apple twigs

Question
This will probably sound daft, but I keep reading that rabbits like to chew on twigs, such as apple.  Now what I want to know is can I simply go to the nearest apple tree and snap off some twigs - or do I have to buy special ones from pet shop - only my finances are quite limited so if the snapping off twigs that are free is good enough/safe - then I'd prefer to do that then spend money on something he may or may not like - that way I can have more cash to spend on the things I know he does!!  Also, is there any other types of bedding I can use rather than hay - as he has had ear mites recently and although he has been treated by vet - and I've been using olive oil in his ears - I was also advised to cut down on the dust and thought maybe hay would not be advisable for bedding at the moment - he's outdoors at night in the hutch and parts of the day (then is inside house when ever we are home).  Thanks - kind regards Hannah

Answer
(UPDATE)

Hi Hannah,

I didn't mention but if your rabbit is not neutered yet, he will have different bathroom habits than if he was neutered.  Rabbits that are fixed can be litterpan trained and will not mark excessively outside their litterpans.  Basically I believe people not knowing this fact relegates their rabbit to being an outdoor pet.  Generally too, a house bunny lifespan is roughly double a hutch bunny - 10-12 years versus 5 years.

I would suggest visiting the House Rabbit Society web site (www.rabbit.org) for their vast amount of information on all aspects of rabbit care.  You will find a tremendous amount of useful info here.

(END UPDATE)



Hi Hannah,

the apple twigs need to be dry, with no sap in them.  So you can snap some off, let them dry out for a few months, test them (scrape the bark off, if it's green underneath they aren't dry yet) and if they are dry, they are safe.

Bedding:  you can use old (but clean) cotton towels/tshirts.  See how he treats them and rotate out with new old cotton towels/tshirts as needed.  I would probably go with synthetic wool bedding sheets, get several so that you can swap out to be washed.  This would be the best thing for him.

Ear mites are not carried on hay.  Hay mites are carried on hay, and they just like hay (not animals).

Lee