Some great setup examples:
*Although many of these examples have carpet or a soft flooring, for litter box training purposes we highly recommend something that is easy to clean such a linoleum for the flooring.
Caring for your bunny
Rabbits like when their owners have a schedule for taking care of them, so first you need to set aside two times a day that you will be giving your bunny fresh food, water, and hay. As well as how often you will clean their litter box (about every two-three days, depending on the type of litter you use). Your bunny is also going to need time to play freely in your house and/or in a playpen outside DAILY. You can also add in whenever caring for your rabbit a treat, I only recommend either a small piece if fruit or a sprinkle of old fashioned rolled oats. You should also give your rabbit attention on a daily basis, petting them and being on the floor with them as much as possible. (Bunnies feel most comfortable on the ground with you at their level. Rabbits do not like being held for long periods of time because they are prey animals and are most confident on the ground.)
We highly recommend also doing your own research in addition to following our tips. Hook’s Holland’s on YouTube is very informative about everything bunny and we recommend you watch some of her videos!
Make sure you do research on rabbit poop as well, the kind that is healthy and the kind that warns you of certain things.
Also read about G.I. Stasis! It is life threatening where bunnies stop eating.
Also read about G.I. Stasis! It is life threatening where bunnies stop eating.
We do have bunny starter kits available that can include everything on our checklist here. Contact Lizzie if you are interested.
New bunny checklist
- Emergency kit, It is a necessity to have a GI stasis emergency kit on hand. We like the Sherwood pet health and oxbow emergency kits. Another thing to have on hand is infant gas drops to get your bunny’s digestive tract going again.
- Hay, second cut Timothy hay is a great option, but first cut Timothy can also work just fine. We grow our own Timothy hay and will sell a bale upon request, one bale will last about 1 year for a bunny. It is much more cost effective to buy locally! farmerdavepetsupply.com is a great place to purchase quality hay from and that brand can also be found on amazon.com.
- Hay feeder, Bunnies love their hay and need to have it in multiple places because the more they eat the better (it is really great for their digestive tract) a couple untreated and unpainted wooden hay feeders with large holes for them to pull hay out of could do the job or you can collect toilet and paper towel rolls and stuff them with hay which they love, since it is a toy at the same time. Hay feeders should be set up above or near the litter box because rabbits often times poop as they eat. Putting some hay in the litter box is also a great idea. amazon.com has a good selection of wooden hay feeders.
- Rabbit pellets, We feed Kalmbach NON-GMO rabbit feed to all of our bunnies. It is for all stages of life. This can be found on Chewy.com. Another option for good food can be purchased at sherwoodpethealth.com, but it is quite expensive. We recommend to purchase a feed that can be fed unlimited such as the free-choice timothy pellet from sherwoodpethealth.com.
- Oxbow digestive support tablets, these act as a great preventative in GI stasis. A holland lop should get 1 tablet every day starting around 6 months (when greens start to be fed).
- Leafy greens, these do not need fed all the time but can be good in moderation. Some leafy greens are great for bunnies and can be fed daily is small amounts, such as the plantain herb and dandelion plant leafs, both of which can be found in an untreated lawn. Personally we feed our rabbits greens about every two days, about 1 of a cup to each adult rabbit, most of that consists of romaine lettuce, whatever plantain and dandelion leaves can be found in the yard, and some herbs (basil, mint, parsley, dill, etc). Baby bunnies will munch on the plantain and dandelion leaves, which is good for them because the two greens found in your yard are like bunny super foods, since they aid in digestion and are just great for the all around. Bunnies under 6 months of age should not get anything other than a bit of plantain and dandelion leaves at most every two days. Once they reach between 4-6 months you can slowly introduce them to other greens that are safe for rabbits (make sure to research each green first). If they start to have diarrhea then stop feeding that specific green and downsize the amount you are feeding. Once the total amount of greens reach about 1 of a cup then you have successfully gotten greens incorporated into your rabbits diet. Always make sure that you watch for diarrhea when feeding greens because rabbits can be very sensitive to certain greens.
- Treats, DO NOT EVER BUY TREATS! Rabbit treats from stores are full of sugar and are very bad for bunnies. The only treats your rabbit should ever get fed should be old fashioned rolled oats or thumb size pieces of fruit and veggies (make sure to research what kinds are safe first). Old fashioned rolled oats are great for all ages from baby-adult, but don't feed more than a pinch each day because just like leafy greens, you do not want to over-do it. Once a bunny reaches 6 months (full grown), then you can begin feeding other treats such as banana, carrots, apple, etc. Still you should be feeding thumb size pieces at most once a day.
- Litter box, a covered or open top litter box are both good. You may also want to think about getting a grated one. You want to be sure that the litter box you buy is spacious enough for the bunny to move around in and to fit their whole body in. You can get a plain cat litter box or a graded rabbit litter box on many different places, such as amazon.com. We recommend to put the litter in, then hay on top of that because rabbits like to go to the bathroom as they eat.
- A litter box liner (optional), to make it easier to clean the litter box you may want to use some sort of liner for in the litter box. Puppy pads have always worked great for us, other people also use newspaper. Puppy pads can be bought almost anywhere.
- Litter, next after putting is the litter box liner you'll need an absorbent litter. The pine wood pellets from tractor supply or rural king work very good for us and are very low priced. A paper-based or wood-based litter is best for rabbits since a dusty cat litter is not good when breathed in. You can find a wide variety of litters on amazon.com or on chewy.com. (For the top layer of the litter box I strongly recommend putting hay there. Rabbits go to the bathroom while eating so it will help get all their waste into one place.)
- White Vinegar, is so great to clean up accidents with, especially pee accidents. It lifts the scent so the bunny won’t go there again and removes the stain.
- Spray bottles, for the vinegar
- Bowls, two heavy, large, ceramic bowls are very good because rabbits love to tip and spill things, which can be messy! We have the ceramic bowls we use in the “Bunny Shop” tab. If you have a playpen or hutch to hook lock and crock bowls on then I recommend those bowls also, they are easy to use and are hooked in place. Both types of bowls can be found on amazon.com.
- Playpen, a playpen no matter where your bunny will be staying is going to be a must. If you plan to take them outside to play in the yard you will want them to be safe from whatever they could get into or what could possibly see them as prey, so you'll need a playpen for they to be able to be contained. Or if they are staying free in the house you will want a place to put them if people are coming over so that they stay out of danger. I recommend a pen at least 28 inches tall. Playpens can be bought at amazon.com or chewy.com.
- Brush, the hair buster brush is a great tool for rabbits, it is the only brush we have found that will actually hold onto the fine hair bunnies have. This brush can be found on amazon.com
- Nail clipper, cat nail clippers work perfectly. I recommend clipping nails about once a month. Bunnies can be difficult to trim nails on, so if you ever have trouble contact Elizabeth for tips or bring your bunny back here for a nail trim.
- Toys, Different items for rabbits to roll, throw, and chew on are great toys. A toy could be as simple as a wiffle ball with hay in it. You want to make sure that wooden toys are unpainted and safe for your bunny. You can get hard plastic toys just be sure your bunny doesn't eat any of it. Sticks like willow or apple sticks are good for bunnies that like to chew. Lots of different rabbit toys can be found on amazon.com.
- Pet carrier, a cat carrier is perfect size for a a bunny. We recommend hard sided carriers with a door on top to easily get your bunny in and out. You can get this at many different pet stores or on amazon.com
- Hideout, a hideout could be as simple as a box with a door cut out of it. Bunnies love to hide and relax in nooks and crannies. We love the cardboard cat houses from Aldi!
- A leash and harness, this really depends on the rabbit, some bunnies aren't bothered with a harness on. Others want nothing to do with that uncomfortable feeling.
- Home base, Rabbits love when they have a place to themselves, whether that be a playpen in a quiet place, a hutch, or a cage. They need a place for some of their toys, their food and water, a litter box, and a place for they to hide away in and relax. The KW cages bunny villa is a great option if you are looking for a cage.
Pictured below are a few of our favorite bunny products.
G.I. stasis is where the rabbits intestines stop moving because they don’t have food in them. Bunnies are very unique creatures who’s stomachs always have to have something moving through them, whether that be hay or pellets. When they stop eating for whatever reason they can go into G.I. Stasis which is life threatening unless you get them eating again. Your bunny won’t want to eat so your probably going to have to give them an emergency care mixture, I use the Sherwood pet health brand. This package comes with an appetite restorer and a recovery food, with directions on every step along the way. Please research warning signs and whatever necessary to treat your bunny. You may also take them to the vet if you can’t treat it on your own. But this kit is very helpful to all bunny owners, just to have in case of emergency. We all love our bunnies and would get heartbroken if anything happened to them so I recommend doing research about this.