How do i take care of a rabbit?

I want to get a rabbit but i need to know how to take care of it.I have a few questions:


1.What kind of diet should they have?


2.How big of a cage do they need?


3.What kind of bedding should i use?


4.What kind of shelter should i provide?


5.Do they have to have time outside?


6.how should you correctly hold a rabbit?


7.How often should the cage be cleaned?





Any other information you have would be helpful too,Thanks!How do i take care of a rabbit?
1.What kind of diet should they have?


Rabbits need to have a balanced diet of pellets and vegetables. If the rabbit weighs less than 6 pounds, he needs 1/4 cup of pellets and up to 2 cups of chopped vegetables a day. If he is more than 6 pounds, he needs 1/2 cup of pellets and up to 4 cups of chopped vegetables a day. Rabbits can eat many different types of veggies. This is a good site to check out:





http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html





2.How big of a cage do they need?


Rabbits need enough space to have food, water, and exercise. He needs to have enough space to stretch out as well as hop around a bit. It depends on what type of rabbit you get, since they come in all sizes. Rabbits need daily exercise, so do not leave him in his cage all day long. That is also very cruel.





3.What kind of bedding should i use?


I use shredded newspaper as bedding, and then I use pine cat litter for his litter box. Yes, you can train a rabbit to use a litter box. It makes cleanup much easier. If you decide to use a litter box for your rabbit, be sure to buy pine cat litter. If you buy the gray, clay, clumping type of litter, it will most likely kill your rabbit.





4.What kind of shelter should i provide?


If he is inside then he will be safe inside his cage, but if you take him outside he needs to be carefully monitored so that other animals do not attack and kill him. He will need shade as well as space to exercise.





5.Do they have to have time outside?


They don't necessarily have to be outside, but they do need time to run around and explore.





6.how should you correctly hold a rabbit?


Never pick up a rabbit by the ears. Scoop him up with your hands, cradle him in one arm while securing him with your other arm. Kind of like holding a football.





7.How often should the cage be cleaned?


At least once a week.How do i take care of a rabbit?
I Have had many rabbits, my first was as pet, but the rest are feeder rabbits (Snake food) but I love rabbits! So I'll help.





1.They make rabbit food but they will eat celery, carrots, and lettuce


2.Give it plenty of space to run and play, rabbits like open range.


3.Just get cage liner, the rabbit will sleep on it.


4.Give it some water, a food bowl, and maybe get another cage for playing.


5.They don't have to, but sometimes letting them have fresh air is good, just keep an eye on them


6.Hold it above your right arm and have your left hand and on his back (Gently)


7.About once or twice every one or two weeks





Good luck!
1. they should get 1/2 cup of rabbit pellets per day and have unlimited timothy hay (a lot!) available at all times, also they should get veggies and fruit like parsley, apples, blueberries, banana, etc. Not too many carrots, they will get too fat. Most important though is the unlimited hay supply! You may also want to give them papaya enzyme supplement tablets - they like how they taste and it helps their digestion a lot.





2. They need a rather large cage - at least 4ft by 3 ft for a small rabbit- and they need to be let out for exercise every day. Be sure they do ot get into things that are dangerous and do not chew everything though, You will need to rabbit proof the house.





3. Do not use cedar or pine bedding. Aspen is ok, but the paper kinds like soft sorbent and carefresh is best.





4. Make sure they have a house to hide out in.





5. Do not take them outside unless you have a protected hutch - they can be targets of predators like birds and foxes. This might sound ridiculous if you live in the city but it still happens!





6. To lift them you should grasp them gently but firmly around the ribs and then put a hand under they rear legs/butt to support it, hold their body close to your chest. Do not carry them or lift them if you do not have to, they get scared. Be sure to support them well because if they kick their hind legs too much or fall, they can seriously injure themselves - they have fragile bones.





7. You need to clean the cage about every 4-5 days, but it also depends on the size of your rabbit and how much they go potty. You can litter train them so you only have to change the litter box every few days and change all the cage less often. Have a litter box int he cage or on the floor if you do not keep them in a cage. Put their hay in it and they will probably learn to go potty there.