How To Build A Rabbit Hutch

When you enjoy outdoor activities and you always wanted to take your rabbit pets along with you then you will be needing transport cages. Without a transport cage, it is quite impossible to take along with you your pets but not if they are well trained to behave. Unfortunately, most rabbits are not trained to behave wherein they might end up fighting with one another.

On this post, we are going to discuss how you can build your own simple transport cages. It's actually easy which only requires a few materials and some basic skills of handling wires.

Required Tools and Materials:

A Roll of 16 Gauge Wire (Screen) with 1/2 x 1/2 inch squares.

Measuring Tools and a Wire Cutter

Step-by-step procedure in building your rabbit transport cage:

Measuring the Wires

Use a flat table to unroll the wire-screen. Depending on the size of your pet, you have to determine the measurement that it needs for a comfortable space. On this example, we are going to build a 40 x 40 inch (40 inch width and 40 inch height) transport cage.

 
After determining the appropriate size of the cage that you would like to build, you may now start cutting your wire-screen. As for our example, you will need to cut one section of 160 inch x 40 inch and a two sections of 40 inch x 40 inch. You will be needing a wire cutter to do this task.

Bending

Take the first section that you had cut (160 inch x 40 inch) and mark the length with a division of 40 inches. These marks will be used as your reference for bending the wire to form the corners.

Forming the Square

You may need to ask an assistance from a companion to help you bend the screen. First is to bend the last two 40 inches at the end then the middle portion to form a square. Connect the ends of the square by using a wire ring connectors or any other connecting materials that you may prefer to use. You just have to make sure that the ends are tightly fastened that your pet cannot easily break it.
Back and Front Section

Take one of the 40 x 40 inch section of the screen that you have recently cut then lay it on one of the opening of the cage. Just like what you did fastening the end of the square, secure the four edges with connectors. When its done, flip the cage facing up and lay the other 40 x 40 inch section. This time you are just going to clip just one of the edge and leave the other edges free.
Finally, clean or trim all sharp and protruding edges to avoid any injury that could hurt either you or your pet. Now take your rabbit and put it inside your newly made transport cage and attach a trigger snap at each free side of the cage.

Congratulations! you are now ready to transport your rabbit.

Ears are the most important and vital part of a bunny since it serves them a lot of purposes especially for survival. Rabbits in the wild often relies on their ears for any predators approaching miles away from them. 

This will allow them to hide themselves or run away before they are to be seen or caught. At some point, their ears also serves as their personal air-conditioning unit. Thus, without their reliable ears they won't be able to survive into this world.

As a bunny pet owner, it is important for you to include cleaning your rabbit's ear on your regular grooming routine. On this post, we are to discuss the proper way of cleaning your bunny's ear.



Handling your Rabbit

At first, it is important to have a closer relationship with your bunny which requires constant interaction. Regular handling with your pet will gain you the trust that your bunny will no longer struggle when you are to carry it up and hold with your both hands.

To clean your bunny's ear, gently open its ear. If your pet will pull it off away then simply let it go and try it again more gently. You have to know that it's a natural instinct that a rabbit won't let their ears get touch but by doing it regularly, your pet will get used to it and will let you touch for a longer period of time good enough for grooming.

Checking the Ears

It is advised that you thoroughly inspect the entire ear of your bunny checking for dirt, scabs, wax buildup and anything unusual. You also have to smell the ear specifically near the opening canal for any foul odor. If such disgusting odor exists then you should consult your veterinarian right away to examine your pet's ears.

You should also check not only the inside part of your bunny's ear but also the furred part. Use your fingers to feel any wounds from scratches. If you felt something then it means that your rabbit's ear is causing some irritation. Again, a visit into your veterinarian is suggested.

Cleaning Process

To clean your rabbit's ear, you may need to prepare a few things that are needed. You will simply be needing a cotton ball and an antiseptic solution such as a Rubbing Alcohol. To start, dip the cotton ball into the antiseptic solution then squeeze it with your fingers. This is to dampen the cotton ball which is just right for cleaning your rabbit's ear.

Gently apply the cotton ball into the visible inner area of your bunny's ear and it has to be done by using long strokes away from the ear canal. It is important not to shove dirt or anything else into the ear canal and don't even attempt to clean the ear canal. Simply limit the cleaning process at the visible portion only.

Fur at the Back of the Ears

Most bunnies have thin furs at the back of their ears (outer portion) which doesn't requires brushing or combing. You have to know that a rabbit's skin is too tender and delicate especially the ear. 

Thus, if there's a dirt that needs to be cleaned then you have to use a clean cloth dampened with water. Gently apply the dampened cloth and wipe out the dirt. Everything must be done on a gently manner.

One of the most common problems with regards into your bunny's ears are the 'Ear Mites'. These are parasites which are often the cause of most rabbit's ear infection. If such parasites has infested the internal part of your bunny's ears, you will notice scabs and unpleasant odor coming out from it's ear.

If left untreated, your pet will ultimately lose its sense of balance. It is highly advised that you are to take you bunny into a vet to seek for treatment.

The most common incident for the cause of a rabbit's death is due to hairballs. This occurs when your pet had ingested a large amount of furs into its digestive system. Cat's do also have the same condition but the difference is that, cat's have the capability to vomit their ingested hairballs while rabbits cannot.

All furs being ingested by your rabbit will be accumulated into its 'gastrointestinal track' (GIT). The worst part is when your rabbit is suffering from an impaired digestive system in which you are feeding improper foods to your pet. This will cause blockage of waste-elimination which definitely leads to your pet's death.

Anyway, don't get too worried enough about your pet since hairballs is preventable. Below are the three methods that you need to know for the prevention of hairballs:

Brush your Rabbit's Fur Regularly

The most effective method to prevent hairballs is to brush your pet regularly. It is suggested that you are to use a soft brush to comb it gently. If there's presence of flea then you can run a flea-comb into your pet's fur for every few days.

Depending on the type of rabbit-breed that you have, long-haired bunnies will require a special type of brush to comb their hairs. Please visit your pet-shop and ask for these proper tools that you need to have. As a warning, using brushes or combs with wire teeth or bristles can scratch/damage your pet's skin. You have to know that a rabbit do have a very tender type of skin.

Foods Rich in Fivers

To help your bunny from drawing-out its waste product, you need to feed your pet foods that are rich in fivers. To tell you something about fivers, these are food components that keeps feces moist or soft which allows easy withdrawal of waste product.

Again, visit your pet shop and buy some food supplements such are the chewable papaya tablets. Another good method is to feed your rabbit with the woody-center of a pineapple fruit. Based on experience, feeding your pet with the woody-center of a pineapple fruit is best effective as compared to any other methods.

Cleaning Itself Alone

Just like cats, bunnies also clean themselves by licking their paws repeatedly then applying their paws all around their body. If you notice that your pet is doing this kind of action, it is highly advised that you are to leave your bunny for awhile.

Trimming your Pet's Fur

It is strongly suggested that you are to trim your pet's fur especially those type of breeds that can grow their hair long. Make sure not to cut the hair at the very bottom that will expose your pet's skin. Keep it down for at least one inch or longer.

Now that we have discussed hairball prevention, let's discuss some signs of trouble when your bunny is already suffering a gastrointestinal track disease. This is very important for you to know because treatment at the early stage is the most effective method to prevent serious health problems.

Stools are Strung Together

Observe your pet's stool carefully. If they are strung or connected then this is the first sign that a problem exists. This can be prevented by following the methods already mentioned above.

Diet

If your bunny suddenly stops eating the same amount of food that you are regularly feeding it then this is another sign that you need to take a closer observation. If its a gastrointestinal track disease then you should start providing a type of food rich in fiber. 

Offering plenty of leafy greens and hays will most likely work. At the moment, you have to stop proving food-pellets as your rabbit will simply ignore eating them.

Craving for Wooden Surfaces

Your rabbit might refuse regular type of food in-take that it ends up chewing wooden surfaces, plastics, papers and other materials. This means that your pet is suffering from a gastrointestinal track disease wherein your bunny is craving for a source of fiber. As already mentioned above, the wooden-center of a pineapple fruit and leafy greens are best suggested for a whole new change of diet.

Decrease in Size and Amount of Stools

Noticing a decrease in size and amount of stools already posses a serious health problem for your pet. This indicates a very high possibility of gastrointestinal blockage. 

Thus, you have to follow the method already mentioned several times wherein you have to feed your pet with large amount of greens and hays. If the symptoms still persists in the following two to three days then you will require some help from a professional veterinarian.

Sudden Change of Behavior

If your rabbit suddenly prefers to stay at the corner and doesn't want to be exposed from any outside activities then this is another serious alarming sign. You may need to seek a help from a Veterinarian to sort out this health issue.

Weight Loss

When your bunny is suffering from a gastrointestinal track disease, it will most likely affect its entire physical appearance. Your pet will lose its weight and it will become thin due to the reason that it no longer wants to eat.

Dry Hair and Cracking Foot Pads

The last stage of a gastrointestinal track disease that can be observed is when your pet's fur appears to be dry and lifeless. If you are also to check your rabbit's foot pads, it'll be dry which also shows some signs of cracking and splitting. This can also be observe on your pet's nose and lips.


Gastrointestinal track disease due to hairballs is not really a serious threat to your pet provided that you know the preventable methods already covered on this post. Early prevention is actually the best method to avoid this common type of disease. Thus, clean your pet regularly and offer types of food with high contents of fibers.

If you are one of the few who has the fashion and determination to own a bunny pet then let's discuss on this post about how to let them achieve their highest age of life expectancy.

The most important part that you really have to know is on how you properly care for your pet because proper caring is the key to prolonging your pet's life expectancy into the fullest. Without proper care, your pet will be vulnerable against illness and disease which could later cause them to die at a young age.


Other reason which is unrelated to caring is their type of breed. Common breeds could reach a lifespan of 5 to 8 years of age. The Lion Heads can live from 5 to 13 years of age and the Netherlands Dwarf could reach 15 years of age. And based on experience, rabbits that grows at a large size tends to have a shorter lifespan as compared to the smaller sized rabbits.

Indoor and Outdoor Rabbits

If you are keeping your rabbit inside your house then it only shows how greatly you care about your pet. As your reward, rabbits that are kept indoors often reaches their highest peak of lifespan than those that are kept outside. 

The reason is that, your pet can easily interact with you or any other family members around the house. This makes your pet's health frequently checked and monitored for any possible health risk problems.

Rabbits kept outside are sad to say that they have shorter lifespan. Keeping your rabbit outdoors only allows you to spend very little time on your pet that you are most likely to miss checking some health problems. At some point, some health problems that aren't treated right away could seriously in-danger your pet.

The Result of Aging

As your rabbit gets older, you are given more responsibility on taking care of your pet. You will most likely notice a sign of arthritis in which your pet will have the difficulty of hopping around. If you are able to notice such symptom, immediately ask for an assistance from a professional Veterinarian for any available medication. You will also need to provide a soft and comfy cloth for your pet to lie down.

Another problem of aging is grooming. Old rabbits tends to have trouble cleaning themselves so you really have no choice but to help. 

First is to help your old rabbit remove its excess fur which prevents hairballs. It is important for you to know that hairballs can cause a serious health problem to your little friend since this can cause blockage into its digestive track.

Second is to clean your old pet's backend. This will require a little trick but when you are doing it for the first time then it is suggested that you ask help from a companion. Your companion will simply hold your pet and you will do the cleaning. 

There are some Rabbit Shampoo products that you can buy at the pet supply store which is recommended for you to use in the process of cleaning your pet's backend. After washing, dry your rabbit's backend with an old clean cloth or you can also use a dryer. Just make sure that you set your dryer at the right amount of temperature or you will cause your pet to struggle out from your hands.

Third is to trim your pet's nails. You should also check if there are any sores on its feet.

Finally, any discomfort that you might observe from your rabbit needs immediate attention. It is advised that you are to bring your pet into a professional Veterinarian for medical check-up. Early prevention is what keeps your pet away from any serious health problems.

If you are to follow all suggestions on this post then you can provide your pet the longest lifespan of expectancy.

All rabbits do have the natural appetite of chewing almost anything. They are like a shredding machine that they can tore any objects that they came across their path. The most common issue if you are allowing your pet to stay inside your house is that they chew on your Carpets, Electrical Wire Cables, Woods and etc... 

On this post, we are going to discuss possible ways on how to stop or prevent your pet from chewing anything that could either hurt them or destroy valuable objects inside your house.

Why do rabbits loves to chew?

Rabbits are born to have sharp-teeth. As they grow older, they would prefer to chew on harder things in order to maintain their teeth trimmed. Thus, you have to provide them plenty of fresh hays or some tough materials just to have something to keep them from chewing on. You just have to be careful that these materials that you are giving into your pet are not harmless into their health.

A psychological reason why a rabbit keeps chewing is that they wanted to have attention. They wanted you as their owner to play with them and show your affection. Thus by regularly playing with your pet, it will make your rabbit feel entertained and happier which might lessen its chewing habit.

The Right Materials for your Rabbit's Environment

We have already discussed in the previous post the right materials to use on how to build your own rabbit hutch. What if from time-to-time, you are allowing your pet to roam around inside your house? You have to know that accidents could happen where your pet might accidentally bite one of those high-voltage cable wires. Another common issue is that they could chew on your carpets.

All of these can be prevented by visiting a Hardware Store and buying all the Bunny-Proof materials that you need. For the cable wires, you can buy a plastic tube then split it in length. When its done, simply slide the wire inside making sure that none of it is exposed. Finally, secure the end with a tape to prevent your rabbit from tugging it off.

As for your Carpets, you can roll it off temporarily and put it back when you kept your rabbit back into its hutch. If available in the Pet Store near you, there's a product that can be used to spray on your Carpet or on any objects which have a scent that will annoy your rabbit from getting close. This will keep your pet away from the objects that you had sprayed the scent on.

Items that your Rabbit can Chew

It's not because that your rabbit can chew almost everything, it doesn't mean that you can just grab anything around then give it into your pet. Common incidents that most rabbits dies are when they eat objects with sharp thorns or spikes. 

This will impale their internal organs which could lead into their death when not immediately treated.

Hays are the rabbit's favorite food to eat but it might not be good enough to satisfy their unstoppable chewing habit so it is highly suggested that you give your pet harder things to chew. To give you a few of these items, you can give your pet - Tree Branches of an Apple, Willow and Aspen.


Are items like carpet and furniture can harm your pet?

The answer is yes. Carpets or any other forms of fabric materials can harm your rabbit particularly when a lot of fiber has been excessively ingested. As for the furniture, most of them are painted with hazardous chemical component such as Varnish Coating.

Can you train a rabbit about what to chew and not to chew?

You can train your rabbit on what to chew and not chew but it requires constant interaction with your pet. It is more like treating it as a companion and not just a pet. Through time, you will develop some sort of understanding with one another that will allow you to be able to communicate and discipline your rabbit.