Top Pointers for Taking Good Care of your Pet Rabbit

Rabbit

Like dogs and cats, rabbits have a fairly long lifespan. This means that you have to care for them for a prolonged length of time and when not done correctly many rabbits end up unhappy because they are mishandled. Irresponsible owners think they are cute or they get coaxed by their children to buy rabbit as pets, without any regard to the responsibility that comes along with owning a rabbit pet. Before buying one, make sure you are responsible enough to own one.

UK rabbit hutch specialist site rabbithutch.org.uk has prepared these great tips to follow while taking care of your pet rabbit;

Clean Living Conditions

Rabbits, like every other animal, will live longer of the environment is clean and hygienic. Every day you need remove leftover foodstuffs as these will rot and invite pests and bacteria. You also need to remove the soiled and wet hay or bedding.

If you are using litter boxes, scoop it regularly. Aside from sanitation, doing this regularly helps you observe your pet’s faecal and urine samples. Any abnormality such as presence of blood will tell you if there is a problem.

Appropriate Feeding

Fibre is the most essential component of a rabbit’s diet. This is important for their digestive system to function well. Grass hay and vegetables are most highly recommended diet for rabbits. Pellets, on the other hand, can cause obesity and can risk digestive problems. Treats should be given in moderate amounts. About one to two tablespoons of fruits should be enough per rabbit per day. Synthetic or processed treats are not generally recommended as they can have high sugar and carbohydrate content.

Proper Grooming

Rabbits share a similar habit with cats in that they clean themselves regularly. A problem with this is they develop hairballs so it is imperative that you brush your rabbit regularly. Once a week of brushing should do just fine if you have a short-haired bunny. Make sure you use a gentle brush because rabbit skin is very sensitive. Trim the coat to about one inch because it is prone to matting. Rabbits do not usually need bathing, unless they get especially dirty for any reason.

Companionship

Rabbits are very sociable animals. Ideally, you need to keep two or more rabbits in the same cage. A general recommendation is to keep two females to prevent reproduction as rabbits can multiply so fast! If you want male and female rabbits, you should really neuter and spay them.

Play Time

Rabbits are very playful and watching them play lightens up anybody’s mood. During play time, you need to supervise because if you don’t they will chew and gnaw anything in their way! You do not have to buy expensive toys for your pets. Toilet paper rolls will do.

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