Rabbit | You Don’t Need a Lot of Room to Raise a Rabbit

Housing for your pet can vary considerably depending upon your home and your locality, but it has one universal requirement: rabbits need good ventilation. Without adequate ventilation, your pet can be susceptible to respiratory diseases. Keep this in mind when you buy or build a cage for your rabbit. Make sure at least a portion of the cage is constructed of wire mesh to allow good air flow.

Rabbits can be kept outdoors, but they need shelter from the wind, rain, drafts, and the summer sun. If protected from the elements, rabbits can withstand very cold weather (see construction of a hutch below). An enclosed box inside a wire cage is a popular design that affords both protection and ventilation.

If you choose to keep your rabbit in a cage either indoors or outdoors, the size will vary depending upon the size of the rabbit. For smaller breeds of rabbits (under six pounds), the cage should be approximately 20” deep and 30-36” wide, and approximately 12” high. Larger animals need a larger cage, and most will be well accommodated by cages that are 24” deep, 48” wide, and 12-16” high.

The floor of the cage may vary considerably. A self-cleaning cage (the urine and fecal material drop through the floor) has a floor made of wire mesh or grid that forms squares one-half inch wide and one inch long.

With self-cleaning cages, it is important to provide some type of tray or method of collecting the rabbit’s waste. These trays should be lined with paper, filled with wood shavings, cat litter or other absorbent material to help minimize odors. A small amount of baking soda added to the litter will help control odors.

If your pet weighs 9 pounds or more, you should consider rabbit housing with solid floors. Solid floors will support a large rabbit’s weight better and will help prevent its feet from becoming irritated. Rabbits that are kept on solid floors should be bedded with newspaper, wood shavings, straw, hay, or other absorbent materials. The bedding should be changed daily.

Regardless of the type of housing you select, it is mandatory that the cage be cleaned frequently to prevent odors and disease.

Ingram Feed & Seed has joined with doctors Jeremy and Erin VanBoening to bring our producers animal nutrition answers and veterinary services all in one location. The small animal clinic for the Franklin Animal Center is located inside our showroom at Ingram Feed & Seed. There is also a new large animal facility located just north of our store with easy access from Hwy. 10. The Franklin Animal Center can be contacted by phone at 308-425-3703. They carry a complete line of animal health products and have the expertise to get you what you need.

We carry a complete line of pet foods from PMI.  No matter if your pet is a wild barn cat, a junkyard dog, or a very pampered part of your close family, we have a pet food to fit the need.  The Exclusive line of pet foods from PMI uses the finest ingredients available, including fresh chicken as the #1 ingredient in our chicken/rice formula.  Exclusive pet foods have no soy or wheat.  All adult formulas have glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate right in the formula for healthy joints.  We firmly believe you can not buy a better pet food than Exclusive at any price!  We have a buy six get one free program on Exclusive pet foods!

NEW! Exclusive Chicken & Rice Performance Formula

Exclusive Chicken & Rice Performance Formula is specially formulated for hardworking dogs that are being used actively. The Energy On Command system allows for rapid energy release, sustained endurance, and rapid recovery. If you have a hunting dog this is the food you have been looking for. the food has 30% protein and 20% fat with both glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate built in! This diet will keep active dogs going on those long hunting days. This formula contains no corn, sorghum, or wheat..none of our Exclusive pet foods do. Available in 35# bags for an introductory price of $29.00 plus tax.