Rabbit Care Info: How To Take Care Of Your Pet Rabbit

What Is Domesticated Rabbits?
Is Rabbit The Suitable Companion For You?
How To Take Care Of Your Pet-Rabbit?
What Are The Daily Rabbit Care Rituals?
Classification Of Rabbit Breeds

What Is Domesticated Rabbits?

Domesticated rabbits are likeable pets. The reasons for their popularity are many! Firstly, rabbits are just cute, charming and attractive! Yet, their nature is gentle. They love to be around with people and rather friendly too. They do not demand a lot in terms of care and housing, different from dogs or cats. Thus, taking care of rabbits is so easy. Rabbits can be kept either outdoor or indoor, at home with you.

There are more and more pet lovers choosing rabbits as an alternative to dogs and cats. Though rabbits require proper daily routine care, they do not need to be walked often like a dog. And, they are sociable and do not bark. Rabbits are self-cleaning pets and have no real problem to be litter trained using an effective litter training system. They fit into most lifestyles because rabbits are most active at twilight.

There are about 40 species of rabbits and hares existing in this world. All domesticated rabbits are originated from European rabbits. Oryctolagus cuniculus is the scientific name for a domestic rabbit.

Normally, domesticated rabbits weigh between 2.2-221lb (1-10kg). The gestation period of a rabbit is 31 days. The typical litter size ranges from 6 to 8 young. The lifespan varies with breed.

Is Rabbit The Suitable Companion For You?

To determine whether a rabbit is a suitable pet or companion for you, the most important factor that you need to consider is “yourself”. Do you have interest, love and willingness to take great care of your rabbit? Do you have time to spend with your pet rabbit? Do you have time to train for your pet rabbit? Typically, a rabbit needs care, affection and attention for approximately 10 years.

Nevertheless, rabbits are not usually recommended for children under 8 years old. A child’s thunderous voice and hyper active nature can create stress to the rabbit. And, rabbits are not fond of being picked up or held often. So, be patience when picking up the rabbit and with correct approach and technique. The mentioned factors will help you to determine if a rabbit is the suitable pet companion for you.

As a rabbit lover, I urge you not to adopt a rabbit and leave it uncared for at the corner of your house. The saddest thing that could happen is to abandon a rabbit in parks or woodland areas. Once the pathetic rabbit is left wild, it has a very little chance to make it to survival.

How To Take Care Of Your Pet-Rabbit?

Keeping a rabbit as pet requires patience, coupled with a good training system in order to prevent unwanted destructions or hassle. The typical challenges that a rabbit owner may go through are furniture and carpet chewing problems, litter problems, pseudo pregnancy symptoms, behavioral problems, fights, sickness, fleas, predators like cats and dogs, and so on. Nevertheless, these challenges can be overcome when the owner is equipped with the information, knowledge and experience to deal with them.

What Are The Daily Rabbit Care Rituals?

Balance Diet:

The domesticated rabbits can be fed on rabbit food, pellets, hay, green food, vegetables, tree bark, herbs and apple.
A rabbit’s diet should be balance. The quality of pellets should be good and high in fiber, vegetables and hay must be fresh and lots of water to prevent dehydration.

Water should be fresh and changed frequently. It is recommended to change it twice a day. If water is not available, the rabbit will cease eating. The water bottle or bowl should be washed daily.

Sweet treats such as bananas or apples should be given in small amounts and only on occasion. Rabbits have a sweet tooth and will eat sugary foods to the exclusion of healthy ones. And, do not feed your rabbit with chocolate, sweets, cookies, bread or crackers. These high sugar content stuffs may lead to an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in the gut that leads to critical fatal cases of enterotoxemia.

Litter Training:

Train your rabbit to use litter boxes. Replace litter boxes with fresh litter everyday.

PRECAUTION: Do not use any litter containing pine or cedar shavings as these contain oils, which can cause respiratory and liver disease in rabbits. Litter made of plant material (hay) or paper (cellulose) is the safest and recommended litter to use for rabbits.

Droppings should be inspected daily without fail. Normal droppings appear like regular round dry marbles, called pills. There may also be some clusters. An abnormality in droppings can be the first sign of illness in rabbits. For example, if you find your rabbit’s droppings that are getting smaller, infrequent or misshapen, it signifies less is coming through. Thus, you ought to check out the reasons. It could be intestinal problems or any other kinds of illnesses.

Grooming & Health Care:

Rabbits enjoy human love and touch. By touching, brushing and combing your lovely rabbit for a few minutes daily will help your pet rabbit to feel your care and presence. Typically, a rabbit shed every 3 months. Hence, it is absolutely for you to free your rabbit of this excess fur. It is perfectly common for rabbit to shed. So, spend enough time to help your rabbit to remove loose hair or fur.

Nevertheless, rabbits are self-cleaning and healthy small animals. They can groom themselves too. How do they do that? They can swallow excess fur! Once swallowed, these rabbits cannot vomit a fur ball, as what a cat can do. This excess fur can cause an obstruction. Technically speaking, we say that a rabbit has developed GI Stasis, a common slowing down of the GI tract. The symptoms of GI Stasis are smaller size droppings, lesser droppings frequency, loss of appetite, hunched up situation and teeth grinding due to pain. Bring your rabbit to your vet at once when you see these symptoms.

Intestinal problem in rabbits can be a very serious. Rabbits can have various types of gastro intestinal upsets. For example, if you find your rabbit’s droppings watery, smelly, messy or “crushed” when you sweep them; it signifies that your rabbit has a diarrhea. From a medical standpoint, a diarrhea is diet related. If you detect it, please send your rabbit to your vet immediately. Your rabbit might need antibiotics from your vet. If there is no dropping at all from your rabbit, please take him to see your vet as well!

It is important to watch out for any abnormalities in your rabbits as rabbits are susceptible to various digestive ailments and other life-threatening diseases. For example, rabbits are vulnerable to myxomatosis and VHD viruses. These are the killer viruses!

Exercise And Play Time:

Human must get daily exercise, so must your rabbit! The benefits of exercise for your rabbit include smoother flow of blood circulation, stronger muscles and prevention from fragile bones. A rabbit’s bone weight is only 7% of his total body weight compared with 15% in a cat.

Rabbits are known to be crepuscular animals. Crepuscular refers to animals that are most active and dynamic at twilight. Therefore, the perfect time for your rabbit to get exercise is in the morning, when you are getting ready for work and in the evening when you arrive home. By the time you get home, your rabbit will have been sleeping all day! Bet you will be happy and entertained to watch him running and hopping around and doing bunny dances in mid-air, “binkies”!

Similar to kids, rabbits love toys! Rabbits like new toys daily! So, what are the toys that your rabbits love dearly? Some ideas of toys include toilet paper roll, cardboard box with a rabbit side doors, newspapers, towels, untreated wicker baskets and paper bags. Tunnels of any kind are always welcomed too!

Spay/Neuter

This procedure is necessary if you want your rabbit to lead a healthy life, free from cancer. The risk of ovarian cancer in an older female is approximately 85% if she is not spayed during puberty (4-6 months).

The reason for a male rabbit to be neutered is mainly behavioral reason. It is crucial as well as to eliminate random spraying, reduce hormone-related aggression and for easier housetrain.
The process of spaying or neutering your rabbit with minimum risk can be performed professionally by your vet. A bonded pair should each be spayed and neutered to avoid pseudo-pregnancies.

Rabbit Proofing

A good rabbit cage must be large enough for the average sized-rabbit. A rabbit’s living area must be spacious enough for a litter box, toys, and perhaps a cardboard box, with enough room left over for him to be comfortable. The minimum size recommended is 4 times the rabbit’s stretched out length as to ensure the cage is tall enough for the rabbit to stand up straight.

Rabbits like to gnaw as it is a expected action for them. Boredom is common reason for their chewing activity and other times, items such as electrical cords get in their way. Thus, they are smart to use their mouth and teeth to shift it. Rabbit is a must! It not only protects your belongings or furniture, it keeps your rabbit safe and sound.

All electrical cords should be concealed in vinyl tubing. Hide the cords before your rabbit move it.
By providing your rabbit with acceptable things like toys and card box boxes to chew will not hurt you rabbit. If you notice your rabbit swallowing it whole, remove it.

Classification Of Rabbit Breeds

There is no universal system of classification for rabbit breeds. Nevertheless, some breeders characterize breeds by size, shape, ears, fur texture, sheen and color. In some breeds, the individual fur characteristics are combined.

Some popular breeds of rabbits include:

• Alaska
• American Fuzzy Lop
• American Sable
• Angora
• Belgian Hare
• Beveren
• Californian
• Champagne D’Argent
• Checkered Giant
• Chinchilla
• Dutch
• Dwarf Hotot
• English Lop
• Flemish Giant
• Florida White
• Harlequin
• Havana
• Himalayan
• Hotot
• Jersey Wooly
• Lilac
• Holland Lop
• Mini Lop
• Mini Rex
• Netherland Dwarf
• New Zealand
• Palomino
• Polish
• Rex
• Rhinelander
• Satin
• Silver
• Silver Fox
• Silver Marten
• Tan

I guess for most of us, the most difficult decision in raising rabbits is choosing the breed that you want to raise.

All the best!