June 28th, 2018 by Chris Chapman

Rabbits are intelligent and friendly animals that make for wonderful pets. They’re great companions for people of all ages and are very sociable. While many people keep bunnies outside in a hutch, you can easily keep rabbits indoors with a little training. Indeed, because rabbits are such social animals who need affection, many experts recommend you keep them indoors, especially if you’ve only got one. As with any pet, there are a few safety and hygiene things that you should know before you let a rabbit loose in your living room, so read on for a few tips on keeping house rabbits!

House Training a Rabbit

Pro-Kleen Odour Attack! Rabbits are smart animals that can pick up on house training very quickly, so after a while, you can let them have free run of parts of your home. At first, however, you should probably keep them in a cage, and gradually introduce them to your home for longer and longer spells. You’ll notice your rabbit tends to use one corner of its cage as a bathroom – put a litter tray in this corner and eventually your rabbit will learn to use it to do its business! Only use positive enforcement – give your rabbit a treat when it uses the litter tray and it’ll eventually gravitate towards it. If your rabbit has an accident, don’t punish it! Rabbits don’t understand negative reinforcement like shouting and it’ll simply get scared and stressed if you get mad. If your carpet gets soiled, don’t stress, just use some Odour Attack! carpet detergent to break down the stain in no time and keep your bunny away from the area for a little while.

Bunny-Proof Your Home

Keep sensitive things out of the way of rabbits Even after your rabbit is house trained, you still need to be careful when you let it out of its cage. Rabbits naturally need to nibble on things to wear their teeth down, so your house is a bit like an all-inclusive holiday for them! They’ll naturally look to gnaw curtains, cables, rugs, and anything that’s dangling, so make sure any potential targets are hidden away. Tie away TV cables and make sure your curtains are hung out of reach. Give your rabbit lots of toys – you can either buy these or use natural alternatives like sticks and pinecones – for it to chew on so it doesn’t feel the need to go after your stuff. Spaying or neutering your rabbit is highly recommended for many reasons, one of them being it curbs some of their destructive nature. It’ll also reduce their territorial nature and will generally lead them to live a happier, calmer life.

Treat Them – but Not Too Much

Bunnies love food, so giving them the occasional treat is one of the best ways to build a bond with them. As with most animals, they’ll happily eat anything, so it’s your responsibility to treat them in moderation and with healthy food! Try not to use store-bought bunny treats unless they’re natural (like locus bean pods) as a lot of these treats contain a lot of sugar. Also, while it’s widely-known that rabbits love carrots, it’s best not to give them too many as carrots can be quite sugary! Same goes for fruits like grapes and strawberries. These treats won’t hurt every once in a while but feeding your rabbit too many could lead it to become overweight and unhealthy.

When to Clean a House Rabbit’s Cage

Pro-Kleen Kennel Kleen It’s wise to keep your house rabbit’s cage so it has somewhere sheltered to eat, sleep, and use the toilet. The cage should be filled with a layer of sawdust or newspaper which is then covered with hay. Naturally, this hay will get soiled over time. You should clean the soiled hay and sawdust out every day and replace it. Every week or so, you should clean out the whole cage with some disinfectant. Pro-Kleen’s Kennel Kleen is designed for use with pets and can be diluted down so it can be used in your rabbit’s cage. Don’t be tempted to do this every day as your rabbit will put its smell all over its cage to mark its territory (if you see your rabbit rubbing its chin on everything, that’s what it’s doing!) and wiping this smell away constantly could stress it out.

Don’t Pick Them Up

It’s tempting to pick your rabbit up for a cuddle but try to avoid this if you can help it. Rabbits don’t usually like being picked up! Remember, in the wild, rabbits are usually prey, so all their instincts are designed to let them run away at a moment’s notice. If you pick a rabbit up and it gets spooked, you run the risk of getting kicked and scratched. This is especially important if you have children around who may drop the rabbit and hurt it.

Can You Keep House Rabbits with Other Pets?

Usually, yes! Rabbits are sociable animals and will like the company. Cats and dogs will normally get on well with rabbits and won’t harm them, although if you have a large dog that’s particularly playful you might have some issues. You’ll know the temperament of your pets best, but make sure you keep your eye on them when you first get your rabbit just in case.

Health Problems with House Rabbits

House rabbits are normally happy and healthy, but you'll still need a vet just in case It’s always wise to get yourself a vet that specialises in rabbits. Make sure you get your rabbits inoculated every year, as even though they won’t be going outside and catching diseases from other rabbits, they could still be vulnerable to other airborne diseases or diseases carried by insects. Take your rabbit to the vets if you notice it stops eating or drinking, or if it stops going to the toilet. Rabbits naturally do these things a lot, so if they suddenly stop doing any of them it’s cause for concern. Keep an eye on your rabbit’s droppings, too. They should do a mixture of two different types – odourless balls and sticky, smelly lumps that look like large blackberries. Rabbits are actually supposed to eat this second kind of poo, so you won’t have to worry about clearing it up. If you notice any change in these habits, or if your rabbit droppings are too watery, see your vet right away. Your vet should also check the state of your rabbit’s teeth and toenails. As your rabbit won’t be wearing down its teeth or nails by running around outside and nibbling things, it’s possible that they could need some attention from a vet, although if you give your rabbit lots to chew on and plenty of exercise it shouldn’t be a problem.

Give Them a Bowl of Water

While most rabbit owners go for the usual water bottle to give their bunnies some water, you should give them a bowl as well! Rabbits actually prefer water bowls and you’ll find they’ll use it a lot more if you offer it to them. Make sure the bowl is heavy so the rabbit can’t tip it over. You should keep the water bottle as well just in case the water bowl runs out while you’re not there, but otherwise, your bunny will appreciate a nice bowl of water!