, is to make sure they use rabbit-safe antibiotics as some antibiotics can be very dangerous to rabbits. Penicillin, Amoxicillin and several other antibiotics should NEVER be given orally to rabbits. There is a list of rabbit-safe and dangerous medications at http://www.medirabbit.com
I found that usually the small-town clinics had better rates than the big chains.
What I ended up doing when I was looking for spay/neuter prices was to just call around to every vet in my area to ask if they did rabbit spay/neuter, and how much it would cost. If you do this, to be sure to find out if the price includes things like anesthetic, pain meds, any IV fluids needed, etc. or if it's just the surgery. I found out that some clinics will quote you a price that doesn't really include all the costs, and then charge "separately" for everything besides the actual surgery that's required. Seems a bit deceptive to me, since you can't actually do surgery without anesthetic. :)
You should also find out if a separate exam is required and how much that costs, and whether the clinic requires any pre-surgery bloodwork or any other testing, and the cost on that.
Then I asked a few very important questions. For a male, you want to know if they go in through the abdomen or just make a cut through the testicle sac to do the neuter. Going in through the sac is much easier on the rabbit, as it doesn't cut abdominal muscles, and there's really no good reason to cut the abdomen open for a neuter.
You also want to make sure they use gas anesthetic. Sevoflurane or isoflurane are supposed to be the safest for rabbits.
And, the trick question: ask if the rabbit needs to fast before surgery. If they say yes, they don't know much about rabbits--rabbits should never fast. Any clinic that says the rabbit has to fast should get scratched off the list of possibilities.
I also asked about the rate of complications and death, and how many rabbit spays and neuters they do. I asked about their surgical procedure, how big the incision usually is, whether they use a knife or a laser, and what type of stitches they put in or if they use glue. (Ideal would be dissolving stitches or glue, and laser or laparoscopic surgery, but this usually costs more and may not be worth the extra cost depending on the price difference.)
Another thing to watch out for, if it becomes necessary, is to make sure they use rabbit-safe antibiotics as some antibiotics can be very dangerous to rabbits. Penicillin, Amoxicillin and several other antibiotics should NEVER be given orally to rabbits. There is a list of rabbit-safe and dangerous medications at http://www.medirabbit.com
I found that usually the small-town clinics had better rates than the big chains.
*****
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