Rabbits are surely cuddlesome. With their fluffy hair and cute size, there is no wonder why rabbits have been chosen as pets of many pet lovers. However, caring for pet rabbits is not that simple – it requires dedication and some works. Here is an expert guide on how to care for a pet rabbit.
Tips in Raising a Pet Rabbit
- Socializing your new rabbit can be difficult
You need to put an effort to socialize with your new rabbit. You cannot expect your new pet to immediately trust you. Give your rabbit some time to familiarize yourself as his new owner. To begin with, give your pet rabbit hay or treats through the cage. Be patient. Socializing with your new rabbit will take a process.
- Rabbits have delicate stomachs
Similar to other little animals, the stomach of a rabbit is especially delicate. It is important that you should exclusively feed your pet with a healthy and balanced diet with only a limited volume of treats added. A lot of food blends intended for rabbits are combined with treats rather than being formulated with pure pellets. It would be wise if you go away from these brands and opt for bags that are occupied with hay-based pellets.
Feeding your pet a regular serving of treat-combined food can lead to the obesity of the rabbit, which then leads to plenty of other health concerns later in life. And the worst, the rabbit may not be absorbing all the necessary nutrients from this food. This can be a potential factor why you would notice your rabbit gradually dropping its activity level over time
- The dental hygiene of your rabbit is important
Although there is no need for you to make an effort brushing your rabbit’s teeth daily, you are expected to perform some tasks to keep the health of his mouth. You should know that the teeth of your rabbit continuously grow, and they should be maintained. If you fail to manage the teeth of your pet rabbit, then there is a great chance that your pet rabbit will experience an agonizing teeth overgrowth.
To inhibit this from occurring, you will have to secure chew toys regularly for your rabbit. Your pet rabbit inclines to get bored; thus, you will have to regularly switch out the toys. You may check on many pet stores selling a transitional array of wood and scour chew toys. These two toys are the best options for grinding down the teeth.
- Secure sufficient hay
Feeding your pet rabbit hay is as essential as giving them pellets and water. As you should know, hay is one of the fundamental parts of the rabbits’ diet. You should connect a hay bin or secure a hay bowl to your pet that is fully loaded 24/7. There is nothing to worry about your pet consuming too much hay.
A lot of times, rabbits will just gnaw on the hay to facilitate the grinding down of their teeth. Hay is one of the essential components of managing the continuous growth of the teeth of the rabbit. Without the presence of hay, the digestive tract of the rabbit may be outweighed, directing to diarrhea. You may also have to deal with more dental problems if you do not provide your pet rabbit a sufficient amount of hay.
- Rabbits have delicate feet
All breeds of rabbits have delicate feet. Some breeds have very delicate feet that they get injured often. Caring for the feet of your feet is doable and commonly an easy task to do.
Provide your rabbit soft bedding. Never get bedding that has stinging edges. You may also like to avoid chewed plastic pieces from the accessories. Also, the regular inspection of the cage may inhibit any feet-related accidents. Furthermore, never consider a cage that is equipped with a wire bottom as this case will surely get your pet rabbit injured. Wire bottoms may direct to bacterial infections and agonizing inflammation in the feet. This can be torturous in pet rabbits and may even result in stress or depression.
- They have an impressive sense of hearing
Their big ears are not only meant for a show but rather used to help the rabbits catch all the sounds that are occurring around it. These little creatures can hear the sound of up to 2 miles away. This implies that everything is perceived by rabbits at a louder sound. This turns music a deceptive part to play loud if you have a pet rabbit.
See to it that you place your pet in a space off to the side where regular noise will not have a critical result on them. Putting a rabbit as the main attraction may trigger ear damage. If you are holding a party and the music is too loud, check your pet rabbit. If you notice any indication of stress, then you may consider turning things down a little.
- Rabbits easily get stressed
If you ever heard a story of a rabbit losing its life due to stress, then you better stop labeling it as a myth. Unfortunately, rabbits can die because of extreme stress or if it is extremely scared. Rabbits are sensitive animals and are on regular alert against the predators. Immediate attack of profound stress or fear may lead to a heart attack to start, which is commonly lethal.
Rabbits must be properly handled, and any indications of stress have to be promptly resolved. These creatures should not be made acquainted with cats for playtime.
Although this happening is not typical, it still calls serious attention. Fear or stress may also direct to a large list of other health issues in your pet rabbit, which can form out of nowhere.
- Young kids and rabbits do not blend
Rabbits are cute creatures, which are the very common reason why a lot of young kids would want to have them. In reality, rabbits make an unpleasant first-time pet for many young kids.
Remember that rabbits are sensitive and are easily harmed or injured, making them a risk to handle. They also do not have tolerance with loud noises or screaming, which a lot of young kids would do when getting excited.
A lot of rabbits will not warm up to your kid for quite a while, which can be a great disappointment. Some rabbits will never warm up to young children. If you manage to get a rabbit handled by a kid, the rabbit will likely to wrestle and may even protect themselves. Rabbits have sharp nails and can make brutal bites which can easily injure the skin.
- Vegetables and fruits are treats
Vegetables and fruits are a nutritious treat for people, which can have many adverse effects on the health of the pet rabbit. Your pet rabbit must never be served either of these foods regularly. Vegetables and fruits contain a high level of sugar, which may cause health problems later on. Both foods may also lead to diarrhea if given often or if they simply do not work well with the stomach of your rabbit.
- Minimal quantity of carrots along with other kinds of vegetables
Perhaps one of the greatest myths about rabbits is their great affection for carrots. Remarkably, rabbits do not even attempt to consume root vegetables when they are in the wild. The fabrication of rabbits adoring carrots came around when owners began giving them as a treat to their pet rabbits. Rabbits enjoyed eating vegetables, including carrots, and turned anxious over the treat.
In reality, carrots are not always the favorite food of rabbits. Some rabbits do not even eat them. To put a clear remark, carrots are not an essential part of a rabbit’s diet. If you intend to give your pet rabbit a carrot, chop it into little pieces. It is never recommended to give your rabbit a whole carrot or feed your pet with carrots more than two times a week.
- Captive rabbits do not want the cold
If you keep your pet outdoors with a warm environment, then your pet may die due to heatstroke. However, if you put it in the cold, then there is a chance that hypothermia can happen. Captive rabbits have to be raised indoors, and they cannot endure changing temperatures.
- Grooming your rabbit
You will require special kinds of brushes to eliminate debris, as well as the tangles. The quantity of brushing required will be based on the individual requirements of the rabbit. Clip the nails to limit the instances of scratches you acquire from handling your pet.
- They love being clean
If you think that your pet rabbit is starting to smell, then it would be necessary to clean the cage. Control the odors by doing a regular spot cleaning.
- Rabbits want to be in pairs
Remember that rabbits are known to be social creatures. Rabbits can be depressed if they do not receive proper attention. It would be best if you get rabbits in pairs to address this concern.
- Rabbits can live long
Rabbits can live up to 8 to 12 years if they have cared properly. To guarantee that your pet rabbit gets to live longer, obey the suggested guidelines whole-heartedly.
