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Found this on the Dobbies pet guide. They've changed it a lot!

Aly&Poppy<3

Wise Old Thumper
Rabbits make great pets & deserve the care and comforts to keep them happy and healthy.

Housing
Rabbits were first kept in hutches by the Victorians, when they were kept for meat. Although we still sue hutches today, we shouldn’t be working to Victorian standards still! A hutch should be a shelter, and never the sole or main accommodation for the rabbits, who should have access to large secure exercise area every day. Rabbits who are kept in hutches develop painful spinal deformities and brittle bones which makes them difficult to handle. Make sure you look after your rabbits properly and do not keep them confined to a hutch.

So, you will need to get a large secure hutch and run, the bigger the better!

A hutch should allow the rabbits to take 3 hops, and for an average rabbit, this will be 6 feet in length. Make sure that the hutch allows the rabbits to stretch up fully on their back legs , so it will need to be atleast 60 cms high (to avoid spinal deformities) and is also nice and deep so that the rabbits are not forced to sit right at the front of the hutch in very hot, or wet weather.

The exercise run is equally as important as the hutch, and if you make sure it is safe, you can attach it to the hutch all of the time so that they can exercise or shelter when they want. If you weather proof the run with a tarpaulin, they can make the most of it all year round.

Position of Cage
Site the hutch away from prevailing winds & direct sunlight. It is important to raise the hutch to prevent damp & vermin, it also makes cleaning easier. Rabbits can be kept outside all year as long as the hutch is kept dry & draught free. In very bad weather either cover the hutch and run loosely with a plastic sheet or tarpaulin or move the hutch into a fume free garage, shed, porch or conservatory (do not keep in the dark). Make sure that the rabbits can still exercise every day.

Feeding
A rabbits diet should mimic that of their wild cousins and be based on fibre in the form of hay and grass. In fact 80% it should contribute 80% of their daily food. Hay not only keeps their teeth healthy, but it keeps them busy too Hay is not just bedding, it is an essential part of their diet!. Around 15% of their diet should be vegetables and greens, and then only 5% should be a good quality rabbit food. Supply fresh water daily in a suitable water bottle or bowl.

Companionship
Rabbits are social animals and live in large families in the wild, It is very unkind and old fashioned to keep them alone. Rabbits should be kept in neutered pairs or compatible groups and opposite sex pairs work best. It is possible to keep same sex siblings together, but they should still be neutered to prevent fighting, and need to have plenty of space. Even if they have a lot of human companionship, they still need to company of their own kind. Guinea Pigs do not make suitable companions for rabbits.

Cleaning
Cover the base of the hutch with a thick layer of newspapers or magazines. A small cat litter tray filled with wood shavings or wood based cat litter placed in the corner of the hutch will make a good toilet which is easily cleaned once a day. Straw is used as the main bed material and hay added as food. Clean the hutch thoroughly once a week and the litter tray once a day. Use an animal disinfectant to clean the hutch.

Handling
Always support the rabbit’s weight, never pick them up by their ears, it must hurt! If children are handling a rabbit for the first time sit the rabbit on their lap so if it does jump or fall it will not hurt itself, also be careful not to squeeze the rabbit, calm the rabbit by stroking the ears and face area. It is a good idea to leave new rabbits on their own for at least 24 hours so they can settle in.

Exercise
It is so important to allow a pet rabbit to exercise out of its hutch as much as possible. It’s unfair to keep a rabbit contained in a hutch for long periods of time. A good size safe exercise run is a safe way to allow a rabbit to exercise. If a run is placed on the grass it means the rabbit can forage all day which is very good for them , but they will also like to dig, so make sure you monitor it, and move it regularly so that they don’t escape. You may like to put mesh around the outside of the run to prevent them digging out, but wire should not cover the whole of the floor because it is not good for their feet, and also, digging is a natural behaviour for a rabbit and they should be allowed to dig somewhere. If you do not want them digging in the lawn, then place the run on slabs and give them a digging box in the form of a large litter tray filled with earth. If the run is attached to the hutch the rabbits can exercise or shelter as they please. If however your run is not safe enough to leave the rabbits in all night, then you will need to make sure the hutch is a minimum of 6ft x 2ft x 2ft, and that the run has lots of hiding places and shelter in. Always supply food and water.

Furnishings & Toys
A few branches from an apple or willow are popular. There are lots of toys available in pet shops and on line now, such as willow toys and tunnels. Make sure you give your rabbits new toys regularly so that they don’t get bored.

Problems
If correctly cared for, with a good diet and adequate housing rabbits should be happy and healthy. They do need to be neutered and vaccinated against both myxomatosis and VHD which is a a worrying threat to pet rabbits, it is a disease which is transmitted by many ways and causes death in a matter of hours from contraction. Up to 12 weeks of age the rabbit has some sort of natural immunity to the disease but after this a rabbit should be vaccinated by a Vet. Keep an eye on the claws as they soon become overgrown. Any other problems pay a visit to the vets.

Company
Rabbits are sociable animals and unless a lot of human attention is going to be provided some other form of company should be thought of . Two doe rabbits raised together from young will live in harmony.

Life Expectancy: 8-12 years average
In this time a pair of rabbits properly looked after could cost in the region of £9000-£11000 so make sure that you are committed to taking on rabbits as pets and don’t just act on impulse on sight of a cute baby bunny in a pet shop.



The one before wasn't great, but this is such an improvement :thumb: on top of the 6ft double hutches and large runs they are selling now :thumb: Just need to get rid of the small ones now lol...
 
I think it has changed. I complained to them last year as they were selling runs that were tiny and only a foot high and hutches that were 3.5/4 feet long and again only a foot and a half high on the upper level. Horrible. Received a very patronising letter from them as well so I wrote to RWAF about it so maybe they have taken notice of something they have sent them. In which case well done RWAF.

They still sell baby bunnies though.
 
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