Proper Feeding and Housing for Pet Rabbits

Rabbits are a great starter pet for a child who is learning about responsible pet ownership. They are fairly hardy pets that are gentle and tolerant. Any child will love a pet rabbit and spend lots of time caring for their new friend! While there are several types and breeds of rabbits, the basic care is fairly similar across the board. I will go over basic feeding and housing of your pet rabbits.

A rabbit's diet is very important to their overall health and well-being. Rabbits are natural vegetarians who love to chew. Their teeth are growing continually as all members of the rodent family. Many pet stores will sell a pellet feed that is specially formulated for rabbits. The daily dosage is determined by the weight of your rabbit. Generally speaking you will feed your rabbit one fluid ounce of feed per pound. There are about 8 fluid ounces in a cup. So your 8 pound rabbit will eat about one cup of rabbit pellet feed per day. Rabbits will over eat, so it is important to feed them daily and only place one days worth of food in their cage. Rabbits also like to forage, so feeding them alfalfa hay weekly will allow them to munch and chew through the hay. The hay also will create extra bedding in their home. Pet stores carry small cubes of pressed alfalfa hay for small animals. You can also buy special gnawing sticks for rabbits and other small rodent animals at many pet stores. These will help the rabbit to chew down their teeth and prevent overgrown teeth. Your rabbit should have access to fresh water at all times as well. It is best to not give your rabbit other house hold food such as lettuce and carrots. Their stomach may become inflated from the change in diet and result in death.