Once you’ve decided on your accommodation, there are just a few other items you will need to purchase in order to prepare for a new rabbit. We’ve put together the following list to guide you:
Food Bowl
Ceramic bowls are ideal as bunnies can’t throw them around.
Water Bottle and/or Bowl
Most rabbits if given the choice prefer to drink from a bowl of water. However water bowls can get spilt and are also easily contaminated so it is often best to have a water bottle as well to ensure that there is always a constant supply of fresh clean water.
Hay Rack
Rabbits simply cannot eat too much hay (see the section on diet). Hay racks are available in most good pet shops and allow a rabbit to have a constant source of fresh dry hay. It is however possible to make your own; for example hanging baskets can make great hay racks!
Litter Tray
We do our best to litter train all our bunnies (though some take more persuasion than others!). We use either high backed corner litter trays (which are specially designed for bunnies) or large garden trays which work just as well.
Simply line the tray with a couple of layers of newspaper and pop in some fresh hay. Bunnies generally oblige by sitting in the tray and eating the hay and going to the loo at the same time. A litter trained rabbit makes life much easier for the owner who then simply has to change the tray once a day to keep the accommodation clean.
Please note: It is extremely important that your rabbits accommodation is kept clean, both in summer to reduce the risk of fly strike and in winter as your rabbit will be unable to keep itself warm in dirty soiled bedding. The accommodation should therefore be checked and any wet droppings removed at least once a day.
Toys
Rabbits are naturally inquisitive creatures and love to play. Treat balls for example can provide hours of entertainment. Often the dog ones are best as they are tougher for rabbits to chew through!
Rabbit Food
Dry pellet food (see section on rabbit diet)
Hay
For food and for bedding. Generally baled meadow hay is the best quality and is by far the cheapest option. It is often possible to purchase a bale for the same price as a small bag of hay at the local pet shop.
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