Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > Jersey Wooley Rabbit Care

Jersey Wooley Rabbit Care

22 11:33:23

Question
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I have recently aquired 2 Jersey Wooley rabbits. 1 female 10 weeks and 1 male 8 weeks.  They are the runts of the litter and my friend that breeds and shows them didnt want them. We keep them inside because these rabbits are very very small in size.  Approx 1/3 the size of their siblings.  They eat and drink well but the female has a eye twitch that comes and goes.  It almost looks as though it is watching tennis.  Is this stress related.  We have only had them for a few days.  Also their urine is very dark almost rust in color.  Is this normal for their urine.  Also do we need to use rabbit vitamins or should we buy food that has fancy bits and pieces of veggies in it.  Right now they eat plain pellets that are what we feed our outside hutch rabbits.  And lastly.. I heard from another breeder to give them Docs Rabbit Enhancer because it will stimulate appitite and keep their odor down.  Is this a good idea?

Thanks
Kim & Kelsea
Answer -
A good resource would be http://www.rabbit.org/care/new-bunny-index.html.

But to answer your specific questions: when the one rabbit twitches, is she moving her eyes back and forth, or her head, or something else?

If their urine is very dark, they may not be drinking enough water, you might want to add a bowl in case you have a bottle and they aren't using it.

Plain old boring pellets are best for rabbits, all those treats in some foods are not good for them and can cause fatty liver disease.  Vitamins are not necessary, nor is Doc's Rabbit Enhancer.  If you clean them regularly, there really shouldn't be a smell.

Be sure to feed pellets and hay, at this age they can eat alfalfa hay if you can get it, then when they hit about 6 months you can switch off to timothy or coastal hay.

Be sure also to groom them at least once a week, if they get matts in their fur they are hard to get out.  This tells how to groom Angoras, but the procedure is the same - http://www.rabbit.org/care/angora.html.

Kim

It is just its eyes and it is not all the time.

Answer
You might check out this article and see if that matches the behavior you are seeing - http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/eye_scanning.html.

Usually the bunnies who do this are albino, although I've met a few who are not who do it.

Kim