How To Care For Your Pet Rabbit

Rabbits are among the most convenient pets to have around. They don't make much noise like dogs, they don't leave scratches in furniture like cats, and most of all, they are a cute little bunch! However, you can't just leave them in their cages, visit them once in a while, and expect them to stay healthy and happy. Just like any other pets, rabbits need proper care and attention. This lens is dedicated to all rabbits and their owners. May this serve as a guide on how you should take care of your pet rabbits so that they live long and quality lives.

According to research, rabbits that are kept within the home have longer lives compared to those who are housed in cages outdoors. When rabbits are kept outdoors, they have little chance of receiving proper care, which results to them losing their health and dying prematurely. When choosing a house for your pet rabbit, the rule is: the bigger the better. Rabbits need exercise too, so as much as possible, get a cage with room enough for your pet to run and play. This will prevent them from becoming obese.

It's quite normal to see rabbits being housed in cages with wire flooring. However, wire flooring may hurt your rabbit's feet, so if possible, try to use solid flooring. If you are going to use wire flooring, see to it that you place a piece of board on the side that can serve as his resting place.

Your rabbit's cage serves as a home to your pet. Therefore, you should set it up in such a way that your rabbit will feel safe and secure in it. Moreover, do your best to keep the cage an enjoyable place for your rabbit to stay in. Get some accessories in there such as a rug to keep your pets warm and some toys they can chew and play with.

You can also let your pet rabbits run free inside your home from time to time, but only after they have received proper training. When not trained, rabbits will chew furniture and rugs.

Rabbits should be fed with a variety of food, which includes hay, veggies, and high quality pellets. You can feed your rabbit with hay all day, while some veggies and fruits like spinach and banana should be considered as treats and not as staple food. Yes, you can feed your rabbits with banana, but only in very small quantities, and only when they are 12 weeks old and up. You should also slow down with feeding your rabbits with pellets as they grow old since older rabbits will have slower metabolism and will have a harder time digesting food.

Ideally, adult rabbits should be fed with fresh hay at least two times a day. When they are six months old and below, you can feed them unlimited amounts of pellets. As your rabbits grow to seven months to a year, you may decrease the amount of pellets to only a half a cup/6 lbs. of body weight. You should also increase their vegetable intake during this time.

Rabbits are very social animals, and like dogs and other types of pets, they can be trained too. One area where you can train your pet rabbit is in littering. When kept in a cage, a rabbit would usually choose one spot or corner to dump its waste. This is where your personal judgment comes in. Observe your rabbit and see which spot he likes to litter. Place the litter box on that same spot and eventually, your rabbit will learn that it should deposit its waste in the litter box you have placed.

There are different types of litter box and choosing which material to use for your rabbit is very important. You have to understand that rabbits have a tendency to chew on their litter box so choose one made of durable material. If you can't do that, you can try to distract the rabbit by giving it an accessory it can chew on instead.

Cleaning the litter box on a regular basis is one way to maintain the health of your pet rabbit. It is also one way to encourage your pet to keep using the box. If you fail to empty the box, your pet may decide to drop its waste outside. To clean the litter box, take it out of the cage and rinse it with vinegar. This is a sure way to get rid of tough stain.

Rabbits come in several different colors...