Rabbit
Haven
Gig Harbor, WA
A shelter and sanctuary for unwanted and mistreated rabbits … until they all have homes.
HOUSING
CAGES IN GENERAL
Rabbits were not designed to live on wire floors, a house rabbit does not need a wire floor. Wire floors cause sores to develop on rabbits’ feet. All cages with wire floors must have a piece of plexi-glass or a piece of plywood that the rabbit can sit on. When using grass hay, the ENTIRE wire floor should be covered. Carpet squares are good for some rabbits. If they chew on the carpet, you must remove it immediately or risk the rabbit getting an intestinal blockage.
RABBITS OUTSIDE
:It is a joy to watch your bunny play outside but…..
Do not let your rabbit play on grass that has been fertilized or had a weed killer put on it. Always supervise your rabbit while it is outside, it takes just a few seconds for a dog to kill or frighten your rabbit to death. Never leave your rabbit outside after dark. Predators are raccoons, stray dogs, cats, possums, owls and coyotes. Even in the city, these predators exist. Even in a secure hutch, a rabbit can be frightened to death by a predator attempting to get in.
CAGED PART OF THE TIME
:An "untrained" rabbit probably should be caged while you are not home. Rabbits are nocturnal, so they generally sleep while you are away. They are ready to play when you get home. If you work during the day, they won't mind so much being in a cage but, they must be let out for at least several hours to exercise and have social time with you everyday. Rabbits that are never let out of their cages have problems with muscle atrophy, they can’t even hop.
CONFINED TO A ROOM OR A CAGE ONLY WHILE YOU ARE AWAY
:Bored rabbits become naughty rabbits. If they are left to roam the house while no one is home to talk to them and pet them, they will find something to do. That is when they chew a hole in the leather couch or dig a hole in the carpet or chew the corners off of the sheet rock. Younger rabbits are usually the ones that get into this type of trouble. Often a bathroom or laundry room is a safe place for your rabbit to stay while he can’t be supervised. These rooms are easy to rabbit proof. Make sure they have their bed, food, water, litter box and some toys.
FREE RUN OF THE HOUSE
:This is what we all hope for and many of us are able to achieve. This requires more work on your part. You must inspect every room for wires and other things that are dangerous to your rabbit. Houseplants can be toxic. If you have a computer room, you might want to exclude him from that room. The more room that your rabbit has the more delightful he will be to be around. Nothing is nicer than to have "Flopsy" curled up at the foot of your bed.
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