They can be given water in a bowl or from a water bottle. If you are going to put the water in a bowl try to select a heavy ceramic or non-spill one, even a stainless steel bird bowl which will clip on the sides of the cage may work well for you. They need to chew things to keep their teeth worn down, the carrots and broccoli stems will help this, but you can even give them a branch from an apple tree, or willow. Stores usually sell chew items for rodents. Try to avoid the ones with color dyes. Keep an eye on your rabbits teeth, some suffer from improper alignment of teeth which results in a problem where the teeth will not wear down and will require trimming, (you can actually do this with nail clippers).
Other Info
How you handle your pet Rabbit is every important. They need to be supported from underneath and should be held with two hands, never squeezed around the middle. Because they have rather sharp nails it may be easier to put a towel underneath them, when they are on your lap. Also this is good if they happen to urinate. Some rabbits really are not fond of being held, they are often scared when being picked up or put down so make sure you do this carefully in case they try to jump.
You can brush your Rabbit with a cat brush. They generally do not require bathing but if you must, use baby shampoo or preferably gentle pet shampoo, and make sure they are thoroughly dried before returning them to their cage.
Male rabbits have been known to spray, or mark their territory, it is a good idea to neuter a male rabbit, and to make a female more friendly you may want to spay her as well. This will also reduce the smelly nature of their urine.
Rabbits, and all pets, should never be a child's pet. All animals require a commitment, and a child cannot understand or accept a “lifetime” commitment. It is okay to have it be a “family” pet, with the child allowed to help, but make sure it is YOU, the adult, who will be willing to provide the on going care should the child get bored. If for some reason you are unable to care for your rabbit, do not release it into the wild, not only is this cruel but also often it is illegal.
If your bunny is going to live outside, it is very important its bottom and hutch be kept clean, Fly Strike is a deadly problem when flies lay their eggs on a rabbits dirty bottom, and the maggots eat the rabbit from inside.
A good alternative pet to a rabbit is a Guinea Pig, the main differences (other than the obvious appearance) are that Guinea Pigs require the addition of Vitamin C in their food, cannot be easily litter trained, and are known to “talk”.
