Making a plan for rabbit daily care for your pet ensures that all his needs are met. Check out the detailed schedule we’ve provided. You might want to post this where your family can easily find it.
Pet Rabbit Daily Care Schedule
Rabbit Daily Care Routine
Your new pet bunny is home! Now what do you need to do for his daily care?Â
We suggest you set up a routine. Rabbits, like many pets, thrive with a known routine.
Your rabbit doesn’t require a complex system of care. In fact, you and he will appreciate keeping it simple. By doing so, you have more time to spend enjoying your pet.
Setting a routine and staying close to it helps your rabbit feel safe. He knows what to expect. And it helps you stay organized. With a good routine, you are likely to remember all important tasks.
What does a daily routine require?
Like most of us, your rabbit requires
1- food
2- cleanliness
3- exercise
4- social time
Post a Daily Schedule
Keep a daily schedule posted somewhere that you will notice throughout the day. Of course, you will find it becomes a habit over time, and you probably won’t need the written schedule after a few weeks. But I still recommend keeping one posted. It provides a safety catch for those emergencies in that you might need someone else to look in on him.
The benefits of a rabbit daily care routine for rabbits
Avoid surprises
Rabbits are prey animals. As such, they don’t appreciate surprises. A routine keeps them calmer. They know what to expect and when to expect it. This ensures they stay happier and less stressed.
Build confidence
Routine helps rabbits become more confident. With a predictable routine, they feel less anxious. A routine allows them to become more adventurous. Then they feel more capable to freely explore their environment. And they will trust you much more. That trust helps him bond closer to you, as well.
Feeding
Pellets
If you feed pellets, you can feed those just once a day or divide them into two feedings.Â
Hay
Hay is different, however. Rabbits nibble their food throughout the day, so they need to have that all-important hay available all day long. In fact, as grazers, your rabbit might seem to be constantly eating. That long fiber helps keep his digestive system working properly.
You can feed hay once a day, making sure you provide enough to last throughout the day. Or, refill his hay feeder at regular intervals.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens should be provided each day. You might feed these once or twice a day. They can be fed at the same time as the pellets. Alternatively, try feeding the greens at a different time to allow for the variety change.
For instance, you might feed pellets in the morning when you fill his hay feeder. Then in the afternoon, feed leafy greens and recheck his hay feeder.
Some pet owners find that it helps to plan these feedings around their own eating schedule. For example, you might feed the pellets and hay before your breakfast, then feed the greens and check on the hay before your dinner. It’s also recommended to recheck the hay before you go to bed. Some people offer a small treat at bedtime, too.
Water is critical
Water is critical for your rabbit’s health. Keep clean, fresh water available at all times. I recommend you check the water each time to check the hay. In this way, your rabbit always has the all-important hay and water to stay healthy and happy.
Exercise
Your rabbit needs exercise time. You might need a large exercise pen to keep him safe. Alternatively, make sure the room he is roaming in is very safe.Â
Rabbits nibble on everything It’s how they explore. But tasting that cord that’s plugged in is not safe. And if he nibbles your carpet, he might eat fibers that he cannot digest.Â
Some people rabbit-proof their entire home to allow the bunny free roam during his exercise time. Others choose just one room. And some use the exercise pen. Whichever you choose, ensure that it is safe from his chewing and scratching and also safe from your other pets.
The amount of exercise each day depends on your rabbit and your schedule. Needless to say, he enjoys as much as you can provide. If you find him resting for a few minutes, you’ll notice that soon he is once again on the move.
Daily Socialization- part of rabbit daily care
Rabbits are social animals and thrive in a bonded relationship. Many people choose to keep two rabbits together to help them feel more comfortable when they are not with their humans. If you do this, ensure that they are spayed or neutered to avoid fighting or unwanted babies.
Whether you have a second rabbit or not, your rabbit appreciates time with you. They readily form bonds with their humans and crave time with them.Â
Some people combine this with exercise time, while others find a dedicated time each day. Whichever you choose, schedule in time with your pet, just as you would a pet dog or cat. The resulting bond is worth it!
Daily Cleaning
Rabbits are naturally clean animals. This trait helps when litter training. It also means that your rabbit may never need a bath as they keep themselves quite clean.Â
If you keep the litter box and pen cleaned, you probably notice no real odor. In fact, most people only smell the rich hay content in the pens.
So what does it take to keep the pen and litter box clean? Quite simply, take 3 or 4 minutes each day to scoop the litter box and remove any soiling in the pen itself. That few minutes of daily cleaning, along with the other routines, should keep your bunny quite happy and clean.
Example of rabbit daily care schedule
7am
- Feed daily pellets
- Fill the hay rack
- Give fresh water
- Provide some exercise time and a bit of social time
5pm
- Feed him his leafy greens
- Scoop out the litter box and anything in the pen
- Refresh his water, if needed
- Refill his hay feeder, if needed
- Give him Exercise time and more social time
11pm
- Offer him a special bedtime treat
- Refresh his hay, if needed
- Refresh his water, if needed
Weekly Schedule
Once a week, sometimes a bit more often, you need to add a few extra care items to your schedule. These tasks are simpler when the daily care is kept up with. But they remain necessary to ensure your pet’s best health and happiness.
Clean the enclosure
You need to clean your rabbit’s pen out on a weekly basis. Some types of enclosures will require more cleaning than others. If your rabbit stays exceptionally clean and the type of pen allows, you might need to schedule this twice a month. However, we recommend once a week, to ensure your pet stays very clean. In fact, this weekly cleaning also ensures your home doesn’t smell like a dirty pet, too.
This cleaning usually entails collecting the loose hay that is scattered and fur. You might also need to clean any urine spray. The actual steps will include:
- Put the rabbit in a playpen or other safe area
- Collect loose hay and fur
- Use a vacuum, if needed, to remove dust and hay particles
- Wipe down all surfaces, using a rabbit safe cleaner. Vinegar diluted with water works well.
- When the pen dries thoroughly, return the rabbit to his now very clean pen.
- At this point, it’s also easy to clean the exercise area, since you have all your needed supplies with you.
Health check
The weekly cleaning time provides the perfect time to do a quick health check on your pet rabbit, too. Just look over his eyes, nose, and teeth first. Then check his nails. If they need cutting, pull out your pet nail clippers.
Next, check over his body. Look for any signs of injury or infection. Are his feet covered with fur or do they have sores starting? Sore hocks can be quite painful to rabbits.Â
This time provides a chance to run a brush over his coat, too. Long-haired rabbits need more frequent attention, but even normal fur needs a little brushing occasionally. This helps keep loose hair from scattering and also prevents hair block which happens when rabbits ingest too much hair when self-grooming.
Truthfully, you probably note any problems during your daily interactions with him. But this time gives you a more thorough checkup.
Veterinary Checkups
Most vets recommend an annual exam for your pet. But if you notice any problems during your weekly or daily checks, be sure to contact your vet for his advice.
Daily Rabbit Care Ensures Fewer Problems
Just as with people, staying healthy helps prevent problems. With a good feeding and care routine, your rabbit may well avoid any serious health problems and live a long and happy life. But if a problem does happen, these frequent checks and care routines mean that you catch the problems early enough for the best results.
